Fringe (2008–2013): Season 5, Episode 2 - In Absentia - full transcript

The original Fringe Team
didn't vanish.

They aren't missing.

You're right.
They're in amber.

Previously on Fringe...

Olivia!

[Gasping] Olivia, breathe.

You're in the year 2036.

I want you to meet Etta.

Hi, mama.

Where's Walter?

Don't move!



Who freed you and your team
from the amber?

[Ah-choo]

What plan?

To defeat us?

(Computer)
Air control malfunction.

Walter!

Walter, do you recognize this?

It's meant to collect
and make sense

of the scrambled plan
in your mind.

What plan?

(Peter) You know, I think
that I would be happy

to stay here

for the rest of my life.

[Chuckles]



We should probably
get her home soon,

get her into a bath,

which is never easy.

I nominate you for that one.

Etta.

Come on, kiddo.
It's time to go home.

[Rumbling]

[People screaming]

(Peter) Etta!

Etta, come here now!
[Overlapping shouting]

[Background chatter]

Excuse me.
What happened?

You were caught in a blast.

(Peter) She was with us.
She was a... little girl.

- Peter? - I'm sorry.
No children were brought in.

That can't be right.

She was standing right in front of me.

People are lost
all over the city.

She's around here someplace.
Where are they taking the kids?

- Etta! Etta!
- Peter!

[Gasps]

You're okay.

You were dreaming about her?

You said her name.

I'm still trembling.

For us, it's like it all just
happened a couple of months ago.

But it didn't.

She's here, and we're here.

We're okay now.

[Door shuts]

Good morning.

- Not for Walter.
- Something's wrong.

Why?
What's up?

Not the thing working
can't it's not.

The thought unifier's
having adverse effects.

He's talking out of sequence.

Two hours ago
the Christmas tree Macy's sale

- to have a nap.
- Get that thing off of him.

Okay.

I'm not an amateur, Peter.

I need this contraption
if I am to retrieve

the plan to defeat
the observers

from the depths of my memory.

We don't know if there's
anything left to retrieve,

and we don't know
what that thing is doing to you.

[Speaks in Swedish]

Swedish?

He was speaking Portuguese
earlier.

Good morning.

I hope the floor
wasn't too bad.

Oh, no, I slept well.
Thank you.

Thanks.

So how's it coming?

So far we know that,

at some point in the past,
Walter knew

both Portuguese and Swedish.

Other than that, nothing.

Walter,
you've always documented things.

So are you absolutely sure

that you didn't write
anything down?

I can't remember,
but anything's possible.

Even if there were files,

you can't go back to Harvard.

We can't get in.

Why not?

It was taken over
by observers five years ago.

Some kind of base or...
no one knows exactly.

The entire four-mile radius
is a no-go zone.

What's wrong?
Why can't we get into Harvard?

It's been taken over
by observers, Walter.

Well, that's not a problem
for someone

who's done acid.

So are these barriers

around Walter's lab checkpoints?

Yeah. No one gets in
without paperwork.

Tunnels.

We don't have time
to dig tunnels, Walter,

or the manpower.

We don't have to dig them.

They're already there.

Steam tunnels.

Right beneath us, 2 1/4 miles

of tunnels that house
the steam pipes

that heat Harvard.

They stretch from the Cambridge
electric company plant

on Western Avenue,
to Soldiers Field,

to the Law School,
to the science labs.

They made sure the
entrances were well-hidden.

Few have seen the
mysterious passageways.

Peter.

Yahtzee.

(Guard) Your papers are in order.

Please proceed.

[Background chatter]

The temperature in the tunnels

usually hovers
around 100 degrees,

sometimes as high as 120.

You might want
to take that coat off, dear.

Sometimes Belly and I
would wear swim trunks

and speedos. [Clanking]

What was that?

[Clanking]

Quick, out of the way!

Hey.
I've been looking for you.

This way.

Oh, my.

I must have ambered it.

Why?

To protect it, I imagine.

What is it?

(Walter) It's my betamax
recorder on a tripod.

Look where it's standing.

Look at the blast pattern.

This is the amber point
of origin.

I must have been standing
right here

when I ambered this lab.

