Almost Human (2013–2014): Season 1, Episode 3 - Are You Receiving? - full transcript

WOMAN:
The year is 2048.

Evolving technologies
can no longer be regulated.

Dangerous advancements forever
alter the criminal landscape.

Police are not prepared.

Law enforcement combats
this corruption

with a new line of defense.

But not all are created equal.

RUDY: The idea behind the DRNs
was to be as human as possible.

They were based on a program
called Synthetic Soul.

JOHN:
That's one of the crazy ones.

- I'll lead you in?
- Let's go.



WOMAN: Now all cops...
human and manmade together...

take on the battle
to watch over us all.

(alarm beeping)

(sighs)

? Wake up

? It's the morning...

FEMALE ELECTRONIC VOICE:
Charge at capacity.

? Monday morning's coming on

? The sun is shining down...

(grinding, squeaking)

? The sun is shining down

? Sunlight

? See the daybreak

? Shake your bones,
lift your head ?



? Look up

? The sun is shining down...

(squeaks)

(stops squeaking)

Hmm!

? The sun is shining

? Down.

Hey.

Hey, James.

Morning, Mr. Navarro.
How you doing?

Miss Miller.

Oh. James.

Left your key in
the lock again.

Thank you.

I swear my memory gets
worse every day.

I told you, I can have
maintenance come in

and switch those out for
bio locks if you'd like.

That's all right, I prefer
the old-fashioned way.

I'm funny, I guess.

No, no, no, I like that.

Uh, this came to the
security desk for you.

Oh, thank you.

I got to get back to the desk.

See you.

Hi, can I help you?

What's your name?

James.

Let's go.

(grunts)

(beeping rapidly)

DORIAN: You know what I
love best about you?

Your punctuality.

JOHN:
What's that supposed to mean?

You're late and the car
smells like olive oil.

Hold this... and this.

What am I doing here?

You're heating my coffee.

Hey!

I like it hot.

It's best between 155
and 175 degrees.

Most people prefer it at 175.

You like it at 165,
and that's what it is.

You know how I like my coffee?

Yes, I, unlike you,
pay attention to details,

like what time it is
and what time

you're supposed to pick up
your partner for shift.

Oh, I pay attention to details,

like you just put your
finger in my coffee.

If you'd like, I could
put it somewhere else.

Wa-Wa-Wait, go back.

- To where?
- To when I didn't have a partner

and I could drive
to work in peace.

I know you took my advice

and used olive oil
on your leg, John,

and it works.

You're just too stubborn

to say thank you,
but you're welcome.

I ate a salad...
a Greek salad.

At 10:00 a.m.?

Boy, you're some detective.

Finally.
Now you're talking.

DISPATCHER:
13 RAY. Possible 31.

Homicide.

Body discovered
at 4500 Crescent Av.

That's three blocks away.

All right, let's go to work.

How long you been here?

We just got here.

There were no witnesses
to the shooting.

The incident happened
within the last 20 minutes.

JOHN:
Who found him?

These two, and we've
cordoned off the area.

DORIAN:
They killed the cameras.

I think I can still access
the archived footage.

John...

DORIAN:
They went up to the 25th floor.

They shut down the elevator.

Transmit that security
footage to Maldonado,

so we can try and
I.D. these guys.

Officer Harrison,
call for backup

and begin evacuation protocols.

- Yes, sir.
- And be careful.

Perps are still
in the building.

You got it.

What's the plan?

I got no idea...

but we got 25 floors
to figure it out.

(woman sobbing)

MAN:
Hand over the phone.

MAN 2:
Shut your mouth.

MAN 1:
Hand it over.

Stop talking.

WOMAN:
Please don't hurt me.

MAN 1: Let me see
it... hey, hey.

I told you,

you sit down.

(clattering)

(panting quietly)

Hello.

What's your name?

Oh, you, you don't know
how to answer that, do you?

You're afraid if you answer,
you'll get hurt, huh?

Well... the only way
around that is...

that you answer honestly.

It's always the best policy.

Jenna.

Why don't you come
and join me, Jenna?

(gasps)

Yo.

We can start now.

Cops are still in the lobby.

Well, that's their fault.

It's time to get
their attention.

(beeping rapidly)

(screaming)

Out of the way, out of the way.

Stay down.

(crewmen shouting)

Police.
Keep moving.

FEMALE VOICE:
This is not a drill.

- What's going on? - Sir, we
need you to keep moving,

continuing out of the building.

- Go down the stairwell.
- What's going on out there?

- Out of the building, please.
- Take the rest of the day off.

Move to the stairs,
exit the back of the building.

What's the update, Stahl?

