[Stripe] What's happening?


Where am I?


Heidekker's ranch. Three days ago.


I have it all logged, Stripe.  We can feed you everything that you did.


Hey, no, no, no. No.


Please! Please don't shoot. Please!  Please! Please don't shoot.


-Please! Please!  -No! No!


No. Make it stop.


-No! Please.  -[whirring]


Make it stop!


-Please!  -[gunfire]


No! No!


[gasps]


-[screams]  -[gasps] No!


[whimpers]


-[stabbing sounds]  -[screams]


Fuck off! Stop it!


-[stabbing sound]  -[groans]


-[stabbing sound]  -No!


You'll see and smell and feel it all.


Is this what you want?


On a loop? In a cell all alone?


[beeps]


[Stripe whimpering]


[Arquette] We can make that go away.


This conversation goes away too.


All of it.


But you gotta say the word.


Just say the word, Stripe.


And it all goes away.


[glass cracks]


[man] They're ready now.


[woman] Perhaps we could begin with  your earliest recollections


of the events of last May.


Well, I first got involved on the 15th.


[woman] Could you move the microphone  a little closer?


[feedback whines]


Here?


I first got involved on the 15th.


[beeping]


[sighs]


[beeps]


[woman on TV]  Chancellor Tom Pickering has defended


the government's stance  on disability benefits


as outrage over the death of so-called  "Wheelchair Martyr" Gwen Marbury grows.


More than 20,000 people  have signed a petition


demanding the sacking  of newspaper columnist Jo Powers


following her controversial article  about Gwen Marbury.


Conservationists have announced  another extinction.


The Siberian crane has died out


following an unprecedented reduction  in its wetland habitat.


And the honeybee-mimicking drone insects  known as ADIs


have been activated  for their second summer.


[buzzing]


[man] Hope you're ashamed of yourself.


-Bitch.  -Pleasure's all mine.


[phone beeps]


[keys jangle]


[van door opens]


Yo Powers?


Jo Powers.


Whatever's in there, will it detonate?


That's from bakery. For you.


-Thank you.  -Thank you.


[door opens]


[man] Hello, darling!


[chuckles softly]


Creative, your well-wishers.


[man] Don't eat it.


It's a cake. That's its job.


I'm going to have a bath.


Sail away


Sail away, sail away, sail away


From Bissau to Palau  in the shade of Avalon


From Fiji to Tiree  and the Isles of Ebony


From Peru to Cebu,  hear the power of Babylon


- From Bali to Cali...   -[Jo laughs]


Ah!


[chuckles]


[woman on TV] Grammy-award-winning  rapper Tusk is still with us.


[cheering]


Now, Tusk,  there are loads of online videos


of people trying to emulate you,


but this is our favourite.  Take a look at this.


[laughter and cheering]


It's a young chap called Aaron Sheen.  He's nine years old.


[laughs] That is one goofy-looking kid.


-[laughter]  -Not a good dancer.


He's nine years old!  Come on, he's a pretty good dancer.


That young motherfucker can't dance  for shit.


He should probably just give up  now, actually.


Don't hate on me for keeping it real.


That's a goofy little motherfucker,  and he can't dance for shit.


[woman] He is a big fan, Tusk.


-[Tusk] Don't hate on your boy.  -[phone beeps]


[woman]  Everybody's got to start somewhere.


[Tusk] Start somewhere?  I looked better than that--


-DCI Parke?  -No press.


No, I'm not press. Um... TDC Blue Colson.  I'm your shadow.


My shadow? They said--


Sorry. Call me Karin.


-Did you say your name was...?  -Blue.


-B-l-u-e, Blue?   -Yeah. It's not a nickname.


-My dad liked the sound of it.  -Uh-huh.


-Seen a body before?  -a couple.


-On video, I mean.  -[man] Boss?


-This is Blue. She's my shadow.  -[helicopter whirrs]


-DS Nick Shelton.  -What've we got?


-Jo Powers.  -As in...


As in actual Jo Powers.


Saw something she wrote the other day  about the wheelchair woman.


Clickbait piece. Pissed people off.


That article was fucking horrendous.  Even I signed the petition.


To get her sacked.


Come on.


Neighbours heard her screaming  and called it in.


[Karin] Hell of a struggle.


Anyone else at home?


Husband. Found slashed across the stomach.


-By her?  -Don't know.


He was unconscious.  They've taken him to St. Columbus.


[Blue] Her mentions are still pouring in.


Restraining bolt's in place.


-No other points of entry?  -No. But the outside's ringed with CCTV.


-We got the code for the cams?  -Uh-huh.


Okay, then. Check the recordings.  Bag that, send it to Toxicology.


Full autop for her, and we question  the husband as soon as he wakes up.


-You think it's the husband?  -I'm keeping options open.


Cutting the throat, that's unusual.  Thanks, chaps.


-But you do think he did it?  -Don't know anything yet.


These things are almost always  either drink, drugs or domestic.


It is how it is.


-you driving home?  -No licence. Never passed.


I'm sort of waiting for driverless  to go mainstream.


-Get in.  -No, honestly, I'll get the Tube.


-Get in.  -Oh. Okay.


-So you were in Tech Crime?  -Digital Forensics. Computer murk.


[Karin] What happened,  you get bored of it?


Not exactly. You've seen  what people tuck away on these.


Schemes and kill lists, kiddy porn.  It's not boring.


I'm old enough to remember  when they walked around with that stuff


just tucked away in their heads.


[Blue] Right. But now they can't help but  entrusting it to their little companions.


These things absorb who we are.  They know everything about us.


[Karin] If it's interesting,  why leave Forensics?


The Rannoch case.


-Ian Rannoch?  -the child killings, Yeah.


I was the one  who cracked his souvenir folder.


-So you saw those pictures?  -Mm-hmm.


And the videos too. Saw them all.


You see something like that,  it changes you.


You either get defeated or you think--


You think, "Fuck me!  I've got to help stop that shit."


Yeah.


-I mean, out here in the field--  -What fucking field?


You know what I mean.  Out here in the real world,


you can genuinely prevent stuff,  can't you?


You are young.


Maybe you're old?


-[Karin] Steady.  -[chuckles]


Thanks.


-See you tomorrow.  -Yes, boss.


[woman on TV] Jo Powers has been found  dead at her home in West London.


The veteran columnist had been  at the centre of controversy


over an article she'd written about  disability rights activist Gwen Marbury.


The police have yet to confirm the cause--


[clicks]


[man] It's just the first floor,  first door on the...


-Starting early?  -I asked Nick to show me the CCTV.


-Oh, yeah?  -Yeah.


No one came in or out.   Just Jo and her husband all evening.


-And that one there?  -Rear patio.


-Bust for months by the looks of it.  -Someone could've come in through there.


They'd have to climb the fence,  make it in and out,


knowing the camera wasn't working,


but yeah, could have happened.  Technically.


Okay, sorry.


You're keen to help.


-She just asked!  -Uh-huh.


[sighs]


[Karin clears throat]


Um... So...


I'm collating every threat  or insult levelled at Jo Powers


over the previous 48 hours.


Say it is the husband.  That's a coincidence, isn't it?


Not really.  You've got everyone throwing a shit fit.


Stress levels in that household  would've been through the roof.


That Internet stuff  drifts off like weather.


It's half hate. They don't mean it.  The hate in a marriage, that's in 3D.


That's had work put into it.  That's sincere.


-Yeah. I'm divorced.  -Um...


Husband's up and talking.  You're gonna love his alibi.


[siren wailing]


[phone rings]


I heard Jo screaming from upstairs.


And when I ran in, she was walking  'round the room, stumbling.


She was clutching-- She was clutching  her head as if she was in pain.


And then for a moment, she stopped.


And then it was like a seizure, she was...


thrashing... clawing at her own skin.


And she turned...


[sobs]


She smashed her head...  onto the desk, hard.


Then she-- she pushed me over.


That must've been when the bottle smashed.


Then she picked it up,   and she started cutting herself.


Here. She was gouging.


[sobs] I tried to stop her.


But she did this.


Then she cut her throat.


I tried to stop her.


She cut her own throat with the glass!


[man whimpers]


[cries]


[Karin] Mutilated and then killed herself  for no apparent reason?


I'd say the odds are against that.


He said it was like  she was having a seizure.


Maybe there was something in the cake.


-The cake?  -It had "fucking bitch" iced on it.


-Could've been something in it.  -Like a drug?


-I don't know.  -That makes people kill themselves?


He was sort of convincing.


-He just doesn't seem the--  -Don't say "the type."


He's ordinary. That is the type.


What, so he bounced her head off the desk?


-Blue.  -Held her steady enough--


-Blue.  -What?


-Toxicology are looking at the cake.  -Okay.


Meantime, let's drop in  on the person that sent it.


Got the name this morning.


-You don't need to patronize me.  -We're doing what you want.


-Following another lead.  -that you think is a waste of time.


Picking along dead ends just  to prove they're dead ends,


that's most of the job.


I'm not saying it's a waste of time.  Just...


you haven't had a chance  to get bored of reality yet.


Okay, that was patronizing.


-Is this who sent the cake?  -[Karin] Uh-huh.


-Have we checked her social feeds?  -I don't know.


"Death to Jo Powers."  She posted that on Monday morning.


The bakery said that they're  not meant to do obscenities,


so I said it was for my sister,  like just a joke thing,


and they agreed, so...


Not cheap, their cakes.  With delivery, it was what, 80 quid?


Um...  Well, I didn't pay for it all myself.


-We all put a pound in each.  -We?


Yeah. I'm on a mums and carers  message board.


I held a sort of whip-round.


-you crowd-sourced the money?  -Yeah, if you like.


From 80 other people?


Look, I'm not... [laughs]


I'm not being funny, okay?  I know she is dead.


But did you read what she had written?


How much do you think she got paid  for spouting that horrible shit?


I don't know.


-I was just using My freedom of speech.  -to send a threatening message.


[scoffs] It was funny, okay?


And I can see if I'd done it myself,  then that would be a bit weird,


but I'm not mental.


You wished she was dead.


Well, uh...


[stammers] No, no, I didn't.


[phone beeps]


-"Death to Jo Powers."  -[laughs] That's just...


It's a-- a hashtag game, you know,  like "Death to..."


You insert the name  of someone who's being an arsehole.


It's not... real. It's a joke thing.


And who started it? The hashtag?


I don't know. I don't know.  I saw it somewhere.


Excuse us a moment.


Toxicology say the cake's clean.


They also said:  "Thanks, it was delicious."


We'll give her a caution.  Offensive Communications Act.


-Does that cover cakes?  -As far as she's concerned, it does.


What about the others who chipped in?  Are you going to tell them off, too?


-I didn't do anything.  -Start a thread about it.


Hospital's discharging the husband  tomorrow.


We'll bring him in for questioning.


Blue? We're arresting the husband.  Don't wallow in that.


The Internet will be pissed off  with someone else today.


[Nick] Tusk.


Everyone's pissed off with Tusk  'cause of that thing with the kid.


He's catching a shit storm  on social media.


-Liza will be organising the cake now.  -Yeah.


-See you tomorrow.  -See you.


-Whoo!  - Turn a penny to a grand


When I'm ready,  rocking steady for my fans


Where my ladies at?


-Yo! Good show.  -Yeah, that's a good show, brother.


-I'm feeling my shit.  -You want some of that?


-What you smoking?  -Good shit, boy.


A'ight.


Damn!


Eyes on, eyes on, eyes on.


Don't stress. It's legal here.


Pfft! Keep forgetting.  Welcome to Europe, I guess.


-Kinda takes the joy out of it.  -Tell me about it.


-[clatter]  -Careful! You break it, you pay for it.


-Always doing some bullshit.  -[Tusk yelling]


-[screams]  -Tusk? Tusk?


[screaming]


Yo, yo! We need some help over here!


[screams hysterically]


-I got you.  -Get it out! Get it out! Get it out!


Call an ambulance!


[monitor beeping]


[typing]


-[whirring]  -Commencing.


[rattling]


[beeping]


-Did he say What It is?   -Nope.


[buzzer]


-Good morning.  -morning.


[man] She's in here.


So I go in,


and there's not just the wound  from the glass.


There's a hole. Dug in.  A bore hole, like a tiny tunnel.


So I follow it, you know,  how deep does it go?


It goes all the way from her ear canal  to deep in her brain.


Where I find this.


Nestled right in there. Looks quite cosy.


-[Karin] It's one of those bee things.  -[Blue] An ADI.


An Autonomous Drone Insect  from the Granular Project.


-How did it get in there?  -I'd say it burrowed in.


