Reverie (2018) s01e01 Episode Script
Apertus
1 So what's on the agenda for tonight? I thought we might just have a quiet night in.
Come on.
This way, Madame.
What did you do? Thank you.
You're out of your mind! It's spectacular.
Happy anniversary.
Happy anniversary.
Hey, his lips are moving.
You think he's trying to say something? Most likely an involuntary response to something in the Reverie program.
Well, how can you know for sure? We can't.
They brought in another one this morning.
That makes seven.
I can count.
I know you can count.
What if this becomes an epidemic? Seven users isn't an epidemic.
It's a fraction of a fraction.
They're in a coma, Lexi because of your program.
My program is doing exactly what it's supposed to.
That's not going to make a damn bit of difference to our partners.
If we can't prove that this is reversible, they're gonna pull the plug.
We'll lose everything.
Do you understand? This is a radical problem.
Maybe it requires a radical solution.
Now, remember, only 7% of our communication is based on what we actually say.
38% of it comes from the tone of the voice, and the rest of it, 55%, comes from body language.
Look at the smiles.
Real smiles they affect the eyes.
They wrinkle the skin.
Is the person making eye contact? Too much? Not enough? Oh Also pay attention to the direction.
Eyes to the left means that they're trying to remember something.
Eyes to the right signals creative thinking, deception.
Stop.
Devon is the killer.
How'd you figure it out? Everyone else was, like, really intense with their eye contact, and Devon looked away immediately, like she had something to hide.
That's very good.
Now, remember, this is more than just a game, right? I mean, these are skills that you can use on a job interview, on a date, or in bed.
It's a whole new way of seeing the world, but you have to look up.
And class is dismissed.
All right, good work, everybody.
We'll see you on Wednesday.
Charlie, what are you doing here? Buy you dinner? How does one teach interpersonal dynamics? You saw it.
We play "killer," we play "red light, green light," games that develop observational skills.
And their parents pay money for this? Well, if their parents knew how badly they needed it, - they'd pay twice as much.
- Here you go.
Why do you say that? - Thank you.
- Sure.
Do you know how much time the average teen spends on their devices in one day? - How much? - Nine hours, and in some cases, up to 16 or more.
And in exchange for that, they get the whole world in their pocket, right? Any information, any tool, right there on their phone.
Is that such a bad thing? It is if they're not developing the most important tool of all.
Which is? Empathy.
We learn empathy by observing, and we've stopped doing that.
I mean, look.
Nobody's even having an actual conversation.
- Well, we are.
- Yeah, but that's because we haven't seen each other in a few years, and we have a lot to catch up on.
Want to offer you a job, Mara.
Okay, doing what? What you did for me on the force: hostage negotiation.
When I retired as police chief, I started my private security firm.
Onira-Tech was my first and only client, and then after a time, I became a liaison.
"Reverie.
" What does it do? What's your all-time favorite memory? The most beautiful, mind-blowing place you can remember? Uh, when I was, um, ten My mother took me and my sister Jamie to this place called "labyrinth of light.
" It was this field just full of paper lanterns.
It was like floating in space.
What if you could revisit that moment any time you wanted? It can do all that? Reverie is a place where the impossible becomes possible.
You're put inside a waking dream of your own design.
You can go anywhere you want, change your appearance, and even bring loved ones back from the dead.
How? They use what's called a "social media footprint.
" A person's pictures, videos their posts.
You feed them into the program, and you can resurrect them in Reverie.
That's like a field trip to heaven.
Problem is, some of our users are so addicted to the fantastic worlds they've created that their subconscious minds have severed ties with reality.
Their bodies have gone into a coma.
For lack of a better word, they're trapped.
I'm still not understanding.
What exactly is it that you want me to do? I want you to go inside Reverie and bring them back.
How would you like to proceed? She needs time to think about it.
Charlie, we don't have time.
Monica, she's our best option.
Well, you've got her résumé.
See for yourself.
Master's of Psychology from Stanford.
Specialized counterterrorism training with the FBI.
There have to be others.
The best negotiators make you feel like you've known them your whole life.
They're attuned to every response: every little gesture of the hand, slight change in tone of voice.
She had all that.
She worked miracles for complete strangers.
Unfortunately, she couldn't do it for the people she loved the most.
Whoa, whoa, whoa.
Ray, Ray.
Okay, so just, uh Just back up a second.
You know? Tell me how all of this got started.
- I found a text.
- Okay, a text, good.
