The Outer Limits (1995) s06e09 Episode Script
Stasis
1 THERE'S SOMETHING I'VE BEEN MEANING TO ASK YOU, LARISSA, CAN YOU REMEMBER A TIME WHEN YOU CAN HONESTLY SAY THAT YOU WERE HAPPY, I MEAN, TRULY HAPPY? I MUST HAVE BEEN, I DON'T KNOW, FIVE, AND I REMEMBER RUNNING ON A GREENWAY, I DIDN'T KNOW IT, BUT MY FATHER HAD SAVED UP HIS V-CREDITS FOR A WHOLE YEAR, JUST SO I COULD HAVE THAT EXPERIENCE, THE SMELL OF THE LAWN, AND THE FEEL OF THE GRASS BETWEEN MY TOES, ,, YOU KNOW, I STILL HOLD OUT HOPE THAT ORDINARY WORKERS WILL BE ABLE TO ENJOY THINGS LIKE THAT AGAIN SOMEDAY PARKS AND GARDENS AND BEAUTIFUL THINGS IF NOT FOR ME, THEN FOR MY CHILDREN, [ BEEPING .]
JUST A MINUTE, HI, YOU'RE UP EARLY, WELL, I WANTED TO GIVE YOU THIS BEFORE THE TRANSFER, A PEACH, DOMINIC, IT'S BEAUTIFUL, HYDROPONICS ARE HARD TO COME BY, WELL, SOME PEOPLE DESERVE THE EXTRA EFFORT, TRANSFER BEGINS IN 15 MINUTES, ALL ALPHAS ARE REQUIRED TO PROCEED TO THEIR DESIGNATED STASIS CENTER, THANK YOU FOR THE GIFT, I'LL SAVE I FOR MY NEXT TRANSFER, BEFORE YOU GO, UM, ARE YOU DOING ANYTHING ON THE 20th? THAT'S WHAT, A SATURDAY? YEAH, WELL, I LIKE TO BE HOME ON SATURDAYS, MAKE AN EXCEPTION, BECAUSE I HAVE SOMETHING PLANNED I THINK YOU'LL REALLY ENJOY, ALL RIGHT, SURE, THE 20th, DON'T FORGET, OKAY, BYE, BYE, [ .]
THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH YOUR TELEVISION, DO NOT ATTEMP TO ADJUST THE PICTURE, WE ARE NOW CONTROLLING THE TRANSMISSION, WE CONTROL THE HORIZONTAL, ,, AND THE VERTICAL, WE CAN DELUDE YOU WITH A THOUSAND CHANNELS OR EXPAND ONE SINGLE IMAGE TO CRYSTAL CLARITY, ,, AND BEYOND, WE CAN SHAPE YOUR VISION TO ANYTHING OUR IMAGINATION CAN CONCEIVE, FOR THE NEXT HOUR, WE WILL CONTROL ALL THAT YOU SEE AND HEAR, YOU ARE ABOUT TO EXPERIENCE THE AWE AND MYSTERY WHICH REACHES FROM THE DEEPEST INNER MIND TO THE OUTER LIMITS, TO SLEEP, PERCHANCE TO DREAM, BUT WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THE DREAM IS TO NEVER SLEEP AGAIN? GOOD MORNING, ERIC, FIRST THINGS FIRST WHITE STONE TO B-2, AND WHILE YOU MULL THAT, I'LL TELL YOU MY PROGRESS FROM THE LAS THREE DAYS, I'VE DONE A COMPUTER ANALYSIS OF THE CONTROL-VALVE REDESIGNS, BUT WE CAN'T SPECIFY THE ALLOY NEEDED FOR THE VALVE WITHOUT HARD DATA ON HEAT COEFFICIENCY AND VISCOSITY, UM, ,, I'M SORRY, I SHOULD BE MORE FOCUSED, BUT I CAN'T STOP THINKING ABOUT HOW SAD YOU LOOKED AT THE LAST TRANSFER, AND HOW MUCH I WANTED TO REACH OU TO TOUCH YOU, PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU ERASE THIS, HEY, GOT YOUR MESSAGE, A LITTLE STASIS FATIGUE, HUH? THEY CAN FIGURE OU HOW TO PUT YOU OU FOR 72 HOURS, BUT, ,, RIGHT, NO WAY TO MAKE IT RESTFUL, WELL, THAT'S AMAZING, YOU STILL REMEMBER WHAT IT'S LIKE TO BE ONE OF THE GREAT UNWASHED? SO WHOSE PALM DID YOU GREASE TO BECOME AN ELITE? YOU'VE GOT TO CHALK THAT UP TO MY SMARTS AND MY KILLER GOOD LOOKS, RIGHT, HUMILITY NEVER WAS YOUR STRONG SUIT, YEAH, AND FORGIVENESS WAS NEVER YOURS, SO, ANYWAY, WHAT CAN I DO FOR YOU? I NEED TO GE THE VISCOSITY AND HEAT COEFFICIEN OF THE FLUID FOR THIS VALVE, ISN'T THA IN YOUR STASIS PARTNER'S REPORT? I'VE LISTENED TO THA TWICE ALREADY, IF YOU LOOK RIGHT HERE, IDEALLY, WE'D WANT TO GO WITH COPPER, YEAH, SURE, IF THERE WERE ANY, THE ELITE DOESN'T HAVE A STOCKPILE SOMEWHERE? DESPITE RUMORS TO THE CONTRARY, WE HAVE NO MAGIC WANDS, WELL, THEN, I'LL HAVE TO FORMULATE AN ALLOY, WITHOUT THE FLUID DATA, I'M SHOOTING IN THE DARK, GETTING NUMBERS ON THIS PROJEC IS LIKE PULLING TEETH, OKAY, I'LL LOOK INTO IT, HEY, I'LL SEE IF I CAN GET YOU A DECENT SHAVER, THANK YOU, DOM, YOU'RE WELCOME, BYE, GOOD MORNING, ERIC, ,, THERE'S ROOM FOR MAYBE 24 TURBINES, AND THE FUEL CELLS HAVE TO BE PRETTY CLOSE TOGETHER, SO THE ENERGY WON'T DISSIPATE, SOMETHING I CAN HELP YOU WITH? NO, SIR, LET MANKIND CHOOSE, THE RESISTANCE NEEDS YOU, DAMNED STASIS JUMPER, HALF A LIFE IS NO LIFE, STASIS IS MURDER, HIT HIM AGAIN, HELLO, WINSTON, A COUPLE OF RETURNS, OH, GOOD EVENING, ERIC, HOW DID MY RECOMMENDATION FARE? A MAGICAL KINGDOM INSIDE OF A WARDROBE, I WAS SKEPTICAL AT FIRST, BUT IT WAS NICE, VERY, VERY IMAGINATIVE, SO, WHAT'LL IT BE TONIGHT? SOMETHING ROMANTIC, I THINK, SHAKESPEARE? CONTEMPORARY? OR ONE THOSE DELIGHTFULLY TRASHY NOVELS OF THE LATE 20th CENTURY? NO, SOME POETRY, MAYBE? YES, YOU ARE ON A ROMANTIC KICK LATELY, LET'S SEE HERE, ,, THE COLLECTED WORKS OF R, KOSLOV? I READ THEM, THE MOBARAK COMPILATIONS? READ THOSE, TOO, OH, YEAH, I READ THOSE, TWICE, ACTUALLY, SO YOU HAVE, I'LL TELL YOU WHAT, CAN YOU KEEP A SECRET? SURE, I'M EXPECTING DELIVERY OF SOMETHING RATHER SPECIAL, I SHOULD HAVE IT HERE BY YOUR NEXT TRANSFER, HALF A CENTURY AGO, OUR FOREFATHERS DESIGNED THE STASIS INITIATIVE AS A TEMPORARY MEASURE TO SAVE MANKIND FROM ITSELF, THE IDEA WAS SIMPLE CUT THE CONSUMPTION OF RESOURCES IN HALF BY DIVIDING THE POPULATION OF WORKERS INTO TWO GROUPS, AND ROTATE THEM IN AND OU OF SUSPENDED ANIMATION EVERY 72 HOURS, A GROUP OF MANAGERS WOULD OVERSEE THE PROCESS, WHO COULD'VE ANTICIPATED WE'D WIND UP A SELF-PROCLAIMED ARISTOCRACY? FELLOW MEMBERS OF THE ELITE, I THINK THE TIME HAS COME FOR US ALL TO RENOUNCE OUR LEVEL-ONE PRIVILEGES, INCLUDING, ,, STASIS EXEMPTION, ARISTOCRACY? IN FAIRNESS, KAYLA, THERE ARE PLENTY OF FORMER WORKERS WHO EARNED THEIR WAY INTO THE ELITE BY EXCELLING IN THEIR FIELDS, SPARE ME THE EGALITARIAN PLATITUDES, YOU KNOW, AS WELL AS I DO, THAT LESS THAN 2% OF THE ELITE ARE FORMER WORKERS, ONCE THE ALPHAS' RELOCATION TO THE COUNTRYSIDE TAKES EFFECT NEXT MONTH, THE LIVES OF ALL CITIZENS WILL IMPROVE DRAMATICALLY, I IMPLORE YOU TO PUT A HOLD ON THOSE PLANS, THE REALITY IS IF WE DO NO RENOUNCE OUR PRIVILEGES, THEY WILL BE FORCIBLY TAKEN FROM US, LOOK AROUND YOU, STASIS JUMPING IS ON THE RISE, THE RESISTANCE IS GROWING EVERY DAY, MOST WORKERS UNDERSTAND THAT THE STASIS INITIATIVE, AND THE CONSERVATION THAT IT'S BROUGHT, IS THE ONLY THING THAT'S STAVED OFF COMPLETE ANNIHILATION, THIS IS NOT ABOUT CONSERVATION ANYMORE, WHY GO FORWARD WITH SOMETHING AS DRASTIC AND MORALLY REPREHENSIBLE AS THE RELOCATION? WE SHOULD BE MOVING TOWARDS ABOLISHING STASIS ALTOGETHER, THAT'S TREASONOUS! HOW MUCH MORE STASIS JUMPING ARE WE GOING TO TOLERATE? I THINK WE'VE HEARD ENOUGH, CANCEL THE RELOCATION? ABOLISH STASIS? LET THE WORKERS RUN AMOK OVER WHAT LITTLE WE HAVE LEFT? THAT'S A RECIPE FOR DISASTER, I MOVE FOR THE CENSURE AND ARRES OF KAYLA POWERS, AND ALL THOSE WHO SUPPORT HER, WHAT? HEAR, HEAR! THIS COUNCIL FORMALLY SECONDS THE CHARGE OF TREASON, WHAT SAY YOU? AYE! YOU HAVE NO RIGHT! IT'S ALL RIGHT, I'LL TAKE HER, INCARCERATE HER, PENDING A FORMAL HEARING, WHERE WERE WE? THAT'S RIGHT, YOU ASKED ME IF I REMEMBER A TIME WHEN I WAS TRULY AND HONESTLY HAPPY, ,, AND I CAN REMEMBER TWO TIMES, BOTH OF THEM HAPPENED SO LONG AGO, I DON'T KNOW IF THEY'RE DREAMS, OR IF THEY ACTUALLY HAPPENED, ONE OF THEM IS WHEN I'M WITH MY FATHER, AND WE WERE AT THE CITY CENTER, AND I REMEMBER HIM LAUGHING, I LOVED HIS LAUGH, HE WAS LAUGHING AT ME WHEN I BURIED MY FACE IN THE PERFUMED PETALS OF THE SINGLE ROSE BUSH THAT WAS THERE, THAT IMAGE SOMETIMES COMES TO ME IN STASIS, YOU KNOW, THEY SAY YOU DON'T DREAM IN STASIS, BUT I DO, I DREAM OF ROSES, PINK ROSES, [ ERIC .]
