Pulse (2021–…): Season 1, Episode 2 - Episode #1.2 - full transcript

♪ Dramatic music

[screaming]

[screaming]

[Pulse Promo narration]
Electromagnetic pulse bomb.

Fries every electrical circuit.

Fries people's heads.

In a total lockdown,

which character will you play?

Will it be "Germaphobic Cole'?"

Or "Psychopath Fitch'?"

Or will you chose me?



I'm "Alice'.
My syndrome is "Wonderland'.

It's my one edge,
against the "monsters'."

[electronic beeps]

[Martin] Games in the box!
Jaz, it's done!

[Martin] You should feel proud
of yourself.

[Jaz] You think he's satisfied?

[Martin] Ja, with himself!

[Errol] They made me a producer.

So these days, all I do is
herd goats.

[Jaz] Even if it's over a cliff?

[Dom] Eddie Coetze.
Still playing games.

[Eddie] You made too
many compromises.

[Jaz] Spoken like a true gamer.

[Eddie] I made some suggestions.



[Errol] We're getting
love-letters from Eddie now?

[Jaz] It's more notes.

[Errol] From the security guy?

[Jaz] You've seen those
rubber-bands at his wrists.

[Jaz] He's a package wrapped
way too tight.

♪ Sinister music

[Jaz] What the hell was that?

[Caspar] Something's wrong
with Martin.

[Jaz] Martin, can you breathe?

[Caspar] It's got to be a
power-surge?

[Errol] Are you gonna make it,
Marty?

[Jaz] We are getting him
out of here!

[Errol] Oh, boy!
Trouble's coming!

[Caspar] More tremors?
Like an after-shock?

[Errol] Exactly like.

[Eddie] And it's back!

[Jaz] Aah!

[electrical buzzing]

[Eddie] In case of an emergency,

move calmly towards the exits.

[Eddie] But what if there are
no exits?

[Charlie] Help!

[Errol] Someone decided we
should play this game for real.

[Dom] "The Janitor' is here."

[Dom] Follow Him.
He will save you all.

♪ Dramtic music ends

[banging on wall]

[Abraham] We need to get the
fuck out of here!

[Abraham] Aah!

[Sibile]
What are you doing?

[Abraham] Getting out of here!

- [Abraham] Come on, let's go.
- [Sibile] No, I don't feel bad.

[Abraham] Sibile, trust me,
we have to go now, ok!

[distant yelling and banging]

[Jaz] Look...

Maybe it's not as bad
as it seems.

[Errol] Now where's the fun
in that, huh?

[Caspar] We just swapped
smoke and fumes for

mold and spores and rat-shit.

[Jaz] Which is the least of
our problems.

[Caspar] This mean building
hated us, even before the pulse.

[Caspar] And now...

[Caspar] 'Mean' just turned
malicious.

♪ Dark music

[Caspar] I'm telling you,
it's not safe in here!

[Errol] You listen here,
pumpkin!

We're not safe in here,
from anyone...

including ourselves!

And "The Janitor'!"

[Errol laughs hysterically]

[hissing air]

[Sibile] Hello!

[Abraham] Anyone?

[Sibile] Hello!

[clattering underfoot]

[ominous sounds]

[Frank] Is anybody there!

[Frank's voice echoes]

[Dom] Bleating sheep.

In need of direction.

[Jaz] You got a plan, Dom?

[Dom] Yes...

Save us all.

[Jaz] Great plan.

[Jaz] Only I got bad history
with "shepherd-types'."

[Jaz] Turned out more of a wolf.

[Errol hisses]

♪ Menacing music

[ominous whispers]

[Sibile] What are you looking
at?

[Abraham] Shadows.

[muted voices]

[whispering voices]

[Abraham] They're not mine.

[Sibile] Move on!

[eerie squelching]

[Frank] Please! Help me!

[keyboard clacking]
[office phones ringing]

[Rynette] There's still so much
to do, Thabo...

[phone clatters down]

[dialing tones ring]

[scissors snip]

[Caspar] I need water!

[Errol] Yeah!

[Errol] Sure. A "Power-up'."

[Errol] Regeneration.

[Jaz] There's a dispenser below
us.

[Dom] The first thing we need...
is water.

[Caspar] I just said that!

[Dom] There's a dispenser below
us.

[Jaz] I just said that.

[Dom] And the dispensers,
like you,

are his responsibility.

[Caspar] Why's he talking
in "third-person'?"