- What text? - On Jamie's phone.
A text on Jamie's phone.
Great.
What did it say? That she's taking Brynn to your parents' place.
- She's gonna leave me.
- Okay, wait, wait.
Ray, listen.
I'm sure it wasn't permanent, all right? I-I-I Maybe she just wanted to give you guys some space.
I know my sister.
I know how much she loves you.
Not anymore.
No, of course she does.
Remember when you used to come to our house and you would pick her up for dates and you would drive around in that car.
God, what was it? It was the, um The the The black one - The Camaro? - The Camaro, exactly.
Whatever happened to that car, anyway? I sold it To, uh, buy Jamie's ring.
I'm sorry, baby.
Daddy didn't mean to scare you.
I didn't mean to scare you.
Everything's going to be - Did you call the police? - Mara No! No, no.
- I-I No, no, no.
- Oh, I told you - not to call the police! - They're going to go away.
No, I didn't! I'm gonna make them go away.
Please, please Ray! Ray! Ray! Ray! Version 1.
0 was a single-user experience, but for the past year, I've been working on 2.
0, which is multi-user.
It allows two people to interact in a shared immersive virtual world.
The commercial version won't be available for a while, but we built a prototype.
It's the only one like it in the world.
2.
0 is what you'd use to enter each client's Reverie.
Bio-authentication complete, Charlie.
Thank you, Dylan.
And Dylan is Everywhere.
He's the building's AI.
Dylan, say hello to Miss Kint.
Hello, Miss Kint.
Enjoy the rest of your tour.
Trust me, you're just getting to the weird part.
This is the BCI the brain-computer interface that runs the program.
Is it moving? It's been integrated with living tissue.
It helps merge with the body in a more symbiotic way.
It makes it impossible to distinguish the program from reality.
But if it's an implant, can't you just surgically remove it? The flow of data is laced into the central nervous system, which then carries it to the cortical neurons.
Severing the connection while someone is this deeply connected might cause permanent damage.
If you decide to do this, you'll have to undergo the implant procedure as well.
Tony Lenton was the first.
Now we've got a whole damn wing.
Every one of these people decided that life in Reverie is better than the one out here.
This is a chance to bring families back together again.
I thought that'd be something you'd be interested in.
Do you have, like, a, um Like, a smaller gun that you could use? Wasn't so bad now, was it? I see you found your way home.
When you find this symbol in Reverie, you're looking at a gateway icon, your exit back to the real world.
It's beautiful.
Mandalas represent the universe.
I thought it was appropriate.
Uh, Paul Hammond, chief oneirologist.
Uh, Mara Kint.
What's an oneirologist? Usually, it means someone involved in the science of studying dreams.
Here, it's the science of creating dreams.
I design all the factory presets and training modules.
We also do research and development, pushing the boundaries of reality within the program.
The ordinary user can choose between the presets or a more customized experience.
They can create entire worlds tailored to their specific desires, and they have days, weeks, even months to figure it out, but I'm going to give you a crash course, just enough to make you dangerous.
Please, have a seat.
Make yourself comfortable.
Yeah.
Apertus means "open.
" Whenever you're ready, just say the word, close your eyes, and you'll find yourself in the box.
The box? It's a training module.
Shall we begin? Okay.
Oh, I almost forgot.
If you make it all the way through, there's a surprise waiting for you at the end.
What is it? Well, if I told you, it wouldn't be a surprise, now would it? When you're ready.
Apertus.
What if I want to walk around? Your brain tells your limbs what to do, but those signals are connected to your body in Reverie.
Aside from a few stray reactions to really powerful stimuli, your body will remain perfectly still, right here in this chair.
So I can do anything I want? Physical laws don't necessarily apply in Reverie, but they are subject to the limitations of the coding.
For instance, you can't just pop off and fly.
Well, yet.
Can I get hurt? You can teach your brain to disarm certain triggers, like pain, for example.
Over time, you'll learn to override your natural instincts and deprogram your fear response.
Holy Uh, hello? Okay, uh - Hello? - Once you're inside, we don't have any way to communicate.
No! No! Paul! Paul! So if it gets too intense, look for a gateway icon.
If there isn't one nearby, all you have to do is say "exitus.
" Exitus! Intense, right? You don't have to do this right now.
Training's enough for one day.
He may not have another day.
I wanna get started.
You never should have suggested using 2.
0.
What was I supposed to do? You were supposed to wait until we figured out the derealization issues.
The company could have been long gone by then, and these people might already be dead.
