Dark Matter (2024) s02e10 Episode Script

1
[ominous music playing]
What's your plan?
Keep looking for Charlie.
Of course. Yeah.
Yeah.
Can I ask…
How is he doing?
He's okay.
Well, I mean, I thought he was okay,
but here we are, so…
Yeah.
[chuckles]
Do you remember
when Max got the scissors and…
[chuckles] Remember,
he cut Charlie's hair?
And then cried 'cause
they didn't have the same haircut anymore
even though he had done it,
yeah. [chuckles]
- [chuckles]
- Yeah, I do. [chuckles]
And then you… smart,
you shaved both of their heads
- so they'd be twins again.
- [gasps] Oh, my God.
And then Charlie was so mad at me
because he loved the haircut that Max…
[door clatters]
[stammers] What are you doing?
It's okay.
[gentle music playing]
[water dripping]
I think you'll find him here.
[Daniela breathes shakily]
You don't wanna come?
[kisses]
Uh, more than anything,
but I can't confuse Charlie.
I can't confuse myself.
[sighs]
But that's okay. It's okay.
It…
isn't fair.
It's not fair to any of us,
but we keep going.
[breathes shakily]
Keep going.
[breathing shakily]
And, uh…
thank you.
[sniffles] Just thank you
for a really great life.
[breathing shakily]
You too.
[sniffles]
[breathes shakily]
[train rattling]
[tense music playing]
[melancholy music playing]
- [key rattles in lock]
- [door opens]
[breathes shakily]
[intriguing music playing]
[suspenseful music playing]
[Anthony] Sorry to keep you two waiting.
Amanda.
Hi.
Ryan, this is Anthony.
We worked together at Velocity.
- Hey, brother.
- Ryan.
And this is Oluko.
[Amanda] Hi.
Amanda Lucas.
And Ryan Holder.
[stammers] I'm sorry. [chuckles]
But I feel like I know you two.
You're working with Leighton, right?
Yes. He's not here right now.
But I was told it was very urgent,
so to what do I owe the honor?
So their eyes turn black
just before they die?
Yes.
It sounds like the same disease
we found in our grandfather's world.
They called it the Black Iris Plague.
Everything they'll need will be
in the files for World HJ-274. Go.
Hey, does this mean
that you're gonna help us?
Yes.
We can help you.
[sighs]
- [sighs]
- Thank you.
Shit.
No.
It's the box that makes this possible.
I'm just its agent.
Yeah.
- Hey.
- Hey.
- Did you get it?
- Yeah.
- Was Leighton there?
- No. We have to hurry.
They gave us the cure and the vaccine,
but no sign of Leighton.
You think he already went in the box
to get the parts?
They didn't say where he was.
So who gave you the cure?
Anthony and Olu.
Oh, he gives me major creep vibes.
Right?
Agreed. What is the plan?
Okay, so Blair and I are gonna
travel back to her world…
- Yeah.
- …and kill the box.
How?
Right, we built this hacking multi-tool.
Well…
Oh, mostly, yes, Blair, and she's gonna
hot-wire it into the Velocity mainframe.
And then we'll just upload some nasty code
that implements Jason's
new disentanglement scenario.
Uh, so basically it'll attack
not just the local qubits
but all programming for
the adaptive shielding, slowly corrupting
- the error-correcting protocols.
- Ah, that is awesome.
Which hopefully will decohere everything
beyond recognition
- and cut off all boxes everywhere.
- [Blair] Yeah.
[suspenseful music playing]
[Amanda] How long do you need?
Once we get there, 30 minutes.
And then we'll set it
on a ten-minute time delay to activate.
And how long do you need
to get the cure back?
20 minutes, 40 tops.
We should wait until they get back.
Wait, wait, wait, wait, hold on.
If… if Leighton gets the Pyramid running,
then shutting this box down
- means nothing.
- [Blair] Yes.
We cannot let him get back here before us.
Listen, we are going to a place
we both have memories of.
We should be able
to get there and back quickly.
[stammers, sighs] Let's be clear,
if you're not back by the time we are,
you're trapped.
It's worth the risk for me.
I'm ready.
We should pick a place to meet.
- Village Tap.
- [Amanda] Okay.
I will be icing the Diet Cokes
as I warm up your disgusting scotch.
- Gonna give you a little head start.
- [Ryan] Okay.
