Prodigy (2017) - full transcript

Do you always play alone?

Challenging yourself can teach you

quite a bit about who you are.

Plus, I always win.

Or lose.

A matter of perspective.

Olivia.

Lovely to see you.

And you, Jimmy.

Hmm.

No one's called me

Jimmy in years.

Well, that's too bad.

It suits you.

Not so sure about

that these days.

Well, you'll always

be Jimmy to me.

Do you have time to

grab a cup of coffee?

Catch up a little?

I'm afraid we're on

a tight schedule.

No time for chit-chat.

All right, just

give me a moment.

How you feeling about all this?

Well, this process is

a little different.

But you think you're ready?

Well, I do think I'm ready

for anything at this point.

I hope so.

Wait. Pocket.

Again.

Arms up.

Yeah, I'll be getting

that back, yes?

You are not to

touch the subject.

Do not leave anything

near the subject's hands.

If the subject makes a request,

you are to seek my permission before

granting the subject anything.

I, uh, I mean no offense,

but, uh, is all this

entirely necessary?

If you have a problem

following these rules,

then I suggest that you

conduct your evaluation

from inside the control room per

my original recommendation.

No, that won't be required.

Do not, for any reason, release

the subject from the restraints.

In the event the subject

escapes the restraints,

drop to the floor and

cover your head.

Do not attempt to

leave the room.

Do not attempt to

re-restrain the subject.

- Understood?

- Yeah.

- Understood?

- Yes, understood.

Dr. Fonda.

I see you've met colonel birch.

The military is

assisting in this case.

I hardly think "assisting"

is a sufficient term.

Thank you for that

clarification, colonel.

All right, so show me

what we've got here.

This is Dr. Keaton, our

director of psychiatry.

Yeah, nice to meet you, Dr.

Keaton.

Always a pleasure to

meet a fellow shrink.

Well, I hate to disappoint, but, uh,

technically I'm a psychologist.

Oh. Oh, well, we can't

all be perfect, eh?

When the light is green,

you are go to zap

that little fucker.

And this charming young

man is Ryan mccrosky,

our chief technician.

Ryan, this is Dr. Fonda.

Hey.

Dr. Warner is our resident

biochemistry expert.

Ah, nice to meet you, Dr.

Warner.

Likewise.

It's time.

If you don't mind, colonel, I'd

like to walk Dr. Fonda over myself.

Be my guest.

You'll have to excuse them.

It's my fault they've had

to spend so much time

in that little room.

Well, you're the boss.

All clear, agent price.

Thank you, gentlemen.

I know this all seems

a bit strange, but...

Please try to go in there

with an open mind.

Well, if I couldn't do

that, I wouldn't be here.

Thank you, Jimmy.

Hello, Eleanor. My

name is James Fonda.

- I am here to...

- I love the sweater vest.

Well, thank you. I'm not all...

You have it all.

Worn loafers,

second hand slacks,

tattered briefcase.

I'm not quite sure I follow.

But the truth is in the details.

The lines on your face.

Your posture.

Distinct lack of concern

with your hairstyle.

Did miss Olivia send a

bargain bin find in with me?

How quaint.

You're a very

observant young lady.

I assume you have experience

with troubled youth.

Most likely from

bad neighborhoods.

What makes you say that?

That must be challenging work.

I imagine the return rate isn't

particularly high in those situations.

It must wear on you, not

being able to save them.

It does, but it also

makes each success

that much more satisfying.

And that's so conducive to a

satisfying home life, I feel, is it?

It is hard for me to

imagine your loving wife

allowing you out of

the house in your...

Current state.

My wife?

It is, unless she

isn't around anymore.

You shut her out, didn't you?

To look at you, I'd say you

shut most everyone out.

Is it easier to keep them away

than to risk getting hurt again?

That was quite an

evaluation, Eleanor.

Don't call me Eleanor.

What should I call you?

Ellie is better.

All right.

Ellie does suit you.

Spare me your pandering.

I'm well beyond your usual

trust-building exercises.

I agree, again.

Then let's skip the formalities and

get straight into it, shall we?

Into what?

You are an analyst, are you not?

I am.

And you have my file?

I do.