[Errol] Well, maybe that's the
only person left.

[cacophony of office sounds]

[scissors snips]

[slithering sounds from ceiling]

[Rynette] Someone's coming.

[Rynette] Visitors.

[Rynette] There's just so
much to do.

[eerie whispering]

[fog hisses]

[crawling sounds]

[Abraham gags]

♪

[Sibile] Frank!

[Sibile] It's a message...

[Sibile] From God.

[Sibile screams]

[Caspar] What the hell was that?

[Errol] Great rendering.

[Jaz] Well, it sounds to me,
like it's better down there...

than it is up here.

You coming?

[Caspar] Aah!

[Errol] All this time and we
finally made it

to the other side of the door.

Fuckin' great!

[Dom] Someone took the fire axe.

[Dom] Someone took the water.

[keyboard clatters]

[Caspar] What?

Rynette?

[Jaz] My God!

[Jaz] What has it done to
everyone?

[Rynette] Well... I can't work
with a headache.

[Jaz] I know how that feels,
Rynette.

[Rynette] It was so long...

The weight!

[Jaz] And who's got time
for the hairdressers, huh.

[Rynette] I'm so busy...

[Rynette] It's way more
practical.

[Errol] Oh, and it suits.

[Rynette] Do you like it!

[smacks his lips]

[Errol] Umh!

[Jaz] Madness!

[Eddie] Got to be a
"Relentless Stalker'!"

The nemesis in the vents!

[crawling sounds from ceiling]
[Eddie] It's a given!

[Jaz] Eddie?

[Caspar] He's up there...
Right behind us!

[Eddie] Format's tired, sure.

[Eddie] But in "survival-horror,
it's a staple."

And I'm here to refresh it!

[Eddie] Your nemesis has got
heart.

[Jaz] And he's talking to us.

[Jaz] You know Eddie?

[Errol] Yeah, the creepy guy!

[Errol] The Security guy who
ain't so secure!

[Caspar] Ssh, ssh!

[Errol] A fuckin' peeping Tom!

[Caspar] He's coming!

[Jaz] And I don't think
we want that.

[Jaz] He was already a little strange
even before things got... crazy.

I mean, who knows what
he's like now.

[Jaz] Come with us...

[Rynette] No, I can't.

[Jaz] You've got to!

[Jaz] We don't know what
that thing's done to him.

[Jaz] And none of that sounds
like it was any good.

[Jaz] Have you seen his arms?

He hurts himself.

[Jaz] He might want to hurt us.

[Jaz] Or you!

[Rynette] I'll be fine.

[Eddie] Like bugs in the game.

Mistakes get made.

[Eddie] They gotta be cleared!
Gotta crunch those bugs!

[Eddie] You... you're the bugs
in your own game!

[banging]

[Caspar] What does that mean?

[Jaz] Trouble!
Like there isn't enough.

[Jaz] It means he's coming here.

For us!

Maybe for you.

[Jaz] We gotta move!

[Rynette] You guys are just
being paranoid.

[Errol laughs] - [Rynette]
Of course... there's Thabo.

[Rynette] Can't speak for him,
but,

he's terribly agitated.

[Rynette] Actually...

Thabo's the one with the axe.

♪ Face paced music

[Thabo] It's my water.

[Thabo] I need it.

[Jaz] Our man with a plan.

[Errol] Casually approaching
the guy with the axe.

Genius.

[feet clanging]

[Dom] I'm going...

[Dom] "The Janitor' will save
her."

[keyboard clatters]

[Rynette] No! No! No!

[Jaz] She says she isn't coming.

[Dom] She says she isn't coming!

[Jaz] We tried. Okay?

But right now, you don't get to
save anyone else, but us.

[Errol] Power-ups?

[Dom] This is no time for
make-up.

[Caspar] We're not following
that guy with an axe.

[Jaz] Eddie's coming.

His issue's with us.
"Us' includes you!"

So I'm betting our company's
better than his. Right?

[breathes heavily]

[someone screaming for help]

[Caspar] The building, the
people.

People's heads!

An EMP will do that.

[Jaz] Yeah, but look at us!

[Jaz] We're still functioning.

I mean...

Poorly, perhaps, but we
haven't lost it completely.

[Caspar] Not yet!

[Jaz] Yeah, but why not?

[Errol] Who the hell cares?

It gives us an advantage.

[Caspar] You don't care!

A psychopath is always a
psychopath.

[Caspar] For you, life was
always just a game.