You said it yourself: she picked it up faster than we did, and we built it.
But it's not just her, Alexis.
It's the program itself.
We have no idea what's gonna happen when we introduce a second person.
Her presence might disrupt Tony's bond with the program.
Exactly.
This is our chance to find out.
I'm gonna monitor her brainwave activity when she goes in.
If there are significant anomalies, then we have to tell her.
If you don't, I will.
Jay, when was the last time you talked to your brother? He called a couple weeks ago, asked if we wouldn't mind keeping Iris for the weekend.
We got a daughter the same age, her cousin.
I figured he just, you know, needed some time by himself.
He's been under a lot of pressure ever since her mom passed.
What happened to her? They were in an accident.
My brother was driving.
Naomi was in the passenger seat.
He survived, but she didn't make it to the hospital.
Last few months, he's been collecting everything he could find.
Pictures, video Old voice mails.
I didn't know what he was doing at the time, but apparently he was uploading them to the program.
He thought he could bring her back.
How's the training going? She passed the early stages faster than anyone else.
She's gone through a battery of simulations.
Her vitals are steady.
If you make it all the way through to the end, there's a surprise waiting for you.
Charlie, we're running out of time.
Is she ready or not? Yes, she's ready.
Then send her in.
This tablet is paired with Tony Lenton's program.
When you tap the icon and open your eyes, you'll find yourself inside his Reverie.
Good luck.
Apertus.
Come on.
Wait, let me get in it! Let me get in! Whoa! Who are you? My name is Mara.
You're not supposed to be here.
No? I was very specific about my choices.
Okay, I I have to tell you something.
I want you to go.
But just give me five minutes.
- For what? - To talk about Naomi.
How do you know that name? Five minutes, please.
Tony? You're gonna crash the program.
You have to go.
You're gonna ruin everything.
Tony! Tony! - I said I want you to go! - Tony, please! Exitus! It's okay.
Just breathe.
I got the wind knocked out of me.
No, you just thought you did.
I was monitoring your brainwave activity There was a pretty radical spike in the middle.
Do you remember seeing anything particularly strange? No.
I remember that book.
You know, after I read it, I used to go outside and pretend that I could talk to birds.
My grandma had a parakeet named Libby.
She talked to it all the time.
Oh yeah? Well, did it talk back? - Thank you.
- You're welcome.
Yeah, but it could only say two things: "I love you" and a swear word.
She and my mom used to read it to me before I went to sleep.
Hey, Iris, can I ask you a question about your mom and your stepdad? Did they ever talk about San Francisco? That's where he asked her to marry him.
They didn't have any money, but he paid some guy, like, $10 to let them on the roof of a hotel.
It sounds like you've heard that story a few times.
More like a hundred, but I didn't mind.
They were always so happy when they talked about it.
Is he gonna be okay? I promise, I'm gonna do everything I can to bring him back.
Dylan? Yes, Miss Kint? Uh, well, first of all, - you can call me Mara.
- I like that name.
- Thank you.
- Hebrew origin.
It means "bitter.
" I've heard that before, yes.
Listen, Dylan, can you do a search for me of all the images that Tony Lenton uploaded to Reverie? Of course.
What should I look for? A butterfly.
Searching.
You know, if you add an "H" to "Mara," it could also be the Arabic word for joy? I like it either way.
That's very sweet.
I found three results, and here.
Okay, that's not it, but wait.
That's not it, either.
- Who's the blond one? - Allison Young.
She's in 630 of Naomi's photos.
Uh, can you get me an address? Sure, but she's not home right now.
- No? - According to her status update, she just clocked in at work.
- Are you a police officer? - No.
Well, I mean, I used to be, but now I work for this company called Onira-Tech.
Uh, they make this immersive virtual reality program called Reverie.
And what does this have to do with Tony? Well, he logged on to the program thank you two weeks ago, and he never came back out.
He's gone kind of into a coma, and he could die.
So, were you close to them? Naomi was my best friend.
- Were they happy? - Of course.
Did they have any problems that you knew of? I mean, in their marriage? They were stronger than ever.
They had to be, with everything she was going through.
What do you mean? What was she going through? Naomi was sick.
They were fighting with it for a while, but she took a turn for the worse.
They didn't want anyone else to know, not until they had a chance to tell Iris.
Tony Lenton's condition is getting worse.
How long do we have? A couple of days at most.
And there's one more thing.
I finished reviewing Mara Kint's EEG.