And you've got nothing for me?

No diagnosis?

Well, perhaps I'm not

as perceptive as you.

But, uh, to be honest,

I haven't even read this.

Is that right?

Relax. He's bluffing.

He wouldn't go in there blind.

It ls.

Is this common practice for you?

Arriving woefully unprepared?

If I had read this, it would have colored

my perception of you before we met.

Now personally, I prefer to hear

from the individual in question

rather than focusing on a

particular problem they have

or mistake they made.

Even if said individual is a

maladjusted prepubescent?

All the more so with children,

as they aren't usually

given enough credit

when it comes to expressing

their own anxieties.

I was right about you.

You were right about

a lot of things.

I have worked with children.

Often from rough neighborhoods,

and I'm not particularly

concerned with my hairstyle.

I don't believe, however,

that qualifies me as a, uh,

bargain bin find.

The other shrinks

they brought me

wore designer suits

and fancy watches.

A watch is a, uh, funny

device these days.

I have a friend who is

obsessed with fancy watches.

Eventually, after

years of hard work,

he rewarded himself with one.

And it was beautiful.

But the problem was

after about a week,

it was nearly two minutes slow.

He wound it, set it.

Another week went

by, same problem.

He was always losing time.

Yeah, my father gave me

this watch a long time ago.

It's not flashy by any means.

But I'll tell you what,

it's never lost a minute.

Yeah, a time piece may

have aesthetic value.

At its core, though,

it is a single function device.

Shiny or dull,

all that matters is how

well it tells the time.

And you can tell the time?

Never lost a minute.

You stand to lose more

than time in here.

Well, I'm willing to take

that chance if you are.

Perhaps.

But certainly not on

an empty stomach.

You hungry?

Peanut butter and banana

on whole wheat with chips

or celery.

So specific.

I take it with apple juice.

I'll see what I can drum up.

And Jimmy?

No crust.

I assume you have the means

to prepare Ellie's lunch.

- Mccrosky.

- What the hell?

What do you think?

She's an extraordinary child.

Well, perhaps this is

old hat for all of you,

but you can't deny how

remarkable her intellect is.

Her intellect is not what

concerns me, doctor.

What does concern you?

I'm more concerned with the

patient's personality disorders.

Disorders?

I think we can both

agree that she suffers

from a severe

superiority complex.

Well, given her

advanced intelligence,

one might excuse some

feelings of superiority.

Oh, not when it escalates to...

You really didn't read the file.

No. Like I, uh, told Ellie,

I like to hear the individual's

version of things first.

Professional

irresponsibility aside,

I think you owe it to yourself

to understand the violence

this patient is capable of.

Well, I trust it'll become

clear in talking with Eleanor.

We would prefer that it didn't.

Man slave reporting for duty.

You told me you were ready.

And you told me you needed

someone with an open mind.

Dr. Fonda, I have a

lot riding on this,

and I don't like the feeling that

you're not taking it seriously.

Everyone has a process, Olivia.

Mine can rub people

the wrong way,

but it is effective.

I need you to trust me on that.

Hey, doc, celery's not

gonna chop itself.

So, uh, how long do you

think this is gonna take?

'Cause, uh, I got a

hot date tonight,

and I am, like, 85% sure that this girl

is a freak, you know what I'm saying?

I'm... I'm sorry. I'm

not sure I follow.

Uh, let's just say I plan on

dipping into the sauce, you know?

I think what he's trying to ask is how

long you think your evaluation will last.

Uh, hard to say. Ellie knows

why I'm here, which, uh,

complicates my approach.

How long does progress in a

case like this usually take?

The walls are built high. They may

prove difficult to pull down.

Well, a meal fit for a Princess.

Or a spoiled little psycho.

That looks like orange juice.

You don't like orange juice?

I said apple.

I thought we might try

something different today.

Juice is juice, I suppose.

Excellent. Let me get

you started here.

The situation would be much improved

for everyone if I can use my hands.

I've been emphatically

warned against that.

Open up now.

I suppose you are more

comfortable with this?

Servant of the

peasants that you are?

You seem quite fixated

on socioeconomic status.

I have had enough exposure to you

working-class folks to know what you are.

What are we?