It's the Sanderson building
downtown.

John's on the second floor
ascending.

Ascending?

John!

What's your status?

Dorian says the building
is still structurally sound.

There's damage to the

third and fourth
emergency exits.

The southeast stairwell
is also blocked.

Emergency personnel
are getting people out

by the second story.

John, do not ascend.

Negative.

Continue to direct the employees
to the second floor

and go there yourself

until we know
what we're dealing with here.

I know what we're dealing with.

The assailants
are still in the building.

We're going after them.

Buy me some time.

You should initiate
the protocol.

Jam all comm signals coming
in and out of the building,

cut their communication,

and get me some backup.

John, if we jam

the signal, comms won't
make it out of the building.

We won't be able to communicate.

Leave the building now.

There's... I can't...

What... do...

Do you... (gibberish)

Christmas.

Did you just hang up
on Captain Maldonado?

Yeah, boring
conversation anyway.

I just love that you wear
your insubordination

like it's a virtue.

Did we evacuate the perimeter?

Per protocol,
three-block radius.

Yeah, this is Paul.

Lock down communications.

Initiate the jam.

Sequence initiated.

(rumbling, blipping,
electronic whirring)

PAUL:
Okay, signal active.

Switching to internal comms.

They jammed us.

All external communications
are blocked.

Law enforcement is nothing
if not predictable.

Alpha team, take the north side.

Bravo team, take the rooftop.

Hold your fire until instructed.

Clear.

Any more thoughts on that plan?

We're running out
of floors, John.

Well, I thought backup
would be here by now.

Guess we just keep moving up.

Maybe there's another option.

The entire air system

is interconnected.

We just have to make it
to the 23rd floor.

There's an access door
to the air system there that'll

take us up to where these guys are.
See?

Told you we'd
come up with a plan.

Hey.

What's with the disco face?

Got something to tell me?

Since the signals
are now being jammed,

every emergency call
being placed in this building

is bouncing back to me
because they can't get out.

Answer the calls.
We might get some information.

Hello?

(woman speaking
foreign language)

(speaking with woman's voice)

What are you doing?

In the Portuguese culture,
it is proven

that people find
a woman's voice more soothing

in moments of crisis.

WOMAN:
Hello?

(John's voice):
Hello.

I'm Detective John Kennex.

I'm an automated police officer
with a very difficult personality.

WOMAN (crying):
911?

Please remain calm.

I'm-I'm trapped with a gunman.

Please help.

Everything's all right.
Just take a breath.

What is your name?

(quietly):
It's Paige.

Hi, Paige.

What can you tell me
about the gunmen?

I don't know.

They have my sister...

(crying):
and others.

Listen, Paige,

I'm in the building.

I need to ask you
a few questions,

but first I need to know...
are you safe?

Are you out of harm's way?

I think so.

- For now.
- Okay, listen to me.

Where are you?
What floor are you on?

I'm on the 25th floor.

I'm in the utility closet.

(door slams)

MAN:
Next face.

You, on your knees.

On your knees!

WOMAN:
Oh, no, no!

Oh, God.

(gunshot) (others screaming)

(screaming, crying over comm)

JOHN:
Paige?

Paige, what's happening?

They've shot him.

Lou is dead.

(people crying)

Hey, dogface. Water.

(indistinct radio communication)

(glass shatters in distance)

MAN:
We got a body!

(officers shouting)

MAN:
Keep those people back!

MALDONADO: Those bastards.
What do they want?

Detective Paul,
initiate hostage protocol.

Send them the comm.
Send them the comm!

Get that drone in the air.
We've got to start negotiating.

BOONE:
Comm's here.

What's your name?

Captain Maldonado.

And you are?

Well, I'd tell you,
but I don't want

to nullify your efforts.

Now that we have
your attention...

we have some demands.

Paige, can you
hold the phone up

so I can hear what's going on?

I really hate to throw
out any more hostages.

Let's get down
to brass tacks, huh?

What do you want?

First,

get your snipers off the roof,
and tell those men

you have assembled out front
to stand down,

and keep them away
from the building,

or hostages will continue
to fall from the sky.

Tell Detective Paul
to have his men stand down.

Bravo team, stand down.

All clear.

Done.

What else?

We'd like three v-tols
on the roof

standing by, clear airspace
from here to the border,

and finally, I'd like

one fission igniter
delivered to me, please.

That's military-grade
technology.

I don't have that authority.

Well, then I suggest
you contact someone who does.

FEMALE COMPUTER VOICE:
Facial recognition identified.

Now, you listen to me, Lucas,

if you want me
to cooperate with you,

I need you to cooperate with me.

How many hostages do you have?

