Brute Sanity (2017) - full transcript

(abstract electronic music)

- [Man] Mind if I join you?

- Be my guest.

- I've heard great
things about you.

- Likewise.

- This group is top shelf

and we have extensive resources.

- Like the artifact?

- Caught wind of that already?

- Rumors abound.

But what does it do?



Is it here yet?

- We don't reveal
everything to new members.

- That's a pity.

- It's a rude policy.

- Decidedly, but I
just want to know

for scheduling purposes.

- Of course, of course.

Diovolo's gonna demonstrate
the artifact at midnight.

What harm is there
in saying that?

- No harm at all and
how polite of you.

- I'm trying to be a gentleman.

- How's that working out?

- Let's just say if I were to
kill you for being an imposter

I'd do it quickly to
avoid any suffering.



- Your suffering or mine?

- This is a morbid subject.

- That's par for the course
in this cult isn't it?

- [Man] You can't
make an amulet,

without cracking a few eggs.

- You have a way with words.

- Let's just say I'm
a man of letters.

- The wrong way?

- Having second thoughts?

- About speaking with you?

- About joining
the organization?

- Oh, you're organized?
I hadn't noticed.

- You know, some of us here,
are cold-blooded killers.

- As am I.

How many people have you killed?

- Lots, a myriad.

- It sounds to me like
you're avoiding the question.

- Eight, okay?

- Not bad.

- And how about you?

- How about me what?

- How many men have you slain?

- How many men or
people in total?

Because they weren't all men.

- In total.

- It's a secret.

- You can tell me,
we're all friends here.

- Cold-blooded friends?

- Who's avoiding
the questions now?

(gun clicks)

- How many men have I cut
down this month or today?

- You better put
that away, honey.

You're getting me excited.

(moody electronic music)

- [Woman] Excuse me, I
have to use the restroom.

- She's on the move,
what's her location?

- [Man] Moving into
the main corridor.

- Keradin, are you there?

- Give her a chance to
get back on the coms.

- Coms on, okay.

I'm looking for the artifact.

- Nice of you to show up.

Right on time.

- What's the situation?

- Keradin's on the move
to the expected location

of the artifact.

- Excellent.

Unfortunately, I've just
found out that things might be

a little trickier
than we planned.

- What do you mean?

(suspenseful music)

(electronic ticks)

- Guys, we have a
serious problem.

There's a bomb on the artifact.

- Can we get a cam on that?

- Okay, camera one in
place, do you see it?

- That does not look good.

(electronic ticks)

Okay, high confidence
for situation B.

- Situation B?

- Diovolo is the traitor.

He has the disarming
key for the bomb.

- Diovolo?

He's the leader of this cult,

why would he blow
up the artifact?

- Because he's bat-shit crazy?

- Why wasn't I informed
of this before?

- We just got the intel
in while you were cajoling

the bad guys to like you.

Wincroft doesn't even know yet.

- Oh, shit.

Can the EOD tech walk me through

disarming this bomb right now?

- No, it could be booby-trapped,

and you don't have
the proper tools.

Get the key, you have...

12 minutes.

(distorted tones)

- What the hell?

- What is it?

- Nothing, com silence now.

- Where'd the chick go?

- Bathroom.

What do you care?

- I don't like her.

- [Keradin] You don't like me?

- No, I don't.

- That's too bad.

- Okay, assholes, let's
get the show on the road.

(dark electronic music)

Take a seat.

- Before we begin, I
wanna bring attention

to the fact that we have two
new guests at our circle.

- Yeah, how can we
trust these people?

- As a matter of fact, we can't.

As far as we know, they're feds.

- [Agent] Shit, what do we do?

- There's nothing we can do,
they have to figure this out.

- It's getting too hot in
there, should we abort?

- No, do you realize
how important this is?

If they don't get that thing
out of there in five minutes

we are all screwed.

(electronic ticks)

- So, we frisk them.

- Hey, stud, you can
frisk me all you want.

- Cut the shit, what
do you think this is?

Okay, clowns, listen up.

She's kosher, my uncle Joe was
in the slammer with her pop

back in the day before we
skedaddled to South America.

- Your uncle Joe?

'Cause he's real (coughs)
reliable, stand up guy.

- As I was saying.

The only problem we have
at present with personnel

is Stiffy McBigHead here.

(women laugh)

- So, Wincroft,
you wanna tell me--

(slow-motion speech)
(dark piano music)

Practically a reasonable
explanation, Wincroft.

(coughs)

It's too bad it's the wrong one.

Frisk him.

(chuckles)

Keradin, since you're
the newest one of us,

how about you do the honors?
- With pleasure.

(gun fires)
(Wincroft groans)

- (laughs) You may be a
bad-ass, but your aim sucks.

(gun fires)
(ominous music)

So, what's wrong?

- Nothing.

As the leader, I figured
you should have the honor.

- You're much too kind.

- [Keradin] Am I?

- Hey, you're gettin'
blood on my suit there.

- [Keradin] I'm such a mess.

I'll run to the bathroom
and clean it off.

(melancholic piano music)

(gasps) The bomb.
(electronic ticks)

(suspenseful music)

Ordinance defused.

I need...

(distorted tones)

I need an exit now.

- I thought I told you
to take two weeks off?

- I'll give you two
weeks, two weeks notice.