A lost cause.

I don't believe you're qualified to

condemn and entire class of people.

The number of dumpy towns we

pass through might surprise you.

We?

My mother and I.

I see.

And your father?

No one told you?

Colonel birch is my father.

That, uh, certainly

complicates things.

The good colonel wasn't

around much, you see?

Sounds rough.

And you and your mother couldn't

settle into any of these dumpy towns?

In spite of her deficiencies,

she knew that if people

understood what I was capable of,

I would end up in a

place like this.

She didn't want that for you.

Where is she now?

She's dead.

Oh.

I'm sorry.

Why?

Because it sounds like

she loved you a lot.

I don't like that term.

"Love." it's vague, overused.

How so?

Love is the guise under

which selfishness operates.

Parents only love their children so long

as they maintain control over them.

And the other side of that,

as a child, did you,

uh, love your mother?

At one point, I was convinced the

affinity I felt for her was love.

However, now I realize the

Harmony our lives shared

was closer to what one might

share with a common house pet...

A realization that

didn't make it easier

when the time came

to put her down.

Put her down?

That's right. You should

have read your file, Jimmy.

So, you, um...

She had become more a hindrance

than the catalyst at that point.

She was holding you back.

That's right.

I'm not sure I follow you.

That doesn't surprise me.

Were you ever in a place

like this with her around?

I was under the impression ink blots

were out of favor in your community.

A lot of people have

given up on them.

Not you.

Well, you find they still hold

value in certain situations.

Let's try a few.

I assumed you were beyond

such rudimentary techniques.

Afraid you might not

like what I see?

All right.

I'm going to hold up a card. I

don't want you to think too...

I know how it works.

Right.

Looks like a dog I found

on a street once.

It had been run over,

its blood running

into the gutter.

World war ll gas chamber,

naked emaciated

bodies piled high.

Ugh. What the...?

Oh, shit.

Gotta take this.

Hey, anybody else notice that

sudden rise in temperature?

- They're removing

blackened gloves.

But it's messy.

Blood everywhere.

The girl is clearly

toying with him.

Yeah, what is this guy?

An amateur?

Well, she wouldn't

have brought him in a

this point if she didn't

have a good reason.

She's grasping at straws.

That one looks just like

colonel birch's swollen eye.

Shit.

Oh, relax, colonel.

Just a couple of more

hours and we're free.

At the rate he's moving, we're

going to be here all night.

All night? Well, pull him out of there.

We don't have time for this.

A pack of chimpanzees tearing the

flesh off their young and eating it.

Ryan has a point, colonel.

We're moving in circles

with all this.

This is agent price's little

experiment, not mine.

Yeah? Well then, why doesn't she

just adopt the little antichrist

- and let us off the hook?

- Give it a rest, mccrosky.

- Judas hanging himself.

- If I miss this date,

I am going to be very

unpleasant to work with.

He has been disemboweled.

His intestines dangle with him.

- What do you think... about all this?

- Car accident.

The driver has gone

through the windshield.

His heart is pumping

blood onto the hood.

We won't learn anything significant

about the patient this way.

That one looks like

a battered woman.

Actually it resembles

miss Olivia.

Oh, here we go.

- She is bruised and scarred on her face.

She is moving forward, but I see blood

running down her legs from under her skirt.

What did I miss?

It is you, Jimmy.

You are sinking into

a bog of some kind.

I'm not sure you are

going to make it out.

- Last one?

- Mm-hmm.

My mother's head split

down the middle.

Blood trickling

down over her face.

How did I do?

There was a distinct

trend in your answers.

You don't say?

It's one of the reasons

I still like this test.

Even if the subject is being

purposely disingenuous,

patterns still arise

within their responses,

which shed light on certain

aspects of the psyche.

This should be interesting.

The dark shapelessness

of the blot

often leads people

to their own fears.

I see.

You, uh, specifically used the term

"blood" four times in ten cards.

It was five times, actually.

Does blood frighten you?

- No.

- What do you fear?

Only what I don't understand.

So you understand blood?

- Certainly.

- Do you have experience with it?

- A little.

- Human blood?

Enough to know it doesn't

make me squeamish.

What about your mother's blood?

