Equals (2015) - full transcript
A futuristic love story set in a world where emotions have been eradicated.
[classical music playing]
[shower running]
[birds chirping]
[The Collective] All trains
departing for the lower levels.
The Collective runs
on everybody
doing their part.
Report suspicious activity
to Health and Safety.
[The Collective] Health
and Safety is here to help,
just look for the black
and white vests.
[electronic beeping]
After you.
Thank you.
[The Collective]
This train serves
the north east work sectors.
[The Collective] This is
a message from The Collective.
Are you overly tired?
Or experiencing
increased sensitivity?
Maybe you have difficulty
concentrating.
You may have SOS,
Switched On Syndrome.
[computer beeps]
[woman] It is
from a further 43 degrees
along this orbit
that the Holst probe
will begin
its 110-minute descent
into TK14's atmosphere.
[birds chirping]
[indistinct chatter]
[computer chimes]
[The Collective] Bombs dropped
for the span of 28 days
and obliterated 99.6%
of usable arid land
on the Earth's surface.
An event that changed
the course
of humankind forever,
and now known as the Great War.
Of the two tracts of land
that survived the Great War,
the peninsula still stands
44 degrees west
of The Collective.
And is a wild, primitive area,
containing empty,
dilapidated buildings.
[speaker's voice rewinds]
And little is known
about the primitive nature
of the peninsula's inhabitants.
The defects living there
are ruled by emotion
and base desires.
An ancient vestige of our past.
[Leonard] This image shows
Equos 12 leaving Earth's orbit
on last week's
interstellar mission.
Who wrote the text
for this feature?
[Nia] Me, I did.
Does this look accurate, Nia?
Yes.
Except, the rocket's
fission thrusters
are cylindrical,
these appear triangular.
[Leonard] Thank you.
I'll change that.
[computer beeps]
[electronic beeping]
[man] Iris is back
from conception duty.
[Kate] She got back yesterday.
She had a defect.
[Silas] How do you know?
She told me.
Did she have the bug?
[Kate] No. She says she's clean.
Where is everyone watching
the landing tomorrow night?
I'm watching it in Bishop Park.
I'm going to leave work early
to get a good seat.
If I arrive early enough,
I can get a seat
close to the screen.
[electronic chiming]
[owl hoots]
[woman] What's going on?
[indistinct chatter]
[woman] David!
David!
David!
David!
-David!
-[officer] You're in safe hands
now folks.
Please continue on your way.
[man, indistinct]
Being taken to the dead.
[computer beeps]
[classical music playing]
[electronic beeps]
[man]
Total number of puzzles solved:
2224.
[classical music continues]
[electronic beeping]
[The Collective]
The following is an update
on last night's disturbance
in living block 5J.
Health and Safety officials
subdued two individuals
engaged in coupling activities.
And both have been transported
to the defective, emotional,
neuropathy facility, the DEN,
for containment and emotional
suppression treatment.
The incident is an outbreak
of defective behavior.
Remember, couplers
are a danger to themselves
and to all of us.
Physical contact,
touching,
or displays of emotion
are signs of an individual
infected with SOS.
If you see the signs,
report the couplers
to Health and Safety
immediately.
Let's do our part to contain
this dangerous epidemic.
[The Collective] ...although
the peninsula border
has no sophisticated
or technologically
advanced materials.
With no infrastructure,
The Collective erected
a patrolled border
to contain any resurgence
of chaos, little--
[body thuds]
[ambient music playing]
[Leonard] Did anybody see that?
[man] See what?
[indistinct chatter]
[man] That's unfortunate.
-[woman] He's already dead.
-[Leonard] Anyone recognize him?
[man] Not sure. Don't think so.
[woman] That's our
first jumper in a while.
His head was no match
for that concrete.
[Leonard] I just remembered
there was a suicide
in my building last night,
a woman slit her throat.
[woman] I hope
they'll find someone
to cover his work.
[indistinct chatter]
[The Collective]
Even before the demise,
humankind knew the importance
of space exploration.
As The Collective,
we prioritize it
and perfect it.
Now,
798 million miles away,
as we grace the surface
of TK14,
we move one step further
in our understanding
of ultimate reality.
[woman] Okay everybody,
this is it.
[pilot] Three, two, one,
mark.
[propulsion thrusting]
[man] Heat shield deployment.
[indistinct chatter]
[man] At this point in time,
we should be on ground.
[slow music playing]
[dramatic music playing]
[Leonard] Last, but not least,
speculative non-fiction,
the title is
Inside The Peninsula.
Silas, would you talk us through
the lead illustration?
Silas?
Sorry, Leonard.
I went with the scene
on the Peninsula
where the defects
huddle together for warmth.
In my research, I found
that they form social bonds
with each other
to help alleviate
something called "anxiety".
Very good.
Thank you.
[electronic beeps]
[eerie music playing]
[gasps]
[groans]
[deep breathing]
[sighs]
[The Collective]
While scientists
are making great strides
in understanding
this debilitating condition,
a reliable cure for SOS
has yet to be found.
And most SOS sufferers
will experience
complete emotional disability
in as little as
four to six months.
Prior to eventual containment
at the DEN,
kappa rho inhibitors
offer a reliable means
of dampening symptoms,
and slowing the stages
of the disease
thus, allowing sufferers
to maintain.
What stage?
Excuse me?
What stage are you?
Oh, I'm just here
for a checkup,
strictly precautionary.
I'm Jonas.
Silas.
What stage are you?
Two.
You look healthy.
Well, I have my good days
and my bad days.
-[woman] Silas?
-Good luck.
Thank you.
[The Collective] The cure is
right around the corner.
The ground was rushing
towards me, I...
couldn't breathe.
I felt like my stomach was...
was in my mouth.
It was extremely unpleasant.
[doctor]
You had a nightmare, Silas.
I never want to experience
anything like it again.
How long have you had
these symptoms?
Maybe three days?
No longer than that.
I'm going to take
some blood now.
Can you give me your hand
please, Silas?
[machine beeps]
Your test is positive, Silas.
You're only stage one.
A woman in my office
recently gave birth
to a defect, I...
I couldn't have
caught it from her.
Not if she's clean, right?
Even if this woman
did have SOS,
it isn't contagious.
I'd like to start you
on a full course
of inhibitors immediately.
There's no reason why
you shouldn't be able
to live a normal life
at least for a while.
Then the DEN.
You mustn't think
about that for now.
The DEN is a long way
off for you,
a cure is right around
the corner.
[birds chirping]
[electronic beeping]
Where were you,
Silas?
I went to the cafeteria
to drink some tea.
Is that where you got
the bruise?
No.
Last night in tai chi class,
the man next to me
accidentally struck me.
[man] Silas, you weren't
in tai chi class last night.
[Nia] Yes, he was.
I saw him.
[bumblebee buzzing]
What's that?
[Nia] It's a bumblebee.
Careful.
Don't they sting?
According to the laws
of aerodynamics,
they shouldn't even fly.
But they don't know it.
So, they fly anyway.
[ambient music playing]
[The Collective]
Be a part of the solution
by taking your inhibitors.
Your health is the health
of The Collective.
Picking up.
[machine beeps]
[eerie music playing]
[The Collective]
If you're watching this film,
your doctor has diagnosed you
with SOS,
Switched On Syndrome.
As members of The Collective,
we hear a lot about
Switched On Syndrome.
Here is important information
about how this
debilitating disease
will affect you and how
you can manage it responsibly
before eventual containment
at the Defective Emotional
Neuropathy facility,
the DEN.
Switched On Syndrome
is a malfunction
of the gene silencing
that controls human emotions
and eliminates human flaws.
But in Switched On Syndrome,
problem genes
lose their silencing
and re-awaken
leading to unpredictable
sensory experiences
and behavioral defects.
Until a cure is available,
inhibitors are the only
effective means
of slowing
the disease's staging,
while dampening the onset
of emotion.
And while the causes
are unknown,
we do understand
the disease's progression.
During stage one,
Intermittent Feeling,
you will experience
difficulty concentrating,
depression,
pain,
overwhelmed feelings,
impulsivity
and sensitivity to light.