All right, set watches.
Let's say in one hour, the box is dead.
[watches beep]
[ringing]
Hello.
- [Sandra] Olu?
- Sandra, hi.
[Sandra] I've been following them.
They're at the box.
I think they're up to something.
- Is Leighton back?
- [Oluko] No.
[clock ticking]
He's been gone too long.
You think they have
something to do with it?
[Oluko] I don't know.
Don't let them get in that box.
[unsettling music playing]
Wow, uh… [sighs]
- Yeah. [chuckles]
- [phone chimes]
Max found Charlie at the record store.
They're walking back.
[chuckles]
So what'll you do now?
See how Charlie is, and, um…
you know, what he wants.
What do you want?
I wanna be in my marriage…
if Jason wants it too.
I know we can find each other again.
As we always do.
Jason's the only one
I've ever talked to about, uh…
our childhood.
Oh. Yeah, I…
I never talk about it with mine.
Why not?
[scoffs] Uh… don't want it to be
part of our story.
How does that work?
You have to forgive yourself.
I'm not saying that I have any idea
how any of this has been for you…
But I know how you love.
Someone came into your home.
He threatened you and your family.
You protected them.
[breathing shakily]
And you protected yourself.
You fought back.
And this isn't Jason saying this to you.
It isn't Papa.
It isn't a therapist.
This is you talking.
Forgive yourself.
[sighs]
For everything.
[breathes shakily]
- [key rattles in lock]
- [door opens]
Go live your life
with your beautiful family.
[door closes]
[footsteps approaching]
[breathes heavily]
Oh. Hi.
[inhales deeply] Hi.
- Hi.
- [sniffles]
Hi.
[Charlie chuckles]
Hey.
You okay?
Yeah, I'm fine.
[melancholy music playing]
Looks like you found some good stuff.
Yeah, it's just… some stuff I missed.
Yeah.
So…
now what?
Now we go home.
I'll get my stuff.
I'll help.
Hi.
[breathes deeply]
[chuckles]
[chuckles]
[sniffles]
Well, this has been kinda weird,
huh? [chuckles]
Yeah, it's been, uh, been pretty weird.
Thanks for taking care of him.
Yeah.
It's really nice to meet you.
Yeah. It's nice to meet you too.
[inhales deeply]
Are you sure you're up for this?
Yeah.
I just kinda hoped to never do this again.
Yeah.
Hey, Blair.
Hi.
[Jason whispers] Who is it?
She works with Leighton, the weird one.
Oh, shit.
Is that the OG Velocity injector kit?
- Yeah.
- [Sandra] Wow.
I'm, uh, rocking one of
Ryan's new patches.
Been doing some trials with him.
Where are y'all off to?
Oh, I'm just, you know,
sick of this world,
so we're gonna try to find
someplace new. Mm-hmm.
[Sandra]
Um, why don't we put a pause on that?
Oluko would like to speak with you.
What about?
[tense music playing]
- Olu will be here as soon as…
- [grunts]
[Blair] Run! Run!
[Blair, Jason grunt]
[Jason grunts, groans]
[all grunting, groaning]
[gunshots]
[dramatic music playing]
[Sandra grunting, groaning]
[Blair grunts]
- Go.
- [Blair pants]
[missile whistles]
- [coughs]
- Here it comes. Go, go! Come on.
- [air raid siren sounding]
- [bullets ricocheting]
[Blair yelps]
- [citizens shouting, shrieking]
- [Jason] Go, go, go.
Go back.
Oh, we gotta go back. We gotta go back.
We gotta go.
- Maybe… Maybe we can go around.
- Good idea. Is she still there? Is she?
Yep! Get down.
Go, go. Go, go, go. Down there. Go!
[grunts]
[soldier 1] Hold it right there.
Get down on the ground.
- Okay!
- [soldier 1] Down now! Now!
- [Jason] Wait, wait!
- Okay, okay, okay.
- [shrieks] Run!
- [shrieks]
[soldiers] Stop right there!
[soldier 1] Move, move.
[soldiers shouting]
[soldier 2] Cover fire! Cover fire!
[bullets ricocheting]
[Blair] We gotta go.
All right. We're gonna go!
- Hold it right there! [groans]
- [Jason] Don't shoot!
[soldiers shouting]
Now where do we go?
[Jason grunting]
Oh, God.
