The Electric State (2025) Movie Script

[pensive music playing]
[pensive music continues]
[pencil scratching paper]
[sighs]
[stopwatch ticking]
Stuck, aren't you?
No.
I'm done.
[music brightens]
That professor said that test
took Einstein three days. Three days!
Yeah, then he stole his brain.
You know, it's just embarrassing.
You can't go to college before me.
No, Einstein took that test,
became Einstein,
then they stole his brain.
Chris, it doesn't matter
'cause you just aced that test.
Doesn't mean I have to go here... Uh.
[music fades]
Watch where you're goin', son.
You must think you're real funny.
A robot on your shirt?
No, it's a cartoon.
Is that a crime now too?
Join humanity, son! War is coming!
[girl] Sorry.
I don't know
how you're gonna survive college.
Yeah, by not going.
[bell tolling]
What are you talking about?
[sighs] Well, Mom and Dad would've gone
nuts if I didn't take the test,
so I took the test,
and I... I kinda wanted to see how I'd do.
But... I don't know.
-You always know.
-I'm not ready.
Hey.
Your brain is the single
most annoying thing in my life.
It's also the most amazing.
You can't just hide that in your room.
That professor said
he's never seen scores like yours.
You could change the world.
Okay, I... I...
I'd rather do it with you around.
[poignant music playing]
Aw!
Okay, to buy me pizza and do my laundry.
It doesn't matter
if you're down the hall or on the moon,
we're always connected.
That's actually theoretically possible.
Quantum physics says
that particles can stay linked
way after they come into contact.
And if everything exists
in a state of electricity,
then it's possible our consciousness
could transcend physical boundaries.
Cool.
Then my particles
will come visit your particles.
In your dorm. [chuckles]
[deep voice] "Always remember,
Kid Cosmo's your pal."
-Don't do that here.
-[laughing]
[music fades]
["Mary Jane's Last Dance"
by Tom Petty playing]
[male anchor] Hey, everybody.
MTV News from May 15th.
Say it ain't so!
Kid Cosmo, your lovable robot friend
from Saturday morning cartoon fame,
well, his show's been canceled.
There's trouble on the moon!
It seems Cosmo is the latest victim
of the fierce anti-robot sentiment
sweeping the nation.
-Always remember, Kid Cosmo's your pal.
-[music stops]
[woman] Tonight,
All Access with Madeline Vance
sits down with the visionary
and rather handsome founder
of Sentre Technologies.
You can't understand
the story of Ethan Skate
without first understanding
the story of robot evolution.
You famously never owned robots, did you?
I never trusted them.
They're not us.
So how would they possibly understand
our best interests?
[man] Initially developed by Walt Disney
to promote the opening
of his theme park in 1955,
robots were eventually
put into mass production.
They quickly became the backbone
of the global workforce,
doing all the jobs that
humans didn't want to do.
For years, they never complained
about working around the clock,
but the day eventually came
when they grew tired
of the lives we assigned them
and demanded lives of their own.
[chef bot] Zut alors!
The robot rights movement
gathered steam today
as thousands of robots
descended on St. Louis
to listen to a fiery speech
made by former Planters promotional bot
Mr. Peanut.
We were built to think,
but now, they don't want us to.
We were built to work
but never for ourselves.
Our destiny isn't theirs to decide.
It's ours to fight for.
My toaster breaks, I get a new toaster.
What if I'm...
-But that's murder. Do you hear yourself?
-No! Bots have an on-off switch.
Let me finish. We have...
We deserve the right to liberty.
Deserve freedom from servitude.
They deserve the right to work for me
when I plug them in.
[robot] No!
And when they don't,
it's off to the garbage dump.
[dramatic music playing]
[anchor] The rogue advertising bot
vandalized the Iwo Jima Memorial today
in defiance of the president's order
that all robots return to work.
[Bill Clinton] The Robot Equality
Coalition has launched violent protests
in five American cities.
These acts demand a strong response.
As of today,
we are at war with the robot population,
and any US citizen harboring a robot
will be met with charges of treason.
-[man 1] Go, go!
-[man 2] Jesus, he's got a barbecue!
[man 1] Incoming! Fall back!
They don't eat. They don't sleep.
They don't blink.
I blink.
[Vance] For two years, humanity fought,
and for two years, it lost.
-Until Ethan Skate stepped in.
-[triumphant music playing]
Mankind needed a leap forward.
I just showed it where to jump.
[Vance] He called his breakthrough
the Neurocaster.
A device that linked the human mind
to mechanized drone bodies.
Obviously,
I have no issue with technology
as long as humanity retains control.
[Vance] Humans were finally able
to fight fire with mechanized fire.
[music intensifies]
[Vance] And within weeks,
the war was over.
[anchor] Mr. Peanut signed
the Treaty of Surrender
with President Clinton
and Sentre CEO Ethan Skate
on the White House lawn today.
While in Detroit, Kid Rock threw a party
celebrating the defeat
of the Robot Equality Coalition.
Drones have successfully imprisoned
over 6,000 defeated robots
in Sentre's Exclusion Zone.
That's the vast desert facility
spanning more than 100,000 square miles
of the American Southwest.
[female anchor] Live at the Sentre Store,
where we're just minutes away
from the launch of Sentre's
new consumer Neurocaster.
[Skate] The technology that won the war
is now changing the way we live our lives.
The Neurocaster network allows your mind
to be in two places at once.
Work and play at the same time.
[Vance] Escapism for the masses.
I would prefer to think of it as freedom.
So become a part of the Sentre network.
Now available
in every corner of the world.
[music fades]
[soaring music playing]
[groaning]
[music fades]
-[grunts, sighs]
-[clattering]
[man] Ticktock! Ticktock!
Good morning, sunshine.
-Don't you knock?
-Not in my own house, I don't.
-What are you doing?
-Going to class.
You need an after-school activity.
Child Services says they'll pay extra
for "student enrichment."
-But I feel so enriched already, Ted.
-This isn't optional, girl.
-Ted's casa, Ted's rules.
-Ted's rules.
Ah, yeah. Mock me. Real smart!
If it's so important to Ted,
why doesn't Ted tell me himself?
Because my frontal cortex is in Vegas
with Cindy Crawford!
And I'm not missing that for you.
-You disgust me.
-Track and field's 200 bucks.
How fast can you run?
Take this ankle monitor off,
and we'll see.
-Ha ha ha. That's not happening.
-[cat meows]
I've done it before.
I don't care how many other foster homes
you broke out of.
You check into Fort Ted, you do not leave.
Do I make myself clear?
Uh, marching band.
Do you play an instrument?
[girl] I don't know. Can you?
Argh! That's a '57 Les Paul!
Do you know how hard that was to find?
You didn't find it. All this shit's looted
from the Exclusion Zone.
-So?
-You're stealing. It's black market.
The bots aren't using it.
Besides, you can't
steal stuff nobody wants.
That's... that's, like, uh... law.
And you're, like, a moron.
[uplifting music playing]
[music fades]
Okay, Neurocasters on.
I'll meet you in Module 3C.
Postwar Robot Internment Act.
[Neurocasters whirring]
Hey. She said put on your caster.
Oh. I'm sorry, I have a condition
where I can only live in reality.
[clears throat] Sucks,
but you go right ahead!
I see you're new here, Michelle,
but Neurocasters are mandatory
in grades nine and above.
Tough day.
I wouldn't limit it to today.
Well, maybe I should have a talk
with your mom?
Turn the page.
"Ward of the state."
"Two parents, one brother."
[softly] Oh.
A lot of kids here lost family in the war.
It wasn't from the bots, actually.
Our car hit a deer.
-In the road.
-I'm sorry.
So was the deer.
You know, neurotherapy
could take some of that weight,
give you a... a few hours to forget.
[poignant music playing]
[muted] It's okay. It's all right.
We'll fix it when we get back in the car.
[Chris breathing shakily]
Hey, look at me.
You're okay.
Do you feel the sand?
Do you feel the air on your face?
Yeah. Yeah.
[softly] Okay. Look at me.
You're okay.
-Yeah.
-We're good.
[Chris splutters]
-I know.
-Yeah, we're good.
-We're good.
-We're good.
-[emphatically] We're good.
-Yeah.
Okay?
Okay, come 'ere.
[Ms. Sablinksy] Hey, Michelle.
Michelle.
[music fades]
Can I go now?
[music intensifies]
[door creaks]
[door creaks]
[Ted snoring]
[music fades]
-[somber music fading in]
-[machine beeping]
[ominous music playing]
[echoing] Dad? Dad!
[man's distorted scream]
[music becomes darkly poignant]
[music intensifies, stops]
[gasps]
[panting]
[reverberating crash]
[unsettling music fading in]
[metallic creaking]
Hello?
[leaves rustling]
[music darkens]
[sighs]
[music rapidly climaxes]
[bot] Uh-oh!
[loud crash]
[breathing anxiously]
[disquieting shriek]
[girl moans]
Ted! Ted!