Who ordered that? Paul Hammond.
He wanted me to take a look at a spike in the middle of her session, but that's not what has me concerned.
There were other markers, things that could potentially indicate an underlying psychiatric disorder.
I found this in Tony's apartment.
It's called Skeiron.
Popular with college kids.
Helps them get through finals.
What does this have to do with Tony? There was a butterfly in his Reverie.
He had a strong negative reaction to it, and I got the feeling that this was not the first time that it happened.
That could be a by-product of his connection to the deep learning program.
Everyone's brain is a little different, so their relationship to the program is gonna be different.
Like how we respond to certain drugs in different ways.
Exactly.
Maybe it misread his connection to the butterfly, mistaking it for love as opposed to some other powerful emotion.
Like what? Guilt.
I wanna go back in.
Apertus.
Wait, wait, wait! Hey, you.
I told you to stay away from me.
I know why you're seeing the butterfly.
Who are you? My name is Mara Kint.
I work for Onira-Tech.
How are you here? There's a multi-user version of Reverie, and they sent me into your program to talk to you.
Why? I didn't consent to this.
You have no right to be here.
You're right.
I don't.
I'm intruding, and I'm very sorry for that.
This place is obviously important to you.
You proposed to her here.
Is that right? It must have been very special.
I had this whole elaborate evening planned, but when the bellhop kicked us out, we hopped on a cable car and just spend the rest of the night just riding around the city.
It sounds like a night to remember.
Have you ever had a night like that? Yes, and I have one I'd do anything to forget.
Just like you.
Will you tell me what happened? Everything, uh, changed after the diagnosis.
We burned through our savings in the first two months.
I'm an independent contractor.
She was in grad school.
Neither one of us had insurance, so I took a second job with my cousin, doing 80-, 90-hour weeks, taking her for treatment in between getting Iris to and from school.
So you started taking Skeiron.
I shoulda had someone else take her to the clinic that day.
I was at the end of 30 straight days.
I doubled up on the dosage.
I don't even remember the accident.
I just woke up in the hospital, and she was gone.
I'm so sorry that happened to you.
I failed her at every turn.
I spent every day working, trying to keep her alive, and it wasn't enough.
Then I found Reverie.
Our tenth anniversary was coming up, and we'd always talked about coming back to this place, but we never got a chance.
I could finally give her the dream weekend I always wanted.
I'll forget for a minute or two that it's not really her, that it's just a re-creation, but then something will happen that will remind me.
I'm just This is just never gonna go away, is it? No.
But it'll get better.
How would you know? Because you're not the only one here who feels responsible for somebody's death.
It's been two years, and, um I'll be honest with you.
I'm still kind of a mess.
I started drinking too much.
I started self-medicating.
I didn't want to feel anything, and It worked, for a while.
What made you change? When I saw your brother and Iris - and what they were going through.
- Iris is here? The hospital called them in.
You've gone into a coma.
But I've only been in here a couple days.
You've been here for over two weeks.
That it's not possible.
When was the last time you remember sleeping? I don't Tony, you have a version of Naomi here, but Iris is real.
She is flesh and blood, and she's waiting for you, and if you stay here any longer, you will never come back, and she'll be all alone.
Is that what you want? Is that what Naomi would want? Remember what you said that day? The proposal? I said, "You could do worse.
" I might have been wrong.
What are you talking about? I let you down.
I'm sorry.
Tony, you never let me down.
You did everything you promised that day, and more.
I don't regret a single second.
I mean, how lucky are we to have had this time together? The luckiest.
But I think I think it's time to go home.
Dad Tony.
Welcome back, pal.
She did it.
Yep.
Thank you.
Thank you.
You're welcome.
You wanted to see me? Why did you order a EEG? We didn't know what would happen when we put a second person inside someone's Reverie.
We're in uncharted waters here.
From now on, bring all the results straight to me.
If she sneezes, I want to know about it.
Of course.
- Dylan? - Yes, Lexi? Want to play a game? How about one of our old favorites? Hm.
It's perfect.
We used to play this every day.
When we were young? Yep.
When we were young.
There were four more cases confirmed today.
It's happening much faster now.
I I I can't help you keep it quiet much longer.
I understand.
If your project tanks, I won't be able to justify our investment.
That would be a disappointment.
I was hoping this would be a long-term relationship.
What are your long-term goals for Onira-Tech? Or is that classified? Onira-Tech is one of a number of companies we have an interest in.