- I understand what
you're going through.

You'll get over it.

- I have gotten over it.

I've gotten over the false
promise of harmless intrigue.

- Dr. Keradin, remember when
I found you at the university?

- Cut the reminiscent bullshit.

- So, you're just going to quit?

- This isn't my thing.

- Is it because of Wincroft?
(dark music)

- What do you think?

(moody electronic music)

- Here.

You can keep that.

- Thanks.

- Where will you go?

- Back to university, my old
advisor has a funding slot.

- Well, isn't that swell.

- Yeah, I'll be a post-doc.
- Exciting.

- Well, at least you don't
die, except for your soul.

- Agent Keradin, you will
be bored out of your brain.

- We'll see.

(dark atmospheric music)

- Sorry I'm late.

My best agent has left me.

I met her because of you.

But don't worry about that,
I'm sure I'll see her again.

And soon, we'll have
your other half.

(dramatic electronic music)

(distant screams)

(man and woman scream)

- [Man] Keradin, where
the heck have you been?

- I was in the neuro
lab for a while.

- This is a nightmare, how
do you shut this thing off?

- There, it's stopped.

- What the sam hell
is going on here?

- I don't know.

- This is supposed to be a
reproduction of an experiment

that does not involve
people screaming.

- It is, I swear it was
going exactly as expected

five minutes ago.
- Did you change the protocol?

- I may have tested
a new subject.

- Look, I know you like
to push the boundaries.

- That's what science is about.

- Please, I need you to
start off on the right foot.

Namely, the foot that keeps
the funding coming in.

- Okay, but there is something
bizarre happening here.

- Are you saying you can't
handle a simple experiment?

- I can handle it.

- Good, oh, and also,
I need you to finish

that perception paper I'm
letting you co-author.

Publish or perish.

(dark electronic music)

- Listen up, we've
located the artifact.

- I thought we already got that.

- There are two parts,
this is the second half.

- What exactly is this
thing, some kinda weapon?

- Sorry, that requires a higher
level of security clearance.

- But we're gonna seize it.

- Absolutely and it
has to happen tomorrow.

- [Agent] Tomorrow?

- The criminal world
has learned of it, too,

and the crew is planning
on heisting it tomorrow.

So we have to get
in there first,

and get the artifact intact.

- Nice, I love clip art.

- But I already reserved
tomorrow as my day off.

- Not anymore, Agent Paquin.

- [Paquin] But it's
already gone through

in the payroll system.

- The location is the Cognitive
Science Research laboratory

in Cambridge.

- Keradin, are you leaving?

- [Keradin] Yeah.

- Early day, huh?

That's cool, I'll
see you tomorrow,

but I wanna show you the
gadget for the build.

- [Keradin] Okay, sure, later.

(phone vibrates)

- Tomorrow.

- [Woman] Wow, on schedule for
once, any last minute intel?

- I'm going to see
The Veil right now.

- Years of investigation
culminates in tomorrow's incursion.

- I heard we got quite
the list of potentials.

- Indeed we do.

- This is Nevil "The
Devil" Hellinger.

- Primarily a thief,
but difficult to catch,

impossible to incriminate.

And these are the others
that we're tracking.

- Sounds like a dangerous bunch.

- But they are not
counting on us being there.

- We're counting on all
these dickheads to be there?

- Bet my good looks on it.

Wanker number one,
Maskin, the leader.

Also known as The Confiscator.
- Why?

- Well, 'cause he
always gets the goods.

Said goods then disappear
into bureaucracy,

never to be seen again.

- I remember him,
the New York job.

- Yeah, the one you
failed to complete?

- What can I say? Bad intel.

I'll tell you one thing,

I'm not letting Maskin
gum up another job.

- Smells like boiling
resentment to me.

Then there's that shadowy twat.

- [Nevil] I don't recognize her.

- Oh, we don't know
much about her.

Could be going by
the alias Overstreet.

- Looks sinister.
- Nah.

She is a squiffy git
but she is professional.

- At what?
- Well, for one thing.

She's top-notch at
hiding her identity.

She's uninvestigatable.

- Uninvestigatable?
- Mm-hm.

- Is that a word?
- Well, I don't know.

Let me just check my dictionary.

- And why do we care
about Miss Overstreet?

- For one thing...

Because she's been hanging
around with that tosser Maskin.

- [Nevil] That is suspicious.

- Yeah, or just some
innocent perky tootling.

- She's a wild card.

- Might I suggest some extra
distraction for this job?

- You might, and I
know just who to call.

(moody music)

(phone rings)

(phone rings)

- Hello, Hellinger,
you son of a bitch.

Yeah, that's right up our alley.

We got a gig tomorrow.
- What kind?

- Distraction.
- That's it?

- Hey, money's money.
- It's not a lot of money.

- You're really gonna say
that while you fan yourself

with 10 grand over there?

- Why dick around
with thousands,

when we could deal in millions?

- What're you blabbering about?

- I happen to know that
Hellinger's nicking

an extremely valuable object.

- How valuable?

- 15 mil, at least.

- And all it'll cost us is
five fingers and a bit of fear.

- Now you're talking.

- What is it, some science shit?

Hellinger says the target's
a research facility.

- Ancient artifact.

It's rare.

One of a kind.

- Why the hell is it
in a research building?

- I don't know.

