StartUp (2016–…): Season 3, Episode 6 - Authentication - full transcript
As Araknet enjoys an uptick, Nick grows paranoid that his covert plot will be discovered. When Wes decides to bring in an old friend for financing, Mara rebels and reveals a damning secret....
-Izzy: I'm not like a spy or anything.
-I'm not asking you to be a spy.
I'm asking you to be you.
Kindest, prettiest, most charming version of you.
-What're you doing here? -Ronnie invited me. Where is he?
-I don't know.
-(gunfire) -(shouting)
-Good lord, look how great you look.
-Doctor: Well, I never expected you
to be dealing with this sort of thing.
-What sort of thing, Doc? -Panic attack.
-Who is the biggest data miner? -Broken Egg.
-And if I'm Broken Egg, companies hire me, and then I what?
-Everything that you say, everything that you type, they gather it all.
-So, is Daewon here?
I need $100,000 cash by tomorrow night.
-(phone notification)
-(argument in Spanish)
-(phone notification)
-(dogs barking)
-(another recording, in Spanish)
-(various recordings, overlapping)
-(phone notification)
-Female News Reporter: Officials are just now grasping the massive scope of this thing.
It's easily the largest data breach ever perpetrated.
Not because of the number of accounts,
but more so the nature of what was taken from those accounts.
And also the way in which it was disseminated...
-(reporters overlapping)
-...have been texted, emailed, posted to social media.
Over a million private conversations.
How did this happen?
Well, at the center of it all, is a company called Broken Egg.
-(reporters overlapping)
-Male News Reporter: Broken Egg. You've probably never heard of them,
they like it just fine that way.
But they're one of the most valuable tech outfits on the stock exchange,
responsible for aggregating audio and text data through our phones and computers.
The big tech companies pay them a premium for this data.
But now, they, themselves, have been hacked.
- No one has come forward to claim responsibility. -(computer alert)
-We've reached out to analysts at the NSA and other government agencies,
but they all declined to comment.
This event clearly has them all rattled.
The possibility of a state actor, well,
these days is always a distinct and palpable fear.
But as we mentioned before, there was something more personal.
We're not talking about tax ID numbers or bank routing numbers.
This is personal stuff, folks.
It's not just celebrities, either.
It's everybody, it's everywhere. Some of it is innocuous.
Some of it is quite damning.
But whatever your own individual fallout may be from this,
the simple fact remains: we are entering a new era of zero privacy.
As long as we are lax--
-(tense music)
-(quietly) Fuck.
-(seagulls cawing)
-(theme music playing)
-Reporter: Isn't this the sort of thing we've come to expect,
though, from big tech?
I mean, to a certain degree.
-Well, well, sure, I think any sane person has a healthy amount of suspicion
over whether or not our data is safe...
-Nick: Hey, you're up. -Mm-hm.
Were you grilling out there?
-(stutters) I, uh, yeah, I was cleaning it.
-Did you see this? -Yeah.
-...in a massive wave. But this situation with Broken Egg here,
we're not just talking about people's private information,
or what type of bath soap they might purchase.
-We're talking about people's most intimate moments here... -You know, uh...
-...recorded on our phones... -We can use this. Broken Egg?
-Biggest aggregate data firm in the country. -Yeah, just got hacked.
-They just got busted... -Mm-hm.
-...recording a lot more than keywords for marketing. -Mm-hm, yeah.
-That wouldn't happen on ArakNet. -Mm-mm.
Well, Broken Egg couldn't exist on ArakNet.
-Yeah.
-Reporter: ...if you think this was the work of a hacker...
-I got calls to make. -All right.
-Hey. Another five minutes. -(grunts) Okay.
-(slurping)
-(music playing in background, indistinct chatter)
-Wes is gonna be the trickiest.
Still doesn't trust me.
-How about the others?
-It was chill. Ronnie's puttin’ in the good word, so...
-Nick? Does he trust you?
Was he at the party? You see him?
-Caught up.
It was... I don't know. It was just weird.
-It felt weird. -You care about him.
-Yeah, he was like my brother for some time, so... -Mm-hm.
So, did you ever...?
-What?
-You know...
-What is this? I didn't come here to gossip.
-I have his picture in my file, he is a handsome man.
Need to know everything I can about my assets.
-Yeah, well, I'm not one of your assets, okay?
This is not like in the movies or nothing.
-No, it's not.
-So, Wired’s gonna run the cover, which is amazing, but
we need to start reaching people outside of the tech world.
This is the time, guys. Broken Egg scandal has everyone scared,
and we are the answer, we just gotta get it out there.
-Barry: Wait, hold up.
The guy from World News Headline just said yes.
-He did?!
-Yeah, they want to do it tonight. The 8:00 eastern slot.
-Barry, that's amazing.
Check with their people, and see if they can have someone sent to the office.
-I'd like to do it here. -Yeah, yeah, I'll check.
-(typing)
-Wes: Christ on a cracker!
-Charlie: Still rolling your hands over.
-Is that what I'm doin'? -Yep.
-Remember, you'd fixed that. You had fixed that, when we played, uh, Shadow Creek.