: WHO ARE WE KIDDING? IT'S NEVER GOING TO HAPPEN, THE STASIS TRANSFERS WILL NEVER END, AND EVEN IF THEY DO, THE RELOCATION WILL KEEP US APART, IS THAT TOO MUCH TO ASK? TO FEEL YOU BESIDE ME, ,, [ LARISSA .]
: TALK TO YOU IN THE FLESH, ,, PRESS MY LIPS AGAINST YOURS? WE OCCUPY THE SAME ROOMS, WE SHARE THE SAME JOB, BUT WE MIGHT AS WELL BE HALFWAY AROUND THE WORLD FROM EACH OTHER, IT ISN'T FAIR, [ ERIC .]
: IT'S JUST NOT FAIR, WHAT ARE YOU DOING? GET BACK IN YOUR CHAMBER, HALF A LIFE, ,, NO LIFE, STAND BY FOR AN ANNOUNCEMEN BY THE URBAN CONSERVATION AUTHORITY, THE U, C, A, IS PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE THAT THE STASIS INITIATIVE HAS NEARLY COMPLETED ITS THIRD PHASE, THE RELOCATION OF THE ALPHA POPULATION TO THE PERIMETER LANDS WILL TAKE EFFECT IN 28 DAYS, AS A RESULT, ALL CITIZENS ENJOY INCREASED RATIONS AND SUBSTANTIAL REDUCTION IN STASIS COMMITMENTS, UNTIL THEN, THE U, C, A, REMINDS YOU THAT TO CONSERVE IS TO SURVIVE, [ KNOCKING .]
COME IN, HI THERE, HI, I WAS TOLD YOU HAVE THE VALVE DATA, YES, RIGHT HERE, SOMETHING ELSE? I HAVE A FRIEND WHO WOULD APPRECIATE A GIF WHICH IS IN FAIRLY SHORT SUPPLY, AH, SO, WHAT IS IT YOU WANT, HYPOTHETICALLY? A ROSE, ACTUALLY JUST A SINGLE PINK ROSE, ERIC, YOU KNOW I WOULD DO WHATEVER I COULD TO HELP YOU, BUT THINGS LIKE THA ARE ONLY AVAILABLE ON THE BLACK MARKET, WHICH IS, OF COURSE ILLEGAL, I KNOW, BUT WE BOTH KNOW THE ELITE HAVE ACCESS TO CERTAIN THINGS, THAT DOESN'T MEAN I CAN JUST SNAP MY FINGERS AND GET YOU ANYTHING YOU WANT, RIGHT, RIGHT, YOU KNOW, IT'S HARD TO BELIEVE YOU'RE THE SAME SCRAWNY KID I USED TO PLAY HOOKY WITH, ISN'T IT? FORGET I SAID ANYTHING, A ROSE, OKAY, A PINK ROSE COSTS A LOT, I'M WILLING TO MAKE THE NECESSARY SACRIFICES FOR IT, ALL RIGHT, I'LL SEE WHAT I CAN DO, THANKS, YOU MUSTN'T TELL ANYONE ABOUT THIS, I THOUGHT THEY GOT RID OF THESE WHEN THEY TRANSFERRED TO DISC, JUST KEEP I TO YOURSELF, I COULD LOSE MY LICENSE, SO, WHO'S THE SPECIAL LADY? MY STASIS PARTNER, CAREFUL, ONE THING I'VE LEARNED, ALPHAS AND BETAS DON'T MAKE GOOD MATCHES, PAGE 112 IS MY FAVORITE VERY INSPIRATIONAL, THANKS, WINSTON, [ .]
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, LARISSA, I KNOW THIS IS YOUR FAVORITE PIECE OF MUSIC, AND IT'S ACTUALLY GROWN ON ME, AS WELL, WE DON'T HAVE ANY BUSHES OR BALCONIES, SO I'M AFRAID THIS IS THE BEST I CAN DO IN THE SERENADE DEPARTMENT, BESIDES, I THINK YOU ALREADY KNOW THE ANSWER TO THE QUESTION "WHEREFORE ART THOU?" IT'S, UM, ,, IT'S E, E, CUMMINGS, IN CASE YOU'RE WONDERING, "YOUR SLIGHTEST LOOK EASILY UNCLOSES ME, "THOUGH I HAVE CLOSED MYSELF AS FINGERS, "YOU OPEN, ALWAYS, PETAL BY PETAL, MYSELF, "AS SPRING OPENS "TOUCHING SKILLFULLY, MYSTERIOUSLY, HER FIRST ROSE," "I DO NOT KNOW WHAT IT IS ABOUT YOU "THAT CLOSES AND OPENS, ,, "ONLY SOMETHING IN ME UNDERSTANDS "THE VOICE OF YOUR EYES IS DEEPER THAN ALL ROSES, NOTHING, NOT EVEN THE RAIN, HAS SUCH SMALL HANDS," [ BEEPING .]