- I don't like it,
I don't know enough.

- We know enough
to be dangerous.

- I do have contacts in
high-end antiques that could

convert this to cash for us.

- See? It'll work out perfectly.

- Are you sure this is the gig
Hellinger's doin' tomorrow?

- Yeah.

- Where'd you get this picture?

- I've been working
Hellinger's driver.

- You cheeky flirt.

(moody electronic music)

- You're so chill, Keradin.

Even when you're
under a lot of stress.

- Yeah right, Valerie,
I'm freaking out.

- What's wrong?

- I don't think I can
do this post-doc thing.

I wanna get out and
find something else.

- That could set
you back a year!

- [Keradin] I know, I know.

- (sighs) You can't
keep quitting.

Uh, I mean, doing new things
before finishing old things.

- Well, sometimes quitting
is the right thing to do.

- You quit everything.

- No, I don't!

- Shots?

♪ Baby, your lips keep movin'

- I worry about you.
- I worry about you.

Do you still hear
voices in your head?

- Can the voices in my head
hear voices in their heads?

- That would indicate an
infinite recursion of homunculi

in your mind, which
is impossible.

- Let's go dancing.

- There are chunks
in this coffee.

- Those are flavor crystals.

(moody electronic music)

- Blackwood, check
the perimeter.

- Sure thing.

- Everybody else, come with me.

- What a marvelous day
to check the perimeter.

(whoosh)

(dart gun fires)
(groans)

- Mobile jammers ready?

- Jammers are on.

- [Nevil] Make sure the entire
routers are reconfigured too.

- Already done.
- Okay.

I'm waiting on the distraction.

- The distraction should be
coming up any minute now.

- Agent Maskin, I never
imagined I'd see you here again.

What do you want?

- We're doing a small
operation, should be quick.

- In a research center?

- How would you
like to assist us?

- No, I don't work
for you anymore.

I don't know what you're up
to and I want no part of it.

- Time is critical,
so goodbye, Keradin.

It was lovely to see you again.

- As always.

- I'm headed to the third floor.

Wait here and watch
for Hellinger.

- Nevil "The Devil" Hellinger
is a notorious antiques thief.

- Hey, she doesn't need
to know that, Paquin.

She's bailin'.

Right, Keradin?

- Right.
(suspenseful music)

Is it raining outside?

- No, why?

- This is a pre-recorded video.

- Shit, they're in
the god-damn building.

- Who is?

- Ulrich, get to the lobby,
alert the desk guard.

- Right.
- Now, hold on a minute.

You promised to
keep this discrete.

- Ziebeck, you and Finkley sweep
the rest of the first floor

then go up to the second floor.

- Yes, ma'am.

- I'll go straight up
to the third floor.

Wocheck, you stay here.
- Hey!

I am the supervisor of
personnel security, okay?

- Nobody else sneaks in!

- This is crazy, I'm outta here.

- You know, that's a good idea.

Ulrich, escort
Keradin out as well.

- Is that who I think it is?

- Roald "Rhino Serious" Nash
and his amorous accomplice

Ada Griff, AKA Silver Adder.

- [Paquin] Not exactly
stealth operators, are they?

- Shut up and go give
Ulrich some backup.

Go around the east corridor.

(dramatic electronic music)

- [Turzillo] Where do
you think you're goin'?

Up against the wall!

- Wish I could be a
guide and get a cute hat.

- Listen up, all you Fairweather
fans of thrills and kills!

- You need to leave.

(groans)

- Everyone stand still
and enjoy the party.

(glass smashes)

- Who are these bastards?

- Thieves.

- In lockdown.

- Why are they here?
(alarm wails)

Shit.

- Turzillo, you stay
here and guard the lobby.

- I'll take the security room.
- Right.

Let's go.

- Here, just in case.

- I am not getting
involved in this mission.

- Sorry, no time for chit-chat.

- Take this.

- [Keradin] Look, I
need to get outta here.

- Tell me about.
- Can you cover for me?

I'm gonna make a
run for the door.

- No, that's not a good idea.
- Why not?

- These guys were in the
dossier, they're deadly.

- Who else is in the dossier?

- Just some criminals
that are also lookin'

for the artifact.

- The artifact, what artifact?

- I'm not supposed
to talk about that.

(slap)

- The artifact that I have
already retrieved for Maskin?

- Not exactly, there are
two parts to the artifact.

- And what are they?

- You tell me.
- I don't know.

Why haven't I heard about
different artifacts existing?

- It's probably on a
need-to-know basis.

- Lockdown?

Who's activating this?

- Can I help you?

(gun fires)

(gun fires)

- "Keradin, neuropsychology."

- Who are you, another criminal?

- I'm The Devil.

- (chuckles) Nevil "The
Devil" the antique thief?

(door closes)
(suspenseful music)

Hey!

(ominous tones)

- Soon, this will all be over.

- Humans couldn't see blue
until the Middle Ages.

- Don't be absurd.

Our eyes couldn't change that
rapidly in such a short time.

- Well, sure, humans could
see blue wavelengths,

but they didn't have the
mental category for it yet.

- Our conscious minds
were blind to blue?

- Exactly.
- You're full of shit.

Hey!

Jerk!

- Rhino, I'm in security.

- Good.

Watch out for the Federal trash.

- It's Hellinger, freeze!