-I know, man, that was such a long time ago, man.
These old habits, they creep back in.
-That was the last time that you and I played together. -You're kidding me, right? Wow.
-Saginaw brothers backing off, is that why you finally called me to come out here?
-Yeah, actually, it is, man.
-What am I, sloppy seconds these days? Is that how this works?
-Come on, man...
we talked about this, you and me, last week. -Yeah, yeah, I know, I know,
I'm just givin' you shit.
But you gotta know where I'm coming from, eh?
I mean, what kinda sucker do I look like if I'm shellin' out after the Saginaws pass?
-Saginaws didn't pass.
They're just waitin' for the next milestone.
-What, 100 mil? -Mm, correct.
-Fuckin' whore! -(Charlie laughs)
-What am I doing here, man? What am I doing? -I have no idea.
-(sighs) Anyway, it's probably a good time for you to pounce.
'Cause what people don't realize...
we're about to explode.
-Is that so? -Yeah.
You heard about this, uh, what it is, Cracked Egg thing?
-Broken Egg? -That's the one.
-Yeah, I did. -Changed the whole conversation, man.
I mean, it hasn't even been a day. We just-- we've already seen a huge bump.
Anyway, train's about to leave the station, man,
I just want to make sure you're on.
-Well that's what-- that's what we've been say-- no, I'm-- I'm sorry, go ahead.
-Uh-huh...
exactly! Well, that's-- I mean, that's sort of the irony, isn't it?
There's this kind of... "devil you know" quality
to the traditional internet. But...
if you had to blow it all up, and you started completely from scratch,
who would you trust more? What ArakNet's about... -(phone vibrates)
-...what we've always been about, is community.
We're a digital village owned by the people
with complete neutrality. So, a company like Broken Egg, uh...
(Nick's voice fades out)
-(tense music)
-Morning, morning.
-How you doin', man? -Chillin'.
-(typing)
-Wes: Hey, morning. -Hi.
(clears throat)
-Nice job last night. Got a lot of calls about it. -Good. Thanks.
-You, uh-- -I got your email.
-Charlie, huh? Seemed interested.
Wants to hear a... whatever you want to call it. Sounds promising, huh?
-Yeah...
-But you actually think he’s right for us?
-Wes: Right for us?
-Right for us.
-Wes: I mean, he's got money again,
you know?
He killed it in cryptocurrencies.
Probably stayed away from GenCoin, that lucky bastard.
-Right... but we could probably bring in a lot more with Saginaw, right?
-Wes: Who says we can't have both?
Mara, those-- those funds I just pulled from your mother...
-(Mara clears her throat) -...that's it.
That's all we got.
It's "do or die" time right now, you know?
-So, you talked numbers?
-Of course we talked numbers. They're good-- it's good numbers.
-'Kay...
-I mean, we got a bird in the hand here, you should be excited.
-Yeah.
Yeah, I was just checking.
We have a meeting in five.
-Yeah.
-Stella: I've moved mountains to make this thing work .
The Broken Egg thing gave us a huge spike, and we're getting close to 100 million users.
Which... is great, but the network is lagging now.
And when I asked for more manpower...
you say that we have no money.
I mean, the fact of the matter, is that... I need people.
I don't want them, I need them.
Unless you want this thing running at dial-up speed, or crashing every two minutes.
I need more people.
So...
-(sighs)
-Stella: No? -What about Izzy?
-Izzy?
-Stella don't need manpower.
She need the girl that coded this whole damn thing from the beginning.
-It wouldn't hurt.
-Well... (clears throat) I would...
I would be down. We would just have to be very,
very careful about how we fold her back in.
-There is a good PR opportunity there.
-Mother of dragons return home to her little baby-ass dragons,
-or some shit like that. -(Mara laughs) Yeah--
-Guys, guys, we're talkin' about Izzy Morales, right?
The biggest liability on the planet?
-Look, we all know that she's a huge liability... like, almost too much.
But I'll keep her ass in check.
-Frantz: Jude, man, if you don't hurry up and fix that AC in there, we out.
-Gilles: It's too early in the year to be this muthafuckin' hot, though.
-Emmanuel: I think it was hotter last night, though, dawg.
But, what I did, I got up and I turned the fan to blow inside.
-Nigga, you supposed to be blowin' the air out, what you talkin' about?
-No, dawg, when you turn-- simple physics, bruh. Turn the fan around, let it blow,
and then it keep the blowin' in and the cool air.
-Nah, bruh. you blowin' in, you let the hot air in.
-Come on, man. -Frantz: G, tell him wassup, man.
-E, you gotta let that shit blow out.
-Told you. Look at your boy, man. Shit. -(laughs)
-Gilles: You rode the short bus, man. -(all laugh)
-Right!
-Gilles: Got Alma rollin' around in his sweat, like goddamn.
-(laughing) -(indistinct chatter)
-Frantz: Hold up-- oh, shit. -Emmanuel: Oh, shit, down!
-(gunfire)
-Ah, damn!
-Emmanuel: Put some pressure on it. -Hey, G, you a'ight, bro?
-Gilles: Shit! Ah! (panting)
-(knocking)
-Hey. -Hey.