-Fuck me.  -[man] That's not the worst part.


It crawled right through  her dorsal posterior insula,


which is basically  the brain's pain centre.


You're talking agony off the scale.


-You'd do anything to make it stop.  -Even cut your own throat.


-Good afternoon.  -DCI Parke.


-TDC Blue Colson.  -Okay. Thank you.


[Karin] They're so fucking fancy-looking,  these companies.


-Billions On branding.  -Well, they can afford it.


The whole ADI project's pretty much  bankrolled by the government.


It's why so many people  are paranoid about it.


Let me guess,  this is some people on the Internet?


They reckon the government  uses the bees to spy on us.


There's a schizophrenic world view.


[buzzing]


Jesus, I didn't expect to find myself  living in the future,


but here I fucking well am.


-Karin Parke?  -Uh-huh.


Vanessa Dahl.


Please. Follow me.


You're after information  on our Project Swarm ADIs?


[Karin] That's right.


[Vanessa] Any particular reason?


Yes.


Rasmus.


Rasmus Sjoberg.


-he heads Swarm.  -Nice to meet you.


-Hi.  -Hi.


-Nice greenhouse.  -Yeah.


[Karin] So, your bees, your ADIs,  talk me through them.


Colony Collapse Disorder.   We still don't know what's behind it.


Bees themselves were virtually extinct


so what our ADIs do  is effectively stand in for them.


They're solar powered.  They don't need nectar,


but they pollinate flowers the same way.


They crawl inside,  pollen sticks to their legs


and gets brushed off  the next flower they visit.


-can they make honey?  -Uh... No.


I was joking.


How do they know  where the flowers even are? I mean...


Well, they have a sensor.


Like a... camera?


No. Just a basic visual sensor.


You see,  they need rudimentary pattern recognition


in order to locate compatible flora  and navigate.


-they navigate?  -Yes.


You don't... I don't know... steer them?


They're autonomous.  That's right, isn't it?


They make their own decisions.  They look after themselves.


Yes. You see, the ADIs  cover the whole of the UK.


We couldn't command each one  individually ourselves.


It's just not logistically possible.


No. [coughs] We simply  set the behaviour and leave them to it.


They even construct these hives  themselves.


They reproduce...


-they reproduce?  -Yes. Each hive is a replication point.


-[Blue] It's like a 3D printer, basically.  -[Rasmus] Exactly.


They create duplicates of themselves,


create more hives  and spread out exponentially.


-[Blue] Cover the country.  -Maybe you should work here.


Yeah, well, I read up on it.  It's impressive.


It is. It's just a shame it's necessary.


The alternative would have been  environmental catastrophe.


Bees were dying out.


So, what is it that brings you here?


We think one of your ADIs   may be involved in an unexplained death.


Sorry? A death?


Uh-huh.


Thank you.


Yeah. It's one of ours.  But, look, these are not designed to...


Kill people? I'd hope not.  Could it have malfunctioned somehow?


No. I mean, when they do malfunction...


It happens, but then they just break,  they just hit the ground.


What if someone hacked one and then  they found a way of controlling it?


That's impossible.


You see,  it's got military-grade encryption,


and you would need a diagnostic  controller, which is also encrypted.


So I would say the likelihood is--


I don't know what he's saying,  but it's not the same as "impossible."


This is every hive we have online.


See...


These are the hives in the building here.


-How many bees per hive?  -Around 4,000.


-[Karin] It's like air traffic control.  -[Rasmus] Yeah.


Is that the search input?


-Yeah, but, uh... you'd need...  -Sorry.


[tapping on keyboard]


-Jo Powers' postcode.  -[beeping]


Is that who this is about?


-you said you Get some malfunctions?   -a fair few, Yes.


They smack into a car or something.  We even had people trap them.


You know, put them in the microwave  for YouTube videos. [laughs]


And this logs  any that drop off the system?


Logs everything, yes.


Did you lose any around here  on Monday evening?


Well, I can check.


[beeping]


Just one. Went out at 1903 hours.  Here, I can replay.


There.


-That's odd.  -[Blue] What's odd?


When they pass between hives,


they switch from one jurisdiction  to another.


-It's, you know, like a...  -It's like a phone between cell masts?


Exactly. It tried to do that,  but there was nothing to switch to.


Unless someone spoofed a hive and then  they've used that to commandeer your ADI.


No, you would need  a diagnostic controller to do that.


[Blue] What's the range on one of those?


[Rasmus] Ten, 20 metres, perhaps.


So whoever was controlling it would have  to be no more than 20 metres away.


-outside the house.  -Yeah. Sitting in a car, even.


-Can you trace back who did this?  -Yes. I-I'm already trying to do that.


Uh...


You know what? Uh...  It would be easier without an audience.


Okay.


You two swap numbers,  keep a line of communication.


Can you shut the whole thing down  if need be... hypothetically speaking?


Even a short stoppage  would damage the ecosystem,


and we'd need approval  from the Department of the Environment.


We'll need a list of any Granular staff  that had access to that system,


past or present.


[laughs] Some were government employees.


Use a different font for those  if it helps.


Bye.


[buzzing]


Nick, that's a set  of Granular personnel records.


Root out anyone interesting.


Maybe not just one.  Could be a group involved.


Technically we should refer this up  to the NCA,


but there's no fucking way  they're taking this off me.


The NCA already knows about it.


What?


DCI Karin Parke?


-Yes.  -Shaun Li, National Crime Agency.


[Karin] How come you're here?


There's been more than one.


This is Tusk, last night.


-Shit.  -they thought It was a fit.


Took him to the hospital.


He had to be anaesthetised  to stop him mutilating himself.


X-ray seemed to indicate some kind  of plaque or tumour in his brain


-so they popped him in the MRI.  -[groans]


Yeah. Basically one big magnet.


Tore it right out of his head,  through the eye socket.


[groans]


Battered the ADI too.


Yours is more intact  so I'm gonna need it for analysis.


[Karin] It's evidence.


Two's a pattern. It knocks  any malfunction theory in the head.


-And they're similar victims.  -Similar?


Both in the middle of online shit storms.


Well, if you wanna kill someone,  there's a million easier ways to do it.


Pull this off and you've done it  from across the street.


No fingerprints, no DNA.  It's like wishing them dead.


Fuck.


Guys? Come here.


Okay, so, um... Jo Powers and Tusk,


both were being kicked around  the Internet for hours,


but in both their cases,  people were also tweeting their photos


accompanied with this hashtag: #DeathTo.


-Like our friend the teacher.  -Right.


She didn't know where she'd first heard  of it, but trace it back,


and it looks like the first real use  of the hashtag was last weekend.


-By who?  -[Blue] Uh...


Looks like, um...


Looks like identical tweets  from a set of duplicate bot accounts.


Um...


Automated. It's like spam.


This is someone trying to seed the tag,  you know? Get it out there.


It's like bait. This is someone  wanting people to pick up on it.


Check out the senders' avatar photos.


[Karin] Bees. Shit.


Okay.


There's more.


So each tweet had a sort of  instruction video attached to it.


-[Karin] Uh-huh.  -There.


"Game of Consequences"?


It's like an unpopularity contest.


Pick someone you don't like and if enough  other people choose the same name,


then that's who gets targeted.


Here, watch.


[man] Game of Consequences.


-One: Pick a target.  -[Karin] Oh, my God.


Two: Post their name and photo  with #DeathTo.


No.


Three: Most popular target  will be eliminated after 5 p.m. each day.


Four: Game resets at midnight.


-[Nick] Oh, no.  -[Karin] Fuck.


Someone's holding a public ballot,  bumping off the top person.


-Jesus, it's just mad.  -Yeah, and it's growing.


Day one. 63 people used the hashtag  on Jo Powers, okay?


On day two, 223 used it on Tusk.


-Who's using it now?  -There's-- There's loads more people.


There's quite a few votes  for the Chancellor.


-Yeah.  -Um...


But at number one...


is 880 people using it  on someone called Clara Meades.


-Who's she?  -Clara Meades.


Okay, um...  it looks like she was at a demo,


and she took a selfie  in front of a war memorial.


-Pretending to piss On it.  -Nice work, Clara.


Yeah, it's getting near the end  of the vote,


and her mentions are blowing up.


-Tusk isn't public knowledge yet?  -Um, no.


So people can't know the hashtag works.  They're using it to scare her.


-Yeah, but they're gonna get her killed.   -We need to get to her before five.


Yeah. Pulling her citizens details.


You're not supposed  to have access to that.


Yeah, I know. Just getting her location.


There.


[breathes heavily]


[computer chirrups repeatedly]


[phone ringing]


[ringing stops, chirruping continues]


[sighs]


[phone rings]


[woman] Hello?


[whimpers]


[woman] Yeah, she is.   All right, all right, hold on.


Clara!


Police. For you.  How did they get my number?


-Hello?  -Clara Meades?


This is DCI Karin Parke, Met Police.


Sorry to track you down like this,  but we think you may be in danger.


Sorry, is this a joke? Because  all this stuff I'm getting is not funny.


I'm not joking.  Stay where you are until we get there.


And keep your windows closed.


I'm setting up a perimeter.


Call Rasmus, we need him across this.


-Rasmus?   -Hi, Blue.


I'm sending you a postcode and my GPS.


I need you to monitor the area.


Track my location and see if you get  anything unusual, any rogue ADIs, yeah?


Yeah, great, good.


Look, if they come back,


I think I can catch them.


I have basically set a trap.


So if they--  if they try it again, we've got them.


-are you Batman?  -they only just rolled them out.


This'll turn every red light  between here and there to green.


Fuck me. If this is the NCA life,  I should apply for a transfer.


Let's go.


We can take her here.


It's a safe house  for terrorist informers usually.


[helicopter whirring]


[sirens wailing]


[man over radio] No target sighted.


[man over loudspeaker]  This is a police operation!


Everybody vacate their premises now.


Please leave...


[gasps]


[computer pings]


-[Vanessa] What's that?  -[Rasmus] Someone's trying to break in.


-Rasmus?  -I just picked up an attempted breach.


Granular, they've got a breach.


-[Rasmus] One ADI just went offline.  -Where?


-800 metres from your location.  -That's outside our cordon.


If someone's trying to pilot it this way,


they're gonna turn 'round  the moment they see all these uniforms.


Clara Meades? I'm Karin Parke.  Did you pack a bag?


-Yeah, it's by the door.  -Right, let's go.


-Rasmus got a track On them?  -Not yet.


[beeping]


It's just precautionary,  and it's only for one night.


Just gotta call in.


Hi.


No, not yet.


Hopefully never. Granular are onto it.


-Understood.  -[buzzing]


They housed a witness here for a while,  Shaun said.


-Must've had kids.  -Have you got kids?


[both] No.


No plans.


[buzzing]


Up the stairs.


[phone rings]


-Rasmus.  -Still nothing. I can't trace it.


[sighs]


[sighs] At least there's an en-suite.


-Is there nothing?  -[Rasmus] No.


Whoever it is,  they've masked their path well.


[beeping]


But that's not--


-Fuck.  -[Blue] What?


-We just lost a whole hive.  -What Does that mean?


Packed full of ADIs.


Lost them all too.


-No-- Rasmus?  -There's thousands of them.


-Where?  -It's close to your location. [static]


Rasmus, say that again.


Blue? Blue. It's close...  It's very close to you.


Text it. Text it to me.  Rasmus. Text it to-- [static] Shit.


Do I get to redecorate?


[buzzing]


-[crackling on line]  -Hello. Hello.


[distorted voice]


[Rasmus] No...


They've got the whole thing.


We're not in control anymore.


-They've got the whole thing.  -[Vanessa] What are you doing?


-Fix it! Can't you fix it?  -Shut up!


[crackling on line]


[buzzing continuing]


-[screams]  -[phone beeps]


Shit.


[panting]


We need to go. Now. Now! Come on!


Go. Go, go, go.


[Shaun screams]


[loud buzzing]


[gasps]


[Clara] What's-- what's happening?


[buzzing]


-[rattling]  -[Blue] Karin...


-[rattling]  -[mutters]


In there! Go!


-Help me block the gap!  -[Clara]Tell me what's going on!


You're scaring the shit out of me!


[door rattles]


[buzzing and rattling continue]


-[rattling]   -[screams]


Oh! Fuck!


-[buzzing]  -[screams]


The fan! The fan! [screams]


[screams]


Get it away from me!


[screams hysterically]


[gasps]


[buzzing stops]


[panting]


[woman] Take your time.


I'd seen so many bodies before.


At crime scenes, in autopsies.


But I'd never seen anyone die.


And she was right there.