- [Nevil] Looking for these?

(dart gun fires)
(agent groans)

(elevator bleeps)

- What's goin' on?
- Donald!

- Did you notice the
networks are down?

It's really strange.
- What about cell phones?

- I don't have a connection.

- Okay, some criminals did
infiltrate this building.

- What, really?

I wonder.

- Did you see any FBI
agents walking through here?

- I saw a couple of
suits a few minutes ago

on the other side.
- Okay.

You should head back to the lab,

and stay there until it's safe.

- If you say so.

- [Keradin] Where's Maskin?

- Keradin, you're still here?

- Unfortunately, yes,

and I know you're
looking for the artifact.

- Well, do you know where it is?

Our intel said it was in this
room, but we can't find it.

- I have an idea where it
might be, but where's Maskin?

- Searching the fourth floor.

- Where the hell
did my badge go?

(lock bleeps)

- I'm in position.

Room 771.

Lorrie?

Lorrie, Lorrie, are you there?

- Sorry, buddy.

Rhino, this is Lorrie.

Hellinger's in room 771.

- Good, keep him there.

Silver, you catch that?
- Got it, room 771.

(keyboard clacks)

Room 771 is locked down.

(locks click)

- Shit.

(suspenseful music)

- [Maskin] Well well, I
thought you went home.

- I tried, you wanna tell
me what this artifact is?

- Let's just say it
endangers public safety.

- Why is it here, why is
it in my research facility?

- With all due respect,

your security clearance
is no longer active.

- (chuckles) Okay,
I don't care anyway.

I want you guys and the
damn artifact outta here.

- Look, just help us out.

You know this building
better than me.

We'll get you outta here as
soon as we find the artifact.

- Okay, this better be quick.

- I got bad news.
- Spit it out.

- We've got a dead
body downstairs in 303.

- That's my lab.

(suspenseful guitar music)

He was my old advisor.

- I'm sorry.

- Rhino and his vermin
made it to this floor.

- Why didn't you stop them?

- I was following them to see

if they knew where
the artifact was.

- Well, stop them now before
they endanger our operation.

- [Ulrich] Yes, sir.

- Keradin, where would
somebody hide a valuable asset,

like the artifact,
in this building?

- I don't know but I've heard
they have highly-secretive

projects on the eighth floor.

- Thanks, you should stay
here out of harm's way.

- But--
- Let's go.

(suspenseful electronic music)

(explosion booms)

- That sounded
like an explosion.

- Go check it out.

- Now what?

(dark atmospheric music)

- This is all wrong.

- Holy shit.

Hey!

(dramatic electronic music)

(dark piano music)

- Damn it, I left the camera
rolling since yesterday.

Wait a minute.

Maskin.

- You told me it
was in room 371.

- And you told me you'd
have money for me.

- And you're wasting my time.

- Holy shit.

- You should not have seen that.

- Well, I did.

- You should have
left like a good girl.

You should quit
while you're, well--

- Ahead?
- Alive.

(suspenseful music)

(distorted electronic tones)

- What the...

(dark atmospheric music)

(paint squelches)

- Shh, I hear something.

- Touch my face again and
I'll break your fingers.

- I need my fingers.
- What do you want?

- I think you know.

- Do you hear that?

(distorted creaking)

- Well, that got sticky.

- Ulrich, get your
ass to room 500.

Everybody listen.

- Rhino and his two comrades
have been taken care of.

- Don't interrupt me.
- Sorry, sir.

- Keradin is working
with the thieves.

She killed her advisor
and shot at me.

- Are you serious?
- Of course I'm serious.

Now, go find Keradin
and the other thieves.

- Force?

- Use lethal force if necessary.

- Yes, sir.
- You, come with me.

We'll continue the
artifact search.

And if you see
something, say something.

- I need your help.

- Did you see that back there?
- What, the chairs?

I'm sure that's Rhino's doing.

- There's some weird-ass
shit going on around here.

- I'm not sure what you mean.

- What part of weird-ass
shit don't you understand?

- The weird?

And the ass.

- There's something
about the artifact.

- [Nevil] Something
you'd like to share?

- Shit.

(guns fire)
- Don't change the subject.

- Get off me!
(glass smashes)

(guns fires)

- The artifact, what is it?
- A device.

- For what?
- I don't know.

(guns fire)

- [Nevil] Know how to use that?

(gun fires)

(gun fires)

I'll take that as a yes.

(dart gun fires)

(moody atmospheric music)

- This is getting
out of control.

- My team double-crossed me.

Agents are tryin' to kill you.

We need to work together.

- You think I know where
the artifact is, don't you?

- Do you?

- Do you realize Maskin
is killing people?

- [Nevil] So what?

- There's something alien
about this whole ordeal.

- Alien?
- Yes.

I worked with Maskin when we
obtained the first artifact.

- First?
- This is the second one.

Maskin's obsessed
with the first one,

and he's even more obsessed
with the second one.

- Big deal, what's so
strange, so alien about that?

- I don't know, I keep
having these weird daydreams.

Maybe hallucinations.

- Fascinating.

- What's worrying me is this
glowing image I'm seeing.

Like it's coming
from the artifact.

- What kind of image?

- Like a display,
a progress bar.

- Progress is good, right?
- Not if it's counting down.

- Counting down to what?
- Something catastrophic?