And how does the Department of Defense see our product working for them in the future? We don't know yet.
We see potential.
Brynn.
Come on.
This way, Madame.
What did you do? Thank you.
You're out of your mind! It's spectacular.
Happy anniversary.
Happy anniversary.
Hey, his lips are moving.
You think he's trying to say something? Most likely an involuntary response to something in the Reverie program.
Well, how can you know for sure? We can't.
They brought in another one this morning.
That makes seven.
I can count.
I know you can count.
What if this becomes an epidemic? Seven users isn't an epidemic.
It's a fraction of a fraction.
They're in a coma, Lexi because of your program.
My program is doing exactly what it's supposed to.
That's not going to make a damn bit of difference to our partners.
If we can't prove that this is reversible, they're gonna pull the plug.
We'll lose everything.
Do you understand? This is a radical problem.
Maybe it requires a radical solution.
Now, remember, only 7% of our communication is based on what we actually say.
38% of it comes from the tone of the voice, and the rest of it, 55%, comes from body language.
Look at the smiles.
Real smiles they affect the eyes.
They wrinkle the skin.
Is the person making eye contact? Too much? Not enough? Oh Also pay attention to the direction.
Eyes to the left means that they're trying to remember something.
Eyes to the right signals creative thinking, deception.
Stop.
Devon is the killer.
How'd you figure it out? Everyone else was, like, really intense with their eye contact, and Devon looked away immediately, like she had something to hide.
That's very good.
Now, remember, this is more than just a game, right? I mean, these are skills that you can use on a job interview, on a date, or in bed.
It's a whole new way of seeing the world, but you have to look up.
And class is dismissed.
All right, good work, everybody.
We'll see you on Wednesday.
Charlie, what are you doing here? Buy you dinner? How does one teach interpersonal dynamics? You saw it.
We play "killer," we play "red light, green light," games that develop observational skills.
And their parents pay money for this? Well, if their parents knew how badly they needed it, - they'd pay twice as much.
- Here you go.
Why do you say that? - Thank you.
- Sure.
Do you know how much time the average teen spends on their devices in one day? - How much? - Nine hours, and in some cases, up to 16 or more.
And in exchange for that, they get the whole world in their pocket, right? Any information, any tool, right there on their phone.
Is that such a bad thing? It is if they're not developing the most important tool of all.
Which is? Empathy.
We learn empathy by observing, and we've stopped doing that.
I mean, look.
Nobody's even having an actual conversation.
- Well, we are.
- Yeah, but that's because we haven't seen each other in a few years, and we have a lot to catch up on.
Want to offer you a job, Mara.
Okay, doing what? What you did for me on the force: hostage negotiation.
When I retired as police chief, I started my private security firm.
Onira-Tech was my first and only client, and then after a time, I became a liaison.
"Reverie.
" What does it do? What's your all-time favorite memory? The most beautiful, mind-blowing place you can remember? Uh, when I was, um, ten My mother took me and my sister Jamie to this place called "labyrinth of light.
" It was this field just full of paper lanterns.
It was like floating in space.
What if you could revisit that moment any time you wanted? It can do all that? Reverie is a place where the impossible becomes possible.
You're put inside a waking dream of your own design.
You can go anywhere you want, change your appearance, and even bring loved ones back from the dead.
How? They use what's called a "social media footprint.
" A person's pictures, videos their posts.
You feed them into the program, and you can resurrect them in Reverie.
That's like a field trip to heaven.
Problem is, some of our users are so addicted to the fantastic worlds they've created that their subconscious minds have severed ties with reality.
Their bodies have gone into a coma.
For lack of a better word, they're trapped.
I'm still not understanding.
What exactly is it that you want me to do? I want you to go inside Reverie and bring them back.
How would you like to proceed? She needs time to think about it.
Charlie, we don't have time.
Monica, she's our best option.
Well, you've got her résumé.
See for yourself.
Master's of Psychology from Stanford.
Specialized counterterrorism training with the FBI.
There have to be others.
The best negotiators make you feel like you've known them your whole life.
They're attuned to every response: every little gesture of the hand, slight change in tone of voice.
She had all that.
She worked miracles for complete strangers.
Unfortunately, she couldn't do it for the people she loved the most.
Whoa, whoa, whoa.
Ray, Ray.
Okay, so just, uh Just back up a second.
You know? Tell me how all of this got started.
- I found a text.
- Okay, a text, good.
- What text? - On Jamie's phone.
A text on Jamie's phone.
Great.