And can you describe the reaction  of your colleague, Miss Colson?


Blue took it hard.


[Shaun] Uh-huh.


[man] I'll shut it down.


We thought this was one guy,  some Mr. Mystery in the vicinity,


hijacking one ADI  and personally controlling it.


[Shaun] But there were thousands of them.


-So it can't be that, right?  -No.


-One person can't fly hundreds at once.  -No.


Whoever this is,  they're controlling the whole system.


-do you know where from?  -could be anywhere.


You need to fucking sort this out!  [kicks table]


How do the ADIs know who to target?


Could've found Clara the same way  you did, the identity database?


No. That just gives you the basic area.


We were in the room too,  and they only went for her.


Facial recognition.  It's got to be facial recognition.


Which means the feed from their visual  sensors, that's been accessed too.


-[Shaun] That's not possible.  -[Blue] It's the only explanation.


Now look, the visual feed is secure  between each ADI and the hive.


-there you go.  -Although...


one of the government's conditions  for backing the project...


Okay. Enough.


We had to consent to permitting  government security services


access to the visual feed at times  of quote, "increased national security."


Which is, as I understand it,  pretty much all the time.


-I wasn't happy about it.  -Your lot went along with it.


That implies a greater range  of options than your lot presented.


-So they are spying On us.  -This is all classified.


So what did you do, did you put in  a back door and route it through GCHQ?


I mean, you do CCTV, you do traffic cams.


So what don't you have  your fucking noses in?


Look, millions of those things  flying around, propping up the ecosystem?


Well, that's great, save the planet,  hallelujah!


Government's not going  to pump billions into it


just 'cause some lab coat says so,  and it grabs 200 green votes.


They saw an opportunity to get more,  they took it.


Total nationwide surveillance.


We tracked suspects for weeks  in ways they couldn't dream of.


-We prevented bombings, mass shootings.  -By spying On the public.


And keeping them safe,  which is what they want.


Clara Meades isn't safe, though,  is she, Shaun?


Knowing what you knew,  that might've helped us,


but no,  you kept your little fucking secret.


Okay! The government's a cunt.  We knew that already.


Word's going to get out about Clara.


The public's going to wake up and find  this mental assassination game going on,


and soon we're going to have another body.


-So what do we do?  -I don't know.


We're totally locked out. Totally blind.


If I can work out how they got in,


I might be able to reverse engineer   some means of getting control back.


Do the ADIs have a command log,  on-board cache?


-Yeah, but that's encrypted.  -I'll need the key to that.


[phone rings]


[sighs]


Been through the employee files,  found some POIs.


Bring them in.


Are you sitting in on these?  Granular interviews?


I've got to be somewhere.


[radio beeping]


[woman on radio] It's 7:15.


Three deaths have now been linked  to a hashtag circulating on social media.


Controversial journalist Jo Powers...


[man on radio] Good morning.  Have you posted the hashtag?


Is it real or an urban myth?


Well, thousands have been taking part,  but how culpable are they?


People are dying,  and we want to hear your thoughts.


Line seven, Liana...


This is real, this is happening...


I am happy to see her die.


[woman] It's not the hashtag killing them.  That's just a game.


Like, if you're an arsehole,  you deserve to be shamed.


[man on radio] Steve, line five.


[man] Yeah, but my point is,  someone's gotta be top of the list, yeah?


So why not make it someone,   you know, who deserves it, like a racist.


[woman] With the hashtag, I've seen  celebrities, politicians, everyone.


This doesn't mean you have to sit there  encouraging people to take part.


The point is this is already happening.


And people know that they can jump onboard


because nobody will ever know  if they did or didn't.


Well, let's just pause for a moment  and go back to that top five.


As we have been saying,  the Chancellor is at number one,


and I want us to think about that.


What does that tell us  about the choice of the nation?


[woman] Well, I can't say I'm surprised  that he's number one on the list.


He's been pretty unpopular  for quite a long time now.


[interviewer] But does that warrant  his place on this list?


[woman] I'm saying people  don't have to think too hard about it.


Now that's he's number one,


that should generate more discussions  and probably more votes.


Thanks for your time.


-No good?  -No good.


-Well, that's all fascinating...  -Shaun.


-But when do We shut It down?  -Tom.


Forgive me for being sceptical  about your agency's basic competence.


-Tom.  -I'm on the fucking chopping block here.


Number one on the list.  The people's fucking choice!


Farrington's number four,  and he's a paedophile.


-Suspected paedophile.  -he Did it. you know he did.


Let's just shut it down. All social media.  The whole bloody Internet, pull the plug.


Just for today,


at least until Thumbelina here  pulls his finger out


and he actually catches someone.


I wouldn't advise shutting things down.


-But it's possible? We can do that?  -The whole of social media?


-Yeah. Pull a North Korea On it.  -Well, Yes, technically.


-Right, so push the off switch.  -[Shaun] That's not a good idea.


-No?  -Not in My opinion.


Right, okay. It's just that speaking   as a marked man, I beg to fucking differ.


If we shut it down,  you'll still be number one.


Guaranteed to be, in fact.


He's right. If we let it run on,  at least there's a few hours.


Anything could happen before five o'clock.  The vote might change.


Yeah, and it might not.  What about that report? The archive job?


From 1985, that memo about Farrington?


-That was over an unrelated matter.  -[Tom] Leak it.


Tom, that would be a smear.


A head-to-toe shit smear,  I fucking hope so.


He's in his 80s. He's had his life.  Fuck him under the bus.


If I could suggest an alternative?  We move you to a safe location.


-Have you secured before five.  -Worked out Well for you last night.


I'll show you.


This next one's Tess Wallender.  She was a junior.


So not much  in the way of technical skills.


-Quit Granular for personal reasons.  -Nervous exhaustion, Yeah.


Worked in Human Resources  for Granular until she quit.


She took a photo of a guy on the Tube,  said he'd harassed her,


lewd comments or something.


Turned out he had a learning disability  so she caught a ton of shit on--


On social media.


-Hello. I'm DCI Karin Parke.  -Hi.


It was like having a whole weather system  turn against me.


Just hate message after hate message,  around the clock, all piling on.


It's hard to describe what that does  to your head.


Suddenly  there's a million invisible people,


all talking about how they despise you.


It's like a mental illness.


Fuck.


[Nick] What?


Shit.


I mean, hands up, I made a mistake,


but the way people enjoyed kicking me,  that's what got to me.


The casual fun they had and, um...


I just felt I couldn't go on.


Who found you?


Um... Garrett, my flatmate.


He found me in the bath  five minutes after I'd slashed them.


I mean, it's crazy.


I'm half-conscious.  He's dragging me out of the bath,


and I'm telling him to get out,  saying, "I'm naked."


He tied towels 'round my wrists,  kept me conscious,


kept stroking my hair  till the ambulance arrived, talking to me.


Sort of weird.


I think he always had a thing for me.


And we worked at the same place so,  you know... awkward.


-he Worked at Granular?   -Yeah. On the ADI thing.


-he was a real wunderkind. Ultra-smart.  -What Did you say his name was?


Garrett. Garrett Scholes.


Garrett Scholes.  We need the whereabouts of a Garrett--


Scholes. We were about to tell you.


It was buried in the on-board memory  of the Jo Powers' ADI.


-What was?  -A manifesto. A 98-page manifesto.


And check this out.  There's fucking selfies in it.


[buzzing]


[man] So we're good to go?


Okay, that's the charge in place.


Okay. Pull back.


We're all set here.


Detonate.


[explosion]


So, the plan is,  we move you to an underground bunker,


knock out every hive  within a ten-mile radius.


And, what, just leave me there?  How long for?


It's a temporary measure.


How long till you take out all the hives?


There's 20,000, 30,000 of them.  That would take two years.


Two years, a victim a day.


More to the point,  the environmental impact would--


Fuck that.


[man] Shit!


-What?  -Fuck!


Stay back, stay back!


Get back!


[buzzing]


[men screaming]


Go, go, go! Get away!


For fuck's sake, move!


[static, buzzing]


What's your Plan B?


He was on the original employee roster,  but we discounted him.


He left the country six months ago.


We thought we were looking  for someone nearby.


Run a full trace on him.  Everything we can find.


Lunatic with production values,  that's the worst kind.


"Thanks to the technological revolution,


we have the power to rage and accuse,  spout bile without consequence.


Only by being forced to recognize  the power technology grants us,


to acknowledge  individual responsibility..."


Is it all like this?


He likens the population to insects,  says we revel in cruelty,


that it's a weakness  that should be bred out of us.


Recurrent theme is he wants people to face  the consequences of what they say and do.


-Wants to force that on them.  -The whole thing's a moral lesson?


He wanted us to find this  and spread it about.


Well, fuck him.


Fuck.


Shit.


Karin. Karin. He's messed up.


He's put this document  together himself, right?


His author name's in the metadata.


But he stripped out everything else,


so we don't know when he's written it,  for example.


Mm-hmm.


Most of the photos are clipart   off the Internet, except this one.


-The selfie.  -That's where he's screwed up.


He's taken it with his phone,  and the phone left a geotag on the image.


-So you know where he took this?  -I know precisely where.


He's here and Granular HQ is there.


[phone pings]


[crash]


-Armed police! Stay down!  -Armed police!


[banging]


Armed police! Stay where you are!  Armed police! Show yourselves!


Move!


Left.


-Clear!   -Clear!


-Clear!  -[sighs]


[opens drawer]


[closes drawer]


[Karin] Lifestyles of the rich and famous.


There. The forge.


[gasps]


[Karin] Nice one.


Half the drives I sifted in forensics  had scorch marks on 'em.


-[Blue] What do you think?  -Yeah. Looks like his toolkit.


-you can use it?  -Pretty much the key to the door.


So you can get control back?  Send the deactivation?


[Rasmus] Well, I've got his source code.


-I should be able to bounce him out.  -be quick.


[Karin] Key to the door?


Our guy doesn't seem the type  to leave keys lying around.


Well, I'm in.


Okay. Deactivate her.


-Yeah, I need to repair permissions.  -fucking hell.


That's weird.


What's weird?


-[Shaun] Time's ticking.  -That file. Wasn't there before.


-This file?  -Yeah.


[computer beeps]


What is it?


-Blue?  -I think they're IMEI numbers.


What does that mean?


Every phone, every device  has a unique number, an IMEI number.


It tethers it to a unique user.


-Yeah.  -But I can check, just... reverse lookup.


[Rasmus] Take it easy.


[Karin] Who are these people?


[Blue] I don't know.  There's 387,000 of them.


Are these IDs  your spooks have been collecting?


-No!Are you ready yet?  -Yeah, almost there.


Wait. Wait.


What was the name of that teacher?  Hate cake.


-Liza. Liza Bahar.  -Liza Bahar.


[Shaun] Fuck's sake.


This is a list of everyone  who's used the hashtag.


What?


Everyone who took part  in the Game of Consequences.


They've hoovered up their ID from GCHQ  by the looks of it.


That backdoor worked both ways, it seems.


-See if I'm on there.  -What?


I posted the tag earlier  with Scholes' face.


-just trying to Get a reaction From him.  -Yeah, Yeah, almost there.


[Blue] You're there.


[Rasmus] Almost there.


Why has he collected everyone  who took part? I mean...


[Rasmus] Okay. I'm ready.


-Shit.  -Run It now.


No. Think. He left us a trail.


-Oh, come on.  -That photo with the whereabouts,


it's too big a mistake for him.  He knew we'd do this.


-Now we're shutting it down, all right?  -And maybe that'll trigger some endgame,


something to do with that list.


What if those are his real targets?


The people on the list.  Everyone who took part.


Consequences.


The hate figures were the bait.  The players are the target.


-Run the deact command.  -[Rasmus] Now just wait a minute, okay?


-Run it.  -[Karin] No!


[beeping]


[gasps]


[Rasmus] Yeah. [laughs]


Yeah, it worked.


[Shaun sighs]


Sorry, but that needed doing. [laughs]


-No, no, no, no, no.  -[Karin] What?


No. No.


-[Rasmus] Fuck!  -[Karin] No.


[Karin] Shit.


Oh, no.


[buzzing]


Follow me


I'll show you the way


Out of this home


Out of this land


Fall into me


[chattering]


And drown inside me


I know you will see


The beauty of me


There's...


[window rattles]


[vocalizing]


[whirring]


I love you so


All that I can be


Tired are your splendid soldiers


Tired are they, here they go


[woman] We're all tragically familiar with  the rest of the events of that week.


And we need no reminding  of the sheer scale


of the loss of life that followed.


No. No, we don't.


[woman] And what became of Ms. Colson?