That's the obvious encounter.

Was your mother afraid of blood?

Not that I'm aware of.

Was she afraid of you?

No.

But she should have been.

She believed the mundanities cf

everyday life could apply to me.

Right, wrong, good, evil.

The inventions of an

inferior breed of man.

You're above all of that?

My existence is elevated, yes.

How does your, uh, current situation

factor into that elevation?

My fate ends here,

it always has,

no matter what

ideas of salvation

you or anyone else

may have for me.

What is it you need

salvation from?

Miss Olivia.

Naughty, naughty.

Let me ask you a

question, Jimmy.

What possible reason

could they have

for strapping a nine-year-old

to a chair like this?

What is it people do when they

happen upon something different?

Something they can't comprehend?

In there, they can't

comprehend me,

and it terrifies them.

But what if they were able

to get a closer look at me?

Say at my brain chemistry?

They might be able to understand

just how different I am.

And how to control me.

That warm blanket of comfort comes

at a relatively small cost.

You aren't the first of your kind

miss Olivia has sent in here

in an ill-fated attempt

to justify my existence.

However, I am fairly certain

you will be the last.

Is it true?

I thought if you

knew, then you...

Is it true?

It's all right, agent price.

Dr. Fonda is a smart man.

I'm sure he can see the

logic in our decision.

You were going to

cut that girl open?

Yes.

I don't believe it.

The patient's

assertions are correct.

This mutation is something

the scientific community

and the world can't

afford to ignore.

The only way to be thorough

in such matters...

Is from the inside out.

That is worth her life?

The threat she poses far

outweighs any potential benefit.

And all of you condone this?

That's right.

You must understand none of us

are keen on euthanizing a minor.

Euthanasia is a method

reserved for animals.

Ellie's a child.

No. My grandkids are children.

That thing in there is nothing

more than a ticking time bomb.

What is she capable of

that warrants this fear?

That's classified information.

Given the circumstances, I

believe I have a right to know.

No. No, you don't.

Eleanor can do things...

That we've never seen before.

Things that have

proven dangerous.

Dangerous enough

to justify murder?

Ask her mother.

It is an extremely unfortunate situation.

No one is denying it.

Each of the analysts I brought in

came away with the same conclusion.

- Which is?

- Social detachment.

Lack of empathy.

Manipulative tendencies.

Girl is a sociopath.

Her intellect only amplifies her

already troubling behavioral patterns.

With all that intelligence,

you don't find this suspicious

that she is telling us

exactly what we need to hear

to draw that conclusion?

How much time do I have?

The execution is tomorrow.

- Jimmy?

- I need a minute.

Uh, this probably isn't

the best time, but, uh,

I need to leave in,

like, 15 minutes, so...

I realize I should have

been upfront with you,

but I don't have time for

long-winded apologies right now.

You don't have to play

the boss with me.

We have been in that room day

in and day out for the year

trying to figure out

what to make of her.

And this is what you settled on?

It's been several

months since this...

Autopsy was proposed, and the

others' minds are made up.

But the decision has

to be unanimous.

Ellie's given me no reason

for my continues support.

I can't hold them off any more.

I agreed to change my vote

if they gave me one last

chance to get through to her.

Me.

They don't see her for

what she is anymore.

And if we don't make

them see, she dies.

I'm sorry, Jimmy, but you're

the best chance I had.

The guards took something

from me when I came in.

I need to get it back.

Thought I lost you for a minute.

I'm not so easy to get rid of.

Do you know chess?

Are we resorting to such unorthodox

analytical methods already?

Chess is my favorite game.

I thought I might teach you.

I doubt there's much of

anything you could teach me.

Then you know how to play.

I found the game quite boring.

Within a week, I set speed records

against a master computer.

Oh, there's your problem.

You played against a computer.

A game against a person

is much more stimulating.

And I take it your vast psychological

prowess gives you an advantage.

There's only one

way to find out.

All right, but I'll

need my hands.

Calling out the moves

is easy enough.

I'll help you with the

rank and file, and...

How do you expect your

patient to trust you

if you won't trust her?

We both know it's against

the rules, Ellie.

Desperate times call for

desperate measures.