[Errol] And now it's full of
monsters!

[Caspar] Look at him!
He loves it!

[Errol] It's a bunch of nerds.

[Errol] Social inadequates.

The last of the post-production
"cellar-dwellers',"

working out of hours.

[Errol] How fucking dangerous
can that be?

[metal tears]
[Caspar screams]

[Errol laughs hysterically]

[metal tears]
[Errol laughs hysterically]

You missed! Motherfucker!

♪ Racing music

[Jaz] Oh no!

[metal tears]

[metal tears]
[Caspar] Ah!

[Thabo] I can hear you!

[Thabo] Talking about me!

[Dom] "The Janitor' will talk
to her."

[Dom] Ask him to join us.

[Dom] To share the water.

[slicing]

[Jaz] Thabo's not comfortable
with that idea, Dom.

[Thabo] Stop...

following me!

[Thabo] It's my water.

[Thabo] I need it.

[Thabo] You can't have it!

[Thabo] Aah!

[Errol] You stole Rynette's
hair spray?

[Jaz] You reckon she wanted
more hairspray?

I left her with the scissors...

It looks like she wanted the
scissors!

So this is what we've got!

[Jaz] Ignore the grill!

[Jaz] Take the off-shoot!

[Caspar] What "off-shoot'?
I don't see it."

[Jaz] I see it!
It's down there!

[Dom] What about the water?

[Jaz] Who cares!
Take the off-shoot!

[scrabbling and scuffing]

[Jaz] Take me!

[Eddie] Nice hair!

[Rynette] Hello, Eddie.

[Rynette] Just trying
something new.

[Rynette] Those guys...

[Rynette] They seem very
unsure of you.

[Eddie] I'm not taken
seriously enough.

[Rynette] Mm...

[Eddie] But you can help
with that.

[Rynette] I told them!

[Rynette] And I'm telling you...

I am not leaving!

[Eddie] Exactly that!

[Errol] So "Wonderland'
shows the way."

[Errol] And with real game-play
potential...

You may have the one syndrome
in the place,

actually lookin' out for its
host.

[Caspar] It did help.

[Errol] Fuckin' amazing
survival-mechanism, Sweetheart!

[Errol laughs]

[Errol] Oh, I'm stickin'
with you, kid.

[Errol] Mwah!

[Errol claps hands]

[Eddie] When it's all about
atmosphere.

Gently rising tempo...

You go all "slash-happy'
at my players."

Don't you know...

the antagonist never hurls
himself straight off against

the protagonist?
But then again,

[Eddie] you're not the
antagonist, are you?

[Eddie] Here, hold this.

[Thabo] Aah!

[Jaz] Who the hell was that?

[Caspar] Was that Thabo?

[Dom] "The Janitor' could
have saved him."

[Jaz] I think Eddie found Thabo!

[Errol] Thabo's the one
with the axe.

Maybe he found Eddie?

[Caspar] Either way, everyone's
freaking out, everywhere.

[Jaz] Maybe they are,
but we're still in check.

We're still being rational.

[Errol] Eh! We think we are!

[Dom] "The Janitor' will have
have his day."

[Caspar] "The Janitor', who
thinks he's Superman?"

How rational is that?

[Jaz] The pulse "prodded'
us all."

That's clear...

But how badly?

[Caspar] It's bad!

[whispering] Really bad.

[muffled coughing]

[Eddie] The importance of story.

And environment.

♪ Dramatic music

[Jaz] Maybe, maybe some of us
stayed more sane than others.

"Cause we were in our own rooms."

[Jaz] Us in the office.

[chatter]

[Jaz] Eddie, listening in from
the Monitor Room.

[Dom] "The Janitor' in the
store-room."

[Jaz] Yeah!

[Jaz] Conducting, metal-lined
boxes.

[Jaz] I saw the mesh
beneath the plaster,

when the pulse hit...

Maybe it worked like
a Faraday cage?

Boxes that took most
of the pulse around

rather than through us,

stopping the worst of it
from climbing into our heads.

But still, I know them.

We spent months together,

exploring each other's psyches
for the game.

With them I can likely guess at
what's coming my way.

With you?

I can't.

I don't know you, Dominic Boyd.

I don't know you... at all.

And I need to...

if we're going to keep you.

So, if you're going to be
our hero?

- [Dom] Yes.
- [Jaz] I need more!

[Dom] "The Janitor' can help."

[Jaz] I've made bad
decisions before.

[Dom] Look, I just want to help.