I think she blamed herself.


No. I know she did.


She felt she'd followed his breadcrumb  trail and sprung the whole thing.


She left the force.


I didn't hear from her.


Rang her, tried emailing, but no response.


Then, um...


About four months later,  they found her things.


On a beach.


With a note.


[breathes deeply]


She killed herself?


That's the base theory, yes.


Ms Parke, I would like to commend you


for sharing your testimony and your time.


Thank you.


[chattering]


[crowd shouting]


[camera shutters clicking]


[shouting]


[shouting and banging]


Seor.


-Gracias.  -Gracias.


[phone pings]


Tired are your splendid soldiers


Tired are they, here they go


-[man] Captain Daly.  -Report.


A non-federation vessel jumped straight  out of white space right in front of us.


-Valdack.  -That can't be.


My data scan indicates  a heavily armored Gorgan Dreadnought,


vessel ID number 9864321.


Thank you, Dudani. Valdack must have  hijacked it from the Fermi hub


and tracked our position.


-Tulaska, shield status?  -Shields 100%.


-Helmsman Packer?  -Captain.


-Prime rear thrusters.  -rear thrusters primed.


[Walton]  If that's Valdack, he'll rip us to shreds.


Captain, we have to surrender.  There's no other way.


Let's not lose our heads,  Lieutenant Walton.


[zapping]


-Shields at 68%.  -[alarm wailing]


Heavy damage reported,  decks six through ten.


Fires in med center  and major rupture to cargo bay Alpha.


We've got no choice!


Do you want me to open comms  with Valdack's craft, Captain?


-Negative.  -[zapping]


[all groan]


-Shields at 54%.  -There's no way out.


-Captain, please.   -[Daly] Not now, Walton.


Helmsman Packer,  take us into that asteroid gas cluster.


-Into the cluster?  -That's suicide, sir.


It is our only chance.


[Daly] That gas cluster is charged  with ionized pyron particles.


If our shields hold, we can use them  to increase our photon intensity.


Packer, increase thrusters.


[engine thrusts]


[Tulaska] Shields at 43%.


It'll tear the ship apart, Captain!


Walton, you are a Space Fleet officer.  Act accordingly.


-Shields at 32%.  -Valdack's not following.


Packer, turn us around.


[engine rumbles]


-[Daly] Tulaska, charge photon bolts.  -Bolts charged, Captain.


-Fire!  -[zapping]


His hull's breached, shields gone.  He's defenseless.


-Lieutenant Lowry, open comms.  -He's already hailing us, Captain.


-[Daly] On screen.  -[bleeps]


Captain Daly, may you drown  in the venom of 900 Tragorian snakes!


[Daly] You are defeated, Valdack.


Return the plasmorthian crystal  and we'll cause you no more damage.


You must think me a fool, Captain!


I know the crystal's capabilities,  and I will die before I give it up!


I gave you a chance, Valdack,  showed you mercy.


-Reflect on that while you can.  -[yells]


-Close comms.  -[bleeps]


-Tulaska, destroy his ship.  -Yes, Captain.


[bleeping]


[zaps]


-That was incredible, Captain.  -you saved our lives.


[Walton] I'm so sorry  I lost it back there, Captain.


Not for the first time, Walton.


And I should know by now  never to doubt you.


-[alarm beeps]  -[Walton] Please forgive me.


At ease, Walton.


Captain, sensors indicate  an escape pod ejected


from Valdack's ship before detonation.


He's escaping with the crystal.


You want me to plot  a pursuit course, Captain?


No.


We'll let him go... for now.


-Great decision-making, Captain.  -Three cheers for Captain Daly.


-Hip hip.  -[all] Hooray!


For he's a jolly good fellow  For he's a jolly good fellow


For he's a jolly good fellow


And so say all of us


God bless you, Captain. God bless you.


[elevator beeps]


[automated voice] Thirteenth floor.


-Welcome to Callister.  -Oh.


Excuse me.


Hey.


[negative beep]


Uh... Elena, my pass doesn't work.


You must renew on first of each month.


Yeah, I know that,  but the first was on the weekend, so...


OK.


-[beeps]  -[doors open]


Thank you.


You're welcome.


[automated voice] Prepare to enter


the most immersive gaming experience  in years,


Infinity, from Callister Inc.


-Morning, Mr. Daly.  -Helmsman Packer.


Huh?


Uh, I mean, Mr. Packer. Nate.


[laughs]


[Daly] Are you making coffees?


Yeah.


Do you think maybe  you could make me one too?


[laughs] Sure, sure. Uh, what do you want?


Just vanilla latte. Skim milk.


Yeah, good call. 'Cause...


[Packer clears throat]


[chattering]


[woman]  ...those are very, very big numbers.


We might just have to hold you to that.  Well, no, yes, of course. [laughs]


Sure. Yes.


[crashing]


Oh, are you OK, man?


[sighs]


I guess you didn't see my gym bag.


Here. Come on. [strains]


-I'm sorry, bud. [pats]  -OK.


You left it... [groans]


[man] You're gonna do it for me  and make it good.


You know you are a god to me at least.


[laughing]


[knock on door]


Oh. The ladies' bathroom is that way.  The sign's kind of confusing.


You're Robert Daly, right?


-Right.  -Yeah, hi.


I'm Nanette, Nanette Cole.


Um...


I started here today,  coding on the update,


and I just wanted to, uh,  pass on my admiration


to the person  who actually designed Infinity.


The procedural algorithm is amazing.


It's just some beautiful code.


Thank you.


That's actually the reason  that I wanted to work here.


-You must be busy. I'm so sorry.  -No, no, it's fine.


-Sorry. [laughs]  -No.


-Well, just fangirling. Sorry. Um...  -[both laugh]


[Nanette gasps]


Ooh... vintage.


-Yeah, it's Space Fleet.  -Wow.


[Daly] It's a TV show. Before your time.


Before my time, actually.


But it was... visionary.


Is this on, like, tape?


Yeah, I've got the VHS, the DVD, Blu-ray.


The whole thing. Seasons one to six.


Netflix has it these days, but...


Aboard the spaceship USS Callister.


-OK, yeah.  -Mm-hmm.


So-- OK, so Callister is like the, uh--


Yeah, when we set up the company, um...


I suggested we call it Callister  as kind of a little tribute.


Walton didn't really get the reference,  but he let me have that one.


Mini-skirted damsels.


[laughs]


A little cold for that in space.


That is just what a Bargradian  sand warrior would say.


[Nanette chuckles]


[Walton] Bob, Christmas is closing in  like a goddamn meteor.


We've got customers all over our balls  waiting for the Infinity update.


Tell me it's gonna be up and running  before the weekend.


-Oh, I'll ask Kabir--  -You're CTO. Don't ask anybody anything.


You should be telling people things  like I'm telling you right now.


-I'll talk to him.  -Good.


-I'm sorry.  -OK.


-Hello.  -[Nanette] Hello.


Sorry, I couldn't find a good moment to...


Oh, you must be new.  Uh... I'm James Walton. I run the company.


-[Nanette] I--  -Well, we run the company, kind of.


Bob here is the hardware,  and I am the shiny front end.


-I'm Nanette Cole.  -[Walton] Which department?


-Engine architecture.  -And it's your first day?


Uh...


-[stutters] Yeah.  -Have you had the tour?


-[keyboard clicking]  -No, I...


Please, allow me.


[Nanette] OK.


It was so nice to meet you. [laughs]


[Walton] Just a little bit.


It's a different environment  I set up here.


People call it a carefree environment.  I call it "care-full."


-[Nanette] Interesting.  -Not scary.


[chattering continuing]


Dudani?


Kabir?


Mm. Mr. Daly.


Do you have the latest ETA  on the update patch?


It's just there's still  some runtime errors.


Well, the thing is, we could have it ready  by end of play today,


but if we had time,  we could alter the trading mechanics,


tweak the critical hit system,  but of course, that'd add another week,


maybe ten days or so.


Mr. Daly?


-Yeah. Yeah, do all of that, thank you.  -I'll... OK, we're on it.


[chattering, laughing]


[number pad bleeps]


[door whirs]


-[device bleeps]  -[whirring]


[device boots up]


[Walton] Welcome back, Captain.


Have you located Valdack's position?


Not yet, but our sensors  are scanning every star system


between here and Valatros.


So your answer is no?


Uh...


I'm afraid so, sir.


[Walton gasps, groans]


[grunting]


You... are pathetic, Walton. What are you?


-[Walton gasping]  -What's that?


[inhales] Pathetic.


[gasps]


[groans, panting]


[Daly] So Valdack's out there somewhere


and you village idiots  are asleep at the wheel.


You're not just disgraceful,  you're disgusting, all of you.


So can you do one thing?


Can you find Valdack?


I'm not asking. I'm telling you!  Understand?


-Hmm?  -Yes.


-[Daly] Yes?  -Yes, Captain. Yeah.


-[Daly] Yes.  -Aye, Captain.


[Daly] Huh?


Well, all right.


Tulaska, check security protocols.  If they've expired, you're in trouble.


-Yes, Captain.  -[bleeping]


Dudani, recheck those probe results.


-No room for errors.  -of course, Captain.


-Helmsman Packer?  -Captain.


Vanilla latte.


-Skim milk.  -at once.


[Daly] Walton.


Exit game.


[device whirs]


[device bleeps]


[keyboard clicking]


Hi, Nanette. You feel like  you have everything you need here?


Mm-hmm.


-All right. That's a nice sweater.  -Oh. Thank you.


-[Walton] Cashmere?  -[chattering]


[knock on door]


Mr. Daly, got that new ETA  on the update patch.


-New ETA?  -Yeah, it's all good.


But now we're looking  at December 24th for rollout.


We don't patch until Christmas Eve?


Well, yeah, I mean,  with the alterations you approved.


OK, OK. Thank you.


[Dudani] OK.


[door closes]


-Hi, Robert.  -hi.


Um, I was just gonna fix a coffee.  Do you want one?


-Sure.  -OK.


Um... vanilla latte with skim milk.


-[Nanette] Okey-dokes.  -OK.


Absolutely.


[laughs]


Mm-hmm.


-Well, yes, they are great numbers.  -[machine whirs]


[laughs] OK. Mm-hmm.


-Ta-ta.  -[device beeps]


Total fucking shitwit.


-do you want coffee?  -Um, Brushed Suede. thank you.


So how are you settling in?  Are you settling in?


Uh, yeah, yeah.  Everyone here is really friendly.


And um...  it is not like my last job, thank God.


-Yeah?  -it was a toxic workplace, you know.


-My boss was a major-league bully and...  -[machine beeps]


-It's not like here, like with Mr...  -Walton.


-Yeah.   -Oh, yeah. He's a really good guy.


He's a bit of a player.


Chuck a sandwich across the room,  he'll fuck it before it hits the ground,


-but he's basically an all right bloke.  -[chuckles]


OK. [laughs] Well, there's uh...  two bosses here anyway, so I guess--


-Two how?  -Robert Daly.


Oh!


I mean, well, yeah, technically. [scoffs]


Mr. Daly is actually  the whole reason that I'm here.


-Really? Interesting.  -[Nanette] I mean...


Who wouldn't wanna work under  an incredible mind like that, you know?


His coding is... [laughs] It's sublime.


Do you have a thing for him?


Daly? No, no. No. It's not like that.


[stammers] It's purely...  It's professional.


I like his code.


Ah. Fucking hell,  I was gonna say, you know,


don't be too nice to him  'cause he gets a bit starey.


Mm.


Wide berth, that's my advice. Wide berth.


-OK.  -yeah.


Thank you.


-There you go.  -thank you.


[exhales]


-[Lowry] Bye.  -No bye. I'm coming.


[Lowry] No. Suck a dick, Karl.


[woman] Later, guys.


[machine beeps]


[whirring]


[beeping]


[automated voice] Welcome to Callister.


[card beeps]


[Daly] Thank you.


You're welcome.


[chattering]


[Walton] Goddamn it, Robert!


-Christmas Eve. Really?  -Uh...


Not OK.


[door slams]


[keyboard clicking]


[typing]


[electronic whirring]


[gasps]


Oh.


[breathing heavily]


Hello? [echoes]


-[distant chatter]  -[gasps]


[gasping]


Oh, boy. It looks like  there's a new girl in the office.


What's your name, hon?


[Walton] Come in. Let me fix you a drink.


We have everything  from Bengarian phlegm shots to uh...


ooh, distilled root blood  from the Cangor quadrant.


What's your poison? Some of this  actually is poison, so don't be shy.


Am I dreaming?


Yeah, no, no, 'fraid not.