Oh, boy.

What does he think he is doing?

Son of a bitch.

Boom goes the dynamite.

That's it. I'm

shutting him down.

No, you're not.

He's gonna get himself killed.

Dr. Fonda knows what he's doing.

- Actually, he doesn't.

- Ryan, ready the pulse.

Colonel, you don't

have the authority...

If this situation

becomes hostile,

I do have the authority

to override your command.

Ryan, the pulse. Now.

Shit just got real.

Are you waiting for something?

Oh, no. Sorry.

Here, let me move the

board so we ca...

Your move.

Yes, it would appear so.

I've always found the early

moves to be the most important,

and they shape the

face of the game.

If you say so.

You know, the computer

moved instantly.

- And?

- And I was led to believe

this would be a more

stimulating experience.

Uh, stimulations lies

in the analysis.

Chess is not a game of speed.

Not for some, clearly.

So why you? Now? After

all the stiffs?

Is this a reevaluation?

Perhaps I've, uh,

graduated from the, um,

bargain bin to the sales rack.

You're right.

I shouldn't risk

slowing you down.

No, I think I can multitask.

You know, agent price and I were

schoolmates at university. That's where...

You were schoolmates, huh?

Mm-hmm.

And that's why she was keeping

such close tabs on you?

What is it you're implying?

Simply put, miss Olivia is a

reasonably attractive woman

for her age.

I'm sure that at university,

she was quite a dish.

I can only imagine the

canoodling that took place.

Eyes forward, gentlemen.

Sorry to, uh,

disappoint, Eleanor,

but I don't canoodle and tell.

And what would your wife think of

this liaison with an old flame?

I don't think my wife would

think anything of it any more.

You don't realistically

expect her to return, do you?

No. That, um, that part

of my life is over.

Really?

King without his queen.

Check.

Perhaps you can answer me this.

Why is it always trinkets when someone

wants to hold on to the past?

My mother, she used to

wear this little trinket.

What was it?

It was this inane fox pendant

I made when I was very young.

And, uh, that bothered you?

It was crude. Rudimentary.

In spite of my obvious talents, it was that

she insisted on displaying to the world.

Do you know why she wore it?

She told me I was very

proud of the piece.

It was the only reminder

I was ever just a child.

Physical manifestation of

my being in a lesser from.

I doubt there was so

much analysis involved.

All this ring does for me is remind me

of the joy I experienced with my family.

I think she wore it to remind

herself how much she loved you.

You should worry less about love and

more about the hole you are in.

I don't see what hole you mean.

You must be blind. I have

complete control of the board.

Just by nature's defensive game,

to protect what is

important, we build walls.

But I can understand how and why

my opponent builds their walls up.

It gives me an advantage when

I want to break them down.

At that point, what matters isn't

the quantity of pieces you take,

but the quality of those you do.

Check... mate.

No!

Hit the pulse, Ryan.

- Wait.

- If that wasn't hostile, I don't know...

Look.

Another game.

No.

Afraid you might not

be so lucky this time?

I'm not afraid to lose.

But if I did, I certainly hope I

would do it with a bit more grace.

- What the hell do you think this is?

- Birch!

Do you think this is a game or are you too

stupid to know what's good for you, huh?

Colonel, this is unacceptable.

This son of a bitch put every single

person in this compound in danger.

You call that acceptable?

This situation called

for extreme action.

Disobeying a direct

order is inexcusable.

- Spare me your orders!

- No, no, no, no.

The colonel is... is right.

The rules are in place for a

reason, and I violated them.

For that, I apologize.

We, uh, do, however,

need drastic results,

and I'm not going to get them

with a set of ink blots.

I hope it was worth it.

Do you, um, have access to

Ellie's mother's effects?

Yeah.

I'll need to see them.

You know, doctor, we

all have to thank you.

That little stunt you pulled in there

proved how volatile the patient is.

I didn't see it that way.

There's no denying the threatening

nature of that outburst.

I'm sure we've all seen a child

throw a temper tantrum before.

Not one that ripped a steel

table clean off its bolts, no.

You only saw her reaction.

You didn't see how

she played the game.

Oh, this should be good.

Please, enlighten us

on what we missed.