More than enough
to end your career

if they die.

You have 43 minutes.

Set the timer for 43 minutes,
and get me Rudy Lom.

(pants)

Hello?

Are you there?

Right here, Paige.

Is anyone coming?

You just hang tight.

We're gonna be with
you real soon.

Did you hear the phone call?

Yeah, I did. Thank you.

Just hold on a second.
I'll be right back.

(beep)

Is a fission igniter
as bad as I think it is?

It's a trigger mechanism
for a large explosive device.

Megaton level.

Megaton.

(comm beeps) Paige, you there?

Can you tell me how many
hostages they've got up there?

PAIGE (crying):
25 or so.

At least in this room.

It's hard for me to see.

You're doing great, Paige.

How's your sister?

This is all my fault.

She wouldn't be here
if it wasn't for me.

She's visiting from out of town.

She just stopped by

to have lunch...

and now she's all alone.

Paige, can you tell me
how many gunmen there are?

People keep coming and going;
I don't know.

Five... six, at least.

But there were more.

I'm sorry, I can't do this.

I'm so scared.

Paige, you ever
been ice fishing?

(Paige sighs)

No.

When I was 11 years old,

my dad took me ice fishing
to Lake McFarland.

We were coming back,
and all of a sudden

the ice cracked,
and I went right under.

I couldn't see,
I couldn't breathe.

I thought I was gonna die.

The water was so cold, it was
like thousands of needles

stinging every part of my body.

And then my dad jumped in,

and he grabbed me and started
dragging me back to shore.

Are you trying to
put her to sleep?

And even though we were
still in a lot of danger,

I felt safe.

I felt like...

everything was gonna be okay,

because I wasn't alone.

Paige...

you're not alone.

I'm with you.

Everything is gonna be okay.

Do you believe me?

(softly):
Yeah, I do.

All right, good girl.

You just hang in there.

(beeping)

Yeah. Paul.

MALDONADO:
Any sign of Kennex and Dorian?

Uh, nothing so far.

Keep your men back,
but I want drones

and spotters
on every window and exit.

I want to know
what's happening with my men.

Yeah, you got it, Captain.

There's no way
I can get a fission igniter.

What if there was a way
to give them what they wanted

and stall them at the same time?

What have you got?

I could build a replica.

What if they can spot a fake?

I can make one
that will pass a scan.

If they test it out
or try and use it immediately,

then we're out of luck.

That's risk we'll have to take.

Let's get started.

- Captain?
- Yep?

Lucas Vincent... he's
a high-level operative

in the Holy Reclamation Army,

a decentralized network
of terrorist cells

with anti-Western bias
and a history of hostage taking,

none of them ending well.

Last August they took over
an embassy near Tokyo.

Same MO...
they enter with force,

drew the attention of the media
and law enforcement

using human hostages as
collateral for their demands.

- What happened?
- They facilitated

the release of several
of their comrades.

Once they got what they wanted,
they released the hostages.

But they're not afraid
to take lives...

including their own.

DORIAN: You know, everyone
trips on stairs,

and it's calculated to occur
in one in every 2,222 occasions.

That's very interesting.

- You know what would be interesting, John?
- What?

If you told me that
ice fishing story again.

If you want to get in shape, we can
run the O-course every weekend.

O-can we?

Let's split up.

?

(ringing)

Dorian, you okay?

DORIAN (over comm):
John, get over here.

Floor's clear.

You okay?

You took one to the head.

Yeah, ricochet.

Whatcha got?

I'm not sure.

But there's writing on it.

"Start."

- Start?
- Start.

You I.D.'d him?

His name is Michael Demerais.

He's a member of
the Holy Reclamation Army.

So they're behind this.

Maybe not.

It's a facemaker.

So who's this guy?

His name is Gregor Stone.

He has a few priors
for armed robbery.

Why would they
impersonate members

of a radical organization?

(electrical crackling)
What's wrong?

My dynamic voltage scaling
has been damaged by the bullet.

You want to say that
a little less complicated?

I won't be able to walk
in five minutes.

Where are our v-tols?

I'm working on it.

Based on the frequency
at which these transmit...

I detect seven facemakers
in the building.

If they hide their identities,

why not just wear a mask?

Why pretend to be
something else?

That's a good question.

All right. (Sighs)

Let's try and fix you.

How does it look?

Yeah, it's, uh, totally fine.

You can hardly see it.

Okay.

So, what do I do?

All right, there's a
magenta colored tendon.

I need you to cut it.

All right, is...
is that thing clean?

Of course it is.

Are you sure?

Positive.

(crackling) (groans) Damn it.

- I said magenta.
- It was magenta.