Maybe a massive
bomb, I'm not sure.

- Well, we'd better find it,

before Maskin gets
his dirty hands on it.

- Right, maybe it's
on the eighth floor.

- Let's go, clock's ticking.

- Give me the watch.

- Ready?

(moody electronic music)

(suspenseful music)

- Step out now or we
will move with force.

(dart gun fires)

(distorted electronic tones)

- Is it just me or did
the door just disappear?

- Yeah, it did.

- That's disconcerting.

- I wonder, is it the whole
room or just the door?

- I should've brought
more explosives.

- Maskin's tryin' to stop
us with all his tricks now.

- Maybe we've been drugged.

You've been having
hallucinations.

- I've researched
hallucinations.

I don't think this
is one of them.

Auditory, tactile visual.

When both says the
same thing, it's real.

- Well, if it's real,

we're dealing with the best
illusionist I've ever seen.

- What's that?

What if Maskin turned my office

into a prison cell
with the artifact?

- How?
(distorted electronic tones)

- The artifact could
be some kind of

materialization machine.

- That's highly unlikely.

- It also explains
why it's so valuable.

- I'm gonna stick
with hallucinations.

(distorted electronic tones)

- If I'm right, I might
be able to use my brain

to get us out of here.

- Well, definitely
use your brain.

- No, I mean there's the
connection into my brain

with the external to my skull.

- What?

- The hallucinations first
started with the first artifact.

What if the hallucinations
are caused by the artifacts

sending signals to
my visual cortex?

- Like wifi?

- Sort of, but I'm not
sure how that's possible.

(clunking)

If only I could focus
on these images.

- [Nevil] You look like
a crash test dummy.

- [Keradin] Shut up,
I'm focusing now.

- [Nevil] What do you see?

- [Keradin] Symbols.

That's all the different
kinds of symbols I'm seeing.

- How does this help us?

- [Keradin] Neural
interfaces are usually

two-way connections.

- You can send symbols
to the artifact?

- [Keradin] I'm going to try.

Okay.

Now I just have to
do the opposite.

Blow out the unit
with my normal vision.

- So, you look at something
and it sees what you see?

- [Keradin] That's
what I'd guess.

- Something's supposed to
be happening right now?

- [Keradin] Hold on.

- It's working.
- These must be commands then.

But how do I get it to finish?
- Which one did you look at?

- This one.
- Keep looking at that one.

- That's not working, though.

Wait, the symbols sent to my
brain came in groups of three.

(moody electronic music)

(distorted electronic tones)

- [Nevil] Quick, let's go.

- [Ada] Rhino?

Idiot.

- I'm such an idiot.

- What?

- I bet Donald knows
about the second artifact.

(suspenseful music)

- It's over,
Rhino's almost dead.

Hellinger's probably
with the feds.

- Alright, get out of there
right now, I'm waiting for you.

- Donald, what're
you working on?

- We've been studying
this bizarre machine.

They won't even tell
me where it came from.

- Does it cause hallucinations?

- Yeah, how did you know?

- You have the second artifact,
that's what the FBI's after.

- Well, then the FBI's after

the most unique
device in the world.

- In the world?

- The hallucinations are real.

This instrument breaks the rules
of physics as we know them.

- What does that mean,
other dimensions?

- You might say that.

I call it super-reality.

- What have you guys been
doing with the artifact?

- With the help of big-data
analysis and reverse engineering

we've been able to augment
human vision to see a layer of

super-reality.

- What's that?

- It's a chip.

Patches into your cortex with
our neuro-optical interface.

- So, it connects
directly to the brain?

- Yeah, basically.

Don't worry, the skull
hole's pretty small,

and we use precise robotics
to align everything.

- Can't you guys just
build that into some

sunglasses or something?
(Donald chuckles)

- I'm just messing with you,
we totally have glasses now.

Hey, you don't wanna go
full-on without training.

- Whoa.

- That means they're working.

- That's somethin' else.

- Are you okay?

- Yeah, that was just
some Eldwood shit.

Hold on.

I can handle this.

(dark atmospheric music)

- What are you doing?

- You pushed me too far.

- We had a deal.

- I deal from the
bottom of the deck.

- I cannot allow you to
do that, hand them over.

No!

- [Maskin] Freak.

(distorted electronic tones)

- Oh, my god.

- Whoa.
(distorted electronic tones)

What the hell is that?

(distorted electronic tones)

- Looks like you've
got a tentacle problem.

- It looked like some kind
of super-reality link.

- To the artifact?

- Don't know.
- Okay.

We need to borrow these.

- Okay.

- [Keradin] Where did
the artifact come from?

- I don't know.

- It's from my world.
(eerie music)

- Who are you?

- I go by Overstreet.
- Why are you here?

- You see, I'm a debugger.
- For who?

- [Elka] For the entities
that created the artifacts.

- You're an alien
from super-reality?

- You guys really
aren't gonna give up on

the whole alien thing, are ya?
- Are you from another world?

- Yes, I'm interfacing
through this human body

to your subset of reality.

- I take it you're not
here on Maskin's behalf?

- No, I was trying
to deal with Maskin,

but he has become
completely irrational.

- It's his obsession with
the artifacts, isn't it?

- Yes, he is the
most recent miscreant

trying to exploit them.

- Why are the artifacts
here, I mean, in our reality?