As the disease progresses
into further stages,
consistent low-level emotion
and emotional volatility,
these symptoms will worsen.
In stage four,
acute behavioral chaos,
you will no longer function
as a productive member
of The Collective.
And your doctor
will prescribe containment
at the DEN
where you will be provided
with electro restraint,
emotional suppression,
and a pain-free death scenario.
If you have questions
about your condition,
notify your doctor
or Health and Safety official
for immediate attention.
And remember, a cure
is right around the corner.
[computer beeps]
[water running]
Hello, Silas.
Hello, Nia.
[somber music playing]
[Nia] If values can be reduced
to natural phenomenon
as described by
the physical sciences,
-individuals no longer--
-[Silas] Nia,
I read your article
on the Harlow Nine probe.
I was wondering if you could
look over my impressions.
But you're speculative
non-fiction.
[Silas] I switched with Leonard.
Why?
I felt like a change.
There's a staff meeting
tomorrow afternoon.
Why don't I review
your work then?
I'd really appreciate your input
at this early stage.
If it's not too much trouble.
[computer beeping]
[dramatic music playing]
[distorted] This isn't
what I described.
-Isn't it?
-[Nia] Harlow Nine
is a lander not an orbiter.
[normal voice]
Where's its robotic arm?
[Rachel]
Are those for a feature?
-[Silas] Yes.
-I thought you were
speculative non-fiction.
I switched with Leonard.
One more thing.
The Eleos landing was made
on a flat surface.
The way you've drawn it,
it looks almost mountainous.
Is there anything else
I can help you with, Silas?
Thank you for your feedback.
You're welcome.
[computer beeping]
[birds chirping]
[somber music playing]
[computer beeping]
[Nia] It's this vastness,
inaccessibility,
symmetry,
and the permanence
of the night sky
that made it a natural topic
for philosophers pursuing
the understanding
of ultimate reality.
It's this vastness,
inaccessibility, symmetry...
and permanence of the night sky
that made it a natural topic
for philosophers.
[voice garbles, trails off]
...vastness...
[Leonard] At Atmos,
our past is not a relic
we should leave behind.
But a living creation,
something to be handled,
the work we do at Atmos
is that which links our present.
I'm so sorry.
You dropped these.
Thank you.
It's about time you all knew.
Last week I...
tested positive for SOS.
I'm stage one.
I'm taking inhibitors.
There is no evidence
that the bug is contagious.
However, if it makes you feel
more comfortable,
I'll wear a face mask
from now on.
[Leonard] Silas, I'm very sorry.
[Kate] How long do you have?
It's difficult to say.
Is this why you stopped
doing speculative non-fiction?
I don't know, Rachel.
-Possibly.
-[Nia] I think a face mask
is a little extreme.
Although, I don't think
he should sit with us anymore.
And you should have
your own mug.
Do you all agree?
[indistinct chatter]
[Leonard] We cured cancer.
We cured the common cold.
We can cure SOS.
You're going to live, pal.
[indistinct chatter]
Thank you all.
[computer beeping]
[ambient music playing]
[dramatic music playing]
[Nia] This has to stop.
If it continues,
I'll be forced to report you.
Do you understand?
You have the bug, don't you?
I'm clean.
The day that man
jumped off the building,
you saw his body out the window,
and you...
you looked...
affected.
There have been
other times, too.
I've been watching you.
The way you look at the world,
the way you experience things.
I'm clean.
It's different.
What you are going through
must be very difficult.
If you were clean,
this conversation
wouldn't even be taking place.
You'd have reported me already.
Am I right?
Good night, Silas.
[crickets chirping]
-Morning, Silas.
-Morning, Nia.
[computer beeps]
[Leonard] And finally,
the Harlow landing.
[Silas] Nia, do you have
any more notes for me?
No. Your changes work well.
Thank you.
Onto the next article then.
Zoe?
[Zoe] These are my impressions
of the hot flow anomaly
on the planet BL4.
The visible bioshock...
[birds chirping]
[ambient music playing]
Good night, Nia.
Good night, Rachel.
Your bruise went away.
You noticed that?
[Nia] I've had the bug
a year and three months.
I didn't want
to go to the doctor.
I just sort of knew.
You know, there is
really nothing any--
anyone could do to help
and I'm scared of the meds
and the DEN.
Doesn't seem fair at first,
right?
You know, I could live...
I could live with it.
But every day was different
and that was the hardest part.
Every single time
I thought I knew something
or learned anything I...
didn't.
And I felt this guilt
every time I wanted
to go back to normal.
Like I shouldn't want that.
Every day I am practicing
unbearable discipline
and self-control.
You realize what would happen
if anyone saw us,
in here, right now?
We'd go straight to the DEN.
It's a death sentence.
One of my neighbors missed
two doctor's appointments.
I haven't seen him
in six weeks.
[whispers] We can't
do this again.
It can't happen,
you know that.
[melancholy music playing]
[Nia] We just...
we just have to
hold out for the cure.
Will you stay in here with me
a little longer?
[melancholy music playing]
[Nia gasps]
-Are you okay?
-Yeah.
I need to go.
[door opens]
[birds chirping]
[Rachel] Nia, are you staying
late again tonight?
-I'm not sure.
-[Kate] I wish I had
your kind of work ethic.
I received a message from Zoe.
On her way to work
this morning she received
a conception duty summons.
Could one of the illustrators
present for her
in the staff meeting?
[man] I'll do it.
I'll be glad to.
[Nia] ...philosophical
discussions
primarily address
two distinct concepts
about human beings.
[Kate] Good night, Nia.
[Nia] Good night, Kate.
They may simply be labeled
as dualist.
Two subject concepts
and materialist
one subject concepts.
The way you've been
looking at me...
I can't help it.
...I can feel it.
What does it feel like?
It feels--it feels wrong.
No, no.
No. It's not wrong.
It's completely right.
This feels...
completely right.
[both breathing heavily]
I'm scared.
I'm so scared.
Me too. Me too.
[melancholy music playing]
[toilet flushes]
[stall door opens]
[water running]
Hello, Leonard.
Silas.
I didn't expect
to see you here this late.
Have you thought about
killing yourself?
No, that's not until
stage three.
[Leonard]
Why is Nia's interface on?
Have you been snooping
again, Silas?
[Silas] Excuse me?
[Leonard] A month ago,
Health and Safety
saw you on Nia's interface
after hours.
I was told to keep
an eye on you.
Is there something
you want to tell me?
As the manager here at Atmos,
one of my duties
is to maintain the safety
and welfare of the team.
Therefore, if I believe
that someone on the team
is in danger,
or involved in an activity
that is unsafe,
I'd report him, or her,
to Health and Safety,
unless, of course,
the activity were to stop.
Does that make sense to you?
[tense music playing]
Yes.
Good.
Shall we get out of here, Silas?
[Nia] Good night.
[Kate] Good night, Nia.
[dramatic music playing]
He knows.
What are we going to do?
We have to stay away
from each other.
I can't...
stay away from you.
I can't...
not be around you.
Not in that office.
Not when I see you every day.
It's impossible.
I thought about it,
the best thing
is for me to leave Atmos.
Get a job somewhere else.
It's like you said,
we have to hold out
for the cure,
that's all we should be
thinking about.
Nia...
[melancholy music playing]
[panting]
[crying]
[melancholy music continues]
[loud sobs]
[The Collective]
Have you received
a conception duty summons?
Let's work together
to populate The Collective.
Insemination is quick
and solitary,
and during gestation,
you'll be supporting an infant
for The Collective.
If you received a summons,
please report...
[woman] Are you sure
this is what you want?
I'm sure.
[woman] Positions at Atmos
are highly coveted.
-Once we place you
at a different job--
-I understand.
Because of my diagnosis,
I think a work environment
where I interact less
with others would be better,
for everyone's benefit.
That's a very
responsible attitude.
[indistinct chattering]
Oh, Nia, meet Dominic,
our new illustrator.
Dominic, this is Nia,
she works in text.
You'll be interpreting
her words.
It's very nice
to meet you, Nia.
[Nia] Welcome to Atmos.
Follow me.
[birds chirping]
[Dominic]
I also design rockets.