YOU DIDN'T FORGET, DID YOU? OH, DOMINIC, I JUST, ,, I DON'T FEEL UP TO IT, TODAY THIS ISN'T SOMETHING YOU WANT TO MISS, WELL, I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING TO WEAR, I TOOK CARE OF THAT, IT'S WONDERFUL, HUH? IT'S BEAUTIFUL, I'D HEARD THAT PLACES LIKE THIS STILL EXISTED, I JUST NEVER THOUGH I WOULD SEE IT, I DON'T WANT TO GIVE YOU THE WRONG IMPRESSION, EVEN THE ELITE ONLY TREATS ITSELF ONCE IN A BLUE MOON, ANYWAY, GO AHEAD, HELP YOU IT DOESN' SEEM RIGHT, HEY, YOU ONLY LIVE HALF YOUR LIFE, ENJOY THE OCCASIONAL BLESSING, THANK YOU, IT'S LIKE A DREAM, A BOTANIST'S DREAM, THAT'S FOR SURE, OVER 240 RARE PLANT SPECIES, MANY OF THEM THOUGH TO BE EXTINCT, I WISH MY FATHER COULD HAVE SEEN THIS, UH, JUST GIVE ME A COUPLE MINUTES, MM-HMM, SO, DOMINIC, SLUMMING AGAIN? WELL, WE DON'T ALL WEAR OUR SENSE OF ENTITLEMEN AS WELL AS YOU, PLANNING ON AWAKENING SLEEPING BEAUTY FROM STASIS? THE U, C, A, CHARTER PERMITS GUESTS TO AN ELITE EVENT, PROVIDED A CONJUGAL POTENTIAL EXISTS, I'M IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE CHARTER, THANK YOU VERY MUCH, YOU HAVE A PROBLEM? WELL, I'M NOT THE ONE DATING THE WORKER, SECOND-GENERATION ELITE THEY'VE NEVER SUPPORTED INTERMARRIAGE, AND YOU? IT'S NO THE MOST CARDINAL OF SINS, BUT IT'S ALSO NOT THE WISEST MOVE RIGHT NOW, IT'S A MOOT POINT, SHE'S SLATED FOR RELOCATION WITH ALL THE OTHER ALPHAS, SUCH A DAMN WASTE, I DON'T SUPPOSE THERE'S ANY WAY TO MAKE AN EXCEPTION? SHE KNOWS THE MAINFRAMES BETTER THAN ANY EXPERT WE HAVE, WHAT ABOUT PROMOTING HER TO AN ELITE? CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, BUT WASN'T KAYLA POWERS ARRESTED FOR QUESTIONING THE STATUS QUO? WELL, THE DIFFERENCE IS I KNOW WHERE MY LOYALTIES LIE, I HOPE SO, THE COUNCIL WOULD HATE TO SEE AN AMBITIOUS, FORWARD-THINKER LIKE YOURSELF MISS OUT ON A CHANCE AT ADVANCEMENT, YOU EXPECT ME TO BELIEVE THAT I'M BEING CONSIDERED FOR THE COUNCIL? WELL, LET'S JUST SAY THAT YOUR DENUNCIATION OF KAYLA WAS SHREWDLY TIMED AND DIDN'T GO UNNOTICED, SO, LIKE I SAID, NOT THE WISEST OF MOVES RIGHT NOW, WHAT'S WRONG? I'M SORRY, CAN YOU TAKE ME HOME? BUT THE PARTY'S JUST BEGUN, I DON'T BELONG HERE, OH, NONSENSE, YOU CAN TELL ME, IT'S ALL RIGHT, I KNOW THERE'S NOT MUCH TIME BEFORE YOU LEAVE THE CITY, BUT THAT DOESN'T, ,, I'M IN LOVE, IS THAT SO TERRIBLE? IT IS WHEN YOU CAN'T BE WITH THE ONE YOU LOVE, SO YOU THINK THERE'S TOO MUCH STANDING BETWEEN US? OH, I'M SORRY, DO YOU THINK, ,, OH, I'M SORRY, UH, ,, SO, UH, ,, WHO IS I YOU CAN'T BE WITH? IS IT BECAUSE WHEN HE'S AWAKE, YOU'RE NOT? IT'S ERIC, ISN'T IT? PLEASE DON'T TELL ANYONE, LISTEN TO ME, YOU CAN'T BE WITH HIM, YOU HAVE TO TELL HIM NEVER TO CONTACT YOU AGAIN, I CAN'T DO THAT, LOOK, DON'T BE NAIVE, YOU KNOW THE WAY THE WORLD WORKS, IT CAN'T COME TO ANY GOOD, THEY KEEP SAYING THAT MAYBE AFTER RELOCATION, THINGS WILL BE DIFFERENT, IT'S NO GOING TO CHANGE, MAYBE AFTER THE STRAIN ON RESOURCES, ,, WE'VE BEEN DOING THIS FOR TOO LONG, IT WON'T CHANGE, THINGS ARE WHAT THEY ARE, I JUST THINK THERE HAS TO BE A BETTER WAY, WE'VE TRIED EVERYTHING ELSE CONSERVATION, BIRTH CONTROL, ,, STASIS IS THE ONLY REASON WE ARE ALIVE, ANYTHING THAT THREATENS THAT SYSTEM ANYTHING IS A THREAT TO THE HUMAN RACE, AND THAT IS NO GOING TO CHANGE, LARISSA, NOT TODAY, NOT TOMORROW, NOT EVER, COME ON, I'M GOING TO TAKE YOU HOME, I KNOW THIS WON'T BE EASY FOR YOU TO HEAR, AND IT'S VERY HARD TO SAY, ,, BUT THE TRUTH IS, ERIC, THERE IS NO FUTURE FOR US, I CAN'T POUR MY HEAR OUT TO YOU NIGHT AFTER NIGHT, IN THE FACE OF THAT REALITY, SO BEFORE WE GET ANY DEEPER, WE SHOULD JUST, ,, PLEASE DON'T CONTACT ME ANYMORE, ,, AND PLEASE TRY TO UNDERSTAND THAT IT'S NOT BECAUSE I DON'T LOVE YOU, IT'S BECAUSE I DO, I'M SORRY, WHAT IS THIS? TO LARISSA WHITESTONE FROM ERIC WATERS I DON'T UNDERSTAND THIS REQUEST, FIRST, WHEN DID WE STAR ENCODING OUR ASSIGNMENTS? SECOND, WHY WOULD WE NEED TO IMPROVE THE THERMAL SHIELDING ON THIS SAMPLE, ,, AND WILL YOU EVEN LISTEN TO THIS? WILL YOU EVEN HEAR MY VOICE? BECAUSE IF YOU DO, ,, JUST KNOW THAT I MISS YOU, THE U, C, A, PU A RUSH ON THIS PROGRAM FOR OBVIOUS REASONS, THEY'RE NOT GIVING US MUCH TIME, WE'LL BE ALL RIGHT, FUEL-CELL INSTALLATION IS NEARING COMPLETION, ALL SYSTEMS SHOULD BE OPERATIONAL ON THE EVE OF THE RELOCATION, GOOD, EXCUSE ME, I APOLOGIZE, BUT IT'S URGENT, WOULD YOU EXCUSE US? I'M SORRY, I JUST NEED TO SPEAK TO SOMEONE I CAN TRUST, YEAH, SO, WHAT IS IT? I HAVE TO KNOW IF THERE'S ANY WAY OF RELEASING SOMEONE FROM STASIS? I DIDN'T HEAR THAT, NO, THE TRUTH, DOM, PLEASE? WHAT YOU WAN IS NOT ONLY IMPOSSIBLE, BUT IF ANYONE EVEN HEARD US TALKING ABOUT THIS, ,, WHAT ABOUT THE RESISTANCE? PLEASE, ERIC, LOOK, THIS CONVERSATION IS OVER, GO HOME AND WE'LL BOTH FORGE THIS EVER HAPPENED, FORGETTING SEEMS TO BE YOUR SPECIALTY, YOU KNOW, DOM, IT WASN'T THAT LONG AGO THE TABLES WERE TURNED AND YOU CAME TO ME FOR HELP EVERY DAY, DID YOU FORGE WHAT YOU SAID TO ME WHEN YOU WERE PULLED FROM STASIS TO JOIN THE ELITE? I SAID WE WOULD ALWAYS BE FRIENDS, THAT'S RIGHT, YOU SAID WE'D BEEN THROUGH FAR TOO MUCH NOT TO BE, YEAH, WELL, KIDS SAY A LOT OF FOOLISH THINGS, YOU SON OF A BITCH, YOU'RE WRONG ABOUT ME, ERIC, I REMEMBER EVERYTHING, I REMEMBER MY FATHER SCRAPING TOGETHER HIS CREDITS SO HIS CHILDREN WOULDN'T HAVE TO SHARE THEIR SHOES OR FREEZE TO DEATH IN THEIR BEDS, I REMEMBER MY MOTHER SKIPPING DINNER NIGHT AFTER NIGHT, CLAIMING SHE WASN'T HUNGRY, AND I REMEMBER STANDING OVER HER GRAVE, VOWING THAT THA WOULD NEVER HAPPEN TO ME, SO YOU CAN PUT AWAY THAT MORAL SUPERIORITY, BUDDY, 'CAUSE IT DOESN'T CUT IT, YOU UNDERSTAND? YEAH, I UNDERSTAND, I UNDERSTAND PERFECTLY, DROP IT, NOW, ERIC WATERS, YOU UNDERSTAND YOUR CRIME CARRIES WITH I A MANDATORY 10-YEAR SENTENCE? HOWEVER, THAT SENTENCE WAS COMMUTED DUE TO AN URGENT APPEAL BY AN ELITE MEMBER, WHO HAS VOUCHED FOR YOUR SKILLS AS AN ENGINEER AS BEING INDISPENSABLE, DOMINIC LANGTON HAS TAKEN FULL RESPONSIBILITY FOR YOUR FUTURE ACTIONS, I TRUST YOU WILL NO VIOLATE HIS COVENANT, I'M SORRY, YOU'RE DISMISSED, DON'T WORRY, I'VE LET HER GO, YOU'RE SURE HE'S THE KEY TO FINDING OUR TRAITOR? IF HE'S NO WORKING WITH THEM ALREADY, THEY'LL CONTACT HIM SOON ENOUGH, AND I'LL FIND OUT WHO IT IS, ERIC WATERS TO LARISSA WHITESTONE REGARDING REDESIGN OF VENTILATION SHAFT, REQUIRE MORE INFORMATION, WHY WOULD ANYONE WANT AN AIR SHAF TO TRANSPORT WATER? THE INDICATED SHAFTS ARE OVER 1,200-FEET LONG, THE ONLY BUILDINGS BIG ENOUGH FOR THAT ARE, ,, TRANSFER HALLS, YOUR MOVE, WHAT THE, ,, 73859,, , THERE'S ROOM FOR MAYBE 24 TURBINES, AND THE FUEL CELLS HAVE TO BE PRETTY CLOSE TOGETHER SO THE ENERGY WON'T DISSIPATE, FUEL-CELL