I don't think
I wrote anything down.

I think I was making a video.

(Astrid) The question is,

is the tape still in there?

There's only one way
to find out.

[Chuckles] When did
I switch to grape?

[Clatter]

On your knees.

(Guard) Who are you people?

(Peter) What are you doing here?

(Etta) He's a Loyalist.

He's not gonna tell us anything.

Gael Manfretti.

Nothing but bread crumbs.

Baldies feed you well, Gael?

(Peter) Maybe this was
part of his patrol.

Why would he have come here?

I mean, the place is abandoned.

For all we know,
we tripped some silent alarm.

Either way, someone's
gonna notice him missing

sooner or later.

We need to stay.

If that camera's the key

to helping Walter remember,
we have to get it.

I need the laser.

(Etta) What about the device
I used to free you with?

No, it won't work.

The amber's too thick.

It'll probably push
the camera further in.

I need a proper laser.

Well, Walter,
could you make one?

Where there's a will,
there's a way.

There's no power.
At all.

All the ambering
must have blown everything.

Yeah, Walter, I think it's blown
all the way

back to the campus substation.

Well, a laser needs power,
Peter.

The substation's in the basement
of the science building.

That's the only way
we're gonna get power.

We can get there
using the tunnels.

Well, wait a minute.
We don't even know

if it's the science building
anymore.

We have no idea what's in there

or what could be waiting for us.

We don't.
But he does.

I'm sure he knows plenty.

You don't seem to talk much.

I'm gonna give you
one more chance.

What do you know
about the science building?

You're a real open book.

It's okay.
I'm good at opening books.

Where did you get that?

It's not important.

What's important

is that I have it.

What do they use
the science building for?

[Shrieks]

I don't think you want
to waste any more precious time.

Criterion collection,
forgive me.

Walter,
it's just a laser disc player.

We need the laser.

- Peter.
- No, no.

No, it should be me.

[Chuckles]

Walter, I don't think
this laser disc tube

can generate enough power.

We need a better gain ratio.

Flying vermin.

You'd think after 21 years

the observers would have found

a way to get rid of them first.

Or at least found a use for them.

Maybe freeze-dry them
and hand them out

to the poor as sustenance.

We're gonna need
a helium-neon mix.

There should be one
or two canisters...

In the storage room
off my office.

I'll get them.

[Whimpering, grunting]

(Etta) I'm gonna ask you again.

What do we need to know
about the science building?

Etta?

What are you doing?

It's called an Angel Device.

It stirs up and destabilizes
every atom in his body.

Full-charge steals around 25, 30 years.

But this is a long way
from a full charge.

He's so disorientated
by the process

he loses the will to lie.

Or he holds out until his heart fails.

But most of them give us
what we need to know.

And if they don't?

- What are you doing?
- I'm giving him water.

You want to kill him, go ahead.

That's how you'll do it.

He can't have water yet.

Not for another three hours.

He's not worth a single tear.

Loyalists sell out
their own kind like rats.

I know you just woke up,

but look around you, mom.

Can't you see
what the observers have brought?

This is war.

And we're losing.

(Walter) Etta!

I'll be right back.

Just don't get too near him.

Walter, what's up?

Don't you wear a necklace?

The clasp was loose.

I took it off to try to fix it.
Why?

Then you won't mind
me melting it down.

Don't worry. We just need
the silver for solder.

Thank you.

How do I look?

Like you're in pain.

You know, my absence won't go unnoticed.

I don't believe that anybody's
coming to look for you.

See, I don't think
that you're here

because we were seen
or because we triggered

some sort of alert.

I think that you came here

to feed the birds.

Look, I'm guessing you're
probably not even supposed

to be in this building,

so even if you are missed,

this would be the last place
anybody would look.

You need to tell her
what she wants to know now.

You need to tell her
before you get worse.

You've already lost years
of your life.

Now come on. You must have
something to live for.

I'm trying to help you.

You don't have the authority
to do that.

Do you?

Well, what authority do I need?

You know, a Loyalist
just doesn't walk away

when they've been captured
by the Resistance.

How can you be so sure?

Where are you from?

Why?

You're new to the Resistance.