I could have been an engineer,
but I lacked patience.
I think working at Atmos
is a vitally important job.
Science is a process
and often leads to dead-ends,
but here,
we're delivering the answers,
we're educating people.
Knowledge is sacred,
and Atmos is the new scripture.
If you think about it,
we're kind of like preachers.
[man] Where did you study?
[Dominic] I'm self-taught.
I've always drawn pictures
ever since I was a child.
One of my guardians, Barnabas,
nicknamed me little Da Vinci.
[Kate] Did you hear?
Zoe was inseminated.
[man] It means she's clean.
She didn't catch the bug
from Silas.
That means
we're probably clean, too.
[Dominic]
I'm definitely clean.
I donated blood last week.
[melancholy music playing]
[Jonas] Silas.
Hey, uh, Jonas?
You okay?
Okay.
Do you want to take a walk?
[Silas] I miss her.
I don't know. It felt...
so good to be around her that...
we were nearly
tripping up and...
I couldn't see...
couldn't see anything bad
happen to her.
[Jonas] You two are in love
with each other.
That's very clear,
you were right
to end it though.
I think dealing
with this disease
on your own is hard enough.
Coupling would just
make it unbearable.
You know...
about a year ago.
I also made a connection
with a woman.
Though, it didn't end well.
I'm so sorry.
Your friend
what stage is she?
Uh, she's self-diagnosed,
she's fighting the bug
without drugs.
[Jonas] She's a "hider."
[breathes deeply]
Not many people can do that
successfully.
I think hiders are...
I think they are wired
differently.
You know we have one
in our group, Bess.
She's a--she's a doctor
at the DEN,
of all places.
Listen...
I'm part of a group,
a support group,
with Bess and others
from my work.
To talk openly
about how we feel.
If you're interested
I'd vouch for you.
It might help.
I'd be willing to try.
Great.
Nia, it's me again.
Until you give me
some text to work
with I'm idle,
and that doesn't seem like
a very good use of my time.
I'm almost finished, Dominic.
All the other illustrators
received their pieces
hours ago--
I'm almost finished, Dominic.
But I appreciate
your patience.
Of course.
[indistinct chatter]
Silas, you made it.
Oh, this is great.
I'm glad you're here.
Everybody, this is Silas,
who I was telling you about.
Silas, this is Bess,
and Peter and Thomas,
Gil, Max, and Alice.
Come take a seat.
[Max] ...and then after lunch
he kept staring at me,
like he could tell
I wasn't taking my meds.
And I wanted to say
something to him.
But then I thought well,
what if I'm just imagining it?
So I turned and walked away.
And all I can think
is that he knows.
He's going to report me
and I'm going to get caught.
And I can't stop
thinking that...
-all the time.
-[Gilead] It's natural.
It's happened
to every one of us.
[Max]
Yes, but all I could think
is that I am going to the DEN.
I'm going to the DEN.
It's over.
And they're...
What happens in the DEN?
Half the people
who are brought in
commit suicide.
The staff encourages it
and stand by while it happens.
[Max] And that's the preferable
option anyway,
compared to electro restraints
and all the other methods
of treatment.
But there is value in living.
Being a hider
reminds you of that.
I still don't know
how you do it.
Working for Health and Safety
is hard enough.
Yes, it's difficult
to see things
and not be moved.
But that's what being a hider
is all about.
So you do small things
to help.
Just looking someone in the eyes
can make them feel
they are not alone.
Give them hope.
But under no circumstances
do you interfere.
You have to tell yourself,
do not risk your job,
do not risk your life.
And then why stay
in a position
where you feel so much risk?
You could ask to be reassigned.
I'd rather be with people
who feel.
Who feel intensely,
it reminds me of who I am
and why I choose
to keep on living.
Everybody says
it's not contagious.
But after all these years
as awful as it is,
every day I feel a stronger...
affinity with other people.
[Gilead] See I don't believe
all the research.
Feelings engender feelings.
SOS isn't even a disease,
that's what they say.
Switched Off is something
they do to us
between conception and birth.
SOS is who we really are
and the inhibitors are just
another attempt
to squash that.
[Max] I don't know.
This is so hard.
It's lonely.
At least with the inhibitors
I can get by but now,
I would rather feel nothing.
Nothing is better than this.
[melancholic music playing]
Nia.
[melancholic music playing]
[Nia grunts]
[Silas] It's okay. It's okay.
-[Nia crying]
-Shh.
[panting]
[melancholy music playing]
[Nia crying]
[Nia sobs loudly]
[Silas] I could never have
imagined what love felt like,
it's strange...
like a tornado
going around and...
[Nia] Yeah.
That's why I was so scared
of it at first.
It's about giving, like,
I want you to take everything.
I don't even know what it is
I just want you
to take it from me.
I just want to...
I want to run.
[scoffs]
I want to run away,
both of us just as fast
as we can,
outside, and just take off.
It's so weird, I'm like...
I keep on thinking about...
ever since we were kids
it's drilled into us
that our purpose
is to explore the universe,
you know, outer space
is where we'll find...
the answers to why
we're here and...
where we come from.
It's like everyone's...
searching for these answers
800 million miles away
and the truth is,
the answers
are right in front of us.
I know why I'm here.
Me too.
What are we going to do now?
We just spend as much time here
together as we can.
Go to work, act normal,
but then...
at night...
we're together.
Okay.
[melancholy music playing]
[Nia] What did you look like
when you were little?
Have you always
had these freckles?
I don't know.
I think so.
-Did you grow early?
-[Nia] Did I grow early?
[Silas] Hmm.
[Nia] Yeah, I was tall
until I wasn't.
[Silas] Uh-hmm.
I was a little round kid.
[Nia] What was
your favorite subject?
[Silas] I liked history.
How about you?
[Nia] I always really loved
to write.
[Silas] What did you write
when you were a kid?
[Nia] I always really liked
to write poetry.
[Silas] I liked
those school trips as well.
When we got to go...
to the Great War museum,
to see how the bombs dropped
and wiped out
all of the cities and stuff.
I see a future outside
of this room.
Some place out there
in the vastness
of everything we know,
in all those
millions of miles.
[Nia] Dominic, FYI,
the article is finished.
You gave it to me already.
I'm working on it right now.
No, the one after this.
On the extraction of superfluids
from neutron stars.
No pressure.
[Silas] I wish I could explain
this to everyone else.
I'm sick of being...
scared of getting caught.
I want people to know and...
not think we're sick.
[The Collective]
Have conducted years of trials
of defective individuals.
The significant
breakthrough came
with the isolation of
the bulbar and the cell line,
allowing an effective
genetic re-silencing,
without triggering
the systematic organ
malfunction
that had marked
earlier attempts.
To be clear, this is not
another kappa rho inhibitor.
It's a cure
that restores the health
and systematic order
to the individual.
With the Ashby ENI cure,
it is only a matter of time
before all current SOS
cases are treated,
and future cases prevented.
The ENI cure is injected
directly into the neck,
leaving a small coin-like scar,
a quick and simple procedure.
Once administered,
the drug requires
a six-hour absorption period,
before the disease
is completely neutralized.
After which point,
regardless of stage,
the patient is restored
to normal health.
Mass production of the drug
is already underway.
And shipments
are being made available
to public clinics immediately.
Individuals diagnosed with SOS
need not suffer another day.
Contact your doctor
immediately to receive
the Ashby ENI cure
and rejoin the ranks
of equals...
[Nia] We're gonna remember
this feeling.
We're gonna live
every day remembering
and we're not gonna feel it.
We're not gonna exist anymore.
No. I don't like...
It's not over yet.
We're not doing that.
So, you don't want the cure?
No.
Do you?
No.
[indistinct chattering]
Take this drug and...
This is Nia.
We want to go to the peninsula.
[Jonas] At my old post, I, uh,
I took part in an air patrol.
We wouldn't fly directly over
the peninsula, but...
I could see it
from a distance.
It's totally overgrown.
If anyone actually lives there
it's in a completely
primitive state.
How do we get there?
[Bess] You're seriously
considering this?
We've already decided.
[Bess] You know you'd be on
your own out there.
There will be no one
to look after you.