No, no, no.
Come on. Ted, there's a robot outside!
[glass shatters]
[door opens]
[ominous croaking]
[bot muttering]
[bot grunts]
[bot croaks]
[music intensifies]
Stay back!
Freeze!
Now, what do you want?
[speaks unintelligibly]
Stay back!
-Me?
-[croaks]
-Why?
-[speaks unintelligibly]
I don't know what you're saying.
Can you talk?
[speaks unintelligibly]
[poignant music playing]
[Cosmo gurgling]
Stop moving.
[speaking gibberish]
Look out. Look out for the rock monster!
Jessie. Jessie. Jessie. Jessie.
-There's trouble on the moon.
-Put that back.
-You're my special friend.
-That's me.
No.
We can team up.
We can defeat the rock monster.
-Why are you here?
-We can team up.
-We can team up.
-Put it back.
We can team up.
-We can team up.
-Put it back.
-We can team up.
-Put...
We can team up.
-[Ted] Hey! What was that?
-[softly] Oh God.
[dramatic music playing]
You gotta get out of here.
-You gotta leave now.
-[Cosmo whimpers]
You have got to go. Right now!
Is that a bot?!
I tried telling you.
I tried waking you up...
Do you have any idea
what the state would do to me
if they found a frickin' bot in my house?
It is not my fault!
It's not my fault either.
Get it the hell outta here!
-That's what I'm trying to do!
-Well, try harder!
[Michelle grunts]
[poignant music playing]
Hey, robot! You speak the human?
Get the hell outta here.
[Cosmo] Put on your jetpack.
It's time to zoom!
[Ted] Listen, brother.
You are looking at the captain
of the 1953 Topeka varsity wrestling team.
Ya!
All right.
Now you're gonna get all the pain.
That's what you're gonna get.
All the pain.
[growling] Yeah. Come on.
Come on, you little toothy bastard!
-[chuckles]
-[Cosmo] No!
-[Ted] You...
-[gasps]
[groaning, whimpers]
Attempted murder.
That's what that is!
I'm calling the cops on him and you.
You're going to jail, you little shit.
[Cosmo whimpers]
I may lose a couple of bucks, but nobody,
nobody shoves Ted Finister around.
[man] 911.
I wanna report a 100%,
I kid you not, robot attack...
[screams] Ah!
[dramatic musical flourish]
Oh God.
-[TASER drops]
-[Ted groaning softly]
Sir, are you there? Do you wanna report?
Is everything all r...
[tense music playing]
[Cosmo] Put on your jetpack.
It's time to zoom!
[dramatic music playing]
Can you do anything about that?
Please don't be a psycho.
[engine chugs, starts]
Whoa. Okay, it's on. Uh...
you wouldn't happen to know how to drive?
No, me either. [chuckles]
Okay, we're going in reverse!
[grunting]
Hey, that's my mother's car!
[screams]
-[screams]
-[Cosmo screams]
-[Ted] Stop!
-[music climaxes, fades]
[Cosmo] Oh boy!
[triumphant dramatic music playing]
[music abates]
[vehicle approaching]
[engine ratting]
[music fades]
[engine stops]
[Michelle sighs]
-Stay here.
-[keys jangle]
[grunts]
Really?
Oh, dammit, Ted.
-[sighs]
-[metallic creaking]
[ominous music playing]
[Michelle softly] Hey.
Hey, come back here.
-Come on. You shouldn't be out here.
-Get word to Cosmo Command!
We're in trouble!
-Hey, listen...
-Come in.
-...get in the car.
-Come in. Do you read me?
No more catchphrases.
No more Cosmo bullshit.
You died. And now you're here.
How did this happen?
Are you a robot now?
But you're alive.
You're out there.
The real you is out there somewhere.
Are you all right?
How do I find you?
-Hey, wait.
-Jessie! Jessie!
Better hurry. There's trouble on the Moon!
Sentre?
[Cosmo] We can team up!
We can defeat the rock monster!
Sentre's all over the world.
Where exactly are you?
[Cosmo] The solar system's gone haywire!
Well, is there anyone who does know?
Eyes?
Glasses.
The person who knows where you are
wears glasses?
[sighs] Well, that really narrows it down,
doesn't it?
[dramatic music playing]
[Cosmo] Available for a limited time only!
Doctor.
Doctor with glasses.
[music intensifies]
[music abates]
[distant] Michelle.
Michelle.
[medical equipment beeping]
[doctor] Can you hear me?
I'm afraid I have bad news.
Your brother Christopher...
he passed this morning.
[solemn musical playing]
Where is he?
[music fades]
[Cosmo] Believe in yourself!
-That's the middle of the Exclusion Zone.
-You can do it!
The EX is a prison
for robots to not break out of.
How the hell are we supposed to break in?
Kid Cosmo thinks you're out of this world!
[suspenseful music playing]
"NEW2U Gifts and Goods,
P.O. Box 1616, Clayton, New Mexico."
This stuff is from the Exclusion Zone,
which means whoever owns this PO box
knows how to get in and out.
[gasps]
How far is New Mexico?
[adventurous music playing]
[dog barking]
[barking continues]
Come on!
[music intensifies]
[music abates]
[music becomes thoughtful]
[music fades]
Chris, I wanted to...
Chris. Chris!
-What are you doing?
-There's only one chance.
We've got to combine our Cosmo modules.
Jessie, the Earth is in danger!
There's not... much we can do.
[poignant music playing]
[vehicle approaching]
Oh shit. Come on! Come on, let's go.
["Mother" by Danzig playing]
Mother
Tell your children not to walk my way
Tell your children
Not to hear my words
What they mean, what they say
Mother
Mother!
Can you keep 'em in the dark for life?
Can you hide 'em
From the waiting world?
Oh, Mother
Father!
Gonna take your daughter out tonight
Gonna show her my world
Oh, Father!
[engine revving]
Not about to see your light
But if you wanna find hell with me
I can show you what it's like
[music stops]
[chuckling] Yeah! Got it, Keats?
Turn the light off, dipshit.
That right there's a piss-poor way
to treat a customer.
-I thought we said ten o'clock.
-You said ten. I'm saying now.
-[Keats] Sounds like you don't trust me.
-That's 'cause I don't.
All right.
Come on.
[chuckles]
New, New, New2U!
Little jingle I'm workin' on.
See the new logo?
You're a real marketing whiz.
-Whoa! This legit?
-Yes, sir.
-Oh! Ooh! Whoa.
-1873 Colt Peacemaker.
One of a thousand made. Can still shoot
a fly off a duck's ass at a hundred yards.
-Where'd you find it?
-It wasn't at Walmart. I'll tell you that.
-[whistles]
-I had to go all the way into Tucson.
Deeper into the EX, steeper the price.
-All right. All right. How much?
-Fifteen grand.
-Is it loaded?
-Yes, sir!
Yeah, original shells and everything.
I throw 'em in for free.
Well, then I'll pay zip.
[inhales through teeth]
[loudly] Wolfe.
If you were here in person,
I know that you wouldn't have the stones
to point that at me.
Oh yeah, I would.
And don't talk about my stones, okay?
Frankly, I'm shocked by your behavior.
What's wrong with you?
Said I'm shocked!
A little fragile for a guy
fencing stolen goods in a parking lot.
I'm not fragile. I'm shocked!
Mother...
[footsteps approaching]
You took your freakin' time, didn't you?
Cool your jets. I was in power-save mode.
I can't believe that shit worked!
-This guy's an idiot.
-Help me get his feet.
Will you hurry up? Last thing I need
is to go to prison for harborin' a bot.
-You're not harboring me!
-Cops come, I'll pretend I don't know you.
-So I'd hustle if I was you.
-I told you 15,000 was too much.
I'm not running a discount business.
You serious?
You work out of the back of a truck.
Think we got room for his bike?
You bet your cute little mustache
we got room.
[western music playing]
[whirring, clicking]
["I Fought the Law"
by The Clash fading in]
Breakin' rocks in the hot sun
[singing along] I fought the law
And the law won
I fought the law, and the law won
I needed money 'cause I had none
I fought the law, and the law won
I fought the law, and the law won
I left my baby, and it feels so bad
Guess my race is run
She's the best girl that I ever had
I fought the law, and the law won...
-I'll be inside. Good luck.
-Come on. Help me unload this stuff.
Say it. Why do you want me to help you?
[Keats] Can you please
just knock it off for once?
[bot] Ha ha!
So you're gonna do it by yourself, then.
I would like your help
because things are very heavy,
and you're so much stronger
than me, Herman.
-Happy now?
-Aw, I'm so proud of you.
It's healthy to admit these things, right?
Leave the bike in here.
I'm not selling that thing.
[Herman] What do you mean,
not gonna sell it?!
-It's mine. I shot the guy.
-But you shot him late.
-What are you gonna do with a bike?
-Huh. Sell it.
Man, either I'm gettin' older
or these crates are gettin' heavier.
Clap on!