I brought fruit...
-I don't know. -It's perfect. We'll, uh, we'll have it after dinner.
-So, even Wes was down with it, too?
-I mean, it took some nudgin', but...
hey, look, all he care about is the bottom line.
And he knows that what you bringin' to the table...
that's worth its weight in gold.
-(phone vibrating)
-Eat your vegetables.
-Hey, this is the third time he call me.
I gotta take this
Yo, what up...
-(door closes)
-Uh, would you like some more-- -So, how's, uh--
-I apologize, what were you gonna say?
-Shoot, I was just gonna say, how are you guys liking it around here?
-Oh...
This-- this... this has been a blessing, you know?
Yeah... all that ArakNet's done for us.
And Elsie likes it, too. Don't you, baby?
-I guess... -What you mean, "I guess"?
She's on the soccer team. She's the number one scorer on that team.
-Mmm. -Baby, G laid up in county hospital. I gotta go see him.
-Tamara: Is he all right?
-He gon' live.
-Okay, we got company, we havin' dinner.
-I'll-I'll roll with you, if you want.
G was my boy, too.
-A'ight, just give me a minute.
-(clears throat)
-(door opens)
-Wes: (over the phone) Taylor's gonna send out an email with everyone on it
to confirm, so get some snacks and shit, too.
He's a friend, but we still need to rub his dick a little, you know?
-Nick: Of course. Rub that dick.
-This could be the most important meeting ArakNet's ever had.
-Well, yeah, I mean, we need that money to bridge us until someone bigger comes in.
Otherwise, you know... we're dead before we even get to 100 million.
-Wes: What I'm sayin'. All right, well, uh, get your game face ready.
-Wednesday at 6:00. -Nick: Yep.
-(phone line clicks off)
-(birds chirping)
-(phone ringing)
-(ringing stops)
-(spitting)
♪ ♪
♪ ♪
-(tires squeal)
-(elevator ding)
(elevator ding)
(elevator ding)
(elevator ding)
(elevator ding)
-Can I help you, ma'am?
-Um, yeah, uh, yeah, I'm Izzy Morales.
I have an appointment with Stella.
-Okay, I just need you to sign in, and also, I need to see your ID.
-Okay.
-All right, here's your ID. And this is your security badge.
-All right.
-You're gonna go through these doors, and make a left, Kayla'll help ya out.
-Okay... -Welcome to ArakNet.
-Thank you. -You're welcome.
-(electronic beep) -(indistinct office chatter, typing)
-Hi. I'm Izzy Morales. I'm here for Stella.
-Okay. You can just have a seat. She's be right out.
-Kayla: (on the phone) Hey, Stella? Izzy's here to see you.
♪ ♪
-Hi.
-Welcome back. -Thank you.
-Shall we? -We shall.
-(typing)
-This is it.
Have a seat.
In there is your access card. It works for the elevator,
for parking, so just don't lose it.
-Okay.
-That's start paperwork, you could just...
get it back to me whenever.
-'Kay.
-Um, your desk. It'll be ready soon, just... been kinda crazy lately.
-I bet. With the whole Broken Egg thing, right?
-Yeah, it's... it's wild.
-I saw Nick on the news. That was cool.
-Yeah, uh, that is all Mara. She's-- she's great.
-I bet the encryption is lagging, right?
-Yes, yeah.
-Um, we're, uh...
-...glad you're back. -I'm glad I'm back. The place looks legit.
-It's been, uh, quite the year.
-Stells, you think, maybe, we should...
-...grab some food, or a beer? -No.
-(sirens) -(music from TV)
-(door closes)
-Box a chocolates, bro?
-(Del laughs)
-Yeah, here's the thing, I...
I know you like your chocolate. But, all the vending machine had
was Snickers and some other shit with almonds, so...
-(lightly grunts)
-Fuck almonds. -(Jordy and Del laugh)
-(laughing turns to grunting in pain)
Hear you ran it back already on Dacey’s crew.
-Jordy: (clears throat) Yeah, uh...
we thought you'd want us to, you know?
-Look, we were pissed, D, and you were out of it, man.
-We couldn't let that shit slide, man, and you wouldn't either, you know?
-Yeah, look, we're sorry, man. -Don't be.
I just wish I'd been there.
Wish I heard their screams, that's all.
Y'all did good.
But it ain't nearly enough, right?
-Del: Nah.
-Jordy: No, never enough, D, never enough.
-What they did to me...
those Haitians...
shit...
they're gonna pay. (breathing angrily)
-(basketball bouncing)
-(indistinct office and game chatter)
-Woman: Hey, Izzy!
-(typing)
-(music intensifies)
♪ ♪
-Izzy: I got a way in.
They’re issuing an involuntary software update next Wednesday.
Stella’s already developed a software that can send data back to us,
like at the office, in case we ever needed it.
I can take that and create a filter that dumps intel into a folder for you...
or... or whoever.
-That's good, right? -Yeah, if it's real, sure.
-I can make it real.
-Okay, then make it real.
-Wes: So, uh, I'll start off with the usual crap.
Then, I'll throw it off to you, Ronald.