- It started as an accident.

That is when they called me
in, some 200 Earth-years ago.

- To debug?

- Yes.
- What is the bug?

- That would impossible
for me to explain to you.

- Try.

- It starts with a machine on
our world which you might call

a fabricator, it makes things.

- Don't break that.

- As it turns out, one
of these fabricators

had a coding error.

This flaw went undetected until
sections of it spontaneously

dipped into your reality.

- The two artifacts
are part of a

single inter-dimensional
machine?

- Correct, that is
why I must fix the bug

before real damage is caused
to your world or mine.

- Why haven't you fixed it yet?

- Maskin and his predecessors
have proven quite difficult.

They have discovered the
power of the artifacts.

- What are humans using
the artifacts for?

- There used to be
conjuring, stage magic.

- What kind of stage magic?
- Manifestations of all sorts.

Reality-shifting, making
objects and animals disappear.

Walking through
walls and so forth.

- With an alien device?

That's cheating, at magic.

- Cheating?

- I come from a long line
of magicians and carnies.

- [Keradin] That might
explain a few things.

- Illusions are just that,
not otherworldly interloping.

- Maskin is interested
in cheating, as you say,

at illusions, but with
very dangerous intentions.

Combining the two artifacts
wields tremendous abilities.

- [Keradin] Time's ticking.

- She is correct, Maskin's
power will grow exponentially

if he connects the two
artifacts together.

- How powerful?

- Theoretically, he could drive
thousands of people insane,

physically destroy buildings,
perhaps even a city.

- Damn.

- It gets worse.

The artifact's error
clock has been triggered.

Soon, any minute now,

catastrophic
manifestations will appear.

- So, where exactly is
the second artifact?

- [Elka] It is definitely
in this building.

- I'm pretty sure it's
on the eighth floor, but,

they have kept the exact location
under wraps, even from me.

- Great, so all we need to do
is find the second artifact

before a maniac with
manifestation abilities becomes

an unstoppable wizard
without getting killed,

and before the artifact
destroys everything completely.

- Precisely.

(eerie chime music)

- Don't you have some kind of
special weapon or something?

- Only this.

As a debugger,
this is all I get.

It links to machines
and our reality.

- Can you cause manifestations?

- Yes, small ones, it's not
much of a weapon, really.

(suspenseful music)

- Get down!

Hold it, Keradin.

- You okay?
- Don't let them hurt me.

- Put your hands
against the wall.

- I can't do that, look at this.

(gun fires)
(dramatic electronic music)

(gun fires)

- You're violent.

- [Elka] I have to leave,

but there is one more thing
I should warn you about.

- What?

- Maskin has a
limitation in his powers.

If he makes one
big manifestation,

he can instantly make
another big manifestation.

- How is that a limitation?

- He can do this technique
exactly four times in a row and

then your world will return to
normal on the fifth attempt.

- I see.

- [Elka] I wish I had
more time to explain,

but I must go now.

(distorted electronic tones)

- That reminds me of something.

- [Keradin] Hellinger,
now is not the time.

- I'm gonna show you something
that most people don't know.

Standard deck.

In order.

Now, if I shuffle this...

(cards clack)

They are no longer in order.

- Well, of course, it's
partially randomized.

- Now, what would happen
if I shuffled it again?

- I guess, more random?

- Actually, the same
amount of randomness.

- Okay, Nevil Hellinger,
street mathematician,

where are you going with this?

- Back in sequence.

There's a very special shuffle
called a Pharaoh Shuffle

in which both halves are
perfectly interleaved.

- You can actually do that.

- I trained for several
years on this maneuver

before pivoting into thievery.

- Fascinating, but
where's the trick?

The cards are still random.

- Guess what happens if I do
this eight times in a row?

- What?

- [Nevil] The deck is now
in the exact same order

that it started.

- I see, very clever.

It's a cyclic function.

- It's like a
series of transforms

that return to the
original value.

(gun fires)

(somber orchestral music)

(gun fires)

(slow-motion tones)

(moody electronic music)

(guns fire)

(dark electronic music)
(Keradin groans)

- Are you okay?

- I'm getting more visual
data from the artifact.

Do you have a pen?

You stole one of our pens?

- [Nevil] They're free.

- I'm learning the
commands from the artifact.

(dark piano music)

- Well, that's fantastic.

But we don't have time for this.

- When the super-reality
links with my brain,

it's the only advantage
we have over Maskin.

- Uh-oh.

- I'm not sure I
noticed that, though.

It's fractal.

- [Nevil] There's something
I need to show you.

- Over there, Keradin.

Hold tight, let me try
and figure this out.

What is this?

(screams)

(dark atmospheric music)

- Hold it, Maskin.

- Keradin, have you
come to your senses yet?

- What on earth are you doing?

- Getting ready for the show.

- And are you planning
a grand illusion?

- Oh, I'm done with illusions.

I will control reality itself.

- I suppose you think
you know what reality is?

- Everybody's running around
like primates, but not me.

The artifact has
extended my reach.

And I have seen true existence.

- We only know reality through
our mental constructions.

The outside world
is inside your head,

even with the artifact.

- A depressing assessment.

- As much as I'd love to
wax philosophic with you,

it's hardly the time.

- Quite so, it's time
for the main attraction.