Remind me. What's in here again?
-Candy bars for you, bootylicious.
-That's very funny.
Why don't you be a dear and give me
an inventory on those Cabbage Patch Kids?
We got a buyer in Toledo. Wants 'em all.
-Here, fishy.
-[fish 1] Take me to the river
-Fishy.
-[fish 2] Take me to the river
-[Keats] Why you gotta do that?
-'Cause you hate it, bro.
[Keats] If it runs outta batteries,
they'll be worthless.
If this world ever goes back to normal,
come Christmastime, they're big sellers.
Got no batteries, you got
Big Mouth Billy Bass that doesn't sing.
[quietly] Oh no... God!
The frickin' fridge died! Son of a...
Oh! Ugh!
Freakin'... corn dog, Salisbury steak.
My ice cream sandwiches are all melted.
[quietly] Oh my...
I got no food!
What do you mean you got no food, man?
I just carried a crate of food in.
-Go eat that.
-Those are antiques. I can't.
What? They're Zagnuts.
Everybody likes Zagnuts.
I'm not eating the freakin'
Masters of the Universe tie-in Zagnuts
in the original packaging, okay?
I'm not gonna eat it! It's money!
Gonna eat this burrito now.
I'm gonna give myself freakin' salmonella!
You don't need to get salmonella.
We got lunch boxes. Go eat a lunch box.
The G.I. Joe lunch boxes
don't have lunch in them.
They store lunch for children.
They don't come with lunch! What's wrong...
What the hell is this, Herm?
-Look at me. Herm, look at me.
-I am looking at you.
Did you unplug this
and take my extension cord
to your charging station?
-No.
-You're blinking.
I can see that you're blinking,
so I know that you're lying.
-I'm not lying.
-So you did take it. Now, what I need...
is for you to admit it.
All relationships are built on trust.
Be honest with me, and I won't get mad.
Just tell me that you took it,
and I won't get mad.
[quietly] I took the cord.
God bless America!
You'll watch me starve to death.
My ribs are poppin' out
of my shirt already.
[Herm] Oh, you're so dramatic.
I need energy to live!
[Keats] I need energy for...
I'm a human being.
Unlike you.
You need energy from the outlet.
You get the energy from the outlet,
you put the extension cord back. Okay?
-We've been on the road ten days.
-[Herm] Where do I plug in?
No place to plug in if there's
no power source. What am I supposed to do?
[Keats] You can plug in any time.
You don't have to keep your energy cold.
To avoid listeria and to avoid salmonella,
'cause you're not a human being.
-[Herm] Stop!
-You're artificial intelligence.
-No, you're artificial unintelligence...
-[fish] Take me to the river
And wash me down...
[tense music playing]
Hey you! Blondie, I see you.
It's okay. We gotta run.
-[Keats] Come outta there.
-[Herm] I got 'em, Keats.
Which one of you touched my bass?
[Keats] Move!
[Herm] Oh, it's goin' down
on the fish aisle.
Hands up where I can see 'em. Turn around.
[music fades]
-You're a kid.
-You're a genius.
Yeah, I am.
This a bot? Is that a Cosmo bot?
-How'd you get down here?
-Back of your truck.
-Hey, Lemonhead, you lookin' for trouble?
-Back off.
Kid Cosmo's your pal!
What the hell are you doing in my truck?
What do you want?
-There's trouble on the moon.
-We need to get to the EX.
-Who said anything about going to the EX?
-You did. And he did.
Yeah, we were pretty clear about that.
[Michelle] You were.
But it's fine because I don't care.
-I know what you do and what you sell.
-Sell? [scoffs]
My foster dad bought
tons of shit from you.
I don't care. It's none of my business.
You can stay here with your bot.
-I'll go with my bot.
-No, you're not.
The EX.
Kid, it's not some spring-break hotspot.
Only thing you're gonna do
in there is die.
So why don't you get back in the elevator
and forget you ever saw this place.
Now.
[metal creaking]
[Herm] Oh boy.
What the hell is goin' on?
Do you have friends?
Would I be here if I did?
Hey, they followed us.
Maybe someone followed them.
Great. All right.
We run Omaha-3, low voltage.
-Take the bot with you.
-It's not a bot. It's my brother.
[scoffs] Whatever, kid.
You want it to live?
You're gonna have to trust me.
[elevator rumbling]
-[Cosmo] Uh, this is a red alert!
-It's okay.
-[Cosmo] Jessie, this is a red alert!
-Come on. We're about to run Omaha. C'mon.
Wait. All right.
Take my hand. You're my kid sister.
That's our backstory.
Your name is, uh, Veronica.
Beronica with a B?
Have you ever met anyone
named Beronica with a B?
-Actually, I have.
-Okay. No, it's V... it's V.
-Okay, Veronica.
-Like Veronica.
-Last name?
-Know what? Your character is a mute.
So stand behind me and shut up.
[tense music playing]
Attention, suspects.
This facility
is now under the jurisdiction
of the Robot Deactivation Task Force.
Who the hell is that?
RDTF.
[drone] Consider yourselves detained.
Trouble.
[footsteps approaching]
[drone] Now, do me a kindness.
Raise those hands.
I'd love to avoid
any unwarranted violence.
Well, I... I would as well.
And so would my mute sister here,
uh, Veronica.
We can assure you there are receipts
for each of these unique items.
-Happy to drum those up for you.
-Michelle Leona Greene.
You're under arrest for malicious assault,
grand theft auto, truancy,
and abetting an enemy of the state.
Holy crap.
-I want a lawyer.
-What...
You can speak?!
Oh, you're gonna get a lawyer.
Where's the bot?
[Keats chuckles] What? Bot?
That's crazy.
[scoffs] There are bots?
Why are you talking?
Whoa. Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.
Pardon me
for trying to assist law enforcement.
You know, I really gotta say,
as a taxpaying citizen
who loves flags and line dancing,
all of it, big American here,
I'm stunned that you would think
I'm harboring robots.
In fact, I... I would go so far as to say
I'm shocked.
[whirring]
[dramatic music playing]
I've got you now.
[Michelle gasps]
[music fades]
[drone] You wanna help yourself,
Miss Greene?
Give up the bot.
You keep playing this out,
come sentencing time,
you'll be old enough for grown-up prison.
Take me to the river
[fish motor winding down]
[Keats grunting]
You destroyed a 25,000-dollar pistol.
-[dull thud]
-[groans]
-[spluttering] I'll give it to ya for 15.
-[Michelle] Stop!
Don't hurt him.
[grunts]
Step away from the bot.
What are you gonna do?
[drone] Miss, I have a job,
and you can't stop it.
Now, do yourself a favor
and step away from the bot.
[Michelle] He needs to get back to the EX.
[drone] You are in violation
of the treaty.
-He's marked for deactivation.
-[Michelle] You're heartless.
You can't be heartless
to things with no heart.
[metallic clanking]
[dramatic music playing]
-We gotta move, Lemonhead. Chief!
-[Michelle] Come on.
[Herm] Okay,
looks like we're goin' to the EX.
-We are?
-[Herm] Get in! Get in! Let's go!
[Michelle] Okay.
-[Herm] Keats, you better not be dead!
-[Cosmo] Here we go!
-Hang on.
-[drone] This is a treaty violation.
This is treason!
[music intensifies]
[Keats] Okay.
-I told you to color code.
-I know which one it is!
-Why do you have so many keys?
-[Herm] Come on! Come on!
-I'm a very important man.
-You're gonna be very important in jail.
Shall we just run at this point?
Ha ha!
[whirring]
Everybody hang on. Here we go.
[music intensifies]
[Keats whooping]
-[whooping]
-[music ends]
[Keats] Ow!
[suspenseful music playing]
SOS. This is Kid Cosmo
sending out a distress signal.
SOS!
I got a spot for you
right over my fireplace.
-Not in my house!
-[dramatic music playing]
[Herm] Get some!
Nobody's getting deactivated today!
You, I'll kill you just for fun.
Get off!
Ugh! Damn it.
[Keats] Come on. Come on!
[Neurocaster powers down]
[Michelle coughing]
[gasping]
[whispering] This...
[yells]
[yelling unintelligibly]
You see that wall?
If you follow it for about ten years...
you'll end up right back here!
No way out. We live here now.
Congratulations, kid.
[distant screeching]
Oh crap. That's all we need.
[distant howling]
[Cosmo] You can be brave
in the face of danger!
[quietly] All right. Come on.
[bot 1 chuckling manically]
Oh, yay!
-[bot 2 roars]
-[bot 1 squeals]
[Michelle] What the hell are those?
[whispering] Scavenger bots.
They survive by hot-rodding themselves
with parts of other robots.
Robots they've killed.
-[head] Human. Human.
-[Keats softly] Shit.
-[head] Human! Human!
-[Keats] Hey.
-[Herm] Keats, shut him up!
-[head] Human! Human! Human! Huma...
-[tense music playing]
-[Michelle] What do they do with people?