- I said magenta. That was lavender.
- The hell's magenta?

There's 50 shades
of purple in there.

I'm telling you,
that was the lavender one.

- No, no. Okay, wait a minute.
- What?

- What are you doing with that?
- Gotta cut the wire.

That's not going
inside of my head.

- I'm your partner, trust me.
- If Rudy were here,

he'd have a really big issue
with you right now.

- John...
- Look, it could always be worse.

John, the statistics...
You're going to be fine.

(whirring, powering down)

Dorian?

Please stop looking at me
like that.

You have five minutes to deliver

the decoy fission device.

I'm working as fast as I can.

Four minutes, 45 seconds.

You can't put a clock
on perfection.

Clearly someone was rushing

when they designed
your manners chip.

(breathing anxiously)

PAIGE (over comm):
John, are you there?

I can hear you, Paige.

They've moved.

They keep going
to a corner window...

doing something.

What are they doing?

PAIGE:
I don't know.

(woman crying)

My sister... she's crying.

And one of the guards,
he keeps looking at her.

Look, I promise I'll get
to you soon, Paige.

What's your sister's name?

Jenna.

Jenna?

Her middle name's Gertrude.

Ooh, that's rough.

What's yours?

Oh, no. No, no,
we're not doing that.

Come on, tell me.

All right, but you better not
tell anyone, okay?

Police orders.

It's Reginald.

My dad was a big Elton John fan.

Who?

Elton John.

He's an old-time singer.

Apparently, his real name
was Reginald.

(gasps)

You okay?

PAIGE:
Huh?

Gross.

But good.

Something's happening.

LUCAS:
Get over here and help.

(groans) One of the gunmen,

he's hurt.

Who shot you?

There are two men
in the building.

Cops?

I don't know.

Where's Gregor?

We got separated.

BOONE:
Do you want us to look for him?

No.

Put more men on the stairwell.

No one gets up on this floor.

Go. You, go.

John, they know
you're in the building.

They sent a couple guys with
giant guns to guard the stairs.

Even if you do get up here,

how are you gonna get in?

Trust me, Paige.

We'll find a way to get to you.

LUCAS: I'm disappointed in
you, Captain Maldonado.

I thought we were getting along
so well.

I don't know what
you're talking about.

I said no cops.

I pulled my men back.

The only people I have there
are conducting the evacuation,

outside the building.

Then how do you explain
the two cops

my men just killed downstairs?

(quietly):
He's bluffing.

I don't know what men
you killed,

but they weren't mine.

We made a deal.

I get you what you want,
no one else dies.

When do I get
my fission ignitor?

It's on its way,
ten minutes or less.

Great. Every minute longer

is another body you'll be
scraping off the pavement.

(murmuring, crying)

(crying)

Keep your mouth shut.

PAIGE:
John?

I'm going out there.

I can't leave Jenna alone.

Paige, that's a bad idea.

I have to. I have to.

We're a few floors away.

She needs me.

I need her.

If we're gonna die...

(cries)

...I want to be with her.

She's my sister.

Now is my only chance
to blend in

without anyone seeing me.

Paige, just stay where you are.

I'll leave my phone open.

You'll be able to hear
what's going on.

Paige, it's too risky.

Listen to me, just stay put.

I have to.

Paige, please,

just listen to me. Paige.

Paige, are you there? Paige?

(speaking indistinctly)

I think I can do that.

I'm here.

It'll be okay.

MALDONADO (over comm):
Detective Paul?

Copy. The ignitor
is ready for delivery.

Come on.

Come on, come on, speed it up.

(coupling clicks, hisses)

It's good to go, sir.

Okay, waiting on your order.

Send it.

Let's get her up.

Excuse me.

I have to go to the bathroom.

You're not going to make me
pee on the floor, are you?

You've got 30 seconds.

MAN:
Hey, boss...

we're getting another delivery.

The drone's coming.

(lock whirs, clicks)

(shuddering exhale)

MALDONADO:
We had an agreement, Lucas.

We've operated
in good faith here.

LUCAS:
I believe in honoring a deal.

Stand by.

I'll let you know how we're
gonna release the hostages.

Let's hope they buy it.

Send the message
to the other crew now.

They should be ready.

It's time to wind this up.

What other crew?

Maybe there are more of them
in the building.

- Maybe they're outside the building.
- But the jammer's

still on.
If they have people outside,

they wouldn't be able
to talk to each other.

Unless they were talking
some other way.

"Start."

(whirring)

They must be using it

as some sort
of point-to-point communication

with someone in proximity

- of the building.
- Paige said the man in charge...

kept going to the window.

I didn't think
they'd come through.

