Biohackers (2020–…): Season 1, Episode 4 - Certainty - full transcript

Chen-Lu?

Don't worry, she's not here.

Hello, Emma.

You lied to him.

I didn't have a choice.

He's terminally ill.

What's wrong with you?

Personality disorders, dementia,
progressive muscle weakness.

Have you seen my eraser?

Who has my eraser?

He asked you a question.



Loser.

CALL ME! - NIKLAS?!
I NEED THE FILES

Fuck.

Morning.

Morning.

Feel like going to the game with me
tonight? SC against Eintracht.

-What?
-Freiburg against Frankfurt.

-A game called soccer?
-Sorry, Ole. I can't.

Why don't you ask Chen-Lu?

I can't, I'm meeting Double Felix.

I'm giving him a tour of the city.
Some labs, the hackathon and my plants.

Well, have fun on your date.

Date? No, it's not a date. He can
get me loads of DNA building blocks.

Yeah, right. CRISPR crack!



Hashtag "Bright Creations!"

He wants to invest in my plants.

He wants to invest
in your ovaries, Chen-Lu.

He wants me to show him
how to cultivate self-luminous plants

and inject the fluorescent protein
in the seed.

Like I said.

I have to go.

Is it hard to believe that he might
just want to CRISPR with me?

Sure, I believe that.

You're jealous because
he isn't investing in your plants!

I don't even have any plants!

Exactly.
You don't have a blue tick either!

I can buy fake followers
from Pakistan, too!

Go ahead!

I don't need to.
Because I have tickets to the cup match!

Have fun on your date.

It is not a date!

Damn it, Niklas, this isn't funny anymore.

Call me. Please.

MIA
HEY, HOW ARE YOU DOING TODAY?

I'VE NEVER BEEN BETTER. THANKS.

You're already here.

Morning.

You know you didn't have to work today.

I'm fine.

We need to be more careful
with your treatment.

Not rush things.

I still need you.

I don't like strangers
coming and going in my home.

I wanted to finish the experiments
and Mia needed to use the bathroom.

I'm sorry.

Won't happen again.

One more thing.

Did you unplug my Wi-Fi router yesterday?

No. Why?

Then it was Mia.

-Why would she unplug the router?
-That's what I'd like to know.

What does she know about our work?

Nothing.

Nothing?

No, of course not.

Oh, the router. That was me.

Yeah. The Wi-Fi wasn't working,

then I started getting a fever
and I forgot to plug it back in.

Seems urgent.

Don't work too long today, okay?

MIA
WHERE ARE YOU?

Hello? Hey. Is everything okay with you?

Everything's okay. I'm fine.

-Where are you?
-In the lab. Why?

Why are you whispering?

I... I'm in the library.
I have to go. Bye-bye.

Oh, fuck! What are you doing here?

I live here. And you?

I need my files.

Your files?

I know you have a problem with me.
Fine. But just give me the files.

Please.

-No.
-What do you want with them?

What do you want
with some patient's files?

That's not what they are.

-What are they?
-They're...

You have no idea what's going on.

Then just explain it to me.

You're really enjoying this, aren't you?

A little massage for your ego?

Shit. Okay, sorry, Niklas.
I didn't mean it like that.

Niklas.

Asshole!

Wait a second.

Oh, yes, I'm still waiting
for the final confirmation.

What else can I do for you?

Publish the students' exam results

to intensify the competition
before we select the best candidates.

And please send me
Mia Akerlund's CV again.

Okay.

Have you noticed anything about Mia?

Like what?

Has she behaved strangely,
asked weird questions, anything?

I don't think so.

Okay.

Actually, now that you mention it,
there was something a little strange.

HOMO DEUS
EXACT RESULTS

Hey, you all right?

-Oh, God!
-Sorry.

Jasper!

-I thought you were in the lab.
-Yeah, I'm supposed to do some research.

"How to do a gene transfer"?

No, more like "How to put a synthetic
Coxsackievirus in a mosquito."

Okay. And there aren't
any YouTube videos on that?

No, unfortunately not.

Will we see each other tonight?
I'd like to return the favor.

For what?

Do you remember saving my life last night?

Oh, right, I almost forgot.

I get out of here around five.
I'll pick you up, okay?

All right.

Last night, at Lorenz's place, did you...

Did I what at Lorenz's?

...unplug the router?

Remember what was going on?
You almost died down there.

I was running around
the whole house like a madman.

So, you did unplug it?

Yes, because the Wi-Fi wasn't working!

What kind of question is that anyway?
It was a very crazy situation yesterday.

Dude, I saved your ass,
and now I have to defend myself?

Shush yourself!

Calm down, it was just a question.

Lorenz is very particular
about things like that.

Very particular.

Hey, I know I can trust you.

I can, can't I?

Yes. You can.

Good.

See you later.

Give me five minutes
to explain myself. Please.

I'm sorry.