-I remember dreaming.  -[Packer] Me too.


[Nanette] But where am I?


This is the USS Callister,  Space Fleet's finest,


exploring the furthest reaches   of the known universe and beyond.


We are its loyal space crew  and now, apparently, so are you. Cheers.


[slurps]


Your name? Babe, what's your name?


Nanette. We've met.


Maybe, in the real world.  I wouldn't have no way of knowing.


-What do you mean?  -You'd better sit down.


No, I don't... I don't wanna sit down.


I wanna know what's going on.


You're on board Robert Daly's ship.


Robert Daly, the CTO?


Here he's Captain Daly,  our fearless leader.


[Lowry] Yeah, you're seriously  gonna need to sit the fuck down.


-Uh...  -Welcome. [chuckles]


You are um... Hey, hey.  You're the intern from work, right? Nate?


Packer. Nate Packer.


Wait. So I'm still  just the intern out there?


Jesus.


You're um... You're... You're...


Dudani. Diagnostics.


-Welcome.  -Right.


-You're the receptionist, right?  -Elena.


-Your skin is blue.  -[Tulaska] Weird blue alien skin, I know.


It's fucked up.


Almost sort of racist.


[groans]


[strains] OK. Walt, fix her something,  something she'll recognize. Vodka.


-Hey. So what's it like out there now?  -What?


-What year is it?  -[Lowry] Don't do her head in.


-[Packer] What?  -What year? I... [stutters] saw you today.


Ooh. Did you see me? Did I look thin? Hmm?


Like, wheatgrass yogurt thin?


Can we not pop her fucking mind?


Someone needs  to be straight with me right now.


OK. OK, listen.


This is Infinity.


That's what we're all inside.  That's where all of this exists.


Infinity, the game?


Daly's got his own modded version  of Infinity,


reskinned to look like  his favorite TV show.


-Space Thing? Space Thing?  -Space Fleet.


-Hence the groovy decor.  -And this tasteful get-up.


Infinity.


That's an online game,  like a multiplayer deal. This... [inhales]


This is his development build,  sealed off so he can control it.


He keeps it offline


so the custom code he's written  can't be detected and deleted.


Mm. Yes, it's a bubble universe,  ruled by an asshole god.


He...


put us in... in here?


Mm-hmm.


Drink your vodka.


-How do we get out?  -No, really, drink it.


Drink it.


-You can't leave.  -[chokes] What?


None of us can.


-Because you're not actually you.  -[Nanette] What?


I know it's mental,  but you're a copy of you.


-a digital clone.  -No.


No, I am... I'm me. I am me.


-I'm me.  -[Walton] No, not the real you.


Daly's created an identical  digital version of you, of all of us.


From your DNA.  He'll have harvested it somehow.


He told me he got mine  from the rim of a smoothie cup.


He retrieved Packer's juices  from the bathroom.


Man, you have got to let that go.  She does not need details.


Basically he's got a gizmo--


I theorize an advanced  biometric DNA virtual clone.


He's got a fucking gizmo.  That's what I said.


He fed your DNA in,  he put you inside his computer


and, bam, you pop up here like a Pop-Tart.


Yeah, we've all been through it.


He brings us in for different reasons,  shit we did in the office.


I called him out for staring.


I reset admin permissions  on a test build for 14 minutes.


Insufficient smiling.


-I brought him the wrong sandwich.  -OK, never mind the reasons.


The point is that we're stuck  in Daly's playground,


and that's all you need to know.


This is a dream. Yeah, it has to be.


It's more like an eternal waking nightmare  from which there is no escape.


-No, no. No, no, no. No, no, no.  -[Lowry] Oh, for fuck's sake,


I'm trying to break her in gently.


The quicker she gets it,   the easier it'll be.


[whirring]


[Tulaska] Daddy's home.


[Packer] He'll be here any moment.


[Nanette] No. I'm gonna get out of here.


Whoa, whoa, whoa!  You gotta stay on the bridge.


He controls everything.


-He does shit to make us cooperate.  -get off.


-You have no idea. I'm trying to help.  -[Lowry] Just leave it.


He's gonna fuck us up  if she doesn't play ball.


Yes, well, she's gonna have to work it out  for herself, like we all did.


[panting]


[spaceship whirring]


[groans]


-There's gotta be a way out. Come on.  -[beeps]


[whimpers]


[screaming]


Lieutenant Cole, welcome aboard.


Crew, we have a new member of the team,  Science Officer Nanette Cole.


Please, take your post.


I believe we've finally managed  to track Valdack to an uncharted planet.


-No.  -Take Your post. That is an order.


I'm not doing this.


The whole thing's much better  if you let yourself get into it.


If you think that I'm playing along  with your Space Force bullshit...


-Space Fleet.  -[Nanette] Whatever.


-you can think again.  -this is My ship.


-I am Your Captain. an order is an order.  -Then go fuck yourself.


Sir.


OK. So we're doing it this way.


[scoffs]


[mocking] Are you gonna throw a fireball?


[snaps fingers]


[muffled gasps]


[thuds]


[muffled sounds]


Oh, dear. You can't see.  You can't breathe.


Unpleasant, isn't it?


[muffled groaning]


Do you submit?


You won't die, you know.


No one dies in here unless I want them to.


I can keep you like this forever  if I feel like it.


Forever gasping for breath  with a mouth that isn't there.


[muffled agreement]


Good girl.


[gasps, coughing]


[breathes heavily]


Lieutenant Cole, Valdack's hideout.  Triangulate the signal, please.


[Nanette pants]


[sobs]


[whispers]  It's any button. They're all the same.


[beeps]


Well?


[gasping] I'm getting a signal  from a class five planet.


-Rannotch.  -[Lowry] Rannoch.


[stutters, whispers] Rannoch B.


Excellent. Dudani,  prepare the transmat system.


-of course, Captain.  -Walton, Packer, Lowry, with me.


We'll transport down to the planet,  reclaim the crystal


and bring Valdack to justice.


Actually, Cole, you come too.


Perfect opportunity for you to prove


you're more than a recommendation  from Space Fleet. What do you say?


-Mr. Dudani, transport.  -Aye Aye, Captain.


[all exhale]


[Nanette gasps, groans]


[Daly] Breathable atmosphere.


[device whirs]


Scanning for plasmorthian traces.


Crystal's this way. Let's go.


-Nate. Hey, Nate.  -Helmsman Packer, OK?


Call me Helmsman Packer. He hates it  when we don't use our proper titles.


OK. You got a gun, so let's take him out.


-Then give it to me.  -OK, one, our guns don't even work.


Only his does. And two, the motherfucker  is invincible, OK? Come on, let's go.


At least you've got a gun.


[device whirring]


-Captain.  -[Daly] Shh.


We meet again, Captain Daly!


[cackles]


-We're trapped.  -[gun whirs]


Not advisable.


My plasma grenade  will turn you into screaming soup.


He's not going to kill us, Captain.


He had the element of surprise.  He'd have done it when he had the chance.


Haven't worked out how to use the crystal,  have you, Valdack?


It's true, I require  your Space Fleet knowledge.


But it's also true  that you're gonna give it to me!


Don't be so sure.


[laughs]


-Jesus. I...  -Shh.


Let's see how your resolve holds up


once you're devoured one by one  by my Arachnajax!


[roars]


-Holy shit. Oh, my God.   -[Walton] We're all gonna die.


[Arachnajax snarls, snorts]


Killing us won't make us tell you  how the crystal works, Valdack.


-We will never...  -[device rings]


Hold on. I think my pizza's here.


-[sighs]  -[device rings]


Pause game.


[powering down]


[Nanette] What's happening?


[Walton] You heard him.  He paused the game.


'Cause he's got a pizza delivery...  out there.


[Arachnajax pants]


[doorbell ringing]


Hold on.


[doorbell continues]


[Arachnajax exhales]


[Packer] Watch out. He'll be back soon.


Ah. That's good.  This launcher's heavy as shit.


[Valdack] How you holding up?


You know, we're existing.


How you doing, Gillian?


[Arachnajax grunts]


Well, yeah.


-[Walton] Well, you look great.  -Her name's Gillian.


-[Walton] Did you lose weight?   -She was in marketing.


Yeah, Daly turned her into... that


because she wouldn't play along  when he cloned her into here.


[Lowry] This universe is littered  with things like her,


poor fuckers who stepped out of line.


-Thank you.  -[man] Thanks.


[device whirs]


-[Walton] Here comes Captain Dick.  -Hey.


-[Packer] Hey. Hey.  -[Arachnajax growls]


[reciting] I'm gonna get you.  I'm gonna get you.


Hey. Hey.


[Walton exhales]


If we die, the secret of the crystal dies  with us, Valdack.


Oh, my God. We are all gonna die!


-[fake sobbing]  -[Valdack laughs]


-[Daly] Valdack?  -What is it, Captain? Final words?


Over there. A naked lady.


Really?


-[gun blasts]  -[Valdack groans]


[screams, grunts]


[Arachnajax whimpers]


Great plan, Captain.


[all laugh]


[Walton] Unparalleled tactics, Captain.


[panting]


We've fought many battles,  haven't we, Captain?


We have.


And I've been a good adversary for you,  have I not?


[sighs]


Then please...


[coughs]


...end it.


-Please.  -[gun whirs]


Killing in cold blood  is against Space Fleet code.


-[groans]  -I wish I could help.


[mutters]


Sorry, bud.


[whimpers]


-[Daly] Take him to the brig.  -[Valdack groans]


-[Daly] Dudani.  -Captain.


-Transport us aboard.  -Yes, Captain.


[Valdack] No more.


-[Lowry] It's OK.  -[Valdack wails, echoing]


-[Walton] Hip hip.  -[all] Hooray!


-Hip hip.  -[all] Hooray!


[clapping]


[all]  For he's a jolly good fellow  For he's a jolly fellow


- For he's a jolly good fellow   -[Nanette grunts]


And so say...  Oh, my fuck.


That wasn't very nice.


Today I will show you mercy.


-Great mercy-showing, Captain.  -Shh!


Tomorrow you should reconsider  your... amenability.


I may not be feeling so benevolent.


Exit game.


-Oh. Fucking hell.  -this was tense.


I don't like tense.


-Drink?  -Mm-hmm.


[Dudani] So how was the mission?


Wasn't too bad. Usual standoff storyline.


-Ooh. Saw Gillian from marketing. yeah.  -Oh.


There is no way  that I am kissing that asshole.


Then he's just gonna get  more and more pissed.


-How about you kiss him, then?  -[Lowry] You get used to it.


It's-- There's no tongues.


If that's any consolation,  there's never any tongues.


-Doing tongues is not Space Fleet way.  -Mm.


It's not like it can go  beyond kissing anyway.


What do you mean?


Oh. You haven't noticed?


[Walton clears throat]


[Nanette] What are you doing?  [stammers]


Please. Please, don't do that. Don't...


Oh, my God.


-Oh. Oh. Oh.  -[Walton] Yes.


There's no genitals in Space Fleet.  This is a wholesome universe.


[Dudani] He must have modified  our code that way.


Mm. We're all the same. If you don't  believe me, take a look down there.


We have tried grinding our mounds  together out of sheer boredom.


-No sensation at all.  -Can't even shit.


Can't even have the basic fucking pleasure  of pushing out a shit.


[sighs] I miss taking shit.


OK.


Stealing my pussy is a red fucking line.


-We are gonna get this bastard!  -[Walton] No.


-[Nanette] Yeah.  -We've tried a million times.


No way out.


Walton. Come on, Walton.


[Walton] Like I said, he's an asshole god.


Mnh-mnh.


Daly's smart, but he's not a god.


He's a coder.


He is fallible.


Kabir, what was that thing he was holding  in his hand, that scanner thing?


His omnicorder,  primary communications device.


You said he kept his version  of the game offline.


But the omnicorder made contact with   the outside world when the pizza came,


so it's gotta be connected  to his home system at least.


The omnicorder's gone.


It loads when he loads, and it goes  when he goes, and that's the only one.


No.


There has got to be a way to connect.


[beeping]


You won't hack it. I've tried.


I haven't.


[beeping continues]


[Nanette gasps] Bingo.


-[Dudani] Oh, that's good.  -Yeah.


-This is part of Infinity's front end.  -Yeah.


You can invite a friend  with a custom message.


-[Lowry] A message to outside?  -Just one. 140 characters maximum.


So who are you gonna contact?


-[exhales]  -[elevator dings]


Thirteenth floor. Welcome to Callister.


-Hey, Elena.  -[sighs] Hi.


[phone vibrates]


-You need me buzz you in?  -What? Uh, no, no, I--


-I got That for you.  -Oh. thank you.