What did it say? That she's taking Brynn to your parents' place.
- She's gonna leave me.
- Okay, wait, wait.
Ray, listen.
I'm sure it wasn't permanent, all right? I-I-I Maybe she just wanted to give you guys some space.
I know my sister.
I know how much she loves you.
Not anymore.
No, of course she does.
Remember when you used to come to our house and you would pick her up for dates and you would drive around in that car.
God, what was it? It was the, um The the The black one - The Camaro? - The Camaro, exactly.
Whatever happened to that car, anyway? I sold it To, uh, buy Jamie's ring.
I'm sorry, baby.
Daddy didn't mean to scare you.
I didn't mean to scare you.
Everything's going to be - Did you call the police? - Mara No! No, no.
- I-I No, no, no.
- Oh, I told you - not to call the police! - They're going to go away.
No, I didn't! I'm gonna make them go away.
Please, please Ray! Ray! Ray! Ray! Version 1.
0 was a single-user experience, but for the past year, I've been working on 2.
0, which is multi-user.
It allows two people to interact in a shared immersive virtual world.
The commercial version won't be available for a while, but we built a prototype.
It's the only one like it in the world.
2.
0 is what you'd use to enter each client's Reverie.
Bio-authentication complete, Charlie.
Thank you, Dylan.
And Dylan is Everywhere.
He's the building's AI.
Dylan, say hello to Miss Kint.
Hello, Miss Kint.
Enjoy the rest of your tour.
Trust me, you're just getting to the weird part.
This is the BCI the brain-computer interface that runs the program.
Is it moving? It's been integrated with living tissue.
It helps merge with the body in a more symbiotic way.
It makes it impossible to distinguish the program from reality.
But if it's an implant, can't you just surgically remove it? The flow of data is laced into the central nervous system, which then carries it to the cortical neurons.
Severing the connection while someone is this deeply connected might cause permanent damage.
If you decide to do this, you'll have to undergo the implant procedure as well.
Tony Lenton was the first.
Now we've got a whole damn wing.
Every one of these people decided that life in Reverie is better than the one out here.
This is a chance to bring families back together again.
I thought that'd be something you'd be interested in.
Do you have, like, a, um Like, a smaller gun that you could use? Wasn't so bad now, was it? I see you found your way home.
When you find this symbol in Reverie, you're looking at a gateway icon, your exit back to the real world.
It's beautiful.
Mandalas represent the universe.
I thought it was appropriate.
Uh, Paul Hammond, chief oneirologist.
Uh, Mara Kint.
What's an oneirologist? Usually, it means someone involved in the science of studying dreams.
Here, it's the science of creating dreams.
I design all the factory presets and training modules.
We also do research and development, pushing the boundaries of reality within the program.
The ordinary user can choose between the presets or a more customized experience.
They can create entire worlds tailored to their specific desires, and they have days, weeks, even months to figure it out, but I'm going to give you a crash course, just enough to make you dangerous.
Please, have a seat.
Make yourself comfortable.
Yeah.
Apertus means "open.
" Whenever you're ready, just say the word, close your eyes, and you'll find yourself in the box.
The box? It's a training module.
Shall we begin? Okay.
Oh, I almost forgot.
If you make it all the way through, there's a surprise waiting for you at the end.
What is it? Well, if I told you, it wouldn't be a surprise, now would it? When you're ready.
Apertus.
What if I want to walk around? Your brain tells your limbs what to do, but those signals are connected to your body in Reverie.
Aside from a few stray reactions to really powerful stimuli, your body will remain perfectly still, right here in this chair.
So I can do anything I want? Physical laws don't necessarily apply in Reverie, but they are subject to the limitations of the coding.
For instance, you can't just pop off and fly.
Well, yet.
Can I get hurt? You can teach your brain to disarm certain triggers, like pain, for example.
Over time, you'll learn to override your natural instincts and deprogram your fear response.
Holy Uh, hello? Okay, uh - Hello? - Once you're inside, we don't have any way to communicate.
No! No! Paul! Paul! So if it gets too intense, look for a gateway icon.
If there isn't one nearby, all you have to do is say "exitus.
" Exitus! Intense, right? You don't have to do this right now.
Training's enough for one day.
He may not have another day.
I wanna get started.
You never should have suggested using 2.
0.
What was I supposed to do? You were supposed to wait until we figured out the derealization issues.
The company could have been long gone by then, and these people might already be dead.
You said it yourself: she picked it up faster than we did, and we built it.