Whatever we go through,
it will be together.
I know how you're feeling,
but you're not thinking
of all the risks.
If we stay here
we'll be found out.
We'll get the cure.
You know, it's many years ago,
I was not much older
than you are now
when I got the bug,
no one even knew
what SOS was back then.
People were getting it
and most of them
would commit suicide.
There was a young man
in my living block,
I could tell he was a hider,
just like me,
but no one dared
mention it back then.
One night,
he knocked on my door
and told me
that he and two others
were going to the peninsula
and he wanted me to go with him.
Of course,
there was no way I was going.
I knew they were headed
for their deaths.
Bess.
A few months after he left
were the loneliest
I've ever felt.
We'd only spoken that one time.
More than all
the suicides I've seen,
it was his death
that was the most
unnecessarily wasteful,
such a waste.
That was a new feeling for me.
But you don't know that he died.
What if he didn't?
I can talk to my old colleague.
He was the pilot who took us
on the air patrol.
[Max] If they got caught
the whole plan
could be traced back to you
or to the group.
You said interfering
was too risky.
[Jonas] If you make
this decision, you know
there is no turning back.
If you do manage to get out,
you can never return.
Of course.
When you get to the border
ask for Oliver,
he'll fly you.
What if he gets caught?
He won't.
Good luck.
Thank you.
Welling is the closest
station to the border.
The trains don't go there
until the weekend.
I checked the schedule.
We could leave on Saturday.
Three days.
-You're shaking.
-So are you.
Are you sure?
Yes.
Are you?
Yeah.
[The Collective]
The administration...
I got a conception summons.
Look, we are leaving
in two days, by the time
they come looking for you,
we'll be gone.
Ignore it.
My tag's blocked, I'm not going
to be able to get on the train.
I won't make it through
any of the check points.
Well, look,
it's just a summons, right?
It's not like they're going
to inseminate you.
They'll check my blood.
They'll see I have
the disease instantly.
Yeah, but they can't force you
to get the cure.
I've been diagnosed and no one's
forcing me to get it, are they?
Besides, their clinics
are overwhelmed right now.
All--what's going
to happen is,
they'll tell you you've tested
positive for SOS
and that you should see your
doctor immediately. That's it.
Then get out of there.
[sighs]
Nothing's changed.
We're leaving Saturday,
10 o'clock train.
You've already missed
the whole morning of work.
You should get over there right
away. I'll come after my shift.
Meet me behind the clinic.
Okay.
I received a summons.
[door opens]
-[doctor] Hello, Nia.
-Hello, doctor.
Lie back for me, please.
I'm going to take a sample
of your blood, okay?
Okay.
I have the bug, don't I?
Nia, you're pregnant.
[The Collective]
Medical and scientific
communities are increasing
mass distribution
of the newly inflicted...
[birds chirping]
[The Collective continues,
indistinct]
[dramatic music playing]
-What is it?
-She's pregnant.
She got called
for a conception duty
and they found out,
they're taking her to the DEN.
-They're taking her
to the DEN.
-Silas, calm down.
-You need to calm down.
-I'm calm, I'm calm, it's fine.
When did they take her?
I don't know about
an hour ago or something.
All right well listen,
I will contact Bess--
No, no. No. Not Bess.
She won't help us.
-Ask someone else.
-There is no one else.
-Bess is our only hope.
-No.
Listen, you can't be seen
around here like this.
I'm fine, I'm fine,
but let me come with you.
Go home
and I will contact you,
wait there.
Don't attempt to see Nia.
Silas, go home.
-Trust me.
-What are they gonna do to her?
Just calm down.
You need to stay calm,
or they'll give you the cure.
Give me a couple hours.
Go home and wait there.
Shh! Shh! Shh! Shh.
Jonas?
Get dressed as fast as you can.
And listen to me carefully,
last week, a woman
was brought in called Eva.
She was stage three.
Last night she knotted
a garbage bag over her head,
suffocated, she's dead.
Now, you are going to switch
places with her.
Eva didn't kill herself
last night, you did.
You are Eva, she was you.
You're gonna walk out of here.
-She's...?
-[Bess] Hold out your arm.
Your left arm, please.
Okay.
All right. Shh. Shh.
Shh. Shh. Shh.
You are Eva.
-Got it?
-[Jonas] Ready?
I told Silas to wait
at his apartment.
You'll find him there.
[The Collective] Twenty-two,
twenty-one,
twenty...
eighteen...
[suspenseful music playing]
[panting]
[music continues]
[The Collective] Fifteen,
fourteen,
thirteen...
[dramatic music playing]
[sighs]
[The Collective]
The following message
is an update on the security
breach at the DEN.
The Collective wishes
to congratulate
Health and Safety official
ID 22564943,
who alerted authorities
to three individuals
operating against protocol
at the DEN.
Two of the three were
Health and Safety officials,
and the third was a physician
at the DEN.
All are currently safe
and receiving
the Ashby ENI cure
so that they may return to work
as productive equals
in The Collective.
The ENI cure
will now be required
for all those diagnosed with,
or suffering from SOS.
And mandatory SOS Testing
will begin immediately,
for all Health and Safety
officials
as well as
medical professionals.
[Silas] Her name is Nia.
Her ID tag is 34729647.
She writes text for Atmos.
You said her name was Nia?
Yes.
Was she brought here
yesterday evening?
Lives at 6L415?
Uh-hmm. That's right.
[man] She died last night.
According to the doctor's notes,
the cause of death
was asphyxiation.
Could you check that again?
Yes, that's her.
[dramatic music playing]
[man, voice distant] Sir?
Are you okay?
Do you need some help?
[dramatic music playing]
[Silas crying]
[dramatic music playing]
[sobbing]
[sniffs]
[dramatic music playing]
[gasps]
[dramatic music playing]
[panting]
[dramatic music continues]
[music continues]
[door opens]
[Nia pants]
Where have you been?
Hey.
[Nia breathing heavily]
You okay?
[Nia gasps]
Why?
I thought--I thought
you were gone.
[stammers] How long do you have?
Maybe five hours.
[exhales deeply]
Silas.
Hey.
[whispers] Fight it.
It doesn't matter,
it doesn't matter.
Fight it. Okay?
I'm still pregnant.
We're going to get on
the train tomorrow.
Okay?
I know.
I love you.
I love you, I love you,
I love you,
I love you, I love you.
You have to fight it.
Just fight it okay?
[Silas]
I can already tell it's in me.
Just remember, okay?
How?
Remember this feeling.
Just remember
what this feels like.
[Silas] Yeah, yeah.
Pro-- promise me,
no matter what happens
you keep loving me
no matter what I say,
what I feel or don't feel,
I'm still--I'm still
in here trying, okay?
I'm still in here.
Just don't give up on me.
Please, don't give up on me.
I promise, I promise.
I promise that I won't...
[dramatic music playing]
Silas?
Good morning.
Do you still love me?
I remember I loved you.
But...
I don't feel it anymore.
[Nia] Do you still want to go?
We made a plan.
Okay.
[dramatic music playing]
[The Collective]
This is a non-local transport
serving outlying regions
with three stops.
The final destination port
will be Welling
at the outer peninsula.
[The Collective continues,
indistinct]
[dramatic music playing]
[dramatic music continues]
[dramatic music fades]
[upbeat music playing]
♪ Ooh ♪
♪ Immerse your fear ♪
♪ Soak up ♪
♪ Our dream ♪
♪ Never end ♪
♪ Ooh ♪
♪ Open your arms ♪
♪ Let it die ♪
♪ Every night ♪
♪ Sing me a song ♪
♪ Till I wake up again ♪
♪ Speaking in tongues ♪
♪ In which we meet again ♪
♪ Ooh ♪
♪ Open your mouth ♪
♪ Speak waves of calm ♪
♪ Takings ♪
♪ Ooh ♪
♪ Another tired word ♪
♪ To get out ♪
♪ Of this place ♪
♪ Sing me a song ♪
♪ Till I wake up again ♪
♪ Sing me a song ♪
♪ Till I wake up again ♪
♪ Sing me a song ♪
♪ Till I wake up again ♪
♪ Speaking in tongues ♪
♪ In which we meet again ♪
[shower running]
[birds chirping]
[The Collective] All trains
departing for the lower levels.