After you.


[card beeps]


Um...


Mr. Daly, hi.


Hi.


Can I talk to you for a second?


Did you just send me an Infinity invite?


Wha... No.


It was really weird.  It had a message attached.


Something about people trapped  in a game.


Probably just a spambot.  Firewall doesn't always get them all.


-Yeah.  -I wouldn't-- I wouldn't worry about it.


You didn't open the link, did you?


Oh, God, no.


-Maybe upgrade Your security software.  -all Right.


Have a good one.


[chattering]


[guitar strumming]


That's the thing there.


[Walton sighs] Oh, yeah.


Could you please, please  cut that shit out?


I'm trying to make it like a hobby.  [grunts]


[grunts] Oh, that's good.


[electronic buzzing]


That is way too early.  He's only been at work a few hours.


[buzzing]


She got the message!


[stuttering] I did. It's me.


That's me or the cops most likely.


Oh. We are getting out of here!


[door slides shut]


[Daly] What is Space Fleet?


I'll tell you what it is.


It is a belief system...


founded on the very best of human nature.


It is a goal for us to strive towards


for the betterment of the universe,


for the betterment of life itself.


And you assholes are fucking it up!


I did it. I did. I did it.


I sent the message. It was me.


No one else was involved, I swear.


I tried the carrot. Now meet the stick.


No, this is gonna make you happy,  Daly, 'cause you're sick.


And you need help.


[Lowry] No, don't, don't!


Captain.


Captain, please.


[Lowry]  OK, look, she's new. She'll behave.


We'll all behave.


Just let her off. Let her off this once.


[stuttering] Please.


OK.


[gasps]


-[Nanette] No! Daly, no! No, no, no, no!  -[cracking]


-[screams, inhuman grunts]  -[cracking]


[roars]


[cracking]


-[growls]  -[Nanette whimpers]


[gasping]


[Daly] You know what makes me happy?


The look on your face right now.


[whimpers]


[Daly] Dudani, Walton, Tulaska,  take this thing to the brig with Valdack.


Packer, find a barren planet  we can dump her on.


And you... can just stay here  and think about your attitude.


-[sobs]  -[Daly] Exit game.


[Nanette gasping]


[distant rumbling]


[breathes heavily]


[bleeps]


Update patch.


[exhales]


The update patch.


[Nanette] It's there, there.


-So what? It's a wormhole.  -[Nanette] Unh-unh.


That is the Christmas update patch  preinstalling itself.


The wormhole... it's just how  the game is expressing the uplink.


So?


Daly's custom build  is still connected to the internet.


Some way.


If this is another one of your plans,


just stop before somebody else  gets monsterfied.


No, no, this... this can work.


We can't get all-in access from the ship.  He'll have crippled permissions.


Yes, but what if we fly into the wormhole?


-[scoffs] Like, on purpose?  -We'd hit the system firewall.


-Exactly. yeah.  -And have our rogue coding deleted.


-Deleted as in...?  -as in die.


Whether it's dying would depend  on your position regarding sentient code--


We would cease to exist, that's true.  But we'd be free.


We'd be... free.


This is academic since we have no means  of getting to the wormhole.


There's no way to pilot the damn thing  without Daly here


and he can stop us like that.  [snaps fingers]


What about if he's logged in  but on pause?


Like when his pizza came,  he was just frozen there.


Flying would be possible,  but that wormhole's a whole parsec away.


We'd never reach it before he got back.


[Nanette]  Unless we stalled him for longer.


[Tulaska] And that we do how?


If we can get Daly's omnicorder,  we can make a phone call, right?


Theoretically, yes, but--


If we can get real me on the phone again,  I, um... I may have some leverage.


-Leverage? on yourself?  -Mm-hmm.


-Like What?  -My PhotoCloud account.


I know the password, obviously.


There are some pretty...


interesting images on there that I should  have deleted a while ago, but I didn't.


So, we can blackmail me.


I'm pretty sure that I'd do anything  to keep those photos from getting out.


Must be pretty pictures.


Look, if this is going to work,  we all have to be in on it.


OK?


[Walton and Packer sigh]


Flying into certain death in a wormhole


beats another 10,000 years  with Captain Ass.


-I'm in.  -OK.


Me too.


-Also me.  -[Nanette exhales]


Well, I am out.


[Walton sighs]  Daly won. Daly's always won.


We just have to get on with it...  'cause we don't have a chance.


-[Nanette] Yes, we do.  -Hmm?


We fly into the wormhole  and we are extinct.


We are gone. We are rid of his shit.


Sounds peachy.


What is with you?


Don't you wanna fight back?  Why won't you fight back?


Tommy.


-Who is Tommy?  -[Walton] He's my son.


He's six years old,  at least he was when I woke up in here.


See, in the early days of this ship,  it was just me and Daly.


I was his pet project.


He tried everything to break me,


and I withstood it all  'cause I just thought


there was still a chance I could get out  and see my boy again.


In a way, I was right,  I did get to see him again.


Just not the real him.


Daly told me what happened.


Back on the outside, the real me, uh...  brought Tommy to work one day,


showed him around.


He would've loved  seeing all those computers.


He's really into that stuff.


Anyway, evidently...  Tommy had a lollipop that day.


That's all Daly needed.


He copied him in here.


It was Tommy all right.


He was alike in every way.


Dad!


[Tommy] Daddy...


You know what he did to him?


[Walton] Tommy!


He took Tommy  and he threw him out of the airlock.


-[Walton] Tommy!  -Daddy!


[capsule depressurizes]


-Right out into space.  -Daddy! No!


And he made me watch.


[capsule releases]


Tommy!


Have you ever seen an unsuited body  compress in space?


They freeze...


and crack like a porcelain doll.


I take my hat off to Daly. [sniffles]


The detail in this place is exceptional.


And he said he'd do it again and again,


'cause Daly's still got Tommy's DNA.


He's got all of our DNA.


He keeps it in his bedroom  in a fucking mini fridge by his desk.


So I have to stay in line,


because even if we die in here,  he can bring us back.


He can bring Tommy back  whenever he wants.


And God knows how  he'd take it out on him.


God knows what he'd do.


So, you see, what choice do I have?


Walton.


We are gonna get that fucking lollipop.


[Walton sighs]


But you gotta believe me.


Can you do that?


Can you?


[bleeps]


[door slams]


[slurping]


[mouse clicks]


[triumphant music]


Good to see you at your position, Cole.


Captain, you've come  at just the right time.


I have?


I'm picking up a distress signal  from the surface of Skillane IV.


Looks like a crashed shuttle.


What should we do?


Space Fleet never turns its back  on those who need our help.


-Dudani, set a course for Skillane IV.  -Aye Aye, sir.


We'll send a search party.  Packer, Tulaska--


Actually, Captain, I was thinking  maybe you could take me alone.


As science officer,  I need to learn the ropes,


and I could use your close attention.


Good.


Yes, good idea.


[Nanette exhales]


[omnicorder whirs]


[Daly] Atmosphere's good.


[omnicorder clicking]


[Daly] Over there.


[Daly] From here,  the shuttle appears to be deserted.


We'll scout the area,  check for any life forms. Daly out.


Cole, we should head out this way. Cole...


[Nanette]  It's kind of hot here, don't you think?


Oh, my God.


[Daly] What are you doing, Cole?


[Nanette]  The water looks so inviting, doesn't it?


[Daly] What are you talking about?


[Nanette] Come on, Robert.


-Ooh!  -[splashes]


Oh, the water is great. [laughs]


Swimming is a leisure activity.


We're on Space Fleet duty.


You know what?


We could always say  that I started drowning


and you had to come in and rescue me.


Yeah?


Oh, what about that? [laughs]


Come on. Come on in.


[laughs] I... Cole.


-[laughs] Come on.  -Cole.


Come on.


Come on in, my big captain.


OK.


[Nanette] Come on.


Are you gonna take all day?


[Daly] OK.


-OK, I'm coming in.  -[Nanette giggles]


[beeps]


OK, gotta patch it in.


[keyboard beeps]


[Dudani] It worked. I'm connected.


-gonna access her PhotoCloud account.  -you remember That password?


Uppercase Y998, lowercase gb7,  uppercase TY ampersand 4.


Secure choice.


[sighs] There are thousands of images.  This could take a while.


Boring life.


[scrolling]


Goddamn.


That is... gymnastic physique.


It's nice... nice bedding.


Oh. OK, should I keep scrolling?


Any of the last nine would do.


Ow!


-[laughs] Thank you.  -Pleasure.


-Um, are you heading out for the night?  -Yes.


Because it's Christmas Eve and we've got  ten days off work to recover from it.


Go home.


-I will. I just have to finish--  -Yeah, whatever. Merry Christmas, loser.


[laughs] Yeah. OK, Merry Christmas.


[clears throat]


[phone vibrates]


[gasps]


Oh, my God.


Elliott, you fucking asshole.


[beeps]


[robotic voice] Nanette Cole,  we've hacked your PhotoCloud account


and have control of the entire contents  of your photo gallery.


Who is this? Um...


[stutters] What do you want?


What we want is for you to do  exactly as instructed


or your entire gallery


will be shared  with your friends and your family.


And PornHub.


[Nanette] OK, yeah.


[stuttering]   I'll do what you want, anything.


I'll do anything.


Then listen carefully.  We don't have much time.


Stand up, get your coat  and follow our instructions.


[Nanette] OK.


[giggling]


-[Daly] Where are we going?  -We're just swimming.


It's nice, right?


-[Daly] Yes.  -Yeah. [laughs]


We should probably head back.


Help! [screams]  Something grabbed me, I think.


No, it didn't. I don't think anything did.  I'm sorry.


I think I imagined it. [laughs] So stupid.


[Daly] That's funny...


-That's funny. [laughs]  -[Nanette] Yeah, it is funny. It's funny.


[both laugh]


[laughs]


Easy, Cole.


[panting]


-All right, I'm in position.  -OK, we're gonna hang up now.


Make the phone call. Be sure to complete  the rest of your mission.


-I will.  -you better.


-[call ends]  -[Dudani] OK, I'll send it back down.


[Nanette laughs]


Oh! Hi. [giggles]


[Nanette] This is fucking crazy.


[line ringing]


Fenzi's.


[whispering]  Yes, I'd like to order a pizza.


Sure. What do you want?


[doorbell rings]


[omnicorder rings]


Oop.


I guess you'd better get that.


See who...


-Hold on.  -yeah.


[doorbell ringing]


[knock on door]


-It's the door.  -[Nanette] Oh, OK.


[ringing]


-Pause game.  -[whirring]


[omnicorder beeps]


-Dudani, pick me up.  -you got it. Stand by.


-[Daly] Coming.  -[Nanette gasps]


[panting]


-Hello?  -Uh, pizza.


I didn't order a pizza.


OK, look, someone did, OK?  So do you want it or not? Because...


-I can't take it back.  -[bag unzips]


[whispers] What the hell am I doing?


-[Daly] All right!  -[door buzzes]


[panting] OK.


-That's the signal. She's got the DNA.  -[jacket zipping]


All of it. Tommy too.


[exhales]


Packer, we ready to fly?


Uh-huh.


Well?


You're supposed to say something  like "engage" or "increase thrust."


-Just fucking go.  -[engines revving]


There you go.  So I got it here in under ten.


There's supposed to be 30 in it for me.


Yeah. What's happening?  The door is closing. Hello?


Hello? Hello?


[panting] Shit...


Come on, man.


Hello? Come on, man, you promised.


[number pad beeps]


[scoffs]


-Nice. Nice. Merry Christmas, asshole!  -[thud]


[muttering]


[panting]


[gasps]


Resume game.


Can't we go any faster? That dud disk  isn't gonna fool him forever.


The update is gonna complete before long  and that means bye-bye, wormhole.


The only quicker route  is through that asteroid belt there.


-Let's go that way.  -No, it's way too dense.


If the ship broke up we wouldn't die,  we'd just be left in space.


Until Daly works out what's happening.  Then he'll find us and he'll fuck us over.


[clattering]


-Resume game.  -[device beeps]


Lieutenant Cole, we should head...


Cole?


Daly to bridge. What's going on?


-shit. He has a backup disk.  -Come in, bridge.


No, don't answer him.


Dudani?


God damn it.


The wormhole, it's decreasing in size.


Upload must be in the last few percent.


Damn it, Packer,  we are gonna have to go through the belt.


Do you think that you can do that?


-think I can try.  -OK.


[engine revving]


-Ship's computer on.  -Computer, where's the USS Callister?


USS Callister is on course.


-on course for where?  -the wormhole.