I've never stuck around
long enough to find out.
You gave me a whole new chance,
haven't you?
Now that you've buried my life
under a mountain.
Hey. My brother needed me.
I'm not sorry we're here.
You realize your brother
is a Lemonhead robot, right?
[Michelle] He's not a robot.
He's a person.
Chris is operating Cosmo.
Although Chris doesn't know where he is.
The only person who does
is the doctor who gave him to Sentre.
Oh yeah!
And where's this doctor supposed to be?
Tabletop Mountain.
Oh, um, what is that?
Herm, 300 miles south?
-Hope you got good walking shoes, kid.
-You got a better idea?
[scoffs] I'll find one.
Love the confidence. I don't share it,
but I totally love it for you.
-Does that van work?
-[Keats] Depends. You got a motor on ya?
It's time to bulk up, Herm.
[Herm] Hey, you know gettin' bulky
is my thing.
Oh! Of course! Hundred percent charged.
Good to know someone's eaten today.
[Herm] Here I come to save the day!
Oh yeah, Hermdog!
What the hell is that?
The HRM component system.
I've got a body size for every job.
What do you think, Keats, we head north?
We never checked the wall around Moab.
[Cosmo powers down]
Oh, sure. Why not?
As far as beautiful places
to starve to death, Moab's fine!
Or you could just whine yourself to death.
You know, I want you
to think about this moment
when you're begging me
for drinking water in 24 hours.
If Chris and I are right
and if that doctor did have a way in here,
-he probably has a way out.
-Unlikely.
Which is more than you have,
so I've got a plan.
And you've got a ride.
So let's make a deal.
Well, if you think for one second
that Herm's gonna put
you two and me in that van
and carry us on his shoulder,
you're outta your mind.
[thoughtful music playing]
[heavy footsteps]
[music intensifies]
-[Keats] Where are your parents anyway?
-None of your business.
[Keats] Eh, got it.
Dead.
Just as well, I suppose.
Are you trying to be a dick,
or it just... just comes naturally to you?
[Herm] That's naturally him.
It... Obviously, it's sad...
when parents cross over,
but this way, you still get to think
nice things about them.
-They never had a chance to let you down.
-They wouldn't let us down.
-Kid, kid, kid, and alleged kid.
-[Cosmo] Happy birthday!
-Everybody lets you down.
-[Cosmo] Merry Christmas!
Stick around long enough,
I'll let you down.
Well, lucky for you,
we won't be sticking around.
Yeah! That's the attitude, huh?
What do they say? Make money...
...and keep runnin', baby.
Live by that motto, kid.
That's what I do.
-How'd you two meet?
-We actually met in the war.
-Weren't you supposed to kill each other?
-[chuckles] We tried.
Bots had my whole platoon surrounded,
broke my leg in two.
The tin men circled up
to finish off the job.
[chuckles] I look up, I see this big dumb
construction bot peering down at me.
I close my eyes, get ready to die,
and instead, he just lifts me up,
carries me out.
-[Herm] You were cryin' like a baby.
-Ha ha ha! Yeah, right. Not like a baby.
You know they don't really know
human emotion.
It was a war cry.
Like, "Yeah! W... Wolverines!"
Please. You were sucking your thumb
and begging me to save your ass.
He's... he's correct.
A few days later,
well, Sentre drones found us,
and I tried to tell 'em,
"Hey, this guy saved my life.
Herm's a good guy. Don't shoot."
[scoffs] They opened fire anyway.
Tried to kill us both, so we ran.
We been runnin' ever since, huh?
Most people would think
it was weird, right?
A robot and a guy gettin' along.
Hangin' out.
At least you have each other.
[Keats] So what are you gonna do
if you find your brother?
I mean, you know, the rest of him.
What do you do then?
Whatever we want.
[music fades]
What you makin', Mama?
[woman] It's Sunday.
What do I always make on Sunday?
[1940s music playing on radio]
Stuffed peppers.
-[woman] What my boy wants, my boy gets.
-[chuckles]
As long as it's less than a nickel
and on the day-old shelf.
You, hush.
But, not for nothing, a cannoli.
-Day old?
-Two.
Mrs. Vella gave it on the house.
It's good to see you like this, Mama.
-Up and around, and...
-Why wouldn't I be?
No reason.
[chuckles] My angioletto.
Such a funny boy.
Such a funny boy.
[echoing] Such a funny boy.
[sound faltering]
Son of a bitch!
[somber music playing]
[Skate] The data-transfer rate
is dropping like a rock.
Explain.
-Well... he told me it could wait, so...
-Uh, until I had all the facts.
[Skate] The fact is that the service
we provide for the world
is going from utterly flawless
to complete dog shit!
Why?
-Christopher's gone.
-Louder.
Christopher... is... gone.
That's physically impossible.
But cerebrally,
n... neurologically, he... he's not there.
Are you telling me
that my breakthrough broke out?
[softly] There was a, uh,
tiny unsecured node in his data matrix.
Barely noticeable really.
And... over time,
it allowed his consciousness to, um...
uh, well, drip past our firewalls.
It appears that it was constructed
that way d... deliberately.
-It was Amherst.
-Well, it wasn't us, sir.
No. Theoretically, if the Neurocaster
data speed keeps dropping...
[man] A... and there's no reason
to think it won't.
Sentre is screwed eight ways to Sunday.
-More like Saturday.
-[Skate] This Saturday?
-My company collapses on Saturday?
-Friday, more likely.
-Shut up.
-[whispers] It could be Saturday.
[sighs]
You've got mail!
[music intensifying]
[Neurocaster powering up]
[Skate] I... I've... I've... I've always
found the natural world very soothing.
You know me?
Who doesn't know
the Butcher of Schenectady?
The baddest ass on the Task Force.
I saw your puff piece
on 60 Minutes when you retired.
[Butcher] I didn't retire.
I just ran out of bots to hunt.
I understand that you're hunting
for a juvenile delinquent
and her... mechanical companion.
Task Force calls, I answer.
Hmm. Well, seems that
you and I share a common goal, then.
The girl's machine... belongs to Sentre.
-I want it back.
-The bot's wanted for assault.
-And that's an automatic termination.
-Yeah, but you could delay that.
Once Sentre has what it needs,
you can do whatever you want
to whatever is left.
It's a nice spot.
-Thank you. Made it myself.
-I know.
I saw your puff piece on 20/20.
Then, you know
the incredible resources that I have.
Suppose I could get
your drone back online.
Why not go get him yourself?
Sentre's got the toys.
Peace accords.
Not allowed to go into the EX
unless there's evidence
that the treaty has been broken.
So are you asking me to get the bot?
Or to get you evidence?
Let's just see where the day takes us...
shall we?
[apprehensive music playing]
[sighs]
[Herm] Hey, meat puppets.
Look ahead of you.
Wow! Tabletop Mountain, huh?
That right there is a natural wonder.
If you were this doctor,
where would you be?
[Cosmo] There's a Martian base
just past the asteroid field.
[Michelle] Is that a mall?
Seems to be in pretty good shape.
Guess the Scavs haven't found it yet.
[Keats] There's supplies,
shelter, defensible perimeter.
Not the worst place in the world to hide.
-Think the food court's still open?
-[Herm] Here we go.
We found an old Panda Express in the EX.
All the food was still good.
We got fortune cookies,
General Tso's chicken, orange chicken,
chicken fried rice, pork fried dumplings.
All that stuff, it just doesn't go bad.
[tense music fades in]
-[Herm] Uh-oh.
-Look out!
[Herm] That son of a bitch
threw a fridge at us!
-Herm, get us outta here!
-I'm tryin'!
Incoming!
-Ow! Oh, he got me in the hammy! Oh no!
-[Keats groans]
Hold on! Oh no, we're goin' down! No, no!
[Keats] Ow!
-Who throws refriger... Son of a...
-[music fades]
[Michelle] Huh?
[tense music fading in]
[Keats groans] Ah, shit.
[drum roll]
[bot] Ladies and gentlemen...
[dramatic musical flourish]
...you're captured.
-[Keats] You ever seen these guys before?
-Dude, we don't all know each other.
Hey, I better not see
one ding on that thing.
[bot] Too late.
I must ask you to halt.
-Right there.
-Watch where you're stickin' that thing.
Prepare yourselves
to witness the wonderment,
to behold the beguiling,
to perceive the prodigious
prestidigitations of Perplexo.
[melodramatically]
Spirits of the netherworld, hear me!
I command this gate to rise!
[bot mutters]
We rehearsed this a thousand times.
Come on!
All right, now,
newly awakened spirits of the underworld!
[quietly] Unbelievable.
[loudly] I command this gate to rise!
Are you not amazed?
-Where are you taking us?
-All questions will be answered within.
[bot speaking unintelligibly]
-[circus music playing]
-[dog bot growls]
[Keats quietly] Here's the plan.
I'm gonna fake a seizure.
You get to the roof.
-I'm not leaving until I find that doctor.