And look, uh, Charlie, he's a pretty smart guy.
So, there's no bullshittin' him.
Let's try to keep it candid.
Gotta dispense with that "American dream" crap that I've seen you do before.
Oh, Jesus. He's early.
All right, look alive, everybody.
-Wes: Charlie.
-Charlie: It's good to see you again, buddy. Good to see you.
-Hi. Nick, we met at the party. -Good to see you again.
-Ronald Dacey. Co-Founder, co-CEO.
-Ronald: Nice to meet you, man. -Likewise. I heard great things about you.
-Well, they all lies, so. -Nick: Yeah, they are.
-You remember Mara. -'Course, nice to see you.
-Have a seat, pal.
So, anyway, as you know, we need money,
and Charlie's got a lot of it.
So, uh, let's see if we can separate him from some of it.
-Look, there’s not much to discuss. Wes has already sent me the metrics.
It's an impressive upswing you guys are riding right now.
-That's very much thanks to Mara.
She really jumped all over the Broken Egg scandal.
-Ronald: True dat. -Good work there.
-Thanks.
But we can't do this, right?
-I'm sorry?
-Take your money.
Make you a part of this thing.
-(scoffs) I'm...
-...I'm not sure what-- -Mara: Look at me, Charlie.
-Wh-- -Look here.
At me.
-Mara...
Christ... what is this?
-This is when you tell everyone what happened.
-I har-- I honestly don't remember.
-Mara: Then I will.
I'm ready to do that, now.
-That was 10 years ago. -11.
-Wes: Mara...
what're we talkin' about here?
-Mara: You already know.
-No, actually, I don't.
-Charlie came over to the house a lot, didn’t he?
I was 15...
-...I was 15 years old. -Charlie: Ah, Christ.
-And it's not easy when you're 15 years old, but you were so nice to me.
Right?
-You treated me like an adult. -Look...
It was a...
it was so long ago, and, uh, and Mara...
you were...
-Keep talking, Charlie.
-Keep talking, it's going really well. -Mara: Nick...
-I can show him out if you want me to.
-Mara: Ronald, no. -Charlie: Mara...
Listen...
-...maybe you're not remembering-- -Why are you still here?
-Are you hungry?
Do-- do you want me to... I can stop for Thai.
-Okay, sure.
-Pork’s not as spicy this time.
-If I'd known...
-You didn't.
-Right.
-Right. So...
-(knocking at door)
-I'm actually gonna go upstairs for a little bit.
-(Mara clears her throat)
-I'm sorry.
-Okay.
-Do you hear what I'm tryna say? Mara...
I'm tryna say I'm sorry.
-I heard you.
-I did the best I could, raisin' you.
Your mom split, she leaves me with a 4-year-old.
I'm trying to build a business.
I didn't know how to be a father under good conditions.
So...
I'm sorry...
that I brought...
guys like Charlie around.
I'm sorry, all right? For what happened, you know?
-But it kept happening.
And you did nothing.
-Do you th-- are you--
are you trying to say you think I knew what was going on?
Mara, you gotta understand.
I mean, I-- I only knew what a father knows, you know?
Maybe, maybe you're going through somethin'.
You know? Uh...
Maybe, I don't know. I don't know, maybe I sensed...
maybe I sensed there was-- I don't know, somethin' happening, but...
I didn't...
Mara, I swear,
I didn't know it was happenin'.
-You could have asked.
-You're right...
I could've...
-But you didn't, because you were too scared.
You were too scared of what it might do to your relationship with Charlie.
You were too scared of what you might have to lose.
-Okay.
You think that.
If that's what you gotta think. But, um, all I can say is I'm sorry.
And, uh, I don't know what else to say, you know?
I don't know what you want from me.
I'm gonna go.
-(door opens, shuts)
-You know, you can tell me things like that.
I mean, I want you to. I know it's not easy, but I want you to feel
like you can be honest with me.
-I want the same, too.
-Good.
-Except, you didn't tell me about Broken Egg.
-What...?
-That it was you.
-(phone rings)
-(phone beeps) -Yes?
-What-- I see.
-(music intensifies)
-Do we think he's gonna be stateside?
Okay...
Well, my asset has been deployed.
She's working on a virus that'll give us access to all of it.
Yes, once we find it, it'll be wiped clean.
Yes, but that can't happen. All right, all right, I'll take care of it.
-(phone beeps, call ends)
♪ ♪
♪ ♪
♪ ♪
(music fades)
-(indistinct office chatter and typing)
-(clears throat) -Hello.
-So, this is Agent Drummond... -Hey.
-How you doin'? -...and this is Agent, um...
-Bradley. -Agent Bradley.
And they say they're with the NSA.
-The NSA? Again? -(Mara clears her throat)
-Apparently they just love us over there.
-S-- sorry?
-Yeah, we already done dealt with y'all, like, a few months back. What's up?
-Drummond: Um, what? -Nick: Agent Rebecca Stroud?
She came in here, looking for some sort of partnership.
We told her we don't do that.
-I'm sorry. Rebecca...
-Stroud. -Rebecca Stroud?