It's small moves that determine

the outcome in chess.

Ellie was in control and had

the opportunity to finish me,

but it meant

sacrificing her queen.

She didn't make the move. She

chose to protect her queen.

Okay. So the kid sucks at chess?

I believe that Ellie

subconsciously linked her queen,

that trinket,

to the memory of her mother.

- Wow.

- What a joke.

We don't have to stand here and listen

to this bullshit. Can we call this?

It was an elementary move.

One that someone with Ellie's

intellectual prowess wouldn't pass up.

Could be a mistake.

Even geniuses make mistakes.

It wasn't a mistake.

The child made several

counterintuitive moves,

each of which

protected her queen.

Not that it validates

the girl's reaction,

but Dr. Fonda's proposed

attachment to the piece is,

well, not entirely

without merit.

Thank you, doctor.

Fine, the kid loves queens.

Take her to a drag show.

I have to agree.

That proves nothing.

Dr. Keaton, what is the one

thing a sociopath lacks?

Uh, empathy.

Attachments.

Uh-huh.

I gleaned much more from the

way Ellie played the game

then the way she

responded to losing it.

And we're all thrilled

for you, doctor.

We're talking about a threat

to national security.

The girl's reaction is in

line with all previous data.

That's what I'm talking about.

Let's get the hell out of here.

I need more time.

We're all in agreement.

Your time is up.

Hold on.

I think it's worth giving Dr.

Fonda another chance.

- What?

- You got to be kidding me.

I don't know if it will

make a difference,

but he has progressed much

further than the others.

By risking the security

of this entire compound.

I will not stand idly by and

allow that to happen again.

That is not your call, colonel.

Oh, you don't think so?

I'd say that last outburst

was contentious enough.

And how contentious

is the situation now?

If you're gonna play that card,

you better be damn sure

you're able to justify it.

Let's not forget that that

is a killer in there.

I'm starting to think that

this may have to end in blood

for you to acknowledge

her as such.

Olivia, she's lost.

And she's angry.

But she is in there.

Give me time. I'll find her.

Feeling better?

We made quite a mess, didn't we?

A bit off the top,

but no harm done.

Can't say the same

for your file.

You know, you could be a

big help if you wanted.

That might constitute a threat.

I'm beginning to understand

why your wife left you.

You don't say?

Your persistence,

it's intolerable.

Late nights in the slums

instead of dinner at home.

That's the kind of thing

that poisons a marriage.

I'm afraid we don't

have time to discuss...

Correction.

You don't have time.

Must we play this game?

Children like games.

If you don't want to play,

the door is right there.

I know where it is.

Hold on.

Do you see that?

It looks different from before.

It looks like your wife, yes?

She's at home, tucked into bed.

With a new man.

If you turn it this way,

it's a bit more abstract.

It's your ideals, the same

persistence that tore you two apart.

Work wasn't the

reason my wife left.

Tell me more.

We lost a child.

Our daughter.

Several years ago.

And, uh,

my wife didn't cope

well with her death.

Eventually, she left.

Now we are getting somewhere.

Tell me what happened.

She was playing in the

yard and was hit by a car.

Oof, damn.

Was it quick?

No. She was very strong.

And you were there, by her side?

Every day.

But you couldn't save her.

No.

And that was when you started

working with children.

More so, yes.

And consequently, why

you are here now.

I am here to help you, Ellie.

It isn't really

about me, though.

It's about the return rate.

You think that if you

can save enough of us,

lt'll wash away your own pain.

It's pathetic.

Inn:

Doubt there's anything more painful

than losing someone we love.

I remember combing through

the events of that day

a hundred times trying

to make sense of it.

I was so overwhelmed by the feeling

that her death was my fault.

Rightly so. She was

yours to protect.

Yeah, I believed that

for a long time.

It was easier for

me to punish myself

than to accept that I

was somehow powerless.

Running from that truth...

Is what makes us

believe these things.

Things that... lead us

down a destructive path.

Takes a...

A different kind of

courage to stop running.

To face that truth.

The pain may never

go away completely.

But if you let go of the guilt,

it does get better.

Did the colonel ever tell you

how he got that nasty scar?

I'm not interested in...