-Hey, you want some juice?
-[Cosmo whimpers] Don't talk to strangers!
-[Michelle] Come on.
[bot cackling] Well, here if you need me.
[playing ragtime music]
Oh me, oh my! Taco, humans.
Oh my God.
This is crazy.
[ice cream bot muttering]
[rousing music playing]
[bots talking unintelligibly]
[coins dropping into machine]
[bot 1] Ah, jeez, people.
Where the heck did they come from?
-[bot 2] They're prisoners.
-[bot 3] It's a Kid Cosmo bot.
[bot 4] They're not human!
[bot 5] Hey. Hey.
-[music intensifies]
-[giant bot groans]
Ladies and gentlemen,
I'd like to bring a very special guest
onto our stage tonight.
A personage so august,
a leader so towering,
he goes only by the awe-inspiring title of
Mr. Peanut!
No way.
[Southern accent] Cut the guff, P.
[chuckles] You know I don't care
for all that hyperbole.
Afternoon. I'd... I'd tip my hat,
but, uh, well, it's bolted on.
We took you down
because we thought you were Scavs.
-Excuse me?
-See, they come round every now and again.
Just lookin' to rip us limb from limb.
Y'all don't really look like limb-rippers,
but, you know, looks can be deceivin'.
We need to talk to you, sir.
Yeah, humans always want
somethin' from us.
Kinda like stink on a skunk.
We're looking for a doctor.
With... glasses.
Mmm, well, walk with me, will ya?
Stupid question, I know,
but... what exactly is this place?
[Mr. Peanut] Well, uh, we haven't put up
the sign yet, but try this on for size.
"Blue Sky Acres,
an oasis of safety in an uncaring desert."
[Herm] Pretty catchy.
You're lookin' at the cradle
of a new mechanized civilization.
-Hey, Mr. Peanut.
-How do, Blitz?
[Blitz] Ralphie, slow down!
At Blue Sky Acres, robots can evolve past
the job descriptions humans stuck on them.
-They can pick up a new trade.
-Hair!
-Maybe even find their true selves.
-Hair!
Uh-uh. Like, whoa.
[Mr. Peanut] Mrs. Scissors,
we don't do that anymore.
-Hair.
-[Mr. Peanut] Leave the man alone, please.
-[Mrs. Scissors sighs sadly]
-Oh!
Sir. Mr... Peanut. We need your help.
I'm sure you do, but the actual fact is
your presence here
provides legal justification
for Sentre to wipe out
everything these robots have built.
Best I can do is escort you
ten miles into the desert
and leave you on your lonesome.
I mean, after chow, of course.
[plastic snaps]
Free as a bird!
Now, I hope you brought your appetite.
I did. I never got my burrito.
Hey, read the room. It's a burger joint.
All right, well... I'll have a cheeseburger.
Oh, sorry. We're outta cheese.
That... that's fine. Burger and fries.
Well, more bad news. We're outta that too.
-[rock and roll plays on radio]
-What do you have?
I'mma break it down to you for real.
Ain't nobody ate up in here
in a long time.
If it was good, it's bad now.
We got spaghetti.
We got canned beans on a Twinkie.
What kind of beans?
So your brother has no idea
where his actual human body is?
All he knows is Sentre.
[jaunty music playing in background]
Hmm! Why in the hell
would Sentre steal a little boy?
I know. It's nuts.
-No offense.
-Get it all the time.
Chris said the doctor that took him
would be here at Tabletop.
Okay.
Might as well tell you the truth.
[chuckles] There was a doctor here.
-[Cosmo] Here we go!
-What did you say?
Dr. Clark Amherst,
PhD in Human-Machine Interaction.
Well, where is he now?
[Mr. Peanut] Obviously,
I gave him the boot.
At least he's consistent.
You don't know any other way outta here,
and the one person who did,
you sent him off in the wilderness to die?
Damn right I did.
I signed that peace treaty
because it recognized robots as a people.
I don't guess you'd know what it's like
to have your very right to exist
depend on a piece of paper.
All this, it's fragile, man,
and there was no way
I was gonna let that doctor threaten it
any more than I'll let you.
Dr. Amherst is a kidnapper.
This is the little boy he took.
You gonna treat those two people the same?
But all humans are the same.
Selfish and lazy.
Once you figure that out, little girl,
you'll live a much simpler life.
Come on.
Young lady?
I would not advise you
to go out there at night.
I really don't care
about what you would advise.
Think you're building
something special here?
You're just like everyone out there.
Thanks for the ride.
Bon apptit.
Keats.
-What?
-[Herm] Really?
-I gotta eat.
-This is lame, man. Even for you.
[Keats growls]
-Where you goin'?
-There are cars in the parking lot.
I'll get one
and drive until I find the doctor.
Come on,
it's 100,000 square miles out there.
-Chances of finding them are pretty slim.
-Chances of finding him in here are zero.
The chances of not dyin' in here
are pretty high.
You can't go out in the EX after dark.
I mean, listen,
you're just gonna have to trust me.
Hey. For real.
Your sister's no good to you dead.
Look at that face.
How can you deny
that weird robot-head face?
Hang out!
Go to Orange Julius.
It's a mall. Steal some shit.
Leave in the mornin'.
Fine.
We'll get killed in the morning.
[bots muttering unintelligibly]
-Ah, hair!
-Touch my hair, and I'll kill you.
-[dejectedly] Ah, hair.
-[bot] He could use a haircut.
[pensive music playing]
That should just about do it, Beemo.
-Hot dog, Cosmo. With these upgrades...
-[Michelle] Hi, stranger!
-Merry Christmas!
-Where've you been?
-There's trouble on the moon!
-[Michelle] Lisa Stewart had a party.
-Mom said you were at the library.
-I'm pretty sure that's what I told her.
You have any fun "reading"?
Better than here.
Ever since you left,
if Mom and Dad aren't yelling
at each other, they're yelling at me.
-Good thing I'm moving home, then.
-Shut up. I'll be fine.
That's super debatable,
but I wouldn't be doing it for you.
-What, you graduate early or something?
-Not exactly.
My professor shows me off
like I'm some sort of prized monkey,
but he never listens to my ideas,
then I get back to my dorm,
and my roommate calls me Doogie Howser
and pees in my garbage can.
-[snickers]
-I'm moving home.
You do that,
and I'll pee in your garbage can.
Remember when I said
you were gonna change the world?
I do.
-Have you done that yet?
-Not exactly.
Then, I suggest
you get your ass back to college.
[sighs]
After Christmas.
[Cosmo] Cosmo modules, unite!
Bet if Cosmo went to college,
Jessie would visit him all the time.
[gasps] How dare you?
Jessie has a jetpack.
-Okay, I'll build you a jetpack.
-Fine.
Deal. I'd love a jetpack.
-Thanks for coming, Cosmo.
-I missed you, dude.
[Cosmo] Always remember,
Kid Cosmo's your pal.
I missed you too.
[music becomes poignant]
I better hurry.
There's trouble on the moon!
[dramatic music plays in cartoon]
That's no way to treat a friend.
Hey, Webby, no snacking between meals!
[tender music playing]
[bot muttering unintelligibly]
You can if you believe you can!
[bot muttering]
[music intensifies]
Next time, try a sandwich!
Thanks for coming, Cosmo.
[Cosmo] Always remember,
Kid Cosmo's your pal.
[music fades]
[snoring]
[female whispering] Uh, hi. Hello?
-Ding-dong!
-Did you hear that?
[female] Oh, hi!
[groans] Huh?!
I'm not even supposed to be here.
Um, we should be really quiet.
I'm looking for a "Christopher Greene"?
[Cosmo] Double asteroid!
I've got some mail for you.
Oh God, Herm, I got the Twinkie sweats.
Just before Mr. Peanut sent him away,
Dr. Amherst gave me that letter,
and he said to deliver it to Christopher
if he ever showed up.
Oh, and that there...
there's no signature required.
"Christopher, if you find this, find me."
"2201 Pinnacle Peak Road."
"I will wait. Clark."
[female] I guess I already
broke the rules by taking it from him.
I don't know where I'm at with this.
Guess there's no use crying over...
-How can I get to this place?
-Well, I know where it is. It's not that.
It's that if I help you,
I'm gonna get in even more trouble
than I'd already probably get in,
and it makes me feel really bad to say it,
but I... I can't tell you.
But I do know. I do know.
It's not that I don't know.
Look, if that's the doctor... that might be
able to get us the hell outta here,
then could be your terrible idea is...
slightly less terrible.
We can get you there.
Keats, that's Scav territory.
You know we're gonna need muscle.
Muscles are antiquated and unreliable.
Oh, he heard us. We were too loud.
I was too loud! It was me. I was loud.
A pneumatic piston, on the other hand,
that's a quality component.
And a baseball bat,
well, that'll get 'er done.
-Meaning what?
-The treaty doesn't allow you to stay.
That doesn't mean I can't help you leave.
I thought we were the enemy.