I've been around a lot longer
than you may think.

Look...

I'm not gonna survive this.

And I'm not afraid to die,

so I will tell her
what she needs to know

if you will go and tell my son

I'm not coming home...

and that I loved him very much.

I don't want him
to keep looking for me.

I don't want him
hoping he'll see me again.

I've seen that too many times,
people waiting for people

who never come home.

[Door opens and shuts]

Everyone has an access code.

You can't get in without one.

And what's in the building?

The main power grid
is still there.

Other than that, I don't know.

I don't go
below the first floor.

We don't ask.
Rumors mainly.

- What kind of rumors?
- Experiments.

On what?

On everything.

My access code

is a two-part code.

The first part is 010567.

And the second part?

Me.

Can we beat an ocular scanner?

We have his code
to access the building,

but there are scanners
at every point.

(Peter) Well, that didn't take long.

What's wrong?

(Peter) Where did this come from?

Barbaric.

What has the world come to?

How could the Resistance
create such a device?

We didn't.
The Loyalists did.

It's old second-gen
observer tech.

It was designed to prepare
observers for time travel.

But, as you can see,
the Loyalists figured out

a new way to use it on us.

No reason we shouldn't use it on them.

[Whistles blow]

[Shouts, vehicle approaching]

It's just a transport truck.

We're okay.

Well, as far
as ocular scanners go,

the only surefire way
is to bring him with you.

It's impossible.
Look at him.

I'm gonna look at your eye.

And, if you can't bring him
with you,

- there's only one way.
- I agree.

Walter, you can't.

Of course I can.

Rather easily in fact.

Astril, I'm gonna need
a sharp scalpel

and my long-handled
stainless spoon.

[Grunts]

I'll need another.

Pay attention to the texture.

Make sure it's spongy.

You know, the
vietnamese consider pigs' eyes

to be a delicacy.

Even ones that have been sitting
in formaldehyde

for 20 years?

Yes, that should do nicely.

Are you sure
this will work, Walter?

"In a pig's eye."

I wonder what the origin
of that term--

Walter. [Grunts]

Certainly. An iris
is like a fingerprint.

Each has
its own unique pattern.

And, if we can mimic
that pattern,

we can trick the scanner

into thinking
that this pig's eye

is our tattooed friend there.

The world has changed so much.

It can be difficult
to understand it.

I'm not sure I want
to understand it.

Not bad.

Yeah?

You're next.

How's he doing?

He's getting there.

Thank you.

For what?

When I said it was logical
for me

to go turn the power on
instead of you.

That I know protocol
if something goes off track

and that Peter should go
because he's the engineer.

I appreciate
you respecting my experience.

'Cause I know
you'd rather it be you.

I know you like
to be in control.

So do I.

I did my best,
but it has to be exact.

Well, is this exact?

We'll find out.

[Background chatter]

[Elevator beeps]

Gentlemen.

Why does someone
join the Loyalists?

Pain.

There were Resistance fighters

near my building.

They were gonna blow up
a city bus

- full of them.
- Invaders.

My children were outside.

One of them was killed.

My oldest boy.

I'm sorry.

I know something
about losing a child.

So, after that moment,

I just wanted to be safe.

You know, I was angry
at the Resistance

because...

it's hopeless.

So I do this job.

They give us
a safe place to live,

get taken care of,
they look after us.

And I don't have to worry,

at least about my boy.

I'll never understand
you people.

You can't win.

The world would be
a much safer place

if you just stopped trying
to fight them.

What's Manfretti doing
in building four?

That's not his sector.

Manfretti, come in, over.

Manfretti?

Answer it.

We had an agreement.

Now answer it.

Hey, there.
What's up?

The hell you doing accessing
the medical science wing?

You're supposed to
be in sector seven.

Tell them that you needed
to change a fuse.

A fuse blew.

I went to fix it.

Since when does security
change fuses?

Who asked you to do that?

Number 19.

Big guy 19, really?

Yeah.
Really.

Change your stupid fuse

and get back to your post.

[Beeps, clicks]

You knew
if they went to that area

they wouldn't be cleared.

No, I didn't.

I've never been anywhere
I wasn't supposed to be.