[Dom] Just let him prove
it to you.

[Jaz] Seems you can also
slip in and out

of the third person narrative
when it suits.

[Dom] He does that.
Sometimes.

[Dom] He's also mysterious.

[Dom] So don't fall in love
with him.

- [Jaz laughs]
- With you?

- [Dom] Oh, it could happen!
- [Jaz] Ah.

[Dom] You could be tempted.

It's understandable.

In a highly-charged
situation like this...

[Errol laughs mockingly]

[Errol] Yeah, sure.

Elevated psychosis can lead to
inappropriate intimacy.

[Dom] Anything is possible.

[Errol] People lose their
inhibitions, hm?

[Jaz] So you just a
narcissistic, self-centered...

[Dom] Anything might happen.

[Jaz] Yeah.

[loud rumble]

Sure.

Who knows?

I got you, Dom.

Messianic. Grandiose.

You're probably some bovine
idiot, who could really fuck us up!

But, you're benign.

It's a start.

[Caspar] This place...

oozes like a festering boil.

[electric crackle]

[electric crackle]

[electric crackle]

[electric crackle]

[Caspar] There's a cancer
in its lungs...

We're breathing it in.

[crawling sounds]

I can't go on in here.

[Caspar] I won't.

[electric crackle]

[Jaz] Errol!

[Jaz] It's Caspar.

[Caspar] I can't. I'm sorry.

[Jaz] Hey!

[electric crackle]

[screaming]

[Jaz] Hey!

[Jaz] Stay sharp!

[Errol] As a knife, Sweetheart.

[Jaz] Help Caspar.

[Errol] Sure thing.

[Errol] Now-now, don't you go
all fuckin' "Rynette' on me, okay."

[bugs crawling]

[Errol] Huh-ah!

Don't you worry.

[Errol] Remember...

[Caspar breathes heavily]

I am right behind you.

[water dripping]
[hollow echoes]

[axe grinds on metal]

[Jaz] It's getting warmer in
here.

It's getting hot.

[Errol] And it fucking stinks.

You seen this dead shit
underfoot?

[Caspar] Stop it.

[Errol] Dead-shit.
A lot of dead shit!

[Caspar] I'm not looking,
alright?

[Caspar] Aah!

[Errol] Jump-scare, Pumpkin?

[Jaz] It's Abraham.

[Errol] Death suits him.

[Errol] Come on!

It's quite a look!

[Jaz] Those have got to be
Eddie's notes.

[Caspar] They can't be.
He's behind us!

[Jaz] The scissors?

[Caspar] Are Rynette's.

[Jaz] So is this...

they're hers.

[Errol] These are definitely
Eddie's notes.

[Errol] The same Eddie who was
behind us in the vents.

[Jaz] And who is now in front..

[Caspar] How did he do that?

[Dom] You sure they're hers?

[Jaz] I don't know, Dom.

[Jaz] Maybe I'm imagining it!

Or maybe it's "cause I rememberr
swinging them at you!"

[Dom] As long as you're sure.

[Jaz] Eddie left this here.

[Jaz] He's telling us he's here.

He's in control.

He comes and goes when he wants,

he kills who he wants,

and he'll kill when he wants.

[Dom] Eddie Coetze didn't
kill Abraham.

[Dom] It was the monoxide.

[Caspar] Toxic fumes?

[Errol] Killer-Fog!

That's what we named it
in the Game.

[Dom] Look at him...

[Dom] There is foam on his lips,
and his nose.

[Jaz] Yeah, I can see that!

That's how we wrote it.

[Dom] So not just a
"Janitor-thing', then?"

[electric crackle]
[Jaz] Errol?

[voice echoes]
[Jaz] What are you doing?

[Psychopath Fitch]

[electric crackle]

[Psychopath Fitch]
User-interface in real-time...

No pausing the game.

No pulling the player out.

Total immersion in the game...

Of course, if I pick that up,
I know I get attacked

straight by some whacko.

You want a piece of me?

Come and get it!

Ooh...

Argh...

Ummgh...

[Errol] You killed me?

[Jaz] I need you.

[Jaz] We need you.
Right here.

[Errol] Don't you worry,
Sweetheart!

I'll be there when the
credits roll.

[Caspar] What is that?

[Caspar] They've been cooked!

[Dom] Monoxide ignites at
a naked flame.

[Jaz] The explosion...

[Caspar] Ground Zero.

[Caspar] Gasses all burned up.