INSTALLATION IS NEARING COMPLETION, ALL SYSTEMS SHOULD BE OPERATIONAL ON THE EVE OF THE RELOCATION, THE TURBINE ENGINE RUNS ON SUPERHEATED WATER PUMPING THROUGH IT, HOW DO THEY EXPECT TO HEA THAT QUANTITY OF WATER WITHOUT, ,, WITHOUT FUEL? AND WHY WOULD THEY PUT A POWER PLAN UNDER A TRANSFER HALL, UNLESS, ,, OH, MY GOD, 73859, ALL SYSTEMS ON-LINE, WE'RE READY TO STAR THE FINAL TESTS, REPLACE THE STASIS FLUID WITH THE NEW MIXTURE, COMBUSTION MIXTURE FLOWING, INITIATE POWER SURGE, 686 THERMS OF OUTPUT, ENOUGH TO HEAT THE WATER AND GET THOSE TURBINES RUNNING, MULTIPLIED BY THE MILLIONS OF ALPHAS WHO WILL PERISH, THE RELOCATION WILL GIVE US ENOUGH ENERGY TO RUN THE CITY FOR 3,4 YEARS, INCREDIBLE, I'M CLOSING UP, ERIC, CAN'T IT WAIT? WINSTON, I READ PAGE 112, I MISINTERPRETED ITS MEANING AT FIRST, I, ,,I HAVEN'T TOLD ANYONE, TOLD ANYONE ABOUT WHAT? I KNOW, WINSTON, THAT YOU'RE A CONTAC FOR THE RESISTANCE, I THINK YOU'VE READ ONE TOO MANY SPY NOVELS, NO, I HAVE TO RELEASE HER FROM STASIS, I THINK YOU'D BETTER LEAVE, THE ALPHAS WILL BE MURDERED BY THE U, C, A, THE TRANSFER HALLS HAVE ALL BEEN CONVERTED INTO DEATH CHAMBERS, THERE IS NO RELOCATION, IF YOU ARE PART OF THE RESISTANCE, NOW IS THE TIME TO SPEAK UP, PLEASE, WINSTON? LOCK THE DOORS, SO, EIGHT YEARS WITH RESISTANCE? YEAH, AND THREE AS LEADER OF THE LOCAL CELL, SO YOU BELIEVE ME? YES, I'VE GOT TO GET WORD TO THE OTHERS, I'VE GOT TO GET LARISSA OUT, EVERYONE WILL BE INCINERATED BY THE NEXT TRANSFER, WE'VE GOT HALF THE CITY TO WORRY ABOUT, ONE PERSON IS HARDLY A PRIORITY HERE, NO, WINSTON, YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND, WE WORKED TOGETHER ON THE PROJECT, SHE KNOWS BACK DOORS INTO THEIR COMPUTER SYSTEMS, WEAKNESSES THEY'RE NOT EVEN AWARE OF, TOGETHER, WE COULD SHUT THE SYSTEM DOWN, I'M TAKING A GREAT RISK DOING THIS, SHE'S THE FIRST STEP, WITH HER, WE COULD RELEASE EVERYONE FROM STASIS, IT'S NOW OR NEVER, I'LL ADVANCE HER STASIS CLOCK TO 6:00 A, M, FRIDAY, THE SYSTEM RUNS A SELF-DIAGNOSTIC AT RANDOM INTERVALS, IT MAY NOTICE THE CLOCK'S OUT OF SYNC WITH THE OTHERS, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? ONCE WE INITIATE THE WAKING MIXTURE, THE SYSTEM COULD DETECT I AND SOUND THE ALARM, OKAY, CLOCK RESET, STASIS FLUID SHUT DOWN, AWAKENING-MIXTURE FLOWING, DAMN! THE ALARM, LARISSA, WAKE UP, LARISSA, PLEASE, YOU'VE GOT TO WAKE UP, ERIC? YEAH, IT'S ME, COME, LET'S GO, WHAT'S HAPPENING? WE'RE GETTING OUT OF HERE, WE CAN'T GO BACK TO OUR QUARTERS, THEY'LL BE LOOKING FOR US, I'M SORRY THAT I PUSHED YOU AWAY, YOU KNOW, EVERY DAY WITHOUT YOU, A LITTLE PIECE OF ME DIED, ME TOO, [ KNOCKING .]
I'M SORRY, BUT WE NEED LARISSA, WE'VE ONLY GO A FEW HOURS LEF TO HACK INTO THE ELITE'S COMPUTER SYSTEM AND EXPOSE THOSE FLAWS, WE'VE GOT TO ACT QUICKLY, [ BANGING .]
NOBODY MOVE! YOU'RE ALL UNDER ARREST, WINSTON, ARE YOU ALL RIGHT? THESE OLD BONES HAVE BEEN THROUGH A LOT WORSE, DO YOU KNOW WHAT THEY'VE DONE WITH LARISSA? NO, I'M SORRY, LISTEN TO ME, THEY HAVEN'T FIGURED OU WHO I AM YET, BUT MAKE NO MISTAKE, THEY WON'T HESITATE TO KILL US YOU, ME, LARISSA NOT TO MENTION YOUR INFORMANT, MY INFORMANT? THEY BELIEVE SOMEONE IN THE ELITE IS A TRAITOR SOMEONE YOU APPARENTLY KNOW SOMEONE WHO SENT ACCESS CODES TO RESTRICTED AREAS, WE'VE GOT TO FIND A WAY TO WARN HIM, HE MAY BE OUR ONLY HOPE THE STRUGGLE DOESN'T END HERE, NO, NO, WINSTON, I HAVE NO IDEA, ,, WELL, YOU MUST HAVE SOME IDEA, NO, WINSTON, THE NUMBERS JUST APPEARED ON MY COMPUTER, I THOUGHT IT WAS YOU, AND EVEN IF I HAD A NAME, HOW WOULD WE CONTACT HIM? I HAVE THE FEELING THEY'RE GOING TO RELEASE ME, HOPING I'LL LEAD THEM TO THE REST OF OUR CELL, ERIC, YOU'VE GOT TO FACE IT, THEY COULD KILL LARISSA, GOD KNOWS WHAT THEY'LL DO TO HER FIRST, THE SAFE HOUSE THAT YOU BROUGHT US TO, ,, NO ONE FOLLOWED US THERE, HOW DID THEY FIND US? WHAT DOES THAT MATTER? THE IMPORTANT THING IS THEY DID, AND WHY WERE YOU SO ANXIOUS TO DEBRIEF LARISSA ABOUT THE WEAKNESSES IN THE STASIS COMPUTER? YOU SAID THE INFORMATION WAS INVALUABLE, YEAH, BUT FOR WHO THE RESISTANCE OR THE ELITE? WHAT ARE YOU GETTING AT? IT WAS YOU, YOU SEE WHAT THEY'VE DONE? THEY'VE SUCCEEDED IN TURNING US AGAINST EACH OTHER, OR WE'VE BEEN AGAINST EACH OTHER FROM THE BEGINNING, IF YOU REALLY ARE ONE OF US, THEN THEY WON'T CARE IF I KILL YOU, WILL THEY? YOU STUPID BASTARD, YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHO YOU'RE SCREWING WITH, I WANT TO KNOW THE NAME OF THE PERSON WHO GAVE YOU THE ACCESS CODES, NOW! RIGHT, THEN, LET'S DO I THE HARD WAY, LARISSA! I'M ALL RIGHT, WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS? HE'S NO A RESISTANCE OFFICER, HE'S AN OPERATIVE FOR STASIS ENFORCEMENT, I TOLD YOU ALPHAS AND BETAS DON'T MAKE GOOD MATCHES, ERIC, BUT YOU DIDN'T LISTEN, SO YOU'LL SIT BY AND WATCH HALF THE CITY MURDERED? ETHICS DON' INTEREST ME MUCH TOO MURKY FOR MY TASTE, RIGHT NOW, WHAT WE CARE ABOU IS THE NAME OF THE ELITE TRAITOR, LARISSA, YOU COULD END THIS, AND THEN THE TWO OF YOU CAN BE TOGETHER, YOU SEE, MY JOB IS SIMPLE TO EXTRACT INFORMATION, AND I'VE BEEN GIVEN CONSIDERABLE LATITUDE IN HOW I GET IT, NO, ERIC, NO, DON'T TELL HIM ANYTHING, THEN YOU ADMIT YOU KNOW? I WANT THE NAME OF THE INFORMANT, AND THEN WE SHALL CONTINUE OUR CONVERSATION ABOUT THE FLAWS IN OUR COMPUTER SYSTEM, ALL STATIONS ALERT, SECURITY BREACH, FINE, KILL HER, NO! DON'T TAKE HER FROM ME, I WANT TO KNOW THE NAME OF THE INFORMANT! NO! DROP THE GUN! GET THEM OUT OF HERE! DOMINIC, ,, THANK YOU, COME ON, LET'S GO, ARE YOU ALL RIGHT? TWICE THE POPULATION AFTER THE SAME RESOURCES, THERE WILL HAVE TO BE SACRIFICES, BUT AT LEAS THEY'LL BE VOLUNTARY, IT'S WHAT WE'VE BEEN FIGHTING FOR, SO WHAT HAPPENS NOW? IT'S A NEW ERA, I DON'T THINK ANYONE'S GOING TO BE TOO ANXIOUS TO REPEA THE SAME MISTAKES, ALL THESE YEARS, THEY'VE TAKEN HALF OUR LIVES, WELL, MAYBE THAT'S THE PRICE WE HAD TO PAY SO THAT IT DOESN' HAPPEN AGAIN, THE PRICE OF FREEDOM, UNLESS HUMANKIND AWAKENS TO THE NEED TO PRESERVE ITS FUTURE, IT MAY ONE DAY FIND ITSELF
JUST A MINUTE, HI, YOU'RE UP EARLY, WELL, I WANTED TO GIVE YOU THIS BEFORE THE TRANSFER, A PEACH, DOMINIC, IT'S BEAUTIFUL, HYDROPONICS ARE HARD TO COME BY, WELL, SOME PEOPLE DESERVE THE EXTRA EFFORT, TRANSFER BEGINS IN 15 MINUTES, ALL ALPHAS ARE REQUIRED TO PROCEED TO THEIR DESIGNATED STASIS CENTER, THANK YOU FOR THE GIFT, I'LL SAVE I FOR MY NEXT TRANSFER, BEFORE YOU GO, UM, ARE YOU DOING ANYTHING ON THE 20th? THAT'S WHAT, A SATURDAY? YEAH, WELL, I LIKE TO BE HOME ON SATURDAYS, MAKE AN EXCEPTION, BECAUSE I HAVE SOMETHING PLANNED I THINK YOU'LL REALLY ENJOY, ALL RIGHT, SURE, THE 20th, DON'T FORGET, OKAY, BYE, BYE, [ .]
THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH YOUR TELEVISION, DO NOT ATTEMP TO ADJUST THE PICTURE, WE ARE NOW CONTROLLING THE TRANSMISSION, WE CONTROL THE HORIZONTAL, ,, AND THE VERTICAL, WE CAN DELUDE YOU WITH A THOUSAND CHANNELS OR EXPAND ONE SINGLE IMAGE TO CRYSTAL CLARITY, ,, AND BEYOND, WE CAN SHAPE YOUR VISION TO ANYTHING OUR IMAGINATION CAN CONCEIVE, FOR THE NEXT HOUR, WE WILL CONTROL ALL THAT YOU SEE AND HEAR, YOU ARE ABOUT TO EXPERIENCE THE AWE AND MYSTERY WHICH REACHES FROM THE DEEPEST INNER MIND TO THE OUTER LIMITS, TO SLEEP, PERCHANCE TO DREAM, BUT WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THE DREAM IS TO NEVER SLEEP AGAIN? GOOD MORNING, ERIC, FIRST THINGS FIRST WHITE STONE TO B-2, AND WHILE YOU MULL THAT, I'LL TELL YOU MY PROGRESS FROM THE LAS THREE DAYS, I'VE DONE A COMPUTER ANALYSIS OF THE CONTROL-VALVE REDESIGNS, BUT WE CAN'T SPECIFY THE ALLOY NEEDED FOR THE VALVE WITHOUT HARD DATA ON HEAT COEFFICIENCY AND VISCOSITY, UM, ,, I'M SORRY, I SHOULD BE MORE FOCUSED, BUT I CAN'T STOP THINKING ABOUT HOW SAD YOU LOOKED AT THE LAST TRANSFER, AND HOW MUCH I WANTED TO REACH OU TO TOUCH YOU, PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU ERASE THIS, HEY, GOT YOUR MESSAGE, A LITTLE STASIS FATIGUE, HUH? THEY CAN FIGURE OU HOW TO PUT YOU OU FOR 72 HOURS, BUT, ,, RIGHT, NO WAY TO MAKE IT RESTFUL, WELL, THAT'S AMAZING, YOU STILL REMEMBER WHAT IT'S LIKE TO BE ONE OF THE GREAT UNWASHED? SO WHOSE PALM DID YOU GREASE TO BECOME AN ELITE? YOU'VE GOT TO CHALK THAT UP TO MY SMARTS AND MY KILLER GOOD LOOKS, RIGHT, HUMILITY NEVER WAS YOUR STRONG SUIT, YEAH, AND FORGIVENESS WAS NEVER YOURS, SO, ANYWAY, WHAT CAN I DO FOR YOU? I NEED TO GE THE VISCOSITY AND HEAT COEFFICIEN OF THE FLUID FOR THIS VALVE, ISN'T THA IN YOUR STASIS PARTNER'S REPORT? I'VE LISTENED TO THA TWICE ALREADY, IF YOU LOOK RIGHT HERE, IDEALLY, WE'D WANT TO GO WITH COPPER, YEAH, SURE, IF THERE WERE ANY, THE ELITE DOESN'T HAVE A STOCKPILE SOMEWHERE? DESPITE RUMORS TO THE CONTRARY, WE HAVE NO MAGIC WANDS, WELL, THEN, I'LL HAVE TO FORMULATE AN ALLOY, WITHOUT THE FLUID DATA, I'M SHOOTING IN THE DARK, GETTING NUMBERS ON THIS PROJEC IS LIKE PULLING TEETH, OKAY, I'LL LOOK INTO IT, HEY, I'LL SEE IF I CAN GET YOU A DECENT SHAVER, THANK YOU, DOM, YOU'RE WELCOME, BYE, GOOD MORNING, ERIC, ,, THERE'S ROOM FOR MAYBE 24 TURBINES, AND THE FUEL CELLS HAVE TO BE PRETTY CLOSE TOGETHER, SO THE ENERGY WON'T DISSIPATE, SOMETHING I CAN HELP YOU WITH? NO, SIR, LET MANKIND CHOOSE, THE RESISTANCE NEEDS YOU, DAMNED STASIS JUMPER, HALF A LIFE IS NO LIFE, STASIS IS MURDER, HIT HIM AGAIN, HELLO, WINSTON, A COUPLE OF RETURNS, OH, GOOD EVENING, ERIC, HOW DID MY RECOMMENDATION FARE? A MAGICAL KINGDOM INSIDE OF A WARDROBE, I WAS SKEPTICAL AT FIRST, BUT IT WAS NICE, VERY, VERY IMAGINATIVE, SO, WHAT'LL IT BE TONIGHT? SOMETHING ROMANTIC, I THINK, SHAKESPEARE? CONTEMPORARY? OR ONE THOSE DELIGHTFULLY TRASHY NOVELS OF THE LATE 20th CENTURY? NO, SOME POETRY, MAYBE? YES, YOU ARE ON A ROMANTIC KICK LATELY, LET'S SEE HERE, ,, THE COLLECTED WORKS OF R, KOSLOV? I READ THEM, THE MOBARAK COMPILATIONS? READ THOSE, TOO, OH, YEAH, I READ THOSE, TWICE, ACTUALLY, SO YOU HAVE, I'LL TELL YOU WHAT, CAN YOU KEEP A SECRET? SURE, I'M EXPECTING DELIVERY OF SOMETHING RATHER SPECIAL, I SHOULD HAVE IT HERE BY YOUR NEXT TRANSFER, HALF A CENTURY AGO, OUR FOREFATHERS DESIGNED THE STASIS INITIATIVE AS A TEMPORARY MEASURE TO SAVE MANKIND FROM ITSELF, THE IDEA WAS SIMPLE CUT THE CONSUMPTION OF RESOURCES IN HALF BY DIVIDING THE POPULATION OF WORKERS INTO TWO GROUPS, AND ROTATE THEM IN AND OU OF SUSPENDED ANIMATION EVERY 72 HOURS, A GROUP OF MANAGERS WOULD OVERSEE THE PROCESS, WHO COULD'VE ANTICIPATED WE'D WIND UP A SELF-PROCLAIMED ARISTOCRACY? FELLOW MEMBERS OF THE ELITE, I THINK THE TIME HAS COME FOR US ALL TO RENOUNCE OUR LEVEL-ONE PRIVILEGES, INCLUDING, ,, STASIS EXEMPTION, ARISTOCRACY? IN FAIRNESS, KAYLA, THERE ARE PLENTY OF FORMER WORKERS WHO EARNED THEIR WAY INTO THE ELITE BY EXCELLING IN THEIR FIELDS, SPARE ME THE EGALITARIAN PLATITUDES, YOU KNOW, AS WELL AS I DO, THAT LESS THAN 2% OF THE ELITE ARE FORMER WORKERS, ONCE THE ALPHAS' RELOCATION TO THE COUNTRYSIDE TAKES EFFECT NEXT MONTH, THE LIVES OF ALL CITIZENS WILL IMPROVE DRAMATICALLY, I IMPLORE YOU TO PUT A HOLD ON THOSE PLANS, THE REALITY IS IF WE DO NO RENOUNCE OUR PRIVILEGES, THEY WILL BE FORCIBLY TAKEN FROM US, LOOK AROUND YOU, STASIS JUMPING IS ON THE RISE, THE RESISTANCE IS GROWING EVERY DAY, MOST WORKERS UNDERSTAND THAT THE STASIS INITIATIVE, AND THE CONSERVATION THAT IT'S BROUGHT, IS THE ONLY THING THAT'S STAVED OFF COMPLETE ANNIHILATION, THIS IS NOT ABOUT CONSERVATION ANYMORE, WHY GO FORWARD WITH SOMETHING AS DRASTIC AND MORALLY REPREHENSIBLE AS THE RELOCATION? WE SHOULD BE MOVING TOWARDS ABOLISHING STASIS ALTOGETHER, THAT'S TREASONOUS! HOW MUCH MORE STASIS JUMPING ARE WE GOING TO TOLERATE? I THINK WE'VE HEARD ENOUGH, CANCEL THE RELOCATION? ABOLISH STASIS? LET THE WORKERS RUN AMOK OVER WHAT LITTLE WE HAVE LEFT? THAT'S A RECIPE FOR DISASTER, I MOVE FOR THE CENSURE AND ARRES OF KAYLA POWERS, AND ALL THOSE WHO SUPPORT HER, WHAT? HEAR, HEAR! THIS COUNCIL FORMALLY SECONDS THE CHARGE OF TREASON, WHAT SAY YOU? AYE! YOU HAVE NO RIGHT! IT'S ALL RIGHT, I'LL TAKE HER, INCARCERATE HER, PENDING A FORMAL HEARING, WHERE WERE WE? THAT'S RIGHT, YOU ASKED ME IF I REMEMBER A TIME WHEN I WAS TRULY AND HONESTLY HAPPY, ,, AND I CAN REMEMBER TWO TIMES, BOTH OF THEM HAPPENED SO LONG AGO, I DON'T KNOW IF THEY'RE DREAMS, OR IF THEY ACTUALLY HAPPENED, ONE OF THEM IS WHEN I'M WITH MY FATHER, AND WE WERE AT THE CITY CENTER, AND I REMEMBER HIM LAUGHING, I LOVED HIS LAUGH, HE WAS LAUGHING AT ME WHEN I BURIED MY FACE IN THE PERFUMED PETALS OF THE SINGLE ROSE BUSH THAT WAS THERE, THAT IMAGE SOMETIMES COMES TO ME IN STASIS, YOU KNOW, THEY SAY YOU DON'T DREAM IN STASIS, BUT I DO, I DREAM OF ROSES, PINK ROSES, [ ERIC .]