[soldier 3]
Copy that, strike team inbound.
- Jesus.
- Hold position.
- [panting]
- [soldier 4] Don't let 'em get away!
[soldiers continue shouting indistinctly]
[screams] Dear God. [shrieks]
Come on.
Oh, shit. Wait, wait.
[Blair grunts] Oh, fuck!
[helicopter whirring]
What is that?
We're getting ready… [stammers]
- We gotta… We gotta get back to the box.
- Okay.
- On three. One, two…
- Okay.
- [grunts]
- [grunts, shrieks]
[shrieks]
- [Jason] Oh, my God. Oh…
- Surrender your weapon now.
[groans]
- [Jason grunts]
- [Blair] Jesus!
- [Jason] Oh, shit.
- [Blair whimpers]
Stop, no. [shrieks]
[Jason] Blair. Go! Go!
[dramatic music playing]
[whimpering]
[shrieking]
Come on!
[grunting]
- We can kill each other later.
- [Jason grunts]
[Sandra pants]
[soldier grunts]
[Jason grunting]
[grunts]
[gasps]
[unsettling music playing]
[whimpering]
No! No! No!
[dramatic music playing]
[grunting]
[groaning] No!
[screams, groans]
[Sandra straining]
[Blair strains, grunts]
[grunting]
[Sandra screaming, grunting]
No!
No! [screaming]
- [panting]
- [Sandra screaming]
[both grunting]
So this is it.
This brings the Pyramid online.
Yeah.
[sighs]
I made a couple of stops on my way back.
What's wrong?
We fucked up.
See, there was this world
where Mount Rainier had blown.
Massive crop death and starvation.
So we brought them shade-tolerant cereals.
- That's smart.
- Not smart enough.
See, our plants mutated.
Became invasive
and choked out all the other plants.
Just as the acid rain
caused by the volcano…
Triggered blight?
Triggered blight.
So, first my plant kills
all other sources of food
and then they die too.
It's great. [chuckles]
It's fucking awesome.
You see, at first,
it was only the developing countries
that were affected, right?
Nigeria, Chad, Nicaragua, Sudan.
Of course, the rest of the world
let them get fucked.
But it was only a matter of time
until everyone else
turned on each other, right?
And then within a year, Chicago. Chicago!
Ghost town.
- Listen…
- Oh, you think that's where it stops?
No, no, no, no, no.
See, there was this other world where
we had introduced a vaccine
and a treatment for a plague
that made your fucking eyeballs bleed.
[chuckles] And only the rich
got access to it.
And you wanna know what the big reveal is?
The plot twist, here it is, J.
I did it.
Me!
Another fucking version of me that
wasn't even that fucking different, J.
And he, me, we actually chose
to let millions of people die for money.
[sighs]
And all this time, me, walking around
in awe of my own fucking greatness.
[sighs]
It wasn't you.
It was me. He's literally me.
- It's not you.
- [breathes shakily]
This thing has brought out
the most terrifying aspects of who we are.
Blair's right.
We can't control it.
[Leighton] You know, it's been beautiful
building this with you.
You know, we can't change
what's happened, but…
we could stop the Pyramid
from going online ever again.
I know.
I installed a kill-switch into the code.
In case anybody ever found it.
Wipes out the programming.
It's the OG box that I'm worried about.
I have a few ideas.
[sighs] Then what?
If I don't have this…
I have nothing.
Well…
do you remember that summer that we took,
uh, sailing lessons?
- [Leighton chuckling]
- [chuckles]
Mm-hmm.
Yeah. Yeah,
I'd just started grad school and, uh…
Actually, I just remember drinking
a whole lot of beer on a boat.
And we joked that
if the science thing didn't work out,
that we would go in on a bar.
Remember? Um… Sea Ranch.
Sea Ranch. Yeah.
Maybe it's time for
a different kind of life.
[pensive music plays]
We could kill this thing together.
I just gotta talk to Olu first.
We've already burned through 15 minutes,
come on.
Oh, God. All right, ready? Ready?
Yeah.
- Hopefully Ryan and Amanda…
- Here.
…are already heading back.
[exhales]
[grunts]
Fuck.
- [Ryan] What's out there?
- A swamp.
I don't understand.
We both remember the world.
Why haven't we found it yet?
How are you feeling?
- I'm feeling stressed.
- Me too.