-I'm sorry, are you-- you're sure about this? I-- -Nick: Yes.
-We don't have an Agent Rebecca Stroud at the NSA.
-Sorry, what?
-(heavy electronic music)
-I'm not asking you to be a spy.
I'm asking you to be you.
Kindest, prettiest, most charming version of you.
-What're you doing here? -Ronnie invited me. Where is he?
-I don't know.
-(gunfire) -(shouting)
-Good lord, look how great you look.
-Doctor: Well, I never expected you
to be dealing with this sort of thing.
-What sort of thing, Doc? -Panic attack.
-Who is the biggest data miner? -Broken Egg.
-And if I'm Broken Egg, companies hire me, and then I what?
-Everything that you say, everything that you type, they gather it all.
-So, is Daewon here?
I need $100,000 cash by tomorrow night.
-(phone notification)
-(argument in Spanish)
-(phone notification)
-(dogs barking)
-(another recording, in Spanish)
-(various recordings, overlapping)
-(phone notification)
-Female News Reporter: Officials are just now grasping the massive scope of this thing.
It's easily the largest data breach ever perpetrated.
Not because of the number of accounts,
but more so the nature of what was taken from those accounts.
And also the way in which it was disseminated...
-(reporters overlapping)
-...have been texted, emailed, posted to social media.
Over a million private conversations.
How did this happen?
Well, at the center of it all, is a company called Broken Egg.
-(reporters overlapping)
-Male News Reporter: Broken Egg. You've probably never heard of them,
they like it just fine that way.
But they're one of the most valuable tech outfits on the stock exchange,
responsible for aggregating audio and text data through our phones and computers.
The big tech companies pay them a premium for this data.
But now, they, themselves, have been hacked.
- No one has come forward to claim responsibility. -(computer alert)
-We've reached out to analysts at the NSA and other government agencies,
but they all declined to comment.
This event clearly has them all rattled.
The possibility of a state actor, well,
these days is always a distinct and palpable fear.
But as we mentioned before, there was something more personal.
We're not talking about tax ID numbers or bank routing numbers.
This is personal stuff, folks.
It's not just celebrities, either.
It's everybody, it's everywhere. Some of it is innocuous.
Some of it is quite damning.
But whatever your own individual fallout may be from this,
the simple fact remains: we are entering a new era of zero privacy.
As long as we are lax--
-(tense music)
-(quietly) Fuck.
-(seagulls cawing)
-(theme music playing)
-Reporter: Isn't this the sort of thing we've come to expect,
though, from big tech?
I mean, to a certain degree.
-Well, well, sure, I think any sane person has a healthy amount of suspicion
over whether or not our data is safe...
-Nick: Hey, you're up. -Mm-hm.
Were you grilling out there?
-(stutters) I, uh, yeah, I was cleaning it.
-Did you see this? -Yeah.
-...in a massive wave. But this situation with Broken Egg here,
we're not just talking about people's private information,
or what type of bath soap they might purchase.
-We're talking about people's most intimate moments here... -You know, uh...
-...recorded on our phones... -We can use this. Broken Egg?
-Biggest aggregate data firm in the country. -Yeah, just got hacked.
-They just got busted... -Mm-hm.
-...recording a lot more than keywords for marketing. -Mm-hm, yeah.
-That wouldn't happen on ArakNet. -Mm-mm.
Well, Broken Egg couldn't exist on ArakNet.
-Yeah.
-Reporter: ...if you think this was the work of a hacker...
-I got calls to make. -All right.
-Hey. Another five minutes. -(grunts) Okay.
-(slurping)
-(music playing in background, indistinct chatter)
-Wes is gonna be the trickiest.
Still doesn't trust me.
-How about the others?
-It was chill. Ronnie's puttin’ in the good word, so...
-Nick? Does he trust you?
Was he at the party? You see him?
-Caught up.
It was... I don't know. It was just weird.
-It felt weird. -You care about him.
-Yeah, he was like my brother for some time, so... -Mm-hm.
So, did you ever...?
-What?
-You know...
-What is this? I didn't come here to gossip.
-I have his picture in my file, he is a handsome man.
Need to know everything I can about my assets.
-Yeah, well, I'm not one of your assets, okay?
This is not like in the movies or nothing.
-No, it's not.
-So, Wired’s gonna run the cover, which is amazing, but
we need to start reaching people outside of the tech world.
This is the time, guys. Broken Egg scandal has everyone scared,
and we are the answer, we just gotta get it out there.
-Barry: Wait, hold up.
The guy from World News Headline just said yes.
-He did?!
-Yeah, they want to do it tonight. The 8:00 eastern slot.
-Barry, that's amazing.
Check with their people, and see if they can have someone sent to the office.
-I'd like to do it here. -Yeah, yeah, I'll check.
-(typing)
-Wes: Christ on a cracker!
-Charlie: Still rolling your hands over.
-Is that what I'm doin'? -Yep.
-Remember, you'd fixed that. You had fixed that, when we played, uh, Shadow Creek.
-I know, man, that was such a long time ago, man.
These old habits, they creep back in.
-That was the last time that you and I played together. -You're kidding me, right? Wow.