But it's not just her, Alexis.
It's the program itself.
We have no idea what's gonna happen when we introduce a second person.
Her presence might disrupt Tony's bond with the program.
Exactly.
This is our chance to find out.
I'm gonna monitor her brainwave activity when she goes in.
If there are significant anomalies, then we have to tell her.
If you don't, I will.
Jay, when was the last time you talked to your brother? He called a couple weeks ago, asked if we wouldn't mind keeping Iris for the weekend.
We got a daughter the same age, her cousin.
I figured he just, you know, needed some time by himself.
He's been under a lot of pressure ever since her mom passed.
What happened to her? They were in an accident.
My brother was driving.
Naomi was in the passenger seat.
He survived, but she didn't make it to the hospital.
Last few months, he's been collecting everything he could find.
Pictures, video Old voice mails.
I didn't know what he was doing at the time, but apparently he was uploading them to the program.
He thought he could bring her back.
How's the training going? She passed the early stages faster than anyone else.
She's gone through a battery of simulations.
Her vitals are steady.
If you make it all the way through to the end, there's a surprise waiting for you.
Charlie, we're running out of time.
Is she ready or not? Yes, she's ready.
Then send her in.
This tablet is paired with Tony Lenton's program.
When you tap the icon and open your eyes, you'll find yourself inside his Reverie.
Good luck.
Apertus.
Come on.
Wait, let me get in it! Let me get in! Whoa! Who are you? My name is Mara.
You're not supposed to be here.
No? I was very specific about my choices.
Okay, I I have to tell you something.
I want you to go.
But just give me five minutes.
- For what? - To talk about Naomi.
How do you know that name? Five minutes, please.
Tony? You're gonna crash the program.
You have to go.
You're gonna ruin everything.
Tony! Tony! - I said I want you to go! - Tony, please! Exitus! It's okay.
Just breathe.
I got the wind knocked out of me.
No, you just thought you did.
I was monitoring your brainwave activity There was a pretty radical spike in the middle.
Do you remember seeing anything particularly strange? No.
I remember that book.
You know, after I read it, I used to go outside and pretend that I could talk to birds.
My grandma had a parakeet named Libby.
She talked to it all the time.
Oh yeah? Well, did it talk back? - Thank you.
- You're welcome.
Yeah, but it could only say two things: "I love you" and a swear word.
She and my mom used to read it to me before I went to sleep.
Hey, Iris, can I ask you a question about your mom and your stepdad? Did they ever talk about San Francisco? That's where he asked her to marry him.
They didn't have any money, but he paid some guy, like, $10 to let them on the roof of a hotel.
It sounds like you've heard that story a few times.
More like a hundred, but I didn't mind.
They were always so happy when they talked about it.
Is he gonna be okay? I promise, I'm gonna do everything I can to bring him back.
Dylan? Yes, Miss Kint? Uh, well, first of all, - you can call me Mara.
- I like that name.
- Thank you.
- Hebrew origin.
It means "bitter.
" I've heard that before, yes.
Listen, Dylan, can you do a search for me of all the images that Tony Lenton uploaded to Reverie? Of course.
What should I look for? A butterfly.
Searching.
You know, if you add an "H" to "Mara," it could also be the Arabic word for joy? I like it either way.
That's very sweet.
I found three results, and here.
Okay, that's not it, but wait.
That's not it, either.
- Who's the blond one? - Allison Young.
She's in 630 of Naomi's photos.
Uh, can you get me an address? Sure, but she's not home right now.
- No? - According to her status update, she just clocked in at work.
- Are you a police officer? - No.
Well, I mean, I used to be, but now I work for this company called Onira-Tech.
Uh, they make this immersive virtual reality program called Reverie.
And what does this have to do with Tony? Well, he logged on to the program thank you two weeks ago, and he never came back out.
He's gone kind of into a coma, and he could die.
So, were you close to them? Naomi was my best friend.
- Were they happy? - Of course.
Did they have any problems that you knew of? I mean, in their marriage? They were stronger than ever.
They had to be, with everything she was going through.
What do you mean? What was she going through? Naomi was sick.
They were fighting with it for a while, but she took a turn for the worse.
They didn't want anyone else to know, not until they had a chance to tell Iris.
Tony Lenton's condition is getting worse.
How long do we have? A couple of days at most.
And there's one more thing.
I finished reviewing Mara Kint's EEG.
Who ordered that? Paul Hammond.