: WHO ARE WE KIDDING? IT'S NEVER GOING TO HAPPEN, THE STASIS TRANSFERS WILL NEVER END, AND EVEN IF THEY DO, THE RELOCATION WILL KEEP US APART, IS THAT TOO MUCH TO ASK? TO FEEL YOU BESIDE ME, ,, [ LARISSA .]
: TALK TO YOU IN THE FLESH, ,, PRESS MY LIPS AGAINST YOURS? WE OCCUPY THE SAME ROOMS, WE SHARE THE SAME JOB, BUT WE MIGHT AS WELL BE HALFWAY AROUND THE WORLD FROM EACH OTHER, IT ISN'T FAIR, [ ERIC .]
: IT'S JUST NOT FAIR, WHAT ARE YOU DOING? GET BACK IN YOUR CHAMBER, HALF A LIFE, ,, NO LIFE, STAND BY FOR AN ANNOUNCEMEN BY THE URBAN CONSERVATION AUTHORITY, THE U, C, A, IS PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE THAT THE STASIS INITIATIVE HAS NEARLY COMPLETED ITS THIRD PHASE, THE RELOCATION OF THE ALPHA POPULATION TO THE PERIMETER LANDS WILL TAKE EFFECT IN 28 DAYS, AS A RESULT, ALL CITIZENS ENJOY INCREASED RATIONS AND SUBSTANTIAL REDUCTION IN STASIS COMMITMENTS, UNTIL THEN, THE U, C, A, REMINDS YOU THAT TO CONSERVE IS TO SURVIVE, [ KNOCKING .]
COME IN, HI THERE, HI, I WAS TOLD YOU HAVE THE VALVE DATA, YES, RIGHT HERE, SOMETHING ELSE? I HAVE A FRIEND WHO WOULD APPRECIATE A GIF WHICH IS IN FAIRLY SHORT SUPPLY, AH, SO, WHAT IS IT YOU WANT, HYPOTHETICALLY? A ROSE, ACTUALLY JUST A SINGLE PINK ROSE, ERIC, YOU KNOW I WOULD DO WHATEVER I COULD TO HELP YOU, BUT THINGS LIKE THA ARE ONLY AVAILABLE ON THE BLACK MARKET, WHICH IS, OF COURSE ILLEGAL, I KNOW, BUT WE BOTH KNOW THE ELITE HAVE ACCESS TO CERTAIN THINGS, THAT DOESN'T MEAN I CAN JUST SNAP MY FINGERS AND GET YOU ANYTHING YOU WANT, RIGHT, RIGHT, YOU KNOW, IT'S HARD TO BELIEVE YOU'RE THE SAME SCRAWNY KID I USED TO PLAY HOOKY WITH, ISN'T IT? FORGET I SAID ANYTHING, A ROSE, OKAY, A PINK ROSE COSTS A LOT, I'M WILLING TO MAKE THE NECESSARY SACRIFICES FOR IT, ALL RIGHT, I'LL SEE WHAT I CAN DO, THANKS, YOU MUSTN'T TELL ANYONE ABOUT THIS, I THOUGHT THEY GOT RID OF THESE WHEN THEY TRANSFERRED TO DISC, JUST KEEP I TO YOURSELF, I COULD LOSE MY LICENSE, SO, WHO'S THE SPECIAL LADY? MY STASIS PARTNER, CAREFUL, ONE THING I'VE LEARNED, ALPHAS AND BETAS DON'T MAKE GOOD MATCHES, PAGE 112 IS MY FAVORITE VERY INSPIRATIONAL, THANKS, WINSTON, [ .]
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, LARISSA, I KNOW THIS IS YOUR FAVORITE PIECE OF MUSIC, AND IT'S ACTUALLY GROWN ON ME, AS WELL, WE DON'T HAVE ANY BUSHES OR BALCONIES, SO I'M AFRAID THIS IS THE BEST I CAN DO IN THE SERENADE DEPARTMENT, BESIDES, I THINK YOU ALREADY KNOW THE ANSWER TO THE QUESTION "WHEREFORE ART THOU?" IT'S, UM, ,, IT'S E, E, CUMMINGS, IN CASE YOU'RE WONDERING, "YOUR SLIGHTEST LOOK EASILY UNCLOSES ME, "THOUGH I HAVE CLOSED MYSELF AS FINGERS, "YOU OPEN, ALWAYS, PETAL BY PETAL, MYSELF, "AS SPRING OPENS "TOUCHING SKILLFULLY, MYSTERIOUSLY, HER FIRST ROSE," "I DO NOT KNOW WHAT IT IS ABOUT YOU "THAT CLOSES AND OPENS, ,, "ONLY SOMETHING IN ME UNDERSTANDS "THE VOICE OF YOUR EYES IS DEEPER THAN ALL ROSES, NOTHING, NOT EVEN THE RAIN, HAS SUCH SMALL HANDS," [ BEEPING .]