-Saginaw brothers backing off, is that why you finally called me to come out here?
-Yeah, actually, it is, man.
-What am I, sloppy seconds these days? Is that how this works?
-Come on, man...
we talked about this, you and me, last week. -Yeah, yeah, I know, I know,
I'm just givin' you shit.
But you gotta know where I'm coming from, eh?
I mean, what kinda sucker do I look like if I'm shellin' out after the Saginaws pass?
-Saginaws didn't pass.
They're just waitin' for the next milestone.
-What, 100 mil? -Mm, correct.
-Fuckin' whore! -(Charlie laughs)
-What am I doing here, man? What am I doing? -I have no idea.
-(sighs) Anyway, it's probably a good time for you to pounce.
'Cause what people don't realize...
we're about to explode.
-Is that so? -Yeah.
You heard about this, uh, what it is, Cracked Egg thing?
-Broken Egg? -That's the one.
-Yeah, I did. -Changed the whole conversation, man.
I mean, it hasn't even been a day. We just-- we've already seen a huge bump.
Anyway, train's about to leave the station, man,
I just want to make sure you're on.
-Well that's what-- that's what we've been say-- no, I'm-- I'm sorry, go ahead.
-Uh-huh...
exactly! Well, that's-- I mean, that's sort of the irony, isn't it?
There's this kind of... "devil you know" quality
to the traditional internet. But...
if you had to blow it all up, and you started completely from scratch,
who would you trust more? What ArakNet's about... -(phone vibrates)
-...what we've always been about, is community.
We're a digital village owned by the people
with complete neutrality. So, a company like Broken Egg, uh...
(Nick's voice fades out)
-(tense music)
-Morning, morning.
-How you doin', man? -Chillin'.
-(typing)
-Wes: Hey, morning. -Hi.
(clears throat)
-Nice job last night. Got a lot of calls about it. -Good. Thanks.
-You, uh-- -I got your email.
-Charlie, huh? Seemed interested.
Wants to hear a... whatever you want to call it. Sounds promising, huh?
-Yeah...
-But you actually think he’s right for us?
-Wes: Right for us?
-Right for us.
-Wes: I mean, he's got money again,
you know?
He killed it in cryptocurrencies.
Probably stayed away from GenCoin, that lucky bastard.
-Right... but we could probably bring in a lot more with Saginaw, right?
-Wes: Who says we can't have both?
Mara, those-- those funds I just pulled from your mother...
-(Mara clears her throat) -...that's it.
That's all we got.
It's "do or die" time right now, you know?
-So, you talked numbers?
-Of course we talked numbers. They're good-- it's good numbers.
-'Kay...
-I mean, we got a bird in the hand here, you should be excited.
-Yeah.
Yeah, I was just checking.
We have a meeting in five.
-Yeah.
-Stella: I've moved mountains to make this thing work .
The Broken Egg thing gave us a huge spike, and we're getting close to 100 million users.
Which... is great, but the network is lagging now.
And when I asked for more manpower...
you say that we have no money.
I mean, the fact of the matter, is that... I need people.
I don't want them, I need them.
Unless you want this thing running at dial-up speed, or crashing every two minutes.
I need more people.
So...
-(sighs)
-Stella: No? -What about Izzy?
-Izzy?
-Stella don't need manpower.
She need the girl that coded this whole damn thing from the beginning.
-It wouldn't hurt.
-Well... (clears throat) I would...
I would be down. We would just have to be very,
very careful about how we fold her back in.
-There is a good PR opportunity there.
-Mother of dragons return home to her little baby-ass dragons,
-or some shit like that. -(Mara laughs) Yeah--
-Guys, guys, we're talkin' about Izzy Morales, right?
The biggest liability on the planet?
-Look, we all know that she's a huge liability... like, almost too much.
But I'll keep her ass in check.
-Frantz: Jude, man, if you don't hurry up and fix that AC in there, we out.
-Gilles: It's too early in the year to be this muthafuckin' hot, though.
-Emmanuel: I think it was hotter last night, though, dawg.
But, what I did, I got up and I turned the fan to blow inside.
-Nigga, you supposed to be blowin' the air out, what you talkin' about?
-No, dawg, when you turn-- simple physics, bruh. Turn the fan around, let it blow,
and then it keep the blowin' in and the cool air.
-Nah, bruh. you blowin' in, you let the hot air in.
-Come on, man. -Frantz: G, tell him wassup, man.
-E, you gotta let that shit blow out.
-Told you. Look at your boy, man. Shit. -(laughs)
-Gilles: You rode the short bus, man. -(all laugh)
-Right!
-Gilles: Got Alma rollin' around in his sweat, like goddamn.
-(laughing) -(indistinct chatter)
-Frantz: Hold up-- oh, shit. -Emmanuel: Oh, shit, down!
-(gunfire)
-Ah, damn!
-Emmanuel: Put some pressure on it. -Hey, G, you a'ight, bro?
-Gilles: Shit! Ah! (panting)
-(knocking)
-Hey. -Hey.
I brought fruit...
-I don't know. -It's perfect. We'll, uh, we'll have it after dinner.
-So, even Wes was down with it, too?