Birch really is the epitome

of what I despise in people.

So set in his antiquated ways.

He can't see he's

spent his entire life

marching to the beat of

someone else's drum.

Sticks and stones, colonel.

When I first arrived,

he was determined to be the one to

access the potential locked within me.

After dozens of

unsuccessful probes,

his frustration ballooned.

One day, he unbound me.

Pulled out a pen

just like this one.

He told me he wasn't afraid.

That he didn't believe I had

any control over my power.

You don't have to

do this, Ellie.

I wonder...

If he is afraid now.

Ellie?

Can you hear me?

Olivia, what's happening?

That's enough.

That was unnecessary.

It was a warning. The

patient knows the rules.

Ellie, can I help you?

No, you can't. None of you can.

You pushed them, Ellie.

Now you're on their side?

- Here, let... let's...

- Get off me!

- Let me at Lea...

- I said get off!

That's it! 50%.

Holy shit.

I see you, colonel.

75%, mccrosky.

I don't wonder anymore.

I know you are afraid.

- Give her everything.

- No. It'll kill her.

What is it you think

she plans to do to us?

- Crank it, Ryan.

- Don't.

Agent price is no

longer in command.

Now!

You okay?

I'll live.

What happened?

She's been prepped and

is awaiting transport.

Transport? Where?

But she's still here now.

Fonda-.

If I could just get a

few more minutes...

I'm afraid I'm no longer

the authority here.

There must be some

way we can, uh,

appeal to your superiors.

I have poured almost all of my

professional credibility into that room.

I got to take the little I

have left to walk away.

The facade was crumbling.

Doesn't matter. Not after that.

Everyone in the control

room must have seen it.

- If... if we were...

- Jimmy.

It's over.

Her mother's effects.

I'm sorry I got you

caught up in all this.

I heard about your daughter.

Yeah. That was a very

dark time for me.

Yet, um, every year since,

I've become more convinced that

it's those moments that define us.

That our struggles are...

Simply questions life asks.

At the end, all that

matters is how we answer.

You're just the way

I remember you.

You aren't so

different yourself.

You were the boss then, too.

Why was it you, um,

thought to call me?

I knew you had been working

with kids ever since...

What happened.

Anyway, when all this

came up, I, um...

Inn:

You found yourself in a position

to help a little girl.

Yeah.

Anyway, I've spent the

last year of my life

throwing away everything

I've worked for for nothing.

I don't know. I couldn't, um...

I couldn't just...

Stand by and, um...

Let that girl die.

Maybe you won't have to.

Would you look who

is up and about.

- What the hell does

he think he's doing?

He needs another chance.

Another chance?

What's going on here?

Colonel was clear. He said

nobody goes in, nobody goes out.

And where is birch now?

Now those were strict orders.

Yeah, I don't know about you,

but I can't get fired again.

Fired? We're talking treason.

I'll take full responsibility.

Tell him I forced you.

Do you really think

he's gonna buy that?

Agent price?

I know this is hard.

Maybe we need to accept that colonel

birch is doing the right thing.

We all witnessed how

violently Ellie responded.

To provocation.

Does that make her

any less dangerous?

I saw something

before that response.

A crack in the persona Ellie has

spent so much time building.

And I know both of

you saw it, too.

We are sending that girl to die.

If there's even the slightest

chance that she can be saved,

I think it's a

chance worth taking.

I just... I'm not sure we can.

Thank you.

Well, missed my date anyway.

I hope you're right about this.

Me, too.

The hour is lit, doctor.

This won't change anything.

It is worth trying.

And if you succeed,

what then?

Ellie gets a chance at life.

What kind of life?

Life in a cage?

Never knowing any existence

beyond isolation?

Given what humanity

stands to gain,

the solution is

mutually beneficial.

I don't see it that way.

That's unfortunate.

I'm afraid the colonel does.

It's about time.

Eleanor.

Ever the idealist, aren't we?

I see now why miss Olivia was so

keen to acquire your services,

besides her obvious desire to

rekindle an old flame, that is.

We don't have much time, Ellie.

Looks to me like you're

already out of time.

I need you to tell me what

happened to your mother.

Read the file, James.