- You're a chuck-up
from the neck up.

- You can't stop me.

- No!
- What the...

(distorted electronic tones)

- Maskin!

(dark orchestral music)

There he is.

(moody electronic music)

- I hope this isn't
another deception.

- Wait, what?

- Since Maskin's into illusions.

- Shit, it's the oldest
trick in the book.

- He wanted us out
of the building.

- The only reason to
dress like a clown

is because there's two clowns.

- Maskin forced us to
follow the double out here,

while he's still in
the research facility.

(dark electronic music)

- Finally.

- I can't get into
this armored door shit.

- And the front entrance
is locked down, too.

- I had some tools.

But, uh, my driver Lorrie
seems to have taken the car.

- What about the FBI van?

- This requires
fed fingerprints.

- I thought you were a thief?

- My thievery requires planning.

Find anything?

(explosion booms)

- What the hell?

- Go check out the entrances.

I have work to do.

(ominous tones)

(moody electronic music)

- Don't move!

- Ulrich, I don't know
what Maskin told you,

but he's unhinged.

- This is your last
chance, Keradin.

- Can we go in the
other direction?

- No, we have to go this way.

(moody electronic music)

(cards flicker)
(Ulrich groans)

(rushed footsteps)

Well, looks like we need to
try another set of stairs.

- How did a nice
gunfighter like you end up

in a research
facility like this?

- It was my dream before
this whole FBI thing.

- A dream?

- As a kid, I was fascinated
by all the branches of science.

Conducting experiments,
lighting things on fire.

- Natural-born scientist.

- Yes, and at 18 I
renounced religion.

- [Nevil] Never tried it myself.

- It affects people's
view of the entire world.

- [Nevil] But you didn't buy it.

- No, my parents bought
Bibles, but I burned them all.

- [Nevil] Well, they
must have loved that.

- You said you have
something to tell me?

- [Nevil] Uh, I stole
Overstreet's watch.

- You have no shame.

- [Nevil] It's just so easy.

- But perhaps useful.

- [Nevil] I can't make
heads or tails of it.

- I think I'm
starting to understand

these alien symbols now.

- Can you actually
make stuff happen?

- We need to go.

- Thought you stopped
me, didn't you?

- Ulrich, don't you see?

Maskin is a murderer, he's
obsessed with the artifact

and will kill
anybody in his way.

- You're the one running around
with the professional thief,

shooting Federal agents.

- I have no choice, we
have to stop Maskin.

He's planning
something sinister.

- Sure he is.

- The artifact can manifest
and change reality,

at least as we know it.

- Change reality?

- They can literally
manifest objects.

- Literally-literally or
literally-figuratively?

- Literally-literally.

- Spooky and stupid, you
should be ashamed of yourself.

- You really think
Maskin is just leading

a routine job here?

- He hasn't been
by the book, but--

- Look, he killed Thorndike.

I saw it with my lab camera.

Maskin attacked him and
I saw the recording.

- Alright, let's say
Maskin is deranged,

what exactly do you plan to do?

- I need to get to the second
artifact before Maskin does.

- What about him?

He's a thief.

- There is a time factor here.

- He's right, the artifact could
go critical any second now.

- How do you know this?

- Let's stop this crazy
person first, then debrief.

- You better be right.

(dark orchestral music)

- So, what kind of
deal did you make with

Nevil "The Devil"
Hellinger here?

Split the profits 50-50?

- I didn't make a
deal with Hellinger.

- Then why are you even here?

- The artifact needs
to be researched,

and you need to go back
to the authorities.

- I am the authorities.

- I bet the bureau doesn't
even know about the operations.

Do they?
- Ulrich, seize them.

- No can do.

- You are disobeying
an order, agent.

- You're getting the
wrong people killed.

(ominous tones)
(rumbling)

(glass smashes)
(dramatic music)

(distorted electronic tones)

- Kill them.

(moody electronic music)

(gun fires)

(gun fires)

(gun fires)

Yes.

(Ulrich groans)
(somber music)

- Ulrich.

Maskin, you asshole.
(gun cocks)

- [Maskin] The artifact
is complete once again,

and it's mine.

You have already lost, Keradin.

You're free to go, just
walk through the exit.

- What exit?

(eerie electronic music)

(distorted electronic tones)

- Can you get rid
of this obstruction?

- I can try but Maskin
is too powerful now.

- What about the alien watch?

- I could make a new
manifestation, but I'd probably

end up getting us killed.

- [Nevil] Yeah,
let's not do that.

- Maybe I should quit.

It seems that's all I'm good
at these days, quitting.

- It's not really quitting.

- Please.

- My great-grandfather,
Selbit Hellinger,

sailed ships before
he became a carnie.

He also invented the
cutting-a-woman-in-half trick.

- Is that true?

- Well, he was a liar
and a horse thief,

but that's besides the point.

- What does your eccentric
ancestor have to do

with my abysmal failure?

- Well, he would have called
it "a course correction."

- A euphemism?
- A metaphor.

- Failing is failing,
quitting is quitting.

- Depends on how you look at it.

- You're right.
- I usually am.

- About perception.

- [Nevil] I didn't say
anything about perception.

- How one can look at
something can be advantage.

- Look, I'm all
for finishing this,

but we can't get to Maskin.

We have nothing to
fight him with anyway.

- I still have my mental links.