The Collective runs
on everybody
doing their part.
Report suspicious activity
to Health and Safety.
[The Collective] Health
and Safety is here to help,
just look for the black
and white vests.
[electronic beeping]
After you.
Thank you.
[The Collective]
This train serves
the north east work sectors.
[The Collective] This is
a message from The Collective.
Are you overly tired?
Or experiencing
increased sensitivity?
Maybe you have difficulty
concentrating.
You may have SOS,
Switched On Syndrome.
[computer beeps]
[woman] It is
from a further 43 degrees
along this orbit
that the Holst probe
will begin
its 110-minute descent
into TK14's atmosphere.
[birds chirping]
[indistinct chatter]
[computer chimes]
[The Collective] Bombs dropped
for the span of 28 days
and obliterated 99.6%
of usable arid land
on the Earth's surface.
An event that changed
the course
of humankind forever,
and now known as the Great War.
Of the two tracts of land
that survived the Great War,
the peninsula still stands
44 degrees west
of The Collective.
And is a wild, primitive area,
containing empty,
dilapidated buildings.
[speaker's voice rewinds]
And little is known
about the primitive nature
of the peninsula's inhabitants.
The defects living there
are ruled by emotion
and base desires.
An ancient vestige of our past.
[Leonard] This image shows
Equos 12 leaving Earth's orbit
on last week's
interstellar mission.
Who wrote the text
for this feature?
[Nia] Me, I did.
Does this look accurate, Nia?
Yes.
Except, the rocket's
fission thrusters
are cylindrical,
these appear triangular.
[Leonard] Thank you.
I'll change that.
[computer beeps]
[electronic beeping]
[man] Iris is back
from conception duty.
[Kate] She got back yesterday.
She had a defect.
[Silas] How do you know?
She told me.
Did she have the bug?
[Kate] No. She says she's clean.
Where is everyone watching
the landing tomorrow night?
I'm watching it in Bishop Park.
I'm going to leave work early
to get a good seat.
If I arrive early enough,
I can get a seat
close to the screen.
[electronic chiming]
[owl hoots]
[woman] What's going on?
[indistinct chatter]
[woman] David!
David!
David!
David!
-David!
-[officer] You're in safe hands
now folks.
Please continue on your way.
[man, indistinct]
Being taken to the dead.
[computer beeps]
[classical music playing]
[electronic beeps]
[man]
Total number of puzzles solved:
2224.
[classical music continues]
[electronic beeping]
[The Collective]
The following is an update
on last night's disturbance
in living block 5J.
Health and Safety officials
subdued two individuals
engaged in coupling activities.
And both have been transported
to the defective, emotional,
neuropathy facility, the DEN,
for containment and emotional
suppression treatment.
The incident is an outbreak
of defective behavior.
Remember, couplers
are a danger to themselves
and to all of us.
Physical contact,
touching,
or displays of emotion
are signs of an individual
infected with SOS.
If you see the signs,
report the couplers
to Health and Safety
immediately.
Let's do our part to contain
this dangerous epidemic.
[The Collective] ...although
the peninsula border
has no sophisticated
or technologically
advanced materials.
With no infrastructure,
The Collective erected
a patrolled border
to contain any resurgence
of chaos, little--
[body thuds]
[ambient music playing]
[Leonard] Did anybody see that?
[man] See what?
[indistinct chatter]
[man] That's unfortunate.
-[woman] He's already dead.
-[Leonard] Anyone recognize him?
[man] Not sure. Don't think so.
[woman] That's our
first jumper in a while.
His head was no match
for that concrete.
[Leonard] I just remembered
there was a suicide
in my building last night,
a woman slit her throat.
[woman] I hope
they'll find someone
to cover his work.
[indistinct chatter]
[The Collective]
Even before the demise,
humankind knew the importance
of space exploration.
As The Collective,
we prioritize it
and perfect it.
Now,
798 million miles away,
as we grace the surface
of TK14,
we move one step further
in our understanding
of ultimate reality.
[woman] Okay everybody,
this is it.
[pilot] Three, two, one,
mark.
[propulsion thrusting]
[man] Heat shield deployment.
[indistinct chatter]
[man] At this point in time,
we should be on ground.
[slow music playing]
[dramatic music playing]
[Leonard] Last, but not least,
speculative non-fiction,
the title is
Inside The Peninsula.
Silas, would you talk us through
the lead illustration?
Silas?
Sorry, Leonard.
I went with the scene
on the Peninsula
where the defects
huddle together for warmth.
In my research, I found
that they form social bonds
with each other
to help alleviate
something called "anxiety".
Very good.
Thank you.
[electronic beeps]
[eerie music playing]
[gasps]
[groans]
[deep breathing]
[sighs]
[The Collective]
While scientists
are making great strides
in understanding
this debilitating condition,
a reliable cure for SOS
has yet to be found.
And most SOS sufferers
will experience
complete emotional disability
in as little as
four to six months.
Prior to eventual containment
at the DEN,
kappa rho inhibitors
offer a reliable means
of dampening symptoms,
and slowing the stages
of the disease
thus, allowing sufferers
to maintain.
What stage?
Excuse me?
What stage are you?
Oh, I'm just here
for a checkup,
strictly precautionary.
I'm Jonas.
Silas.
What stage are you?
Two.
You look healthy.
Well, I have my good days
and my bad days.
-[woman] Silas?
-Good luck.
Thank you.
[The Collective] The cure is
right around the corner.
The ground was rushing
towards me, I...
couldn't breathe.
I felt like my stomach was...
was in my mouth.
It was extremely unpleasant.
[doctor]
You had a nightmare, Silas.
I never want to experience
anything like it again.
How long have you had
these symptoms?
Maybe three days?
No longer than that.
I'm going to take
some blood now.
Can you give me your hand
please, Silas?
[machine beeps]
Your test is positive, Silas.
You're only stage one.
A woman in my office
recently gave birth
to a defect, I...
I couldn't have
caught it from her.
Not if she's clean, right?
Even if this woman
did have SOS,
it isn't contagious.
I'd like to start you
on a full course
of inhibitors immediately.
There's no reason why
you shouldn't be able
to live a normal life
at least for a while.
Then the DEN.
You mustn't think
about that for now.
The DEN is a long way
off for you,
a cure is right around
the corner.
[birds chirping]
[electronic beeping]
Where were you,
Silas?
I went to the cafeteria
to drink some tea.
Is that where you got
the bruise?
No.
Last night in tai chi class,
the man next to me
accidentally struck me.
[man] Silas, you weren't
in tai chi class last night.
[Nia] Yes, he was.
I saw him.
[bumblebee buzzing]
What's that?
[Nia] It's a bumblebee.
Careful.
Don't they sting?
According to the laws
of aerodynamics,
they shouldn't even fly.
But they don't know it.
So, they fly anyway.
[ambient music playing]
[The Collective]
Be a part of the solution
by taking your inhibitors.
Your health is the health
of The Collective.
Picking up.
[machine beeps]
[eerie music playing]
[The Collective]
If you're watching this film,
your doctor has diagnosed you
with SOS,
Switched On Syndrome.
As members of The Collective,
we hear a lot about
Switched On Syndrome.
Here is important information
about how this
debilitating disease
will affect you and how
you can manage it responsibly
before eventual containment
at the Defective Emotional
Neuropathy facility,
the DEN.
Switched On Syndrome
is a malfunction
of the gene silencing
that controls human emotions
and eliminates human flaws.
But in Switched On Syndrome,
problem genes
lose their silencing
and re-awaken
leading to unpredictable
sensory experiences
and behavioral defects.
Until a cure is available,
inhibitors are the only
effective means
of slowing
the disease's staging,
while dampening the onset
of emotion.
And while the causes
are unknown,
we do understand
the disease's progression.
During stage one,
Intermittent Feeling,
you will experience
difficulty concentrating,
depression,
pain,
overwhelmed feelings,
impulsivity
and sensitivity to light.
As the disease progresses
into further stages,
consistent low-level emotion
and emotional volatility,
these symptoms will worsen.