-What wormhole?  -the update vortex.


Sons of bitches!


-Prepare for takeoff.  -[whirring]


I've got a heat signature. Looks like  a shuttle took off from Skillane IV.


Oh, God, it's Daly.


[all groan]


Shields at 86%.


[banging]


[Dudani] We're taking a beating here!


[Tulaska] Incoming transmission.


[Daly] Hello? Loyal trusty crew, come in.


I know you can hear me.


Whatever it is you think  you're going to do won't work,


but it is going to cost you!


-[Nanette] Let's go faster.  -Already at maximum.


Daly can't touch us unless he makes it  on board, and that's shuttle's a jalopy.


-He won't catch us in time.  -I hope you're right.


Shields 58%.


[crashing]


If you thought what happened to you  in the past was bad, that was nothing!


What I'm going to do to you  is going to be goddamn fucking biblical!


I'm literally going to turn  your insides out.


But I'll keep you alive  in tiny little jars


and there you'll stay  until I'm bored of you--


-Why are we listening to this?  -Yes, fuck him!


[beeps]


We're at the edge of the belt.  I think we're gonna make it.


-[crashing]  -[alarm sounds]


[power dies]


-[gasps] What was that?  -[Dudani] Primary drive.


I've lost all thrust.  Engines not responding.


We're drifting here.


-USS Callister has lost engine power.  -[laughs]


I'm coming to get you! Hello! [laughs]


[Nanette] Is there any way  that we can fix the engines?


That's only feasible manually,  by climbing inside the jet fader.


[Nanette] So...?


So you'd burn to a crisp  when the jet came on.


-[Dudani] We'd burn without dying.  -So one of us needs to go. OK.


[Walton over speaker]  One of us already has.


Walton?


I'm pretty sure I can fix this.


Um, uh... Walton, are you sure about this?


I'm sure. [echoing]


Tulaska, can you patch me through  to Daly?


[Tulaska] Patching through.


[Walton panting]  Hey, Daly, can you hear me?


-Walton?  -Robert? Hey.


-Walton, you're going to pay for this.  -Robert, listen.


-I'm going to bring Tommy back in.  -Hey, Robert--


God so help me, you are going to regret  all of this so hard!


Bob, I wanna talk to you here!


I was thinking I should say...


sorry.


Go on.


You created Infinity.  You're a fucking genius.


I exploited that.


I treated you like a golden goose  and I got fat on the profits,


figuratively speaking.


[exhales]


And I was thinking I should have  appreciated you more, you know?


I should have treated you better.


Yeah, yeah, I was thinking  I should say all that.


[Walton exhales]


But you threw my son out of an airlock,  so fuck you to death.


[screams]


[screams echo]


Walton?


-[power boots up]  -[engine whirring]


We've got power back.


-Faster!  -[computer] Speed already at maximum.


I don't care, whatever, just catch them!


[alarm beeps]


Wormhole almost closed.  Daly's gaining on us.


-Keep her steady. Keep steady.  -I'm trying.


Come on, come on.


I hope we are going to die.


Goddamn it!


Damn it! Fuck!


[all scream]


[screaming continuing]


[electronics whirring]


What happened?


The mod's gone.


Daly's Space Fleet mod  has been stripped away by the firewall.


-OK, so... this is good.  -[Packer] We're still alive.


[Dudani]  Yeah, it only erased the Space Fleet mod.


[Nanette]  We're not on Daly's computer anymore.


-We're in the cloud.  -[Tulaska] Where is Daly?


Firewall's deleted his rogue game code,  and his controls were disabled.


-You mean...?   -He's stuck there.


[laughs]


[computer]  Update complete. Wormhole closed.


-[beeping]  -[clicking]


-Controls are disabled.  -No.


[Daly] No. No, no, no!


[doors open]


-[Lowry] Assholes!  -[Valdack] Hey!


-[Valdack] Yeah! What's up?  -The brig unlocked itself.


My Valdack outfit turned into this.


More to the point,  I'm not a beetle thing anymore.


I've got my body back.


I've got my whole body back.  I'm guessing we all have.


So what do we do now?


We've got an infinite procedurally  generated universe at our disposal.


We can go anywhere.


Holy mackerel.


-[alarm]  -[computer] Rogue universe detected.


Deletion in progress.  Deletion in progress.


-No, undelete.  -Deletion in progress.


-undelete. Un--  -rogue universe detected.


-Deletion in progress.  -Exit game.


-Deletion in progress.  -rogue universe detected.


-Exit game. Exit game!  -[alarm beeping]


[power fizzles]


Exit fucking game!


Exit fucking game! Exit fucking game!


[device whirring]


["Silent Night" playing]


[Tulaska] Incoming transmission.


-It says Gamer691.  -That's a player tag.


Another ship, another player.


We're online. Um...


-Hey, patch 'em through.  -[beeps]


-Um, hello.   -[Gamer691] Hey there.


Uh, this is the crew of the USS Callister.  [laughs]


Oh, man, are we glad to hear from--


Yeah, Merry Christmas. So are we gonna  blow each other or are we gonna trade?


Oh... Hmm.


Hello. Do you have anything  to trade at all?


-[Nanette] No, uh--  -[sighs] So why did you respond?


OK, just get the hell out of my quadrant  or I'll blast you to shit.


-you got ten seconds. Ten...  -Oh, Well, do... do try.


We'll photon-bolt you up  the perineum, you stupid little boy.


-Scary. Nine.  -Come on, then.


-Yes, thank you, Shania. Um...  -Eight.


-Nate?  -Yes, Captain?


Stick us in hyperwarp and let's...


-Six.  -...fuck off somewhere.


-Five.  -[Packer] Aye aye, Captain.


-really, Nanette is fine.  -Four.


-Aye Aye, Nanette.  -Three.


Two. One!


Uh-huh. You'd better run.  King of space right here.


[sighs]


[man] How are the pressures  and saturation?


[nurse] Pressures are good.  Oxygen saturation is 100%.


Feel anything?  -No.


-[nurse] How about now?  -Mnh-mnh.


[nurse] And when he does that?


Nothing.


[nurse] OK. All set, then.


[surgeon] Making initial incision.  Hand me the Bovie.


We've entered the peritoneum.


I can't believe I couldn't do it.


I couldn't push anymore.


[nurse] Don't be ridiculous.  Don't apologize.


[surgeon] We've moved the bladder.  Here's the uterine incision.


-[woman] Oh, God...  -Hey, it's gonna be fine.


I won't tell anybody  if you want to hold my hand.


[surgeon] OK, we're ready now.  How are the vitals?


[nurse] Still good.  You're gonna feel a little pressure now.


-Uh-huh.  -[surgeon] Occiput is visible


-and... baby is out.  -[laughs]


[surgeon] Cutting the umbilical cord.


-[woman] Is she OK?  -[doctors mutter]


What is it?


What's...


[doctors continue muttering]


-Say she's OK.  -[nurse] Hey, hey, hey. It's OK.


Oh, God! Oh, God...


-[sobs] Is she OK?  -[nurse] Just relax. Hold on. OK?


-[baby cries]  -[surgeon] Good job.


[nurse] She's great.


Oh, she's beautiful.


[baby gurgles]


[doctors murmur indistinctly]


One, two, three and open your mouth  and eat this down, OK?


One, two, three, boo.


-No, no. Big "ah" and in it goes.  -[chuckles]


So, that's how it's gonna be,   huh, soldier?


I'm not a soldier.


[woman] You want me to take over?


I think your mother should know by now  that your grandfather's not a quitter.


-[mother chuckles]  -One, two, three, and...


I want to take Sara to the park.  You want to come?


No, I'm gonna pass if you don't mind.


I'd like to get at that painting,  get it finished.


-Mm, the horse?  -Yeah.


-Yep. Have a good time.  -[Sara giggles]


-[dog barks]  -[Sara] Oh! No, no.


[Sara] Mommy.


-Here we are!  -[squeals, laughs]


[mother chuckles]


[laughs]


-[woman] Marie?  -[Marie gasps]


-[woman laughs]  -[Marie squeals] Hi!


[woman] I thought it was you.


-This is Mikey.  -[Marie gasps]


-Hello, little guy.  -[woman] Yeah.


Hey, there.


-[Marie] How old is he?  -He's seven months.


-[Marie] Wow. Congratulations.  -[woman] Yeah. Thank you.


[Sara] Kitty!


-[woman] I'm so tired.  -[Marie] Yeah.


[Marie laughs]


Hopefully he'll sleep through the night  one of these days.


Yeah, well, you're past that.  How old's Sara now?


Sara is three and she's... Sara!


Sara!


Come say hi to this little boy.


Sara?


-[tense music]  -Sara?


-[man] Sara!  -[woman] Sara!


-Sara!  -[woman] Sara!


[man] Sara!


-[woman] Mommy's looking for you!  -Sara!


[cries]


-Hey, it's OK. We're gonna find her.  -Stop!


-[man] Hey, hey, lady!  -Sara!


[man] I found her!


[pants]


[man] She was down by the track.  Fallen down the slope.


-[Marie sobs]  -Said she... she followed a cat?


-She followed a cat.  -[Marie whispers] I'm so sorry.


I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry.  I'm right here.


Oh, God, I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry.   [sobs]


-Miss Sambrell?  -Yes.


And Sara, right? Follow me.


You have a recommendation,  so Sara will be part of our trial period.


-Well, it's been tested though, right?  -Of course.


-I mean, she's not, like, a guinea pig.  -It's all fully tested, perfectly safe.


This is just us fine-tuning our  subscription model before the full launch.


[Marie] Look at the kids.


We're getting feedback on which features  our customers use most in the real world.


-[Marie] Uh-huh.  -Do you wanna go up? Yeah!


Response so far is just incredible.  The sense of security, peace of mind.


I mean, the stories we've been hearing,  they're inspirational.


-[Sara giggles, chatters]  -Can you see the screen?


-OK, then.  -[woman] There you go.


-You like cartoons?  -Yeah.


Yeah? Shimmer and Shine?


-Uh-huh.  -Mm-hmm. OK.


Then you watch that  and I won't be a moment. OK?


[chattering on TV]


[chattering]


[device whirs]


[device beeps]


-That's it?  -[woman] Mm-hmm. That's it.


So...


Let's get you all set up.


-I'll run you through everything. OK?  -[Marie] OK.


-[woman] Feel free to ask any questions.  -Mm-hmm.


-[woman] This is your parental hub.  -[tablet beeps]


I'm just pairing it with Sara's implant.


OK. We're all set.


-[tablet beeps]  -So, this is Sara's current location,


which is here, of course.


[Marie] Oh, look at that.


Now, if she ever goes missing,  all you have to do is tap here,


enter your PIN, and law enforcement  is automatically notified.


Wow, OK.


-[tablet beeps]  -[woman] These are her vitals.


Healthy heartbeat. Oh, I see  her iron levels are a little low.


How is she eating?


[sighs] Man, she's picky.  Um, she hates greens, so--


You might want to think about  nutritional supplements.


-OK.  -[tablet beeps]


Now, tap this icon here...


-[Marie] Mm-hmm.  -...to relay her optic feed.


[Marie] This is what she's seeing now?


[woman] That's right.


-Whoa. [laughs]  -[laughs]


[Marie] That's amazing.


Mommy! It's funny.


And there are parental controls  you can apply to that.


-Uh, controls?  -Content limitations.


If she witnesses something that causes  her cortisol levels to rise, like stress,


it can kind of paint out  whatever's triggering it.


-Let me show you.  -OK.


[tablet beeps]


-[Marie] Ooh.  -It's OK. Look.


See, the imagery causes  a cortisol spike, and this...


-[clear sound effects]  -[tablet] Filter on.


-[muffled shouts]  -...is what she sees and hears.


[Marie chuckles] Whoa. OK.


Yeah, I'm not sure that we'll...


-[tablet beeps]  -It's all optional.


OK.


How much?


Nothing. It's a free trial.


-Oh, free.  -[Marie scoffs]


-Yeah.  -Yeah.


And it's completely safe.


I'm sure it is, honey.


-I am 2,000 years old...  -[sighs]


...and I remember when we used to open up  the door and just let the kids be.


Mm. And I remember breaking my arm  because you wouldn't get a baby gate.


And how is the arm now?


[scoffs]


Feels OK.


[Sara] Are you there? Mommy!


Where are you?


Mommy?


Are you here?


[giggles quietly]


-Oh, what's up, sweetheart?  -I'm looking for Mommy.


You're looking for Mommy?  I got no idea where she's at.


Upstairs. Go on. Go look upstairs.


-[Sara] Mommy, where are you?  -Yoo-hoo!