How are we on time?
Twenty-five minutes till shutdown.
[door opens]
[machine beeping]
[Jason mutters]
- Okay. Take this.
- All right.
Okay.
- [Jason sighs]
- [muttering]
[Jason] Do it.
[sighs]
- People are gonna come.
- [Jason] So let's go.
[suspenseful music playing]
[sighs]
You're back. [chuckles]
I was worried about you.
Sorry, I, uh… took a small detour.
You know, the shape of the Pyramids
were thought to represent the mound
that the Earth was formed from.
The bringer of life.
And light.
It's also a tomb.
Are those the quantum processing parts?
I can't believe he'd let those people die
of the Black Iris.
I mean, he's us, you know?
We cannot control the actions of others.
All we can do is give them
the tools to be better.
Sure, philosophically.
But we are intentionally
creating global change, right?
The consequences of which are immense.
Let's take a step back, okay?
Doesn't it feel like every few years
there's some society-ending thing?
[scoffs] Even the printing press
triggered wars, genocide.
The consequences of inventions
are always immense and unpredictable.
- Right.
- But they pale in comparison
to going backwards.
It's always the end of the world
until it's not.
You're right. The difference is,
this time around, I'm the one responsible.
Look, just because
I helped invent this thing
doesn't mean I get to decide
what's best for the entire worlds.
- We.
- I'm sorry?
We decide together.
I can't do this.
Is this about disappointing your grandpa?
- He's our grandfather.
- Yeah, sure, except I never knew him.
[scoffs]
Nah, listen to me.
Hey!
Of all
the short-end-of-the-stick Leightons,
- I had it the shortest.
- Oh, please.
Not you being an orphan fucked you up
so bad that you blew millions,
went in and out of rehab, and got cut off.
All right, you had every opportunity.
You have no idea
the privilege you come from.
Oh, so it's "you" now?
We came from privilege.
When we first met, you told me we've
always been alone, but that was a lie.
You've never been alone.
You had Ezekiel Vance,
grandfather of the fucking century.
And your precious Jason Dessen.
I had no one.
You have me now!
You're not my colleague.
What are we gonna do?
This was supposed to be our purpose, I…
Olu, listen to me. I can help you.
How?
We can… [exhales]
We can start a meditation center.
A really nice one, okay?
In any fucking world you want.
What?
Yeah, and what are you gonna do?
Jason and I are gonna
shut down the original box.
Stop, stop.
You already talked to him?
Yes.
About all this?
Yeah.
[breathing shakily]
What?
- Jesus Christ, what?
- [grunts]
[breathes shakily]
What the fu…
Leight.
The f… [grunting] Fuck.
- [whimpers]
- [breathes shakily]
[groaning] You…
[choking, grunting]
[unsettling music playing]
[both groaning, grunting]
[gasps]
[breathing shakily]
- [Jason] Blair. Blair.
- Yeah?
There's a problem.
What?
- [sighs] No. No, no, no, no, no. Fuck!
- [speaks indistinctly] It's come apart.
- Can you fix it?
- I don't know.
Um…
- [Jason] Can you…
- Yeah, I don't know. Just, uh, take these
and remove the panels
from the quantum computer.
- All the panels.
- Okay.
Okay.
Shit.
Jason.
Yeah.
- See this wire right here? This one.
- Yeah.
Okay, now strip it to the end.
Just grab that.
Yeah.
- Where?
- And then strip it.
- Yeah, right to the end.
- How far?
- [grunts]
- [Blair] Good.
Good. Okay. Okay. All right.
[breathes shakily]
Is it gonna work?
I don't know.
Just keep watch.
- You don't know?
- [Blair] No.
[sighs]
Yes. Okay.
Okay, we've been here ten minutes.
[breathes shakily]
Okay.
All right, so what do you think?
Five minutes?
No, ten.
It should be at least ten minutes
to line up with what we planned
with Ryan and Amanda.
[keys clacking]
It's just from the moment we start this,
it can't be undone.
Yes.
Come on.
You do it.
- Me?
- Yes.
Okay.
[suspenseful music playing]
[door opens]
- Fuck.
- Shit.
Turn it off. Off.
What's happening?
[sighs]
[breathes heavily]
[exhales]
[exhales deeply]
[exhales] Slow.
Okay.
[people chattering]
[exhales] Yeah, I think this is it.