It's all there.

I want to hear it from you.

Too bad. I'm far too consumed

with my own execution.

That's a shame.

I'm gonna be in big trouble

for breaking in here.

So leave.

No, I'll just, uh, wait.

You know, maybe birch will

let me accompany you.

You know he won't.

What ls it you want to know?

Just what happened.

I killed her...

In cold blood.

That doesn't seem logical.

She was the person who

cared for you most.

There's your problem.

Your perspective is clouded by the

cumbersome weight of emotion,

without which, my logic

is perfectly sound.

What the hell is going on here?

Colonel, it was my call.

I will personally see to

it that you burn for this.

That's fine. This isn't

about me or you.

I need three men and a ram now.

Colonel, please just let him have

a chance... - Enough! Sit down.

- What do you mean?

- Or what?

Or you will have a much

less comfortable seat

for the remainder of

this demonstration.

I don't think I can get into

your head if I wanted to.

Maybe you think you can

change things around.

Until you get the

results you seek.

This is over. Ryan,

hit her with a pulse.

- No.

- That is just not true.

Excuse me?

It's still charging from

the power overload.

How long?

Uh, three minutes. - You still have

yet to tell me what you do think.

I think you're lying, Ellie.

To me, to everyone else.

To yourself.

Is that your diagnosis?

That I'm a liar?

No. I think you're lying

because you feel guilty.

I think you loved your

mother very much.

Back to love again, are we?

It must be easy to hide behind

an intellect so powerful.

I'm not hiding.

How did it happen?

I told you.

Was it an accident?

Like with me earlier?

No. I murdered her.

I meant to do it, and

I'd do it again.

All so you would end up here?

Correct.

So you killed her

in insure your own death.

My actions simply

expedited the inevitable.

Then why not take

care of it yourself?

Deny them the pleasure

of cutting you open.

You'd prefer I had?

No, but it would have made

more sense given your, uh,

self-destructive agenda.

You must have known this process

would involve a great

deal of deliberation.

There was no rush.

So you were resolved

to suffer through

the psychological scrutiny.

I wasn't going to deny myself

a last vestige of fun.

Maybe you thought one of these

experts could help you.

I assure you that thought

never crossed my mind.

Were you afraid?

Of what?

Behind all your understanding,

is there no fear of

your own mortality?

I'm not afraid to die.

I believe you.

I think you're afraid to

live with yourself...

After what happened.

I'm not afraid of anything.

One minute.

Colonel?

When it's hot, you fire up. - You can't

afford to keep doing this, Ellie.

Neither of us have the time.

Finally. Something

we can agree on.

Time's up.

You have everyone fooled, Ellie.

But when I lock at you, I still

see a scared little girl.

Then you are blind.

This numbness,

this anxiousness

to hurt yourself,

all feelings we experience

in times of trauma.

Like losing someone you love.

I've heard enough about love.

You have given in.

You let guilt turn your

wonderful gifts against you.

I said enough.

Do you miss her?

You still wake up in

the night, don't you?

- Shut up.

- Do you call out to her?

Shut up! - You're still expecting

she'll come and hold you.

Shut up!

Do it.

What are you waiting for?

I... can't.

It's her.

What if you can't tell the time?

After all,

what if my disdain for

humanity's inferior existence

was becoming too much for me...

- And my self-destruction

was an act of mercy?

What if your

provocation backfires

and convinces me to

turn on both sides?

To become the monster they

would so like me to be?

You decide what you become.

Where did you get that?

Clear! Move in!

It was my fault.

I didn't mean it.

I know.

I know. It was an accident.

I'm sorry. I'm sorry.

It's all right, Ellie.

Everything is gonna

be all right.

Check.

I only have so much time

away from the facility.

I'd prefer to make

the most of it.

Chess is not a game of speed.

So I've heard.

Perhaps you could benefit from a

little practice in your free time.

Free time?

Dr. Werner isn't working

you too hard, I hope.

He's having trouble keeping up.

How's agent price?

Pardon?

I haven't seen her around.

I thought maybe you had.

She's, um,

she's fine.

I'll give her your regards.

Careful, doctor,

you're slipping.

I'm not so sure about that.

Check.