(Etta) Simon.

Etta?

Etta, no, no, stop, stop.

What are you doing?
We have to keep on moving.

Think of the tape.
Think about what's on it.

Think about your future.

There will be a time
for vengeance

and a time for grieving,
but it is not now.

Stop.
Stop.

They'll pay
for what they've done.

I promise.

(Manfretti) Do you really
think you can win?

Well, we have to win.

So that all the people
that died, including your son,

didn't die for nothing.

Now.

[Music playing]

Let there be light.

(Astrid) Walter, we have to turn them off

or someone could see us.

Wait.
Let's see if this still works.

[Music turns off] Yes.

- You ready?
- Yeah.

[Grunts]

Invigorating.

You want a go?

Peter?

What happened?

[Door shuts]

Etta.

I'm really sorry
about Agent Foster.

Freedom has its costs.

Simon knew that.
Get up.

You're traveling.

Where are you taking him?

He's useless to us now.

I'm turning him over
to the Resistance.

(Olivia) He says no one
ever comes back.

And Resistance fighters
don't come back

when they're taken in
by loyalists.

HQ will get whatever else
they can from him

and dispose of him, and the world will be

a tiny bit safer.

(Olivia) Look, I know
you're upset right now,

but he did give us the code.

Yeah, of course he did.

It's natural human instinct.

To live as long as possible.

It's the same quality they use

to turn us into slaves.

He joined them
in order to protect

what was left of his family,
you know, his son.

He's a liar.

That's what they're trained to do.

He has no son.

He gave you the code because he
saw in your eyes a weakness.

He saw in your eyes
that you could be manipulated,

that maybe, maybe he could
convince you to let him go.

But that's not gonna happen,
sweetheart.

Etta,

I understand how hurt you must be.

You don't know my world.

You're right.

I don't know your world.

But I had hoped for you that,

wherever you were,

you weren't hardened
by what had happened to you.

And it's not that I don't see

what the observers
have brought, I do.

But what concerns me more

is what they've taken away.

This is the world.

It is what it is.

Don't move.

[Door opens and shuts]

143 Dunstable Street.

Number seven.

His name is Oscar.

I keep my word.

I know you do.

Walter.

I need a sedative. [Murmurs]

That can be arranged.

[Door opens]

That's a comm device.

If Walter needs anything else
for the laser,

I'll be able to get it for him.

There you are.

You don't have a son, do you?

No.

I was hoping,
right up until the last minute,

that she could somehow
convince you.

You were right about me.

I became a Loyalist

because I'm a coward.

Get out of here.

I'm gonna fight.

For the Resistance.
I want you to know that.

You don't have to lie anymore.

I already let you go.

Well, that's why this time

I'm hoping you believe me.

I mean,
this can come in useful.

There aren't
many Resistance fighters

with an active tat ID.

You said I saw something in her eyes.

You were right.

There was a certainty

that I've never seen before,

and I don't know
how to explain it

other than to say I felt...

for the first time

that we were supposed to win.

Why are you letting me live?

Something that I saw
in her eyes as well.

Pity.

Pity for who?

For all of us.

Got it.

It looks like the heat
from the laser

might have damaged the PVC.

It might have damaged the tape.

I told you
we should have gone slower.

Whoever you are,

if you found this tape,

you've retrieved it from amber.

If you are watching this,
then you know very well

that the observers
have invaded.

I am most probably dead,

and unfortunately my plan
to stop them has failed.

I have documented all the parts
of the plan on videotapes.

You must recover each tape

and follow the instructions on
each of those tapes

to retrieve all the parts of the plan.

Once you do so,

what you need to do
will be clear to you.

If successful,

this plan will restore us

and rid the world
of the observers.

You were chosen for this.

This is your destiny.

I understand
if you're frightened.

It will not be easy,
but I trust

that the same will
that brought you here

will keep you going.

It--

Gentle, Peter.
[Comm device beeps]

I'm on my way back.

Okay.

(Peter) Here we go.

But I trust

that the same will
that brought you here

will keep you going.

It is important
that you follow the tapes.

You must begin
this journey right away.

You are humanity's only hope.

Now you must retrieve the first tape.