In stage four,
acute behavioral chaos,
you will no longer function
as a productive member
of The Collective.
And your doctor
will prescribe containment
at the DEN
where you will be provided
with electro restraint,
emotional suppression,
and a pain-free death scenario.
If you have questions
about your condition,
notify your doctor
or Health and Safety official
for immediate attention.
And remember, a cure
is right around the corner.
[computer beeps]
[water running]
Hello, Silas.
Hello, Nia.
[somber music playing]
[Nia] If values can be reduced
to natural phenomenon
as described by
the physical sciences,
-individuals no longer--
-[Silas] Nia,
I read your article
on the Harlow Nine probe.
I was wondering if you could
look over my impressions.
But you're speculative
non-fiction.
[Silas] I switched with Leonard.
Why?
I felt like a change.
There's a staff meeting
tomorrow afternoon.
Why don't I review
your work then?
I'd really appreciate your input
at this early stage.
If it's not too much trouble.
[computer beeping]
[dramatic music playing]
[distorted] This isn't
what I described.
-Isn't it?
-[Nia] Harlow Nine
is a lander not an orbiter.
[normal voice]
Where's its robotic arm?
[Rachel]
Are those for a feature?
-[Silas] Yes.
-I thought you were
speculative non-fiction.
I switched with Leonard.
One more thing.
The Eleos landing was made
on a flat surface.
The way you've drawn it,
it looks almost mountainous.
Is there anything else
I can help you with, Silas?
Thank you for your feedback.
You're welcome.
[computer beeping]
[birds chirping]
[somber music playing]
[computer beeping]
[Nia] It's this vastness,
inaccessibility,
symmetry,
and the permanence
of the night sky
that made it a natural topic
for philosophers pursuing
the understanding
of ultimate reality.
It's this vastness,
inaccessibility, symmetry...
and permanence of the night sky
that made it a natural topic
for philosophers.
[voice garbles, trails off]
...vastness...
[Leonard] At Atmos,
our past is not a relic
we should leave behind.
But a living creation,
something to be handled,
the work we do at Atmos
is that which links our present.
I'm so sorry.
You dropped these.
Thank you.
It's about time you all knew.
Last week I...
tested positive for SOS.
I'm stage one.
I'm taking inhibitors.
There is no evidence
that the bug is contagious.
However, if it makes you feel
more comfortable,
I'll wear a face mask
from now on.
[Leonard] Silas, I'm very sorry.
[Kate] How long do you have?
It's difficult to say.
Is this why you stopped
doing speculative non-fiction?
I don't know, Rachel.
-Possibly.
-[Nia] I think a face mask
is a little extreme.
Although, I don't think
he should sit with us anymore.
And you should have
your own mug.
Do you all agree?
[indistinct chatter]
[Leonard] We cured cancer.
We cured the common cold.
We can cure SOS.
You're going to live, pal.
[indistinct chatter]
Thank you all.
[computer beeping]
[ambient music playing]
[dramatic music playing]
[Nia] This has to stop.
If it continues,
I'll be forced to report you.
Do you understand?
You have the bug, don't you?
I'm clean.
The day that man
jumped off the building,
you saw his body out the window,
and you...
you looked...
affected.
There have been
other times, too.
I've been watching you.
The way you look at the world,
the way you experience things.
I'm clean.
It's different.
What you are going through
must be very difficult.
If you were clean,
this conversation
wouldn't even be taking place.
You'd have reported me already.
Am I right?
Good night, Silas.
[crickets chirping]
-Morning, Silas.
-Morning, Nia.
[computer beeps]
[Leonard] And finally,
the Harlow landing.
[Silas] Nia, do you have
any more notes for me?
No. Your changes work well.
Thank you.
Onto the next article then.
Zoe?
[Zoe] These are my impressions
of the hot flow anomaly
on the planet BL4.
The visible bioshock...
[birds chirping]
[ambient music playing]
Good night, Nia.
Good night, Rachel.
Your bruise went away.
You noticed that?
[Nia] I've had the bug
a year and three months.
I didn't want
to go to the doctor.
I just sort of knew.
You know, there is
really nothing any--
anyone could do to help
and I'm scared of the meds
and the DEN.
Doesn't seem fair at first,
right?
You know, I could live...
I could live with it.
But every day was different
and that was the hardest part.
Every single time
I thought I knew something
or learned anything I...
didn't.
And I felt this guilt
every time I wanted
to go back to normal.
Like I shouldn't want that.
Every day I am practicing
unbearable discipline
and self-control.
You realize what would happen
if anyone saw us,
in here, right now?
We'd go straight to the DEN.
It's a death sentence.
One of my neighbors missed
two doctor's appointments.
I haven't seen him
in six weeks.
[whispers] We can't
do this again.
It can't happen,
you know that.
[melancholy music playing]
[Nia] We just...
we just have to
hold out for the cure.
Will you stay in here with me
a little longer?
[melancholy music playing]
[Nia gasps]
-Are you okay?
-Yeah.
I need to go.
[door opens]
[birds chirping]
[Rachel] Nia, are you staying
late again tonight?
-I'm not sure.
-[Kate] I wish I had
your kind of work ethic.
I received a message from Zoe.
On her way to work
this morning she received
a conception duty summons.
Could one of the illustrators
present for her
in the staff meeting?
[man] I'll do it.
I'll be glad to.
[Nia] ...philosophical
discussions
primarily address
two distinct concepts
about human beings.
[Kate] Good night, Nia.
[Nia] Good night, Kate.
They may simply be labeled
as dualist.
Two subject concepts
and materialist
one subject concepts.
The way you've been
looking at me...
I can't help it.
...I can feel it.
What does it feel like?
It feels--it feels wrong.
No, no.
No. It's not wrong.
It's completely right.
This feels...
completely right.
[both breathing heavily]
I'm scared.
I'm so scared.
Me too. Me too.
[melancholy music playing]
[toilet flushes]
[stall door opens]
[water running]
Hello, Leonard.
Silas.
I didn't expect
to see you here this late.
Have you thought about
killing yourself?
No, that's not until
stage three.
[Leonard]
Why is Nia's interface on?
Have you been snooping
again, Silas?
[Silas] Excuse me?
[Leonard] A month ago,
Health and Safety
saw you on Nia's interface
after hours.
I was told to keep
an eye on you.
Is there something
you want to tell me?
As the manager here at Atmos,
one of my duties
is to maintain the safety
and welfare of the team.
Therefore, if I believe
that someone on the team
is in danger,
or involved in an activity
that is unsafe,
I'd report him, or her,
to Health and Safety,
unless, of course,
the activity were to stop.
Does that make sense to you?
[tense music playing]
Yes.
Good.
Shall we get out of here, Silas?
[Nia] Good night.
[Kate] Good night, Nia.
[dramatic music playing]
He knows.
What are we going to do?
We have to stay away
from each other.
I can't...
stay away from you.
I can't...
not be around you.
Not in that office.
Not when I see you every day.
It's impossible.
I thought about it,
the best thing
is for me to leave Atmos.
Get a job somewhere else.
It's like you said,
we have to hold out
for the cure,
that's all we should be
thinking about.
Nia...
[melancholy music playing]
[panting]
[crying]
[melancholy music continues]
[loud sobs]
[The Collective]
Have you received
a conception duty summons?
Let's work together
to populate The Collective.
Insemination is quick
and solitary,
and during gestation,
you'll be supporting an infant
for The Collective.
If you received a summons,
please report...
[woman] Are you sure
this is what you want?
I'm sure.
[woman] Positions at Atmos
are highly coveted.
-Once we place you
at a different job--
-I understand.
Because of my diagnosis,
I think a work environment
where I interact less
with others would be better,
for everyone's benefit.
That's a very
responsible attitude.
[indistinct chattering]
Oh, Nia, meet Dominic,
our new illustrator.
Dominic, this is Nia,
she works in text.
You'll be interpreting
her words.
It's very nice
to meet you, Nia.
[Nia] Welcome to Atmos.
Follow me.
[birds chirping]
[Dominic]
I also design rockets.
I could have been an engineer,
but I lacked patience.