What's out there?
We're in some kind of a tent.
[breathes shakily]
But I recognize the guards.
Okay.
- [Amanda] I'm just gonna drop it.
- Yeah, just do it fast.
[suspenseful music playing]
- [gun cocks]
- Get on the ground! Now! On the ground!
Sir. It's all right. It's all right.
It's the cure! It's the cure!
Everybody stay back
until they are scanned!
Sir, please listen to me. This is a cure.
Where the hell did you come from?
- We don't have fucking time! Please!
- [watch beeping]
You are not going anywhere!
Do you understand me?
[suspenseful music continues]
No one's here. Maybe a false alarm?
We've had a few of those.
I'll check the camera feeds.
[physicist] Roger that.
[suspenseful music continues]
- We really need to go.
- I know.
Like, now.
How?
[physicist] There's a soldering iron
over here. It's still warm.
[security] I'll check it out.
[whispers] Ready?
- Go.
- Fuck.
- [grunting] Go! Go! Go!
- [security] Hey! Stop! Stop!
Please. Please. We brought you a cure.
Out of the way.
Leighton, we need you, brother.
Where is it?
Sir, the clear ones are the vaccine.
The blue one is medicine for the infected.
Okay?
These are the plans to make more?
Yeah.
I can get Velocity started
on synthesizing and testing right away.
A strategy would be to start
producing these… [speaks indistinctly]
[scientists speaking indistinctly]
[suspenseful music intensifies]
[buzzer sounding]
Hey. What's happening?
Why-Why is the Pyramid on?
[sniffs]
Why is the Pyramid on?
Leighton and I spoke, and he agreed that
I can use the Pyramid to find a new home.
Where is he?
[unsettling music playing]
Why are you sweating so much?
And how did you get those scratches
on your face?
[stammers]
I just took a s-spill in-in-in the office.
- Wait.
- You might…
- You might wanna look into that.
- Come here. Hey!
[tense music playing]
Wait!
[breathes shakily]
Oh, shit.
Oh, shit.
Oh, shit.
[computer beeps]
[breathing heavily]
[breathing heavily]
[breathing deeply]
[sound warping, distorting]
Come on.
[whispering] Come on.
Come on.
[breathes heavily]
[breathes shakily] Hey!
[breathing heavily]
[mutters]
Leighton.
Leighton!
Leighton!
Leighton!
[melancholy music playing]
[sighs]
[sighs]
[Ryan breathing heavily]
Goddamn it. I'm freaking out.
[breathes heavily] Why isn't this working?
Because we're stressed and panicking.
- Okay, let's stop. We have to stop.
- [breathes heavily] Yeah.
How did you get us to Jason's world
when I was passed out?
- I remembered him.
- Okay.
[both breathing heavily]
[grunts] Damn. Oh, my God.
- [sighs]
- Okay, it's just nerves.
It's nerves. That's why it's not working.
I know.
Hey. Whoa, whoa. Stop. Stop.
- I just want to get home.
- I know, just…
How did you guys find this world
in the first place?
It wasn't me. Wait.
It was… It was Charlie, actually.
And he got us there
with some kind of prayer.
[Jason sighs]
A peaceful world. Yeah.
A peaceful world.
A peaceful world.
[breathes heavily]
[Jason] Yes.
How much time to spare?
Fifty-eight seconds.
- [chuckles, sighs]
- [sighs]
[water dripping]
[sighing]
[chuckles]
Hey.
I'm sorry about all this.
I… I didn't mean to scare you.
It's okay.
You got this.
Eleven, ten, nine, eight…
[alarm beeping]
I didn't touch the door.
Did the drug wear off?
Uh, how? We just injected.
[melancholy music playing]
What if… that world isn't…
Dead?
As a doornail.
[laughs]
[laughing] Oh, shit.
[laughs]
[children shrieking, chattering]
I am going to stop off
for a change of clothes,
and maybe call Daniela at her dad's place.
What? Bad idea?
No, I think it's a good idea.
See you at The Tap.
See you at The Tap.
[Blair chuckles]
[sighs, sniffs]
["Pause" playing]
[patrons chattering]
Hi.
[laughing, speaking indistinctly]
[laughing, speaking indistinctly]
[Daniela breathes shakily]
[breathes shakily]
[song ends]
["I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got"
playing]
[song fades]