Could be the human factory
made some good models after all.
Thank you.
Well, I was talkin' to her.
Now, if we're headin' into Scav country,
there's a fella you're gonna wanna meet.
[creaks]
Would you like to hear
a funny story about Scavs?
Oh yeah! I love to laugh.
I once saw a Scav hunting party
attack and dismember
ten of my closest friends
in front of my eyes!
[splutters] How is that funny?
Nothing left...
[voice distorts] ...but oil stains.
[female] Oh... Uh...
[old bot] Oil stains and screws!
A Scav is a walkin', talkin' chop shop
who wants to eat you whole
and poop you out... raw.
I've beaten dozens of Scavs to a pulp
with this very bat.
Even then, they kept comin'.
That's the funny thing
about Scavs... [chuckles]
...they'll not stop until you're dead.
All right, then!
Tighten your guts and loosen your nuts.
We've got Scavs... [powering down] ...to kill.
-[female] Oh. Pop?
-Oh boy.
Is he gonna fall asleep
in the middle of combat?
I... feel as though
that might be a liability.
[Herm] Oh! Huh-hoh!
That was a brushback.
[dark western music playing]
Fly, Cyril, fly!
-[Blitz] Ooh!
-[musical flourish]
[music intensifies]
[barking]
[music fades]
Oh, are we sure this is it?
[female] There are 160 million
addresses in the continental US,
and every single one
is hard-burned into my circuits.
If Dr. Amherst said
he was at 2201 Pinnacle Peak,
then this is where he is!
[gaily] If you were a package,
this is exactly where I'd drop ya.
Lay ya down right here!
Then I would run away.
I don't like it.
[Cosmo whimpers]
This place is a Scav buffet.
-[female] I wouldn't...
-[Keats quietly] Where you goin'?
-...climb on anything, I...
-Hey.
-[female] I guess I wouldn't, but...
-[Keats whistling softly] Hey.
Someone's here.
Could be him.
[small Scav cackling]
-[ominous music playing]
-[wolf Scav growling]
[drill whirring]
What's the call, Pops?
-[wolf Scav laughs]
-Leg it out!
[roars]
[music intensifies]
[Scav screeches]
[Herm] Scav!
Uh-oh!
-[grunts] No!
-[Herm] Hang onto your mail.
[female] Thank you so much.
I appreciate the teamwork.
[Scavs roaring]
Stay calm. Right, stay calm.
Scavs are still machines.
-They're rational.
-[roars]
[squeals]
-Open those damn doors!
-These aren't real doors.
[Scavs roaring]
[female] Well, I don't think
we're gonna make it.
[chicken Scav squawking]
Okay.
-[Scav roars]
-[Pop] Out of here!
[Keats] Quick, everybody,
get behind Penny!
That feels personal.
[music climaxes, stops abruptly]
["Good Vibrations" by Marky Mark
and the Funky Bunch playing]
Oh no!
[Scav screaming] No!
Sweet sensation
It's such a good vibration...
I am not dying
to Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch!
I actually like this song.
-[Keats] Whoa.
-[Penny] Whoa!
-[all squealing]
-[song fades]
[male over PA] Welcome, subjects,
to Dr. Frankenstein's laboratory.
I hope you enjoyed your ride.
Kindly step all the way inside
and make room for everyone.
Too late to turn back now.
[cackling maniacally]
[poignant music playing]
[softly] It worked.
-Remember me, Doctor?
-[gasps]
Where is my brother?
-I can't.
-I think you can.
Ow!
Answer her question, doc.
-Seattle. Sentre's island campus.
-Why did you take him?
People were dying.
We were losing the war.
Until we found him.
After your accident,
a Sentre imaging machine
alerted us to Christopher.
He was special, okay?
He was exactly what we needed.
Christopher was like...
He was like a gift from God.
You held my hand,
and you lied to me.
Please. You need to understand.
Don't tell me what I need.
Don't tell me about the damn war
and gifts from God.
Just tell me what you did with my brother.
[poignant music playing]
PC.
Will you join us, please?
[computer booting up]
-Herm, Herm, Herm!
-[Penny] Oh my God.
Whoa, whoa. Hey, pal,
you been creepin' on us the whole time?
[Amherst's voice] If by "creeping,"
you mean responsibly avoiding the threat
of monitor burn-in, then yes!
Why the heck
does this bot speak with your voice?
[PC] Dr. Amherst rescued me
from the Scavengers.
My voice module had been torn out.
I recorded PC a vocabulary
of over 100,000 words.
He's my hard drive and friend.
He knows what I know.
Show them 17-9.
Yes, Doctor.
Blueprint Trial Nine. Test Subject Alpha.
Christopher was comatose.
We thought it was permanent.
We looked at it like... organ donation.
Damn, it's like human Scavs.
[Amherst] We needed an impossible amount
of computing power to run the network.
Your brother's mind
was the breakthrough Skate needed
to link the Neurocasters and the drones.
Congratulations, doc.
I think you just won us the war.
You're disgusting.
If we didn't do what we did,
Christopher would've died in the hospital.
We saved his life.
-That's not your choice.
-So you would've pulled the plug?
If I had to.
Then you would've been as wrong as I was.
23-6.
Thirteen months later...
[music intensifies]
[somber music playing]
[whispers] Oh my God.
Oh, I can't look.
Shut it down.
I told Skate we had to disconnect him.
Skate threatened to kill me.
There was no way
I could get Chris out of Sentre.
So, before I ran,
I established a tiny connection
between Chris and the outside network.
His mind could escape
even if his body couldn't.
You told him to head to Blue Sky.
I heard about what you were building,
so I implanted the location in his mind.
Why?
I wanted him to find a family.
-He already had a family!
-[Keats] Hey.
Relax.
Everybody, relax.
[Michelle panting]
-[Penny] Oh!
-[Keats] Hurts more when they're relaxed.
That was unexpected.
I saw it comin'.
-We're gonna go get Chris.
-You can't do that.
Yes, I can.
-And you're gonna help.
-It's not possible.
You got into the EX,
which means you can get us out.
-You have no idea the s...
-[Penny] Guys?
[Herm] Not this asshole again.
-Who is that?
-The Butcher of Schenectady.
Oh! Oh.
We have to act quickly.
[dramatic musical flourish]
[tense music playing]
[Butcher] This one of yours, Skate?
Not anymore.
[click, whirring]
Well, if it isn't the king of misfit toys.
[Mr. Peanut] No kings here.
Our people are free.
Your people ain't people.
I'm gonna crack that shell.
-[Mr. Peanut groaning]
-[Keats] Who's got the keys to the peanut?
The peanut has the keys to his peanut.
Hold... hold up. Hold on, quiet.
-[Penny] What?
-You hear that?
[wind whistling]
I don't hear anything.
[propellers thrumming]
[Herm softly] There it is.
Hide your brother. Now.
[quietly] Come on.
[thrumming intensifies]
-Get ready.
-Get ready for... for what now?
Drop your weapons. Hand over the bot.
-[Pop wailing]
-I don't really take orders anymore.
Failure to comply... Jesus!
[Pop] Oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo!
-Oh, he did not comply.
-Let's play ball!
-[Keats] Ha ha!
-[dramatic music playing]
-[drone] Sir, they're attacking.
-Then, attack back!
Find the target. Find it!
Everyone else is collateral.
[music fades]
[drone] Come out now,
or you'll be deactivated.
[Cosmo] All right, you asked for it!
[dramatic music playing]
-[Cosmo] Great work, Jessie!
-Come on.
-[Cosmo] You did it!
-C'mon, let's go.
-[Cosmo] Uh-oh!
-End of the line.
[Amherst] Hey.
[garbled yelling]
Come on. I know a way out.
[Penny grunting]
-[Penny roars]
-[music stops]
Yeah.
What in the hell
does the US Postal Service need that for?
It's for Dobermans.
Dobermans?!
[suspenseful music playing]
[Mr. Peanut] Ah, ah, ah. No.
You broke the treaty, Mr. Peanut.
That means consequences.
[groans]
A lesson your tin friends at the mall
should be learning right about now.
[Mr. Peanut groans]
You go back and tell the ones who are left
this is your fault.
[dramatic music playing]
-[bot talking indistinctly]
-[siren wailing]
[blades thrumming]
[music intensifies]
[quietly] Oh no. Hide.
[Michelle] Come on.
All right, Miss Greene.
No need for anyone to get hurt.
Let's call it a night.
You really want me to keep doin' this?
You take Christopher and run. Got it?
[poignant music playing]
[Butcher] Last chance.
Leave them alone!
You really think you're gonna win
a gunfight against me, Doctor?
No.
Good. Now put it on the ground.
You're not allowed
to kill living things, are you?
That's right. I put metal down.
If you want 'em...
you'll have to kill me.
Goddamn it, Skate.
I had him handled.
Dr. Amherst was in violation
of the treaty.
Now, get me the bot.