-I mean, it took some nudgin', but...
hey, look, all he care about is the bottom line.
And he knows that what you bringin' to the table...
that's worth its weight in gold.
-(phone vibrating)
-Eat your vegetables.
-Hey, this is the third time he call me.
I gotta take this
Yo, what up...
-(door closes)
-Uh, would you like some more-- -So, how's, uh--
-I apologize, what were you gonna say?
-Shoot, I was just gonna say, how are you guys liking it around here?
-Oh...
This-- this... this has been a blessing, you know?
Yeah... all that ArakNet's done for us.
And Elsie likes it, too. Don't you, baby?
-I guess... -What you mean, "I guess"?
She's on the soccer team. She's the number one scorer on that team.
-Mmm. -Baby, G laid up in county hospital. I gotta go see him.
-Tamara: Is he all right?
-He gon' live.
-Okay, we got company, we havin' dinner.
-I'll-I'll roll with you, if you want.
G was my boy, too.
-A'ight, just give me a minute.
-(clears throat)
-(door opens)
-Wes: (over the phone) Taylor's gonna send out an email with everyone on it
to confirm, so get some snacks and shit, too.
He's a friend, but we still need to rub his dick a little, you know?
-Nick: Of course. Rub that dick.
-This could be the most important meeting ArakNet's ever had.
-Well, yeah, I mean, we need that money to bridge us until someone bigger comes in.
Otherwise, you know... we're dead before we even get to 100 million.
-Wes: What I'm sayin'. All right, well, uh, get your game face ready.
-Wednesday at 6:00. -Nick: Yep.
-(phone line clicks off)
-(birds chirping)
-(phone ringing)
-(ringing stops)
-(spitting)
♪ ♪
♪ ♪
-(tires squeal)
-(elevator ding)
(elevator ding)
(elevator ding)
(elevator ding)
(elevator ding)
-Can I help you, ma'am?
-Um, yeah, uh, yeah, I'm Izzy Morales.
I have an appointment with Stella.
-Okay, I just need you to sign in, and also, I need to see your ID.
-Okay.
-All right, here's your ID. And this is your security badge.
-All right.
-You're gonna go through these doors, and make a left, Kayla'll help ya out.
-Okay... -Welcome to ArakNet.
-Thank you. -You're welcome.
-(electronic beep) -(indistinct office chatter, typing)
-Hi. I'm Izzy Morales. I'm here for Stella.
-Okay. You can just have a seat. She's be right out.
-Kayla: (on the phone) Hey, Stella? Izzy's here to see you.
♪ ♪
-Hi.
-Welcome back. -Thank you.
-Shall we? -We shall.
-(typing)
-This is it.
Have a seat.
In there is your access card. It works for the elevator,
for parking, so just don't lose it.
-Okay.
-That's start paperwork, you could just...
get it back to me whenever.
-'Kay.
-Um, your desk. It'll be ready soon, just... been kinda crazy lately.
-I bet. With the whole Broken Egg thing, right?
-Yeah, it's... it's wild.
-I saw Nick on the news. That was cool.
-Yeah, uh, that is all Mara. She's-- she's great.
-I bet the encryption is lagging, right?
-Yes, yeah.
-Um, we're, uh...
-...glad you're back. -I'm glad I'm back. The place looks legit.
-It's been, uh, quite the year.
-Stells, you think, maybe, we should...
-...grab some food, or a beer? -No.
-(sirens) -(music from TV)
-(door closes)
-Box a chocolates, bro?
-(Del laughs)
-Yeah, here's the thing, I...
I know you like your chocolate. But, all the vending machine had
was Snickers and some other shit with almonds, so...
-(lightly grunts)
-Fuck almonds. -(Jordy and Del laugh)
-(laughing turns to grunting in pain)
Hear you ran it back already on Dacey’s crew.
-Jordy: (clears throat) Yeah, uh...
we thought you'd want us to, you know?
-Look, we were pissed, D, and you were out of it, man.
-We couldn't let that shit slide, man, and you wouldn't either, you know?
-Yeah, look, we're sorry, man. -Don't be.
I just wish I'd been there.
Wish I heard their screams, that's all.
Y'all did good.
But it ain't nearly enough, right?
-Del: Nah.
-Jordy: No, never enough, D, never enough.
-What they did to me...
those Haitians...
shit...
they're gonna pay. (breathing angrily)
-(basketball bouncing)
-(indistinct office and game chatter)
-Woman: Hey, Izzy!
-(typing)
-(music intensifies)
♪ ♪
-Izzy: I got a way in.
They’re issuing an involuntary software update next Wednesday.
Stella’s already developed a software that can send data back to us,
like at the office, in case we ever needed it.
I can take that and create a filter that dumps intel into a folder for you...
or... or whoever.
-That's good, right? -Yeah, if it's real, sure.
-I can make it real.
-Okay, then make it real.
-Wes: So, uh, I'll start off with the usual crap.
Then, I'll throw it off to you, Ronald.
And look, uh, Charlie, he's a pretty smart guy.
So, there's no bullshittin' him.
Let's try to keep it candid.