I think working at Atmos
is a vitally important job.
Science is a process
and often leads to dead-ends,
but here,
we're delivering the answers,
we're educating people.
Knowledge is sacred,
and Atmos is the new scripture.
If you think about it,
we're kind of like preachers.
[man] Where did you study?
[Dominic] I'm self-taught.
I've always drawn pictures
ever since I was a child.
One of my guardians, Barnabas,
nicknamed me little Da Vinci.
[Kate] Did you hear?
Zoe was inseminated.
[man] It means she's clean.
She didn't catch the bug
from Silas.
That means
we're probably clean, too.
[Dominic]
I'm definitely clean.
I donated blood last week.
[melancholy music playing]
[Jonas] Silas.
Hey, uh, Jonas?
You okay?
Okay.
Do you want to take a walk?
[Silas] I miss her.
I don't know. It felt...
so good to be around her that...
we were nearly
tripping up and...
I couldn't see...
couldn't see anything bad
happen to her.
[Jonas] You two are in love
with each other.
That's very clear,
you were right
to end it though.
I think dealing
with this disease
on your own is hard enough.
Coupling would just
make it unbearable.
You know...
about a year ago.
I also made a connection
with a woman.
Though, it didn't end well.
I'm so sorry.
Your friend
what stage is she?
Uh, she's self-diagnosed,
she's fighting the bug
without drugs.
[Jonas] She's a "hider."
[breathes deeply]
Not many people can do that
successfully.
I think hiders are...
I think they are wired
differently.
You know we have one
in our group, Bess.
She's a--she's a doctor
at the DEN,
of all places.
Listen...
I'm part of a group,
a support group,
with Bess and others
from my work.
To talk openly
about how we feel.
If you're interested
I'd vouch for you.
It might help.
I'd be willing to try.
Great.
Nia, it's me again.
Until you give me
some text to work
with I'm idle,
and that doesn't seem like
a very good use of my time.
I'm almost finished, Dominic.
All the other illustrators
received their pieces
hours ago--
I'm almost finished, Dominic.
But I appreciate
your patience.
Of course.
[indistinct chatter]
Silas, you made it.
Oh, this is great.
I'm glad you're here.
Everybody, this is Silas,
who I was telling you about.
Silas, this is Bess,
and Peter and Thomas,
Gil, Max, and Alice.
Come take a seat.
[Max] ...and then after lunch
he kept staring at me,
like he could tell
I wasn't taking my meds.
And I wanted to say
something to him.
But then I thought well,
what if I'm just imagining it?
So I turned and walked away.
And all I can think
is that he knows.
He's going to report me
and I'm going to get caught.
And I can't stop
thinking that...
-all the time.
-[Gilead] It's natural.
It's happened
to every one of us.
[Max]
Yes, but all I could think
is that I am going to the DEN.
I'm going to the DEN.
It's over.
And they're...
What happens in the DEN?
Half the people
who are brought in
commit suicide.
The staff encourages it
and stand by while it happens.
[Max] And that's the preferable
option anyway,
compared to electro restraints
and all the other methods
of treatment.
But there is value in living.
Being a hider
reminds you of that.
I still don't know
how you do it.
Working for Health and Safety
is hard enough.
Yes, it's difficult
to see things
and not be moved.
But that's what being a hider
is all about.
So you do small things
to help.
Just looking someone in the eyes
can make them feel
they are not alone.
Give them hope.
But under no circumstances
do you interfere.
You have to tell yourself,
do not risk your job,
do not risk your life.
And then why stay
in a position
where you feel so much risk?
You could ask to be reassigned.
I'd rather be with people
who feel.
Who feel intensely,
it reminds me of who I am
and why I choose
to keep on living.
Everybody says
it's not contagious.
But after all these years
as awful as it is,
every day I feel a stronger...
affinity with other people.
[Gilead] See I don't believe
all the research.
Feelings engender feelings.
SOS isn't even a disease,
that's what they say.
Switched Off is something
they do to us
between conception and birth.
SOS is who we really are
and the inhibitors are just
another attempt
to squash that.
[Max] I don't know.
This is so hard.
It's lonely.
At least with the inhibitors
I can get by but now,
I would rather feel nothing.
Nothing is better than this.
[melancholic music playing]
Nia.
[melancholic music playing]
[Nia grunts]
[Silas] It's okay. It's okay.
-[Nia crying]
-Shh.
[panting]
[melancholy music playing]
[Nia crying]
[Nia sobs loudly]
[Silas] I could never have
imagined what love felt like,
it's strange...
like a tornado
going around and...
[Nia] Yeah.
That's why I was so scared
of it at first.
It's about giving, like,
I want you to take everything.
I don't even know what it is
I just want you
to take it from me.
I just want to...
I want to run.
[scoffs]
I want to run away,
both of us just as fast
as we can,
outside, and just take off.
It's so weird, I'm like...
I keep on thinking about...
ever since we were kids
it's drilled into us
that our purpose
is to explore the universe,
you know, outer space
is where we'll find...
the answers to why
we're here and...
where we come from.
It's like everyone's...
searching for these answers
800 million miles away
and the truth is,
the answers
are right in front of us.
I know why I'm here.
Me too.
What are we going to do now?
We just spend as much time here
together as we can.
Go to work, act normal,
but then...
at night...
we're together.
Okay.
[melancholy music playing]
[Nia] What did you look like
when you were little?
Have you always
had these freckles?
I don't know.
I think so.
-Did you grow early?
-[Nia] Did I grow early?
[Silas] Hmm.
[Nia] Yeah, I was tall
until I wasn't.
[Silas] Uh-hmm.
I was a little round kid.
[Nia] What was
your favorite subject?
[Silas] I liked history.
How about you?
[Nia] I always really loved
to write.
[Silas] What did you write
when you were a kid?
[Nia] I always really liked
to write poetry.
[Silas] I liked
those school trips as well.
When we got to go...
to the Great War museum,
to see how the bombs dropped
and wiped out
all of the cities and stuff.
I see a future outside
of this room.
Some place out there
in the vastness
of everything we know,
in all those
millions of miles.
[Nia] Dominic, FYI,
the article is finished.
You gave it to me already.
I'm working on it right now.
No, the one after this.
On the extraction of superfluids
from neutron stars.
No pressure.
[Silas] I wish I could explain
this to everyone else.
I'm sick of being...
scared of getting caught.
I want people to know and...
not think we're sick.
[The Collective]
Have conducted years of trials
of defective individuals.
The significant
breakthrough came
with the isolation of
the bulbar and the cell line,
allowing an effective
genetic re-silencing,
without triggering
the systematic organ
malfunction
that had marked
earlier attempts.
To be clear, this is not
another kappa rho inhibitor.
It's a cure
that restores the health
and systematic order
to the individual.
With the Ashby ENI cure,
it is only a matter of time
before all current SOS
cases are treated,
and future cases prevented.
The ENI cure is injected
directly into the neck,
leaving a small coin-like scar,
a quick and simple procedure.
Once administered,
the drug requires
a six-hour absorption period,
before the disease
is completely neutralized.
After which point,
regardless of stage,
the patient is restored
to normal health.
Mass production of the drug
is already underway.
And shipments
are being made available
to public clinics immediately.
Individuals diagnosed with SOS
need not suffer another day.
Contact your doctor
immediately to receive
the Ashby ENI cure
and rejoin the ranks
of equals...
[Nia] We're gonna remember
this feeling.
We're gonna live
every day remembering
and we're not gonna feel it.
We're not gonna exist anymore.
No. I don't like...
It's not over yet.
We're not doing that.
So, you don't want the cure?
No.
Do you?
No.
[indistinct chattering]
Take this drug and...
This is Nia.
We want to go to the peninsula.
[Jonas] At my old post, I, uh,
I took part in an air patrol.
We wouldn't fly directly over
the peninsula, but...
I could see it
from a distance.
It's totally overgrown.
If anyone actually lives there
it's in a completely
primitive state.
How do we get there?
[Bess] You're seriously
considering this?
We've already decided.
[Bess] You know you'd be on
your own out there.
There will be no one
to look after you.
Whatever we go through,
it will be together.