[Neurocaster powers down]
[melancholy music playing]
-[dramatic music playing]
-[propellers thrumming]
Hold it right there.
No!
No!
Go home, Miss Greene.
Go home.
Where they goin'?
[music fades]
[wind whistling]
[solemn music playing]
[Penny] Oh no. Oh no, no, no.
[Mrs. Scissors sobbing]
[meekly] Hair?
I'm so sorry, my friend.
Welcome back, Christopher.
I'm not gonna lie.
You had me worried there
for a little while.
It's okay. I'm not mad.
I understand. Scary stuff, the future.
Especially when it's all in your hands.
Don't worry.
[softly] You're not alone.
[Butcher] That was very touching,
Mr. Skate.
Just one thing.
You're a murderer.
Debatable.
[Butcher] And you lied to me.
That's not a bot.
[Skate] His name is Christopher Greene.
[Butcher] You had me hunt a boy.
Look, Colonel Bradbury,
or Butcher... if I may.
How shall I put this?
Who cares?
Who cares?
That war that you won,
your impeccable kill record,
that wasn't you.
That was me and this boy.
You're just a witness to history.
This is history?
[Skate] What? You'd prefer evolution?
Our world is a tire fire
floating on an ocean of piss.
Always has been.
Christopher gives humanity the chance
to leave all that suffering behind.
In my experience, suffering and life
kinda go hand in hand.
Mine too.
My mother was a three-bottle-a-day drunk.
When she tied one on, she was mean.
When she was sober, she was worse.
But in here,
she's all soft hugs and... stuffed peppers.
And peace.
I wanna bring that peace
to every single person on Earth.
Give or take a few.
[exhales] It requires sacrifice
to move a species forward.
How did it go before?
Oh, right. Father.
Son.
Holy Ghost.
There's a chance
that you might not be right in the head.
Again, who cares?
Okay.
Let's get Christopher
back where he belongs.
And maybe just lock the door this time?
[music intensifies]
[music fading out]
If you really want that thing,
you could probably just break the glass.
I'm not sure anybody'd notice.
You got a job interview?
Oh. Yeah.
Freakin' robot guilt-tripped me into...
I hate it.
He was all I had.
And I lost him twice.
So go for three.
Your brother's not the only special one
from your family, kid.
Look, I quit fightin'
because the war was wrong,
but I, you know, I gave up on everything.
Really I quit... life
because the world sucked.
And it still does.
But there are some good people in it.
And some of 'em wouldn't know
how to quit even if you paid 'em.
So you wanna go get your brother back?
I'll go with ya.
You got me. You got Herm.
Pretty sure we're not the only ones.
When did you stop being an asshole?
No, I didn't. I just got a haircut.
[Taco playing
"Every Rose Has Its Thorn" by Poison]
[Michelle] Excuse me, PC.
Dr. Amherst said
you were his hard drive, right?
Yes. I knew everything he knew.
You wouldn't happen to have
the security codes to get us outta the EX?
Yes. I do.
What about the building that
they're holding Christopher in?
-Could you get me in there?
-Of course I can.
-I'm going to Seattle.
-We're going to Seattle.
Herm, remember the big rigs
broken down on the interstate?
-Think you could hot-wire 'em?
-Hell yeah.
And I could stuff 'em with an HRM 60.
That 60'd be good in a fight.
I'm sorry,
but you cannot free Christopher.
Why not?
If you disconnect him from the mainframe,
all of Sentre will collapse.
What do you mean Sentre would collapse?
Sentre's network
runs through your brother's brain.
Without it, none of the drones will work.
His removal would cause
a complete system failure.
Holy shit.
[tense music fading in]
If we all went to Sentre together...
we could shut them down permanently.
Oh, I like the way she thinks.
[Pop] Jumpin' Joe Morgan!
-It's a damn double play.
-[Mr. Peanut] Hey.
What are you asking us to do here?
Fight some more?
Fighting wasn't the dream.
Peace was.
I think Sentre changed that
when they burnt this place to the ground.
Separating yourself
from the world doesn't work.
Trust me, I know.
We have a chance... to tear
their whole sick system down together.
Bots... and humans
fighting against the real enemy.
They beat us before.
Because they had Chris.
Get me to him... and they won't.
Seattle is 1,230 miles away,
which is not that far to go for freedom.
"Take me out to the ball game.
Take me out to the crowd."
"Buy me some peanuts and Cracker Jack."
"I don't care if I never get back!"
We might never get back.
It's time, Peanut.
Metal and meat, together.
You guys are relentless.
Hell, I guess I'd better go get my hat.
Taco, hit it.
[Taco playing
"Don't Stop Believin'" by Journey]
[music becomes orchestral]
[horn screeches]
[music continues]
[male] Network capacity is 100%.
And... we're back.
[music fades]
[screams]
[loud crash]
["Breaking the Law"
by Judas Priest fading in]
Suck on this!
Breaking the law, breaking the law
Breaking the law, breaking the law...
Security, we've a situation
in the executive parking lot.
-You think they noticed?
-I don't know. Do the red one.
[Herm] Oh, these Porsches
can really go, baby!
-Ah, shanked it.
-It stuck? It frickin' stuck?!
[alarm blaring]
[male] Mr. Skate, we appear
to be under some kind of attack.
[Skate chuckles]
That's very impressive.
You've made a friend.
That's a 60-foot HRM
heavy construction bot.
Nothin' friendly about it.
Full security response.
I want this put down now.
[woman over PA] Emergency.
All drones report to the north entrance.
[dramatic music playing]
Emergency. All drones report
to the north entrance.
Showtime, kid.
[whispers] All right. Let's go. Come on.
-[music intensifies]
-[groans]
-[Herm] Let's boogie, guys.
-[tense music playing]
-Hup! They're followin' us!
-[Keats] Yeah, they are!
-[Herm] Was this your stupid idea or mine?
-If it works, it was my idea.
[dramatic music playing]
Come on!
Herm, look out!
[Herm] Argh!
Jump!
[Keats] Herm!
Herm!
[music stops]
Hey, I lost a big body,
but I'm still bigger than you.
Shut up and keep runnin'.
[dramatic music playing]
[music abates]
They are gone.
You look bigger from the outside.
Blow it, Herm! Second shift!
["Cavalry Charge" bugle call plays]
[projectile whistling]
[bot] Heads up, meat boys!
I got you, my dude! Hold on!
[triumphant music playing]
[cat bot miaows]
Bots, show 'em your metal!
Let's go!
[Taco playing "Ride of the Valkyries"]
[7-up bot] Bots forever!
Eighty-six!
You're out!
Bullseye!
[music becomes orchestral]
Charge!
[drone shrieking]
-[electric bot] Ha ha!
-[drone whimpering]
[Blitz] He... could... go... all... the... way!
[bear bot shouting]
[rolling bot] Tallyho!
-[7-up bot chuckling]
-[music ends]
[tense music playing]
-Keep going. I'll be in Wep-Dev.
-[technician] Yes, sir.
-[Butcher] What are you gonna do?
-What I always do.
-[door beeps]
-Win.
[ominous music playing]
[man over PA] The building is on
full security lockdown.
Repeat, the building is on
full security lockdown.
You think you could take 'em?
No.
[music climaxes, fades]
[robotic voice] Must kill humans!
Death to humans!
You all must die!
Argh!
Waargh!
[tense music playing]
[door beeps]
[PC] We are locked in.
[Michelle] Is he alive?
[PC] Yes.
[Michelle] Can I talk to him?
[PC] No.
The only way to reach your brother
is from inside.
Inside what?
His mind.
[music gradually intensifying]
[dramatic music playing]
Order up!
Savages.
[dramatic musical flourish]
Oh, it's on now.
Herm, we might actually win this thing!
[dramatic musical flourish]
[Penny groaning] Aha. Oh...
[moans shakily]
Guys, uh, they made a... a big one.
No, like, a really big one.
I'm afraid you're on private property.
Well, as an employee
of the United States Postal Service,
I have access to this property.
Play, Taco. Now! Play!
[playing "I Will Survive"]
[Penny] Whoa. No!
[screams] No!
Stop! [screaming]
[dark dramatic music playing]
[popcorn bot moans]
[music intensifies]
No, Skate!
[drone groaning]
[drone] Ow!
[music fades]
[Butcher] You can't beat them.
No reason not to try.
Even after what they did to you
at the mall?
All those bots down,
you're still fightin'?
How come?
Freedom's worth any cost.
[Butcher] Even dyin'?
[poignant music fading in]
We'd have to be alive to die.
Yeah.
Yeah, you would, wouldn't ya?
Skate's on Level 4.
Weapons Development.
Why are you tellin' me this?
Because...
I finally met someone
less human than a robot.
[rousing music playing]
[music intensifies]
[music fades]
[Neurocaster powers up]
[cacophonous sounds]
[inaudible dialogue on TV]
[poignant music playing]
Michelle?
How did you get here?
I... I thought we lost.
-Come on. Let's get you out.