YOU DIDN'T FORGET, DID YOU? OH, DOMINIC, I JUST, ,, I DON'T FEEL UP TO IT, TODAY THIS ISN'T SOMETHING YOU WANT TO MISS, WELL, I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING TO WEAR, I TOOK CARE OF THAT, IT'S WONDERFUL, HUH? IT'S BEAUTIFUL, I'D HEARD THAT PLACES LIKE THIS STILL EXISTED, I JUST NEVER THOUGH I WOULD SEE IT, I DON'T WANT TO GIVE YOU THE WRONG IMPRESSION, EVEN THE ELITE ONLY TREATS ITSELF ONCE IN A BLUE MOON, ANYWAY, GO AHEAD, HELP YOU IT DOESN' SEEM RIGHT, HEY, YOU ONLY LIVE HALF YOUR LIFE, ENJOY THE OCCASIONAL BLESSING, THANK YOU, IT'S LIKE A DREAM, A BOTANIST'S DREAM, THAT'S FOR SURE, OVER 240 RARE PLANT SPECIES, MANY OF THEM THOUGH TO BE EXTINCT, I WISH MY FATHER COULD HAVE SEEN THIS, UH, JUST GIVE ME A COUPLE MINUTES, MM-HMM, SO, DOMINIC, SLUMMING AGAIN? WELL, WE DON'T ALL WEAR OUR SENSE OF ENTITLEMEN AS WELL AS YOU, PLANNING ON AWAKENING SLEEPING BEAUTY FROM STASIS? THE U, C, A, CHARTER PERMITS GUESTS TO AN ELITE EVENT, PROVIDED A CONJUGAL POTENTIAL EXISTS, I'M IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE CHARTER, THANK YOU VERY MUCH, YOU HAVE A PROBLEM? WELL, I'M NOT THE ONE DATING THE WORKER, SECOND-GENERATION ELITE THEY'VE NEVER SUPPORTED INTERMARRIAGE, AND YOU? IT'S NO THE MOST CARDINAL OF SINS, BUT IT'S ALSO NOT THE WISEST MOVE RIGHT NOW, IT'S A MOOT POINT, SHE'S SLATED FOR RELOCATION WITH ALL THE OTHER ALPHAS, SUCH A DAMN WASTE, I DON'T SUPPOSE THERE'S ANY WAY TO MAKE AN EXCEPTION? SHE KNOWS THE MAINFRAMES BETTER THAN ANY EXPERT WE HAVE, WHAT ABOUT PROMOTING HER TO AN ELITE? CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, BUT WASN'T KAYLA POWERS ARRESTED FOR QUESTIONING THE STATUS QUO? WELL, THE DIFFERENCE IS I KNOW WHERE MY LOYALTIES LIE, I HOPE SO, THE COUNCIL WOULD HATE TO SEE AN AMBITIOUS, FORWARD-THINKER LIKE YOURSELF MISS OUT ON A CHANCE AT ADVANCEMENT, YOU EXPECT ME TO BELIEVE THAT I'M BEING CONSIDERED FOR THE COUNCIL? WELL, LET'S JUST SAY THAT YOUR DENUNCIATION OF KAYLA WAS SHREWDLY TIMED AND DIDN'T GO UNNOTICED, SO, LIKE I SAID, NOT THE WISEST OF MOVES RIGHT NOW, WHAT'S WRONG? I'M SORRY, CAN YOU TAKE ME HOME? BUT THE PARTY'S JUST BEGUN, I DON'T BELONG HERE, OH, NONSENSE, YOU CAN TELL ME, IT'S ALL RIGHT, I KNOW THERE'S NOT MUCH TIME BEFORE YOU LEAVE THE CITY, BUT THAT DOESN'T, ,, I'M IN LOVE, IS THAT SO TERRIBLE? IT IS WHEN YOU CAN'T BE WITH THE ONE YOU LOVE, SO YOU THINK THERE'S TOO MUCH STANDING BETWEEN US? OH, I'M SORRY, DO YOU THINK, ,, OH, I'M SORRY, UH, ,, SO, UH, ,, WHO IS I YOU CAN'T BE WITH? IS IT BECAUSE WHEN HE'S AWAKE, YOU'RE NOT? IT'S ERIC, ISN'T IT? PLEASE DON'T TELL ANYONE, LISTEN TO ME, YOU CAN'T BE WITH HIM, YOU HAVE TO TELL HIM NEVER TO CONTACT YOU AGAIN, I CAN'T DO THAT, LOOK, DON'T BE NAIVE, YOU KNOW THE WAY THE WORLD WORKS, IT CAN'T COME TO ANY GOOD, THEY KEEP SAYING THAT MAYBE AFTER RELOCATION, THINGS WILL BE DIFFERENT, IT'S NO GOING TO CHANGE, MAYBE AFTER THE STRAIN ON RESOURCES, ,, WE'VE BEEN DOING THIS FOR TOO LONG, IT WON'T CHANGE, THINGS ARE WHAT THEY ARE, I JUST THINK THERE HAS TO BE A BETTER WAY, WE'VE TRIED EVERYTHING ELSE CONSERVATION, BIRTH CONTROL, ,, STASIS IS THE ONLY REASON WE ARE ALIVE, ANYTHING THAT THREATENS THAT SYSTEM ANYTHING IS A THREAT TO THE HUMAN RACE, AND THAT IS NO GOING TO CHANGE, LARISSA, NOT TODAY, NOT TOMORROW, NOT EVER, COME ON, I'M GOING TO TAKE YOU HOME, I KNOW THIS WON'T BE EASY FOR YOU TO HEAR, AND IT'S VERY HARD TO SAY, ,, BUT THE TRUTH IS, ERIC, THERE IS NO FUTURE FOR US, I CAN'T POUR MY HEAR OUT TO YOU NIGHT AFTER NIGHT, IN THE FACE OF THAT REALITY, SO BEFORE WE GET ANY DEEPER, WE SHOULD JUST, ,, PLEASE DON'T CONTACT ME ANYMORE, ,, AND PLEASE TRY TO UNDERSTAND THAT IT'S NOT BECAUSE I DON'T LOVE YOU, IT'S BECAUSE I DO, I'M SORRY, WHAT IS THIS? TO LARISSA WHITESTONE FROM ERIC WATERS I DON'T UNDERSTAND THIS REQUEST, FIRST, WHEN DID WE STAR ENCODING OUR ASSIGNMENTS? SECOND, WHY WOULD WE NEED TO IMPROVE THE THERMAL SHIELDING ON THIS SAMPLE, ,, AND WILL YOU EVEN LISTEN TO THIS? WILL YOU EVEN HEAR MY VOICE? BECAUSE IF YOU DO, ,, JUST KNOW THAT I MISS YOU, THE U, C, A, PU A RUSH ON THIS PROGRAM FOR OBVIOUS REASONS, THEY'RE NOT GIVING US MUCH TIME, WE'LL BE ALL RIGHT, FUEL-CELL INSTALLATION IS NEARING COMPLETION, ALL SYSTEMS SHOULD BE OPERATIONAL ON THE EVE OF THE RELOCATION, GOOD, EXCUSE ME, I APOLOGIZE, BUT IT'S URGENT, WOULD YOU EXCUSE US? I'M SORRY, I JUST NEED TO SPEAK TO SOMEONE I CAN TRUST, YEAH, SO, WHAT IS IT? I HAVE TO KNOW IF THERE'S ANY WAY OF RELEASING SOMEONE FROM STASIS? I DIDN'T HEAR THAT, NO, THE TRUTH, DOM, PLEASE? WHAT YOU WAN IS NOT ONLY IMPOSSIBLE, BUT IF ANYONE EVEN HEARD US TALKING ABOUT THIS, ,, WHAT ABOUT THE RESISTANCE? PLEASE, ERIC, LOOK, THIS CONVERSATION IS OVER, GO HOME AND WE'LL BOTH FORGE THIS EVER HAPPENED, FORGETTING SEEMS TO BE YOUR SPECIALTY, YOU KNOW, DOM, IT WASN'T THAT LONG AGO THE TABLES WERE TURNED AND YOU CAME TO ME FOR HELP EVERY DAY, DID YOU FORGE WHAT YOU SAID TO ME WHEN YOU WERE PULLED FROM STASIS TO JOIN THE ELITE? I SAID WE WOULD ALWAYS BE FRIENDS, THAT'S RIGHT, YOU SAID WE'D BEEN THROUGH FAR TOO MUCH NOT TO BE, YEAH, WELL, KIDS SAY A LOT OF FOOLISH THINGS, YOU SON OF A BITCH, YOU'RE WRONG ABOUT ME, ERIC, I REMEMBER EVERYTHING, I REMEMBER MY FATHER SCRAPING TOGETHER HIS CREDITS SO HIS CHILDREN WOULDN'T HAVE TO SHARE THEIR SHOES OR FREEZE TO DEATH IN THEIR BEDS, I REMEMBER MY MOTHER SKIPPING DINNER NIGHT AFTER NIGHT, CLAIMING SHE WASN'T HUNGRY, AND I REMEMBER STANDING OVER HER GRAVE, VOWING THAT THA WOULD NEVER HAPPEN TO ME, SO YOU CAN PUT AWAY THAT MORAL SUPERIORITY, BUDDY, 'CAUSE IT DOESN'T CUT IT, YOU UNDERSTAND? YEAH, I UNDERSTAND, I UNDERSTAND PERFECTLY, DROP IT, NOW, ERIC WATERS, YOU UNDERSTAND YOUR CRIME CARRIES WITH I A MANDATORY 10-YEAR SENTENCE? HOWEVER, THAT SENTENCE WAS COMMUTED DUE TO AN URGENT APPEAL BY AN ELITE MEMBER, WHO HAS VOUCHED FOR YOUR SKILLS AS AN ENGINEER AS BEING INDISPENSABLE, DOMINIC LANGTON HAS TAKEN FULL RESPONSIBILITY FOR YOUR FUTURE ACTIONS, I TRUST YOU WILL NO VIOLATE HIS COVENANT, I'M SORRY, YOU'RE DISMISSED, DON'T WORRY, I'VE LET HER GO, YOU'RE SURE HE'S THE KEY TO FINDING OUR TRAITOR? IF HE'S NO WORKING WITH THEM ALREADY, THEY'LL CONTACT HIM SOON ENOUGH, AND I'LL FIND OUT WHO IT IS, ERIC WATERS TO LARISSA WHITESTONE REGARDING REDESIGN OF VENTILATION SHAFT, REQUIRE MORE INFORMATION, WHY WOULD