He wanted me to take a look at a spike in the middle of her session, but that's not what has me concerned.
There were other markers, things that could potentially indicate an underlying psychiatric disorder.
I found this in Tony's apartment.
It's called Skeiron.
Popular with college kids.
Helps them get through finals.
What does this have to do with Tony? There was a butterfly in his Reverie.
He had a strong negative reaction to it, and I got the feeling that this was not the first time that it happened.
That could be a by-product of his connection to the deep learning program.
Everyone's brain is a little different, so their relationship to the program is gonna be different.
Like how we respond to certain drugs in different ways.
Exactly.
Maybe it misread his connection to the butterfly, mistaking it for love as opposed to some other powerful emotion.
Like what? Guilt.
I wanna go back in.
Apertus.
Wait, wait, wait! Hey, you.
I told you to stay away from me.
I know why you're seeing the butterfly.
Who are you? My name is Mara Kint.
I work for Onira-Tech.
How are you here? There's a multi-user version of Reverie, and they sent me into your program to talk to you.
Why? I didn't consent to this.
You have no right to be here.
You're right.
I don't.
I'm intruding, and I'm very sorry for that.
This place is obviously important to you.
You proposed to her here.
Is that right? It must have been very special.
I had this whole elaborate evening planned, but when the bellhop kicked us out, we hopped on a cable car and just spend the rest of the night just riding around the city.
It sounds like a night to remember.
Have you ever had a night like that? Yes, and I have one I'd do anything to forget.
Just like you.
Will you tell me what happened? Everything, uh, changed after the diagnosis.
We burned through our savings in the first two months.
I'm an independent contractor.
She was in grad school.
Neither one of us had insurance, so I took a second job with my cousin, doing 80-, 90-hour weeks, taking her for treatment in between getting Iris to and from school.
So you started taking Skeiron.
I shoulda had someone else take her to the clinic that day.
I was at the end of 30 straight days.
I doubled up on the dosage.
I don't even remember the accident.
I just woke up in the hospital, and she was gone.
I'm so sorry that happened to you.
I failed her at every turn.
I spent every day working, trying to keep her alive, and it wasn't enough.
Then I found Reverie.
Our tenth anniversary was coming up, and we'd always talked about coming back to this place, but we never got a chance.
I could finally give her the dream weekend I always wanted.
I'll forget for a minute or two that it's not really her, that it's just a re-creation, but then something will happen that will remind me.
I'm just This is just never gonna go away, is it? No.
But it'll get better.
How would you know? Because you're not the only one here who feels responsible for somebody's death.
It's been two years, and, um I'll be honest with you.
I'm still kind of a mess.
I started drinking too much.
I started self-medicating.
I didn't want to feel anything, and It worked, for a while.
What made you change? When I saw your brother and Iris - and what they were going through.
- Iris is here? The hospital called them in.
You've gone into a coma.
But I've only been in here a couple days.
You've been here for over two weeks.
That it's not possible.
When was the last time you remember sleeping? I don't Tony, you have a version of Naomi here, but Iris is real.
She is flesh and blood, and she's waiting for you, and if you stay here any longer, you will never come back, and she'll be all alone.
Is that what you want? Is that what Naomi would want? Remember what you said that day? The proposal? I said, "You could do worse.
" I might have been wrong.
What are you talking about? I let you down.
I'm sorry.
Tony, you never let me down.
You did everything you promised that day, and more.
I don't regret a single second.
I mean, how lucky are we to have had this time together? The luckiest.
But I think I think it's time to go home.
Dad Tony.
Welcome back, pal.
She did it.
Yep.
Thank you.
Thank you.
You're welcome.
You wanted to see me? Why did you order a EEG? We didn't know what would happen when we put a second person inside someone's Reverie.
We're in uncharted waters here.
From now on, bring all the results straight to me.
If she sneezes, I want to know about it.
Of course.
- Dylan? - Yes, Lexi? Want to play a game? How about one of our old favorites? Hm.
It's perfect.
We used to play this every day.
When we were young? Yep.
When we were young.
There were four more cases confirmed today.
It's happening much faster now.
I I I can't help you keep it quiet much longer.
I understand.
If your project tanks, I won't be able to justify our investment.
That would be a disappointment.
I was hoping this would be a long-term relationship.
What are your long-term goals for Onira-Tech? Or is that classified? Onira-Tech is one of a number of companies we have an interest in.
And how does the Department of Defense see our product working for them in the future? We don't know yet.
We see potential.
Brynn.