Gotta dispense with that "American dream" crap that I've seen you do before.
Oh, Jesus. He's early.
All right, look alive, everybody.
-Wes: Charlie.
-Charlie: It's good to see you again, buddy. Good to see you.
-Hi. Nick, we met at the party. -Good to see you again.
-Ronald Dacey. Co-Founder, co-CEO.
-Ronald: Nice to meet you, man. -Likewise. I heard great things about you.
-Well, they all lies, so. -Nick: Yeah, they are.
-You remember Mara. -'Course, nice to see you.
-Have a seat, pal.
So, anyway, as you know, we need money,
and Charlie's got a lot of it.
So, uh, let's see if we can separate him from some of it.
-Look, there’s not much to discuss. Wes has already sent me the metrics.
It's an impressive upswing you guys are riding right now.
-That's very much thanks to Mara.
She really jumped all over the Broken Egg scandal.
-Ronald: True dat. -Good work there.
-Thanks.
But we can't do this, right?
-I'm sorry?
-Take your money.
Make you a part of this thing.
-(scoffs) I'm...
-...I'm not sure what-- -Mara: Look at me, Charlie.
-Wh-- -Look here.
At me.
-Mara...
Christ... what is this?
-This is when you tell everyone what happened.
-I har-- I honestly don't remember.
-Mara: Then I will.
I'm ready to do that, now.
-That was 10 years ago. -11.
-Wes: Mara...
what're we talkin' about here?
-Mara: You already know.
-No, actually, I don't.
-Charlie came over to the house a lot, didn’t he?
I was 15...
-...I was 15 years old. -Charlie: Ah, Christ.
-And it's not easy when you're 15 years old, but you were so nice to me.
Right?
-You treated me like an adult. -Look...
It was a...
it was so long ago, and, uh, and Mara...
you were...
-Keep talking, Charlie.
-Keep talking, it's going really well. -Mara: Nick...
-I can show him out if you want me to.
-Mara: Ronald, no. -Charlie: Mara...
Listen...
-...maybe you're not remembering-- -Why are you still here?
-Are you hungry?
Do-- do you want me to... I can stop for Thai.
-Okay, sure.
-Pork’s not as spicy this time.
-If I'd known...
-You didn't.
-Right.
-Right. So...
-(knocking at door)
-I'm actually gonna go upstairs for a little bit.
-(Mara clears her throat)
-I'm sorry.
-Okay.
-Do you hear what I'm tryna say? Mara...
I'm tryna say I'm sorry.
-I heard you.
-I did the best I could, raisin' you.
Your mom split, she leaves me with a 4-year-old.
I'm trying to build a business.
I didn't know how to be a father under good conditions.
So...
I'm sorry...
that I brought...
guys like Charlie around.
I'm sorry, all right? For what happened, you know?
-But it kept happening.
And you did nothing.
-Do you th-- are you--
are you trying to say you think I knew what was going on?
Mara, you gotta understand.
I mean, I-- I only knew what a father knows, you know?
Maybe, maybe you're going through somethin'.
You know? Uh...
Maybe, I don't know. I don't know, maybe I sensed...
maybe I sensed there was-- I don't know, somethin' happening, but...
I didn't...
Mara, I swear,
I didn't know it was happenin'.
-You could have asked.
-You're right...
I could've...
-But you didn't, because you were too scared.
You were too scared of what it might do to your relationship with Charlie.
You were too scared of what you might have to lose.
-Okay.
You think that.
If that's what you gotta think. But, um, all I can say is I'm sorry.
And, uh, I don't know what else to say, you know?
I don't know what you want from me.
I'm gonna go.
-(door opens, shuts)
-You know, you can tell me things like that.
I mean, I want you to. I know it's not easy, but I want you to feel
like you can be honest with me.
-I want the same, too.
-Good.
-Except, you didn't tell me about Broken Egg.
-What...?
-That it was you.
-(phone rings)
-(phone beeps) -Yes?
-What-- I see.
-(music intensifies)
-Do we think he's gonna be stateside?
Okay...
Well, my asset has been deployed.
She's working on a virus that'll give us access to all of it.
Yes, once we find it, it'll be wiped clean.
Yes, but that can't happen. All right, all right, I'll take care of it.
-(phone beeps, call ends)
♪ ♪
♪ ♪
♪ ♪
(music fades)
-(indistinct office chatter and typing)
-(clears throat) -Hello.
-So, this is Agent Drummond... -Hey.
-How you doin'? -...and this is Agent, um...
-Bradley. -Agent Bradley.
And they say they're with the NSA.
-The NSA? Again? -(Mara clears her throat)
-Apparently they just love us over there.
-S-- sorry?
-Yeah, we already done dealt with y'all, like, a few months back. What's up?
-Drummond: Um, what? -Nick: Agent Rebecca Stroud?
She came in here, looking for some sort of partnership.
We told her we don't do that.
-I'm sorry. Rebecca...
-Stroud. -Rebecca Stroud?
-I'm sorry, are you-- you're sure about this? I-- -Nick: Yes.
-We don't have an Agent Rebecca Stroud at the NSA.
-Sorry, what?
-(heavy electronic music)