ANYONE WANT AN AIR SHAF TO TRANSPORT WATER? THE INDICATED SHAFTS ARE OVER 1,200-FEET LONG, THE ONLY BUILDINGS BIG ENOUGH FOR THAT ARE, ,, TRANSFER HALLS, YOUR MOVE, WHAT THE, ,, 73859,, , THERE'S ROOM FOR MAYBE 24 TURBINES, AND THE FUEL CELLS HAVE TO BE PRETTY CLOSE TOGETHER SO THE ENERGY WON'T DISSIPATE, FUEL-CELL INSTALLATION IS NEARING COMPLETION, ALL SYSTEMS SHOULD BE OPERATIONAL ON THE EVE OF THE RELOCATION, THE TURBINE ENGINE RUNS ON SUPERHEATED WATER PUMPING THROUGH IT, HOW DO THEY EXPECT TO HEA THAT QUANTITY OF WATER WITHOUT, ,, WITHOUT FUEL? AND WHY WOULD THEY PUT A POWER PLAN UNDER A TRANSFER HALL, UNLESS, ,, OH, MY GOD, 73859, ALL SYSTEMS ON-LINE, WE'RE READY TO STAR THE FINAL TESTS, REPLACE THE STASIS FLUID WITH THE NEW MIXTURE, COMBUSTION MIXTURE FLOWING, INITIATE POWER SURGE, 686 THERMS OF OUTPUT, ENOUGH TO HEAT THE WATER AND GET THOSE TURBINES RUNNING, MULTIPLIED BY THE MILLIONS OF ALPHAS WHO WILL PERISH, THE RELOCATION WILL GIVE US ENOUGH ENERGY TO RUN THE CITY FOR 3,4 YEARS, INCREDIBLE, I'M CLOSING UP, ERIC, CAN'T IT WAIT? WINSTON, I READ PAGE 112, I MISINTERPRETED ITS MEANING AT FIRST, I, ,,I HAVEN'T TOLD ANYONE, TOLD ANYONE ABOUT WHAT? I KNOW, WINSTON, THAT YOU'RE A CONTAC FOR THE RESISTANCE, I THINK YOU'VE READ ONE TOO MANY SPY NOVELS, NO, I HAVE TO RELEASE HER FROM STASIS, I THINK YOU'D BETTER LEAVE, THE ALPHAS WILL BE MURDERED BY THE U, C, A, THE TRANSFER HALLS HAVE ALL BEEN CONVERTED INTO DEATH CHAMBERS, THERE IS NO RELOCATION, IF YOU ARE PART OF THE RESISTANCE, NOW IS THE TIME TO SPEAK UP, PLEASE, WINSTON? LOCK THE DOORS, SO, EIGHT YEARS WITH RESISTANCE? YEAH, AND THREE AS LEADER OF THE LOCAL CELL, SO YOU BELIEVE ME? YES, I'VE GOT TO GET WORD TO THE OTHERS, I'VE GOT TO GET LARISSA OUT, EVERYONE WILL BE INCINERATED BY THE NEXT TRANSFER, WE'VE GOT HALF THE CITY TO WORRY ABOUT, ONE PERSON IS HARDLY A PRIORITY HERE, NO, WINSTON, YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND, WE WORKED TOGETHER ON THE PROJECT, SHE KNOWS BACK DOORS INTO THEIR COMPUTER SYSTEMS, WEAKNESSES THEY'RE NOT EVEN AWARE OF, TOGETHER, WE COULD SHUT THE SYSTEM DOWN, I'M TAKING A GREAT RISK DOING THIS, SHE'S THE FIRST STEP, WITH HER, WE COULD RELEASE EVERYONE FROM STASIS, IT'S NOW OR NEVER, I'LL ADVANCE HER STASIS CLOCK TO 6:00 A, M, FRIDAY, THE SYSTEM RUNS A SELF-DIAGNOSTIC AT RANDOM INTERVALS, IT MAY NOTICE THE CLOCK'S OUT OF SYNC WITH THE OTHERS, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? ONCE WE INITIATE THE WAKING MIXTURE, THE SYSTEM COULD DETECT I AND SOUND THE ALARM, OKAY, CLOCK RESET, STASIS FLUID SHUT DOWN, AWAKENING-MIXTURE FLOWING, DAMN! THE ALARM, LARISSA, WAKE UP, LARISSA, PLEASE, YOU'VE GOT TO WAKE UP, ERIC? YEAH, IT'S ME, COME, LET'S GO, WHAT'S HAPPENING? WE'RE GETTING OUT OF HERE, WE CAN'T GO BACK TO OUR QUARTERS, THEY'LL BE LOOKING FOR US, I'M SORRY THAT I PUSHED YOU AWAY, YOU KNOW, EVERY DAY WITHOUT YOU, A LITTLE PIECE OF ME DIED, ME TOO, [ KNOCKING .]
I'M SORRY, BUT WE NEED LARISSA, WE'VE ONLY GO A FEW HOURS LEF TO HACK INTO THE ELITE'S COMPUTER SYSTEM AND EXPOSE THOSE FLAWS, WE'VE GOT TO ACT QUICKLY, [ BANGING .]
NOBODY MOVE! YOU'RE ALL UNDER ARREST, WINSTON, ARE YOU ALL RIGHT? THESE OLD BONES HAVE BEEN THROUGH A LOT WORSE, DO YOU KNOW WHAT THEY'VE DONE WITH LARISSA? NO, I'M SORRY, LISTEN TO ME, THEY HAVEN'T FIGURED OU WHO I AM YET, BUT MAKE NO MISTAKE, THEY WON'T HESITATE TO KILL US YOU, ME, LARISSA NOT TO MENTION YOUR INFORMANT, MY INFORMANT? THEY BELIEVE SOMEONE IN THE ELITE IS A TRAITOR SOMEONE YOU APPARENTLY KNOW SOMEONE WHO SENT ACCESS CODES TO RESTRICTED AREAS, WE'VE GOT TO FIND A WAY TO WARN HIM, HE MAY BE OUR ONLY HOPE THE STRUGGLE DOESN'T END HERE, NO, NO, WINSTON, I HAVE NO IDEA, ,, WELL, YOU MUST HAVE SOME IDEA, NO, WINSTON, THE NUMBERS JUST APPEARED ON MY COMPUTER, I THOUGHT IT WAS YOU, AND EVEN IF I HAD A NAME, HOW WOULD WE CONTACT HIM? I HAVE THE FEELING THEY'RE GOING TO RELEASE ME, HOPING I'LL LEAD THEM TO THE REST OF OUR CELL, ERIC, YOU'VE GOT TO FACE IT, THEY COULD KILL LARISSA, GOD KNOWS WHAT THEY'LL DO TO HER FIRST, THE SAFE HOUSE THAT YOU BROUGHT US TO, ,, NO ONE FOLLOWED US THERE, HOW DID THEY FIND US? WHAT DOES THAT MATTER? THE IMPORTANT THING IS THEY DID, AND WHY WERE YOU SO ANXIOUS TO DEBRIEF LARISSA ABOUT THE WEAKNESSES IN THE STASIS COMPUTER? YOU SAID THE INFORMATION WAS INVALUABLE, YEAH, BUT FOR WHO THE RESISTANCE OR THE ELITE? WHAT ARE YOU GETTING AT? IT WAS YOU, YOU SEE WHAT THEY'VE DONE? THEY'VE SUCCEEDED IN TURNING US AGAINST EACH OTHER, OR WE'VE BEEN AGAINST EACH OTHER FROM THE BEGINNING, IF YOU REALLY ARE ONE OF US, THEN THEY WON'T CARE IF I KILL YOU, WILL THEY? YOU STUPID BASTARD, YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHO YOU'RE SCREWING WITH, I WANT TO KNOW THE NAME OF THE PERSON WHO GAVE YOU THE ACCESS CODES, NOW! RIGHT, THEN, LET'S DO I THE HARD WAY, LARISSA! I'M ALL RIGHT, WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS? HE'S NO A RESISTANCE OFFICER, HE'S AN OPERATIVE FOR STASIS ENFORCEMENT, I TOLD YOU ALPHAS AND BETAS DON'T MAKE GOOD MATCHES, ERIC, BUT YOU DIDN'T LISTEN, SO YOU'LL SIT BY AND WATCH HALF THE CITY MURDERED? ETHICS DON' INTEREST ME MUCH TOO MURKY FOR MY TASTE, RIGHT NOW, WHAT WE CARE ABOU IS THE NAME OF THE ELITE TRAITOR, LARISSA, YOU COULD END THIS, AND THEN THE TWO OF YOU CAN BE TOGETHER, YOU SEE, MY JOB IS SIMPLE TO EXTRACT INFORMATION, AND I'VE BEEN GIVEN CONSIDERABLE LATITUDE IN HOW I GET IT, NO, ERIC, NO, DON'T TELL HIM ANYTHING, THEN YOU ADMIT YOU KNOW? I WANT THE NAME OF THE INFORMANT, AND THEN WE SHALL CONTINUE OUR CONVERSATION ABOUT THE FLAWS IN OUR COMPUTER SYSTEM, ALL STATIONS ALERT, SECURITY BREACH, FINE, KILL HER, NO! DON'T TAKE HER FROM ME, I WANT TO KNOW THE NAME OF THE INFORMANT! NO! DROP THE GUN! GET THEM OUT OF HERE! DOMINIC, ,, THANK YOU, COME ON, LET'S GO, ARE YOU ALL RIGHT? TWICE THE POPULATION AFTER THE SAME RESOURCES, THERE WILL HAVE TO BE SACRIFICES, BUT AT LEAS THEY'LL BE VOLUNTARY, IT'S WHAT WE'VE BEEN FIGHTING FOR, SO WHAT HAPPENS NOW? IT'S A NEW ERA, I DON'T THINK ANYONE'S GOING TO BE TOO ANXIOUS TO REPEA THE SAME MISTAKES, ALL THESE YEARS, THEY'VE TAKEN HALF OUR LIVES, WELL, MAYBE THAT'S THE PRICE WE HAD TO PAY SO THAT IT DOESN' HAPPEN AGAIN, THE PRICE OF FREEDOM, UNLESS HUMANKIND AWAKENS TO THE NEED TO PRESERVE ITS FUTURE, IT MAY ONE DAY FIND ITSELF