What if there's
a tracking device?

We're not taking it anyway.

It doesn't matter.

(panting)

He doesn't want the tech.
That doesn't make sense.

Why take hostages and negotiate
for tech you don't want?

Maybe it's a diversion.

Yeah, but for what?

Are there any targets

of value
in the adjacent buildings?

The only target of any value is

a precious metal weigh station
specializing in palladium.

It's a heist.

Palladium. That would make
all this worthwhile.

(quiet clicking)

Wrap it up.

We're out of here in ten.

(woman crying in distance)

(clank, click)

Hang in there, Daniel.

When this is over,

we'll all be on
a beach somewhere,

you'll be as good as new.

I need a doctor.

Soon.

(beeping, whirring)

JOHN:
What's that beeping?

You and the guys pick
three hostages.

Why?

We may need insurance.

Let's pack it up.

John, they've activated
a light bomb.

They're gonna kill
the hostages.

What are you doing?

Sticking to the plan.
We're going up.

John, they know we're here.

They're expecting us
to come up the stairs.

We won't make it
to the 25th floor alive.

You heard him.

We have no choice.

I don't have a choice.

People's lives are in jeopardy.

You've been shot.
Your head's

full of bubble gum.
You can't do this alone.

I have to.

Then I'm coming with you.

You can't.

I'm designed to do this, John.

(cables rattling)

LUCAS:
It's time.

Jenna...

why don't you come with me.

No, no, no.
Don't you touch her.

Don't you touch her. Take me!

Let her go! I will shoot you!

I will shoot you! PAIGE: No, no!
Take me! No, leave her!

Take me! Please! Me!

(hostages screaming)

Police! Get down!

(grunts)

(yelling)

(electrical crackling)

(whirring)

What's your name?

I've never killed a man
I didn't know.

But then again...

you're not a man.

Are you?

Nice of you to show up, Gregor.

Where the hell have you been?

We thought you were dead.

(grunting)

(grunts)

(beeps) Maldonado?

John?

The hostages are secure.

The whole thing
is a palladium heist.

Shut it off... now!

They got us to block
the alarm system.

Turn the jammer off!

Detective Paul,
turn off the jammer now!

Shut it off.

(whooshing, powering down)

(computer trilling, whooshing)

(phones ringing)

(alarm blaring)

Let's go.

(door whooshes shut)

(indistinct shouting)

(sighs)

(panting)

(garbled radio transmission,
indistinct shouting)

Thank you.

PAIGE:
John?

You must be Paige.

(Paige laughs quietly)

Thank you.

No. Thank you.

You were very brave.

You helped save a
lot of lives today.

Where's your partner?

Oh, he's, uh...

he's getting patched up.

John, this is my sister.

This is Jenna.

Jenna, it's a
pleasure to meet you.

I've heard a lot about you.

(applause)

(applause fades)

I'm glad you're okay.

Thanks.

I've got some
intel on the perps.

Guy behind it all
was Gerald Leighton.

We linked him and his men

to four high-value robberies
in the last two years.

JOHN: Using police jamming protocol
to initiate a palladium heist.

Pretty elaborate
for a bunch of thieves.

It's going
to be a paperwork nightmare.

And I thought you had come
down here to thank me.

For what? Doing your job?

Just for the record,

I did tell you to get out
of the building, right?

I swear, all I heard was static.

Oi! I've got a bone to pick
with you, Detective.

Chewing gum? Really?

Would you fix a race car
with chewing gum?

Uh, yeah, if it was busted,
and I need to win a race.

He'll need extensive
diagnostics.

Ah, that can wait.

Come on, let's go
get some noodles.

You are aware that I don't eat.

Perfect. I'm buying. Let's roll.

Well, I'll just wait here,
shall I?

(engine revving)

Thank you for what
you did back there.

Don't mention it.

Besides, no one messes
with my coffee warmer.

Hey, John, you know
that story you told Paige,

when you fell through the ice
as a kid?

When that gun
was pointed at my head,

I felt something similar.

I-I didn't want to die.

I know it's not the same
with me, but...

Hey, dead is dead.

Yeah.

I suppose so.

Why don't you chuck
some music on?

? She's got electric boots,
a mohair suit ?

? You know I read it
in a magazine... ?

Elton John, huh?
You heard me, didn't you?

(sings along): ? Buh-buh-buh
Bennie and the Jets ?

ELTON JOHN:
? Bennie... ?

(joining in):
? Bennie and the Jets ?

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

Whatever you say, Reginald.

ELTON JOHN:
? Bennie ?

(singing along):
? Bennie ?

? Bennie,
Bennie and the Jets... ?