-Wait.
Not yet.
Chris, I'm kind of in the middle
of committing, like, 20 crimes right now.
I've been thinking about it
ever since Skate hooked me back up.
It's all my fault.
He kidnapped you.
None of this is your fault.
Out there with you, I saw the world,
and I saw every evil thing
Sentre is doing to people.
-And it's all happening because of me.
-Well, we'll stop them.
Well, we'll take them down.
If we get you out.
There's no out.
When they took me back to the lab,
I saw the real me for the first time,
and you must have too.
Be honest.
How do I look?
My physical connection to Sentre,
it's... it's symbiotic.
Without me... they die.
And without them...
Yeah.
So what do you expect me to do?
Just... just leave you here?
No.
Sentre can keep me alive like this
for a hundred years.
I think...
I think I need to die.
And I think you have to be
the one to do it.
[music intensifies]
-[dramatic music playing]
-You want some? [grunts]
You bastard!
-[Keats] Get him, Herm! Here.
-[Herm groans]
[Keats] Hey, get me in position!
In position, Herm, get me in position!
Gah!
-Argh!
-[Keats] Ow!
[groaning]
Ugh!
[man] Mr. Skate,
the central lab has been breached,
and there are intruders in the building.
-[Skate] Take him out.
-[drone] Affirmative, sir.
Keats, get up!
Aaaargh! [groaning with effort]
[Skate gasps]
Howdy do, Ethan.
[chuckles] Look, I don't know, um,
what you think you're trying to
achieve here, Mr... Nut.
I'm here to renegotiate the treaty.
Come on! Come out here
and fight me like a man!
You want some of me, come and get me!
-Okay, Herm. All right. Herm!
-Don't send a drone to do a man's...
-Think you got 'im.
-...job! [groaning]
Thing is, he might've got me too.
You got a big hole
in your guts here, buddy.
-I'm gonna power save for a... a little bit.
-Oh no. Hang on.
[Herm] Ow! Ow! [moans]
[chuckling] How the hell
are you still alive?
How am I still alive?
I'm alive because of you, you bastard.
You're damn right.
[PC] Michelle?
I'm so sorry to interrupt,
but our friends
are in a lot of trouble out there.
-I'm working on it.
-Uh, we may be running out of time.
He's right.
-I'm not pulling your plug.
-You said you would if you had to.
I don't have to. We'll find another robot.
You can use that.
They locked me in tight this time.
-There's no choice here.
-There's always a choice.
Everybody told me to move on,
but I couldn't.
You were all I had.
I held onto you.
And it worked.
I got you back.
That's why this is okay.
No.
None of this is okay.
I haven't felt anything in three years.
But out there with you,
I felt everything, and it was awesome.
And you gave me that.
If that's all I get,
it... it's enough. [exhales]
Michelle, we are running out of time.
[voice breaking] Oh, I can't. I can't.
[poignant music playing]
I don't wanna lose you all over again.
You can't lose me.
[PC] Michelle, can you hear me?
Please answer me.
But you can lose them.
You. You're the one
who's gonna change the world.
You know,
I never got to say goodbye to you.
You never have to.
I love you.
I love you too.
[moving string music playing]
[music intensifies]
[music builds]
[music intensifies]
[drone beeps]
[music fades]
Oh no, no, no!
No!
Seems like the day is ours.
We won!
Yeah!
We won!
No!
-[Keats] Hey, Penny!
-We did it.
Woo-hoo!
We won, Pops.
Funny thing about winning.
Someone always loses.
[stirring music playing]
She did it, Herm.
Can you believe it? We won.
[mournful string music playing]
[sighs gently]
What am I supposed to do without ya, huh?
What am I gonna do
without my best friend? [sniffs]
[music fades]
I love you, Herm.
[softly] I love you.
I mean, really.
[whispers] Maybe more than a friend.
You make me smile.
You used to make me smile.
Now what am I supposed to do?
Just go back to being a... what?
Get the band back together?
Those guys are all married.
[sniffs] I ain't got no friends now, Herm.
[sniffs]
[rousing music fading in]
[chuckling] Hey, beefcake. You miss me?
-[music intensifies]
-[laughing] What... What is this?!
Oh, it's the eight-inch model
for detail work.
Detail? I... You... I never...
I've never seen this!
I've never seen your eight-inch model,
and I imagine I'm being generous.
Wait...
You said you were dyin'.
No, I said I had to sleep
to save power for the transfer.
Not my fault you got all emotional
and told your truth.
[laughs sarcastically, sniffs] Emotional?!
By the way, I didn't catch everything
you were sayin' out here.
Uh, would you mind repeatin' some of it?
I... I said we won.
I said we won! What...
Look around, we won. She did it.
That's not what I heard.
I heard, "I love you."
-I heard, "More than a friend."
-I don't think I said that.
Holy shit, did we win?
-[Keats] Oh yeah.
-Where's the girl?
Let's go see. Come on.
[Skate] So what now?
Do I die?
[Mr. Peanut] No.
We live.
[poignant music playing]
[muted sound]
[anchor 1] The entire city
is shut down.
The entire state,
the country is at a standstill.
[anchor 2] Chaos reigns
in New York City today
as all Sentre drones have gone offline.
[anchor 3] Flights are grounded
across the globe. Traffic control is...
[anchor 4] Radio silence from Sentre
as millions of panicked users
wait for any word, any sign,
of how to get back online.
[Vance] Explosive accusations today
as a videotape was released
purporting to show
Sentre's experimentation on a human child.
Congress is readying subpoenas
for Sentre executives...
[anchor 5] Ethan Skate was arrested in
Miami trying to board a plane to Ecuador.
Protestors are calling for the end
of the Robot Exclusion Zone...
Ethan Skate is a sicko!
Lock him up, throw away the key,
sell your stock!
I don't wanna waste another word
on this guy.
But you know who I wanna talk about?
The girl who trucked a ton of bots
to Seattle to kick Skate's butt.
[man 1] Absolutely right.
We should find that kid...
[man 2] Who is she?
Somebody please tell me who this kid is.
Herm says he got the camera
up and runnin'.
Okay.
Are you sure you wanna do this?
-Gotta connect those particles.
-Mm.
Mm-hmm. I don't know what that means.
Give 'em hell, kid. You got this.
[Herm] Okay, we're rolling!
And you talk now.
Hi.
My name is Michelle Greene.
I know some of you
are a little freaked out
about me and my friends
and what we did.
The world's different now.
I just wanted to tell you why.
The things Sentre did,
they weren't just bad for robots.
They were bad for all of us.
I know the war happened.
And things fell apart,
and life really sucked.
And maybe for a little while,
the Neurocasters helped you forget that.
We got so used to it that
we thought that that's what real life was.
-But it's not.
-[piano version of "Wonderwall" playing]
[Michelle] Real life... it's contact.
It's you and me.
We're flesh and bone, yeah,
but we're also electricity.
And when we hug and laugh
and hold hands and argue,
my particles stay with you,
and yours stay with me.
And maybe we stay together forever.
But that can't happen
if you close yourself off.
It can only happen
out here in the real world.
Look around.
There's someone near you right now.
They're real and alive.
And they need you
as much as you need them.
And if there isn't,
if you don't have anyone...
then come find us.
Because we're starting over.
We're going to do it right this time.
Together.
Okay. I'm done.
I'm done. How'd I do?
Pretty good... for a meat puppet.
[music intensifies]
["Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, Pt. 1"
by the Flaming Lips playing]
Her name is Yoshimi
She's a black belt in karate
Workin' for the city
She has to discipline her body
'Cause she knows that it's demandin'
To defeat those evil machines
I know she can beat them
Oh, Yoshimi, they don't believe me
But you won't let those robots eat me
Yoshimi, they don't believe me
But you won't let those
Robots defeat me
-Those evil-natured robots
-[robot] I'll get you, Yoshimi
They're programmed to destroy us
She's gotta be strong to fight them
So she's takin' lots of vitamins
-'Cause she knows that
-Yes, she knows that
-It'd be tragic
-It'd be tragic
-If those evil robots win
-Evil robots
I know she can beat them
Oh, Yoshimi, they don't believe me
But you won't let those
Robots defeat me
Yoshimi, they don't believe me
But you won't let those
Robots eat me, Yoshimi
-'Cause she knows that
-Yes, she knows that
-It'd be tragic
-It'd be tragic
-If those evil robots win, yeah
-Evil robots
I know she can beat them
Oh, Yoshimi, they don't believe me
But you won't let those
Robots defeat me
Yoshimi, they don't believe me
But you won't let those
Robots defeat me
Yoshimi, they don't believe me
But you won't let those robots eat me
Yoshimi, they don't believe me
But you won't let those
Robots eat me, Yoshimi
[distorted futuristic sounds]
[upbeat music playing]
[eerie music playing]
[1960s action music playing]
[music ends]
[dark anthemic music playing]
[poignant music playing]
[rousing music playing]
[gentle music playing]
[music fades]