Mommy, I hear you.


I'm gonna find you.


[laughs louder]


[Sara laughs] I hear you, Mommy.


-[Marie] Ah!  -[Sara screams]


[both laugh]


[dog barks]


[tablet beeps]


[tablet] Filter on.


[dog growls]


[barks ferociously]


[muffled dog barks]


[door creaks and closes]


[blender whirs]


You guys gonna be all right?


I raised you all right. You turned out OK.


Took you a while, but you did.


All right, sweetheart. I'll see you later.


Terrorize your grandpa. He can handle it.


[Sara] Bye.


[Marie] Bye.


Orange straw.


-OK, just push on my hand. OK.  -Yeah. [grunts]


Relax.


-Again. Is that all you got?  -[laughs]


I think the range is getting better.


So how long till I can get back  on the bike again, you think?


[sighs] I'd say two weeks  and maybe don't drive so fast.


Yeah, right.


OK. So, same time next week?


Uh, no, actually it's got to be Thursday.  I got plans Monday.


Something exciting?


Girlfriend's folks are in town, so nope.


-Oh, well, uh, Thursday it is.  -[phone beeps]


Oh, I'm liking yours. That's the way.


You're not shy about using color, are you?  That's the way a real artist...


[Sara] I'm gonna try this...


[exhales] Sorry, honey. Just, uh...


[sighs] Grandpa's gotta sit...


[mumbles]


[groans]


[grunts] Ah!


[grandfather groans]


[moans]


-Grandpa?  -[mumbles]


Huh? Sara...


[grandfather mutters]


[phone rings]


[phone continues ringing]


[tablet rings]


[tablet rings louder]


[groans] Sara...


Oh, my God!


[grandfather breathes heavily]


OK, very good.


-the nurse left your thing on.  -Yeah, she probably forgot to take it off.


-I'll get it.  -I can get it. [exhales deeply]


[grandfather coughs]


-You good?  -[grandfather] Quit bugging me. Jeez.


[Marie] There you go.


[grandfather] It's warm in here.


I don't need that.


Give me that.


[tablet beeps]


-[chattering on TV]  -Hey, Sara! One cookie.


[Marie] Bad for your teeth.


[grandfather] Thanks.


[Marie sniffles]


What color for the hair?


Mom?


Uh, whatever you want.


But I'd say brunette.


[barks loudly]


[muffled barking]


[continues barking loudly]


[children talking]


[boy 1] He's got his arms in the air.  He's given up.


-He's got a stick out and... [gasps]  -[boy 2 groans]


-He just, like, pounds on him.  -Turn it off, Trick. It's gross.


What is it?


Great. The walking snitch.


-[girl] She never snitches.  -[boy 2] She's just weird.


-I want to know what you're watching.  -What do you care, chip-head?


It's parental advisory. You're locked out.


I want to know.


You're better off not seeing it.  Wish I never did.


What if I tell you what's in it?  That work?


So, he brings it down, like, wham!  There's all this blood.


You seen much blood?


It's like juice. Thick, red juice.


Then the guy on the ground is all,  like, "Hell, no!"


And he keeps... [muffled speech]


[muffled speech continues]


[Marie] Oh, it's too much.  I'm fine to have my face on the flier,


but on the poster, it's like,  "Look at me."


[tablet rings]


Sara, what are you doing?


[groans] Sara!


[breathes heavily]


What's happening in this picture?


[doctor] Are they happy or...


[Sara] They're talking.


[doctor] Just talking?


[Sara] I don't know what about.


[doctor] OK. Next one. [sighs]


-[doctor] How about that one?  -[Sara] I don't know.


[doctor] Is she happy?


[Marie]  So is this, like, an autism thing?


The spectrum is wide,  but in my opinion, she's not on it.


But what about the pencils,  like, self-harm?


And these pictures are... [sighs]


Has Sara ever shown  any undue anger before now?


No.


Well, then consider this part experiment,  part acting out, for your benefit.


[Marie sighs]


The Arkangel never launched nationwide.  It was banned in Europe.


It'll be pulled here, too, by the fall.


I did this to her.


You can't remove the implant,  but you can get rid of the parental unit.


The screen.


Just throw it away. Problem solved.


[tablet beeps] Filter off.


Goodbye.


[tablet shuts down]


You're gonna be on your own today. OK?


No Arkangel.


The system isn't gonna be on.


OK? So, no fuzzy pictures.


And you won't see me?


[sighs] I won't see you.


But, you do not have to be afraid.  I'm right down the street.


-You won't know if something happens?  -Nothing is gonna happen.


It's important that we do this.


[whispers] You're gonna be fine.


[exhales] Be good, sweetie.


[sighs]


[phone beeps]


[dog growls]


-[dog barks]  -[gasps]


[barks loudly]


-[man] Watch out!  -[car horn honks]


[man in car] Watch it, kid.


[barks]


-[tablet beeps]  -[exhales]


Come on, come on, come on.


-[tablet beeps]  -[sighs]


[sigh of relief]


[children laughing, chattering]


[child groans]


[woman] OK! OK, this is enough!


-[boy] Don't touch my stuff again, Trick.  -Yeah? I'll do what I want.


What do you want?


Are you OK?


Yeah, sure.


My dad's gonna see this and then bust it  all over again, 'cause I got in trouble.


Ever seen a bust lip before?


Mm... Not till now.


She turned the system off.


[Trick] OK...


-This is porn. Like, people doing it.  -[woman moaning]


They can't make babies that way.   They have to do it different for that.


-[shouting]  -So this one's got a hacksaw


and he's gotta cut his own foot off.


-So, the terrorist guy...  -[shouting]


...OK, OK, keep an eye on the knife.


See?


-He's gonna take his whole head off!  -[men scream]


[blender whirs]


[Marie] Be good, sweetie.


[barks]


Hey. Good boy, Petey.


You hang on in there.


[whirs]


-You added something.  -Oh, it's like a new kind of probiotic.


-it keeps your stools firm.  -Oh, Jesus, Mom.


[rock music playing]


Oh, you've got to be kidding!  When was the last time you went anywhere?


That's not dancing. [laughs]


[Sara] She said he was English.


-He's not English.  -He said "cup of tea," or something.


Doesn't mean anything.  Susan's an idiot. [chuckles]


Hey, it's Trick.


Holy fuck, he's got wheels!


[girl] Yo, Trick!


Hey, guys. What's up?


-Interesting hair.  -Shut up.


I'm fucking with you. It's cool.


[laughs]


-How are you doing?  -Didn't know you cared.


Maybe I don't.


-You a delivery guy now?  -Kinda, of sorts.


-Shut up.  -[laughs]


Hmm... So intriguing. I gotta go.


Hey, uh, we're headed to Lake Dalston  later if you girls want to hang.


We'll think about it.


-[Trick] It'll be fun.  -[boy] Why don't you just come?


Come on!


[girl] Like my dad's gonna let me  set foot in Trick's van.


[Sara] Look, we tell our folks  we're at Reilly's for movie night.


Oh, come on, it'll work.


It's worth a shot, I guess.


So, anyhow...


-You and, Uh, Trick, huh?  -What?


[scoffs] I'm not gonna do anything.


-Yeah, OK. [laughs] Sure.  -Oh, fuck you!


[laughs] Hey!


[laughing]


-[door opens]  -Yay! You're home.


Not for long. I was gonna go to Reilly's  with Meryl. Movie night.


Oh, I thought movie night  was on Wednesday.


Her mom's got guests over then,  so we're doing tonight.


Gonna watch some vintage thing.  The Breakfast Gang.


[laughs] The Breakfast Club.


[laughs] That's it.


Um, be home, like, 11:30.  Her mom will drop me back.


Well, I might be heading out, too. So...


-Really?  -Yeah, really.


OK. Last one home's a rotten egg.


OK!


[pop music playing]


[music continues playing loudly]


[muffled music]


[phone beeps]


-[inhales, exhales]  -[phone beeps]


[line ringing]


-[man] Hey, there. How you doing?  -[sighs]


You look hot. Later.


I don't know...


-[chattering]  -[rock music playing]


[laughing]


[both laugh]


She called me fat. I got over it.  I still remember it... [laughs]


-Would You like some?  -Yeah, sure.


[coughs, laughs]


[Trick laughs]


-[laughs] What was that?  -[boy] I heard it.


[chuckles]


-[Sara moans]  -Cold?


Only a bit. [sighs]


[Trick] Come here.


[moans, sighs]


It's late.


I should go.


Same time next week?


[kisses]


[voicemail] Hi, it's Sara.  Leave a message. Make it good.


Hey, it's Mom. All right, call me.


OK? All right, bye.


[phone beeps]


-[woman] Hey.  -Hi, Ava. I was just wondering


if the girls were done with the movie.


[Ava] What movie?


-Breakfast Club?  -They never ended up here.


-They didn't?  -No. Do you want to speak to Reilly?


I don't know.  I must have got my wires crossed.


-OK, thanks.  -all right.


-[woman] Hello?  -Hi, it's Marie.


I was wondering  if Sara and Meryl were together.


They said they were headed down  to Reilly's.


No, I haven't seen them.


-Hi, it's Marie, Sara's mom.  -[man] Oh, hi.


-Yeah, I was just--  -What's up?


-Have You heard from her?  -Uh... No.


I'm sorry, I know it's late.  I was wondering, have you seen her?


-[woman] No. Everything OK?  -No, everything's fine.


Um, hey, it's Mom.  Where are you? Call me.


Sara?


-[tablet beeps]  -[sighs]


Come on, come on, come on, come on,  come on, come on, come on.


[sighs]


Come on, come on!  [whispers] Come on, come on, come on.


[tablet beeps]


What is that?


[heavy breathing on tablet]


[Sara] Fuck me harder.


[panting]


[Sara] Fuck me.


-Oh, God, oh...  -[Sara moans] Please.


-[tablet beeps]  -Oh.


[whimpers] Oh.


[sobs] Oh...


[Sara] Here. Let me do it.


-My hands are warm.  -[exhales]


-You gotta be a liar.  -What?


You said you'd never done that before.


No way you never done that before.


Swear to God.


You know, you didn't  have to talk like that.


Like what?


Like the porn stuff.


I mean, like, you don't   have to talk like that... for me.


OK.


-[laughs]  -What?


[chuckles] Just... just you.


What about me?


You know...


You've got muscles, but...


[whispers] ...you're a pussy.


-Yeah.  -[both laugh]


[loud knock on door]


I'm busted.  My mom knows I'm not at Reilly's.


-Huh?  -[Meryl] Yeah, I mean...


We gotta go, OK?


-Come on.  -Fuck.


[sighs]


[dog barks in distance]


[Sara] No lights. [sighs]  Maybe she's still out.


Pretty sure she had a date.


Maybe she got laid.


-[snorts, laughs]  -[laughs] Oh, please, that's gross.


-Sorry.  -Check out that laugh. [chuckles]


-Yeah? [laughs]  -[laughs] Yeah.


Later.


[chuckles]


-[door closes]  -[tablet beeps]


Sara?


-Sorry, Mom. I am a little late.  -It's OK.


How was Reilly?


She's great.


I gotta go to bed.


-OK.  -Night, Mom.


I love you.


[bedroom door shuts]


[sighs]


Hmm, probiotics.


I gotta go. I'm gonna be  a little late back from school.


Oh, yeah?


Said I'd help Meryl with a project.   She's being a dork about it, so...


-OK.  -See ya!


Bye!


[door slams]


-[Marie] Have a good afternoon.  -[woman] Thank you, dear.


All right. What do you think?


OK, that's awesome,  but I can't put that on the van.


-Why not?  -Well, A, it's not my van,


and, B, it's better if I'm anonymous.


For your special delivery?


Maybe, yeah.


-You got any on you?  -any What?


Oh, come on, Trick.  I'm not dumb. I know what you sell.


You got any?


It's not for you.


Bet it's in your backpack.


-[giggles] Under the seat... with tape.  -Sara, come here.


-Hey, Sara, give me that.  -Duct tape.


Give me that. No, no, no.


-[squeals] I bet it's in the pocket.  -Come on, give me that. No!


I'm making a little money on the side  so I can move out, OK?


It's not like I use that shit.


Have you tried it?


Of course I've tried it but, I mean,  it's not even good coke,


it's, like, average.


It's for people who like to talk about  themselves all the time. Yada yada yada.


-show me what it looks like.  -Mm-mm.


Come on. I just want to see.


Please.


Are you sure it's not sugar?


-Go away.  -[both laugh]


So, one of the things people do  is they put it, like...


-under their gum, bottom gum.  -OK.


So...