I know how you're feeling,
but you're not thinking
of all the risks.
If we stay here
we'll be found out.
We'll get the cure.
You know, it's many years ago,
I was not much older
than you are now
when I got the bug,
no one even knew
what SOS was back then.
People were getting it
and most of them
would commit suicide.
There was a young man
in my living block,
I could tell he was a hider,
just like me,
but no one dared
mention it back then.
One night,
he knocked on my door
and told me
that he and two others
were going to the peninsula
and he wanted me to go with him.
Of course,
there was no way I was going.
I knew they were headed
for their deaths.
Bess.
A few months after he left
were the loneliest
I've ever felt.
We'd only spoken that one time.
More than all
the suicides I've seen,
it was his death
that was the most
unnecessarily wasteful,
such a waste.
That was a new feeling for me.
But you don't know that he died.
What if he didn't?
I can talk to my old colleague.
He was the pilot who took us
on the air patrol.
[Max] If they got caught
the whole plan
could be traced back to you
or to the group.
You said interfering
was too risky.
[Jonas] If you make
this decision, you know
there is no turning back.
If you do manage to get out,
you can never return.
Of course.
When you get to the border
ask for Oliver,
he'll fly you.
What if he gets caught?
He won't.
Good luck.
Thank you.
Welling is the closest
station to the border.
The trains don't go there
until the weekend.
I checked the schedule.
We could leave on Saturday.
Three days.
-You're shaking.
-So are you.
Are you sure?
Yes.
Are you?
Yeah.
[The Collective]
The administration...
I got a conception summons.
Look, we are leaving
in two days, by the time
they come looking for you,
we'll be gone.
Ignore it.
My tag's blocked, I'm not going
to be able to get on the train.
I won't make it through
any of the check points.
Well, look,
it's just a summons, right?
It's not like they're going
to inseminate you.
They'll check my blood.
They'll see I have
the disease instantly.
Yeah, but they can't force you
to get the cure.
I've been diagnosed and no one's
forcing me to get it, are they?
Besides, their clinics
are overwhelmed right now.
All--what's going
to happen is,
they'll tell you you've tested
positive for SOS
and that you should see your
doctor immediately. That's it.
Then get out of there.
[sighs]
Nothing's changed.
We're leaving Saturday,
10 o'clock train.
You've already missed
the whole morning of work.
You should get over there right
away. I'll come after my shift.
Meet me behind the clinic.
Okay.
I received a summons.
[door opens]
-[doctor] Hello, Nia.
-Hello, doctor.
Lie back for me, please.
I'm going to take a sample
of your blood, okay?
Okay.
I have the bug, don't I?
Nia, you're pregnant.
[The Collective]
Medical and scientific
communities are increasing
mass distribution
of the newly inflicted...
[birds chirping]
[The Collective continues,
indistinct]
[dramatic music playing]
-What is it?
-She's pregnant.
She got called
for a conception duty
and they found out,
they're taking her to the DEN.
-They're taking her
to the DEN.
-Silas, calm down.
-You need to calm down.
-I'm calm, I'm calm, it's fine.
When did they take her?
I don't know about
an hour ago or something.
All right well listen,
I will contact Bess--
No, no. No. Not Bess.
She won't help us.
-Ask someone else.
-There is no one else.
-Bess is our only hope.
-No.
Listen, you can't be seen
around here like this.
I'm fine, I'm fine,
but let me come with you.
Go home
and I will contact you,
wait there.
Don't attempt to see Nia.
Silas, go home.
-Trust me.
-What are they gonna do to her?
Just calm down.
You need to stay calm,
or they'll give you the cure.
Give me a couple hours.
Go home and wait there.
Shh! Shh! Shh! Shh.
Jonas?
Get dressed as fast as you can.
And listen to me carefully,
last week, a woman
was brought in called Eva.
She was stage three.
Last night she knotted
a garbage bag over her head,
suffocated, she's dead.
Now, you are going to switch
places with her.
Eva didn't kill herself
last night, you did.
You are Eva, she was you.
You're gonna walk out of here.
-She's...?
-[Bess] Hold out your arm.
Your left arm, please.
Okay.
All right. Shh. Shh.
Shh. Shh. Shh.
You are Eva.
-Got it?
-[Jonas] Ready?
I told Silas to wait
at his apartment.
You'll find him there.
[The Collective] Twenty-two,
twenty-one,
twenty...
eighteen...
[suspenseful music playing]
[panting]
[music continues]
[The Collective] Fifteen,
fourteen,
thirteen...
[dramatic music playing]
[sighs]
[The Collective]
The following message
is an update on the security
breach at the DEN.
The Collective wishes
to congratulate
Health and Safety official
ID 22564943,
who alerted authorities
to three individuals
operating against protocol
at the DEN.
Two of the three were
Health and Safety officials,
and the third was a physician
at the DEN.
All are currently safe
and receiving
the Ashby ENI cure
so that they may return to work
as productive equals
in The Collective.
The ENI cure
will now be required
for all those diagnosed with,
or suffering from SOS.
And mandatory SOS Testing
will begin immediately,
for all Health and Safety
officials
as well as
medical professionals.
[Silas] Her name is Nia.
Her ID tag is 34729647.
She writes text for Atmos.
You said her name was Nia?
Yes.
Was she brought here
yesterday evening?
Lives at 6L415?
Uh-hmm. That's right.
[man] She died last night.
According to the doctor's notes,
the cause of death
was asphyxiation.
Could you check that again?
Yes, that's her.
[dramatic music playing]
[man, voice distant] Sir?
Are you okay?
Do you need some help?
[dramatic music playing]
[Silas crying]
[dramatic music playing]
[sobbing]
[sniffs]
[dramatic music playing]
[gasps]
[dramatic music playing]
[panting]
[dramatic music continues]
[music continues]
[door opens]
[Nia pants]
Where have you been?
Hey.
[Nia breathing heavily]
You okay?
[Nia gasps]
Why?
I thought--I thought
you were gone.
[stammers] How long do you have?
Maybe five hours.
[exhales deeply]
Silas.
Hey.
[whispers] Fight it.
It doesn't matter,
it doesn't matter.
Fight it. Okay?
I'm still pregnant.
We're going to get on
the train tomorrow.
Okay?
I know.
I love you.
I love you, I love you,
I love you,
I love you, I love you.
You have to fight it.
Just fight it okay?
[Silas]
I can already tell it's in me.
Just remember, okay?
How?
Remember this feeling.
Just remember
what this feels like.
[Silas] Yeah, yeah.
Pro-- promise me,
no matter what happens
you keep loving me
no matter what I say,
what I feel or don't feel,
I'm still--I'm still
in here trying, okay?
I'm still in here.
Just don't give up on me.
Please, don't give up on me.
I promise, I promise.
I promise that I won't...
[dramatic music playing]
Silas?
Good morning.
Do you still love me?
I remember I loved you.
But...
I don't feel it anymore.
[Nia] Do you still want to go?
We made a plan.
Okay.
[dramatic music playing]
[The Collective]
This is a non-local transport
serving outlying regions
with three stops.
The final destination port
will be Welling
at the outer peninsula.
[The Collective continues,
indistinct]
[dramatic music playing]
[dramatic music continues]
[dramatic music fades]
[upbeat music playing]
♪ Ooh ♪
♪ Immerse your fear ♪
♪ Soak up ♪
♪ Our dream ♪
♪ Never end ♪
♪ Ooh ♪
♪ Open your arms ♪
♪ Let it die ♪
♪ Every night ♪
♪ Sing me a song ♪
♪ Till I wake up again ♪
♪ Speaking in tongues ♪
♪ In which we meet again ♪
♪ Ooh ♪
♪ Open your mouth ♪
♪ Speak waves of calm ♪
♪ Takings ♪
♪ Ooh ♪
♪ Another tired word ♪
♪ To get out ♪
♪ Of this place ♪
♪ Sing me a song ♪
♪ Till I wake up again ♪
♪ Sing me a song ♪
♪ Till I wake up again ♪
♪ Sing me a song ♪
♪ Till I wake up again ♪
♪ Speaking in tongues ♪
♪ In which we meet again ♪