You're not an asshole.

The stage is yours. Five minutes.

Emma Engels,

the name on the patient file...

That's me.

Benjamin Engels is my twin brother.

Was my twin brother.
He was sick and only lived to be ten.

Lorenz was involved in his death.

She did something to him
and my dad knew about it.

-What you did to Ben...
-I did nothing, he was sick.

Out!

He had proof.

She's still behind us!

She's crazy, I'm telling you.

Mommy! Daddy!

My parents died right there.

Mommy!

Daddy!

And Lorenz thinks I'm dead, too.

I went to live with my grandma. New life,

a new name: Mia Akerlund.

I lost my parents, my brother, my home.
And I don't even know why.

I just know the answer is in these files.

If Lorenz finds out who I am,
then it was all for nothing.

I have a contact in Berlin. A journalist.

He knew my father and wants
to help me. But first I need proof.

Thanks.

I didn't say you could take them.

Don't you have anything better to do?

Coffee?

She asked about off-site storage.

And you? What did you say?

Well, that since the hack, you've been
saving the patient files at home.

And only the DNA is stored here.

That's it?

Yes.

I'm sorry if I did something wrong.

Bring me her DNA sample, please.

That's all, Monique. Thank you.

I'm getting nowhere.

These are records of genetic tests,
but I don't know what kind of tests.

I only know that they were conducted
at a fertility clinic where Lorenz worked.

Let me know if I can help you.

Sure. Please.
You decipher this mumbo jumbo.

A sociologist will know how to read
clinical studies with no context at all.

It says here these tests were conducted
by someone named "AKS."

That's Arnold K. Schumann.

What?

Yeah, AKS is Arnold K. Schumann.

Former lab technician in
the IVF Department at the Dreisam Clinic.

Your professor's colleague.
He lives in Basel now.

What? How do you know that?

I went through the members list
of the German IVF registry.

It's called research.

Basel, you say?

Yes, St. Ursicinus Nursing Home.

Okay, the last train
leaves at six minutes past five.

We can still make that.

I can manage on my own.

Okay, suit yourself.

Unless you want to come along.

-What?
-If there's nothing else, I'll get going.

Take a look at this, please.

Does she look familiar?

Who is it?

That's what I'm wondering.

Doesn't she have more reddish hair?

Is that supposed to be Mia?

DNA-based composite sketches aren't
accurate enough to reconstruct the face.

Besides, Mia's reddish-blond.

She has freckles, right?

Yes. So?

The corresponding gene variants
are missing in the DNA sample.

You don't think it's Mia's DNA?

Whose is it, then?

I know the Ethics Committee
uses undercover agents.

Mia is a spy?

You're being paranoid.

I know you like her.

But think for a moment
what's at stake here.

Believe me, I hope I'm wrong.

Yes, you are wrong.

See you tomorrow.

Damn it, man.

Hey.

-Back so soon?
-Yeah.

The guy from the library sold me
fake tickets. That little prick!

Everything all right?

I don't want to talk about it, okay?

Okay.

I just don't get it. I give him the tour,
show him the labs, totally cool.

We even take a detour to the bioreactors.
He's super interested and enthusiastic,

we talk the whole time, but somehow
what he says doesn't make sense.

No sense at all,
like he's not even talking to me.

So, I tell him to take out his AirPods.

He's annoyed and says
he has to meditate and goes behind a tree.

I don't think he did,
because later I walk by the hackathon

and he's taking selfies
with Vickie from Biochemistry.

You were right. That guy wasn't
interested in my project at all.

The guy is an asshole, Chen-Lu.

Double asshole.

Come on. Screw his building blocks.

We'll pour ourselves a nice homebrew
and then watch the game together, okay?

Hey.

Hey. Isn't Mia here?

Is Mia here?

Nope.

I'll give her a call.

JASPER

-Fuck.
-What's wrong?

Hello?

Yeah, hi. Sorry.
I'm still stuck at the library.

I have to figure this out by tomorrow.

Yeah, it's a pain.

But should we meet at 9 p.m. at Schlappen?

Okay. Looking forward to it.

Me, too. Yeah, bye.

Well, then, take care, all right?

Come in, we're watching football.
National league, first division.

Yeah, why not?

Should I pour you a homebrew, too?
It's a bit strong, but nice and hoppy.

No, thanks. I don't drink.

Okay.

Stop that.

What am I doing?

Turning the pages like that.

Want anything from the dining car?

You think I enjoy lying to Jasper?

I had to get to Lorenz somehow.
It doesn't mean I'm just using him.

So, you do like him.

Yes, of course I like him. But I've only
know him how long? A week?

I know he's your best friend.

And I don't want to hurt him.

But? But what?

-Why don't you tell him the truth?
-That's too risky.

He needs her for his therapy.
If he knew, it might endanger him.

Yeah.

Or he'll turn you in.