[Errol] There we go...

Killer-fog's gone, Pumpkin.

Nothing to worry about.

Just us folks.

[wind blowing]

[Denny] I'm creating the wind.

Because everybody knows the wind
keeps the fog at bay.

And the fog is coming back.

[Denny] Do you hear the
modulating white-to-pink noise?

[Eddie] The fog's gone.

Down the building.

[laughing]
[Denny] It's coming back...

[Denny] I suppose I should
filter.

Automate the cut-off frequency.
The resonance...

But then, the digital methods
are somewhat static.

[Eddie] And no longer optional.

[Denny] Besides, I prefer the
bicycle method.

[Eddie] How do you know
it's coming back?

[Denny] The fog?

[Denny] I can hear it.

[Denny] I can hear the fog in te
old pipes.

[fog hisses]

[Dom] How did Eddie Coetze get
in front of us?

[Denny] To the Foley-pit... The
old showers. Great acoustics.

Fog, and flame...

[Denny] Brief vacuum.

What isn't vaporized,
blows both ways.

Till it stalls.

[Denny] Till it comes right
back.

[Denny] Both ways!

[clanging]

[sprockets whir]

[clanging]

[Denny] No!

[Denny] Be gentle!

[Dom] Just how did Eddie Coetze
get up-front?

[Jaz] Some other time, Dom.

[Caspar] It's getting cold.
Do you feel it?

[Eddie] Sound matters!

Matters a lot!

Sound enhances the story.

[metal clang]

[Eddie] Puts the players firmly
in an environment...

[metal clang]

Environment is the story.

[fog hisses]

[Jaz] The Fog!

[Jaz] It's dropping with the
cold outside air.

[Errol] It's coming our way!

[Dom] I got it.

"The Janitor's' got the answer!"

[Dom] Eddie Coetze's got a key!

[Errol] Run!

[Dom] It's how he got in
front of us.

[Jaz] Dom!

[Dom] Eddie Coetze's
got a master-key!

[Jaz] Run!

[Eddie] Players should
relate to,

interact with their environment.

[Eddie] Immersion's the key.

In the environment.

In the images.

[Eddie] In the sounds!

[Denny] And great acoustics!

[Game Mode]
[Psychopath Fitch]

[growl]
♪ fast paced music

[coughing]

[Eddie] Best is in the dark...

[Eddie] With sounds that
let the players

create their own visuals.

Their own monsters...

Build them in their own heads.

The dark... is always the worst.

[Errol] I don't want to die.

[train horn blares]
[Dom] Who's there?

[Dom] Who is that?

[voice echoes]
[Julia] Umm. Who is that?

[Julia] And who else would it
be, Dominic?

[Dom] Julia?

I didn't expect to see you.

[Julia] Do I need to make
an appointment?

[Julia] Umm, oh, Dominic!

[Julia] After everything we've
been through.

[Dom] The fog... it's gone!

[Julie] But never your cloying a
of self-pity. Am I right?

[Julia] Have I ever told you this
hurts me more than it hurts you?

[Dom] Yes, you have,
lots of times.

[Julia] For what good it did?

For what good you were.

[Dom] I always did my best!

[Julia] Um, never added up
to much,

just promises,
never quite delivered.

You always let me down.

[Dom] I won't let them down.

I'm saving them, you'll see.

More promises?

[Julia] "I'm sorry'."

[Julia] Is that what you wanted
me to say, hm?

I'm sorry for all the pain
I've caused.

Sorry that I pushed you?

I'm sorry that I had to tell
you the hard truths.

[Dom] You'll see.

This time, you'll see.

[Julia] Um, so much time...

So much wasted time!

[Dom] I can lead us all out.

[Julia] Lead? You?

[Julia] Who do you think you
are, hmm?

[Julia] Oh! I know!

[Julia] Someone that never could
live up to expectations.

[Julia] Finally made it all the
way to mediocrity.

[Dom] There's no one else.

[Julia] Oh yes, there is.

[Julia] Of course there is.
[laughing]

[Julia] And you know who!

[Julia] You know!

[Dom] Eddie.

♪ [Julia] Eddie

[train horn blowing]

[static crackle]

[screaming]

[Eddie] I want a complete
loss of control.

Complete disempowerment!

[Jaz] That isn't right.

I said the bread
and read the shed

that the shed at
the head of the bead

the shed was red,
just like the bread...

[electric crackle]

[Eddie] Just the one question!

Who's the woman in the deep-end?