- And you've got
the alien watch.

- We can out-conjure
the conjurer.

- You're starting to sound
nuttier than old Selbit.

- It's just a sleight of hand.

- Well done, but
your plan is absurd.

- Thank you for your support.

- You're welcome, I
usually charge for therapy,

but I'll give you a discount.

- Help me with this.

- Why aren't you in
link yet, Keradin?

(distorted electronic tones)

(intense pulsing
electronic tones)

- Ready?

Hand over the artifact.
(suspenseful music)

- You drooling
philistines don't deserve

to behold the artifact,
let alone hold it.

(whooshes)

How do you like that trick?

- Let's make a deal.

- What kind of deal?

- You get the artifact,
but you let me research it.

- Please, something so radical?

You publish your research
and before you know it,

society comes unglued.

- So you propose
we keep it hidden?

- So you think I'm
here on a power trip.

I think of it more as
a service to humankind.

- Keeping people in the
dark is not a service.

You're just trying
to protect yourself.

- People don't
want brute sanity!

(gun fires)

Say goodbye to sanity.
(high-pitched tones)

(dark atmospheric music)

(distorted electronic tones)

- Hellinger!

(ticking)

- He can do this technique
exactly four times in a row and

then your world will return to
normal on the fifth attempt.

- That's two.

- Think you're in
control, Keradin?

I'm running this show.

- We'll see about that.

- You're just an
amateur at this game.

(distorted electronic tones)

(squelching)

(ticking)

(dark electronic music)

(electronic ticks)

- Maskin?

Is this another trick, Maskin?

- [Maskin] Are you
alright, Keradin?

We are very worried about you.

- Who's "we?"
- Me and the atrifact.

I know this is cruel,
but I need your link.

- Link, interface...

This is number three.

(electronic ticks)

- [Maskin] Trying
to blow yourself up?

Relax, just wait a
few more seconds.

(electronic ticks)

Impossible.
(clicking)

(dark atmospheric music)

- This is four.

- [Maskin] Give up your
link to the artifact.

(slap)
(Keradin groans)

(gun fires)
(glass smashes)

Give up.

(slap)
- Ow.

Give up.
(moody electronic music)

Give up.

(slap)
(groans)

Give up.
- Give up.

- Give up.
- Give up.

No!

My power is gone.

- I'm not armed.

- Put your hands
behind your head.

- There's something you should
have learned about reality.

- What's that?

- We only know it
through interfaces.

(sharp thud)

(rapid sharp thuds)

(ethereal tones)

(peaceful orchestral music)

(slap)

Hellinger?

Are you alive?

- Seems like it.

What did I miss?

- Maskin is dead and the
artifact has returned

to its rightful owner.

- Where did
Overstreet's body go?

- I don't know, I think
she got sucked back

into the world she came from.

- Guess I'm not gonna
make any money after all.

- Maybe time you had a
course-correction in your career.

- (chuckles) Well, maybe.

- Give it back.

(moody electronic music)

(background chatter)

- Oh, I forgot to ask.
- What is it?

- Are those super-reality
interfaces still

stuck in your brain?
- I don't know.

Even if they were,
the links are dead,

and the artifact is deactivated.

- What if they fix it
and turn it back online?

- Well, I guess we'll
just wait and see.

Hellinger, do
thieves often pretend

to be someone they're not?

- What're you tryin' to tell me?

- I thinking about Overstreet.

- She said she was an
otherworldly debugger.

- But how do we
know that's true?

- Overstreet, a grifter?

- Don't let them hurt me.

- It was all a confidence trick.

- We get Maskin out of the way,

and Overstreet programs the
artifact to transport itself

to some hideaway where
she gets it later.

- Overstreet's dead.

- Maybe not, if she's
really an alien.

- Or a deception.

- Overstreet could still be
alive in the super-reality.

- She could probably create
any number of human bodies

in our world.

(ominous atmospheric music)

- What if she's coming after us?

- Us?

I have nothing to do with this.

- Well, there's
no use in worrying

about a paranoid hypothesis.

(rumbling)
(moody electronic music)

♪ Oh, is it, what do you see

♪ As it twists inside
beneath our feet ♪

♪ What do you see

♪ What do you see

♪ Oh, is it, what do you see

♪ As it twists inside
beneath our feet ♪

♪ What do you see

♪ Oh, is it what
have you done to me ♪

♪ As the dark energy
flows from inside of me ♪

♪ Inside of me

♪ What do you see

♪ What do you see

(dramatic electronic music)

♪ It was a little bit good

♪ It was a little bit good

♪ It was a little bit good

♪ It was a little bit good

♪ I thought I figured out

♪ But I don't know
what's for real ♪

♪ I thought I figured out

♪ That I don't
know, never will ♪

♪ Understand it's
not in my way ♪

♪ I know the dark for real

♪ I thought I figured out

♪ That I don't
know, never will ♪

♪ It was a little bit good

♪ It was a little bit good

♪ It was a little bit good

♪ It was a little bit good

♪ I like

♪ The way

♪ We do it

♪ I like

♪ The way

♪ We do it

♪ I like

♪ The way

♪ We do it

♪ Put us in the cage

♪ Throw away the keys

♪ Then walk, walk away

♪ Rob us

♪ A wobble

♪ And walk, walk away

(somber electronic music)