Next stop: Basel, Badischer Station.
Exit to the right.

...meanwhile, more possession of the ball.

At the beginning,
it was the other way around.

And the goal shots
for Freiburg in this half.

But maybe now, with Niederlechner,
Frantz offside.

That could've been better.

What does she know about our work?

-Can I take you out for dinner tonight?
-Are you stalking me?

I have a small lab of my own.

No way.

Don't touch anything.
You're not supposed to be in here.

Relax. I won't tell anyone.

Hey, I know I can trust you.
I can, can't I?

Yes.

She has freckles, right?

Yes, so?

The corresponding gene variants
are missing in her DNA sample.

Beer, huh? The first form of biohacking.

Monks were essentially
the first biohackers ever.

You might say that the monasteries
were the first bio high-tech labs.

Crazy, right?

I'm really sorry for causing chaos.
I shouldn't even be in here.

Can I help you?

It's fine.

Feel like getting a coffee later?

-Where's your bathroom?
-Bio break, that way.

Opposite Mia's room.

Hello.

My name is Anina Pepper,
and this is Joris Longini.

We'd like to see Arnold Schumann.

Arnold Schumann?

Dead.

What?

One more and I'd have won.

And not have been killed.

Fucking games.

Come on.

Mr. Schumann,

you have some visitors.

This is Anina and...

Joris.

Anina and Joris
have brought you some flowers.

Where is Hasi?

Hasi is dead.

He was here just this morning.

Hasi died a year ago.

Nasty little bastard.

He has good days and bad days.

This must be a bad one.

No, today is one of the good days.

Bedtime is 6:30, okay?

Have fun.

Nice day today, isn't it?

I know what you're up to, buddy.
I know all the tricks.

Joris, why don't you take a little walk?

Seriously?

See you in a minute, okay?

Mr. Schumann?

Sorry. Dr. Schumann, right?

Could you do me a little favor?

I need advice from an expert.

Well...

for a charming young lady like yourself,
any time.

Could you tell me
what Project Homo Deus is?

I have six children from three women.

These are your initials, aren't they?

You were a lab technician.

From 2000 to 2011, you worked
with Tanja Lorenz. Do you remember?

It's none of your business.

Here. This name:

Emma Engels.

That's me.

That's impossible.

Twins.

What was that?

Yes, yes. Definitely.

Engels.

Those were the twins.

What is Homo Deus?

Where is Hasi?

Hey! Arnold, look at me.

Tell me the truth right now. Or I swear
you'll never see Hasi again. Got it?

What did you do?

We wanted to rid the world...

of genetic diseases. We...

We needed test subjects
to research the cures.

No child should have been
born sick ever again.

What did you do to us?

The embryos were already sick, I thought.

What do you mean, you thought?

I couldn't have known that...

What, Arnold?

She purposefully caused the mutations.

Lorenz?

If I'd known that she had already
treated the subjects...

You deliberately made us sick?

The gene therapy worked on animals.
It was time to take the next step.

What happened to the test subjects?

-They didn't respond as hoped.
-They died, right? Like my brother.

The therapy didn't work.

Unfortunately.

Unfortunately!

How many children were there, Arnold?

I... I only wanted to do good.

I wanted to help.

But you're alive.

How is that possible?

She genetically modified embryos
to experiment on them?

That is so sick. That's...

Murder.

What do you want to do now?

I'm going to ruin her.
That's all I care about.

I want her to suffer
for the rest of her fucking life.

Why was I the one that survived?

I can help you find out.

If you want.

I have to meet Jasper first.

Yeah.

Hey.

You're drinking?

Sorry again. I just can't keep up with
my work, it's a bit crazy at the moment.

Who are you?

What?

Who are you?

Who do you think I am?

Who do you work for?

-What kind of a question is that?
-Health Department?

The Ethics Committee?

Seriously?

Yes.

What gave you that idea?

-I don't work for anyone!
-Don't lie to me!

-Don't just leave me sitting here.
-Jasper, you're drunk.

Why did you give Lorenz
a fake DNA sample, huh?

Everything all right here?

Yes.

Ethics Commission?

Is this still about the router?

Just tell the truth!

Yes, I gave her a false sample.

It may sound paranoid,

but I'm not too keen on having my DNA
saved indefinitely in the cloud

and then ending up in the hands
of some pharmaceutical company.

And I don't want to know
when I'm going to die.

But that doesn't mean
I work for the Ethics Committee.

I trusted you.

Yes.

That's a good thing.

Is that it?

I...

I really like you, Jasper.

What?

Jasper!

MEDICAL VISIONARY

LORENZ APPOINTED PROFESSORSHIP
IN FREIBURG

Yes?

Jasper, what is it?

You were right. Mia is lying.

She's faking her identity.

She's spying on you.

What does she know?

Too much.

I'll call you back.

Mia.

My name isn't Mia.

Subtitle translation by Carina Chadwick