So, we got the results back.
And...?
You're on Premium 3.
You have an alternative here
that most people nowadays do not.
Am I dying?
- If I am, just-- - You're not dying.
Yet.
Your heart is definitely failing though.
You can be saved with the right donor,
but time is your biggest enemy.
And accidents are so rare these days.
- What about a clone organ? - When you're dead,
you'll be eligible for a total upgrade.
Look, there are no short cuts.
Premium 3 is technically there
to protect your spouse, to make sure
she's not left alone with a burden
of raising three kids.
It's not there to benefit you, per se.
I suppose your wife
could put in a request for you.
It's uncommon, but State might approve
under the circumstances.
Well, we're kind of separated, so...
It says here...
you're still married.
We just never completed the paperwork.
Got it.
Look, my wife insisted on doing
everything virtually.
I feel there are still some things
that you have to live through in the real world.
Like being told that your heart is failing.
Exactly.
You're a clone, aren't you?
You asked for a day meeting.
I'm sure you can guess the answer.
Do you ever go out there
and look at the sun with you own eyes?
I mean, it doesn't burn your kind, right?
It's called augmented pigmentation.
One of the many advantages
of the cloning process,
but don't envy me.
There are limitations beyond the Premium 3 cases.
I am going to book you a meeting with a therapist.
I think it would do you good in these trying times.
Virtual?
Nighttime or daytime?
Can we please meet in the real world?
Okay, well, can I come to the house then?
Can I come over? Please?!
Please, I need to see you and the kids!
It's important!
Jesus Christ, can you forget
about the goddamn papers for one fucking minute?!
I'm dying, Reena, all right.
I am dying.
That's what I'm so upset about.
Is that a good enough reason?
You hope I sign the papers beforehand?
That's what you have to say to me?
For Christ sakes...
No, don't say sorry. What does that even mean?
I'm the father of your children,
and I just told you that I am dying,
and all you care about is some papers?
Fuck you!
You know, I can't believe I ever loved you.
All you early risers,
day creatures, noon lizards,
people of the sun, the few and far between
still holding onto the days,
still believing in the light,
this song is for you.
And be careful out there,
sunburn cutoff is 7:22 p.m.
and toxic level drop off is 8:05.
Thank God for Lithium X.
¶ The walk of a leopard In the midnight sun ¶
¶ So they're under the radar Like a B-21 ¶
¶ Kill their instincts Out of vampire bats ¶
¶ Now we're pushin' out The haters ¶
¶ And the copycats ¶
¶ Well, why's that? ¶
¶ 'Cause I'm a five star man ¶
¶ I'm a five star man ¶
¶ I'm a five star man I'm a five star man ¶
¶ Catch me if you can 'Cause I'm a five star man ¶
¶ So come on ¶
¶ It's all right ¶
¶ You hate my way But you love my flair, unh ¶
Yeah, it works.
It's the best roam tracker I've ever seen.
I don't know how you guys did it.
Dental records, huh? Clever.
Well, look, guys, not to knock the wind out of your sails,
but VR technology is yesterday's news.
Everything's going CHIP now.
Simple installation, and bye bye, goggles.
Heh, I mean, sooner or later, I'm gonna be out of a job.
Hello.
Ah! Shit!
Ah, shit!
They say that it operates directly,
right into the brain-- no goggles, no avatars,
no world building.
Heh. It's kind of like
a self-controlled dream, I suppose.
Look, you hired me to be your eyes and ears here,
hopefully not just because I'm always available
to you in daytime.
Thank you, I'm not fishing for compliments.
What I'm trying to tell you is that what I see in here
is that CHIP is taking over.
We need to stop investing in VR tech.
We need to focus all our resources
and energy into developments for CHIP.
Are you not listening to what I'm saying?
I'm trying to save your company!
VR tech is expensive and hard to come by,
and all your buyers are going under anyhow
because there's so much free content
all over the realm.
Did you just ask me about my meds?
Is that a joke?
I'm here, working for you in the real world,
sitting in an actual office, ready to kick ass,
and where are you?
Sniffing pristine in bed
while getting a blow job
from your avatar girlfriend?
No, I won't calm down. We're going under!
We need to get ahead of the market
and we need to do it now!
Can I help you?
I... have a day meeting with Dr. Maple.
Yeah. Adam Bird.
I see it.
Thumbprint and iris.
Clear.
All right.
I'm gonna open the door
and let you in to the screening area.
I want you to remove the hazmat suit,
and take your place on the mark.
Carrying any weapons?
Pepper spray? Taser?
Shocker?
Might want to consider it if you're gonna be
roaming around daytime.
Arms up.
Okay, you're clear.
She's expecting you.
So I see you were referred to us by Dr. Rhys?
Yep.
She's a good doctor.
I'll take your word for it.
You don't think that?
I would if she cured me.
You seem quite frustrated.
I'm dying.
That's certainly unfortunate.
You want to tell me more?
I wake up in the morning,
I go out there--
no one else does any more, but I do--
I go out, I see the decay.
I see the blazing sun.
I take the stairs up to my office,
but the only other ones there are the clones.
No, no offense.
None taken.
What do you have against clones?
We're not robots, you know.
We're all biologically reconstructed.
Just can't relate emotionally to you people.
Are you afraid to die?
All normal people
are afraid to die.
You're afraid to die because it comes with
something like a grade for your achievements in life,
or lack thereof?
Yeah, something like that.
You surprised I understand you,
me being a clone and all?
No.
Your kind is very perceptive.
But...?
Something's missing.
When I look in your eyes,
I see reason, wisdom,
but no instinct or compassion.
All predestined thoughts, computer-like.
You want me to surprise you.
Isn't that what life is all about?
- MAN: Brenda? - BRENDA: Hi!
- BRENDA: You're off early! - MAN: Hey, look at you!
Yeah, I had an early meeting.
Have a nice night.
Honey?
Die, motherfucker!
Die, die, die, die!
Die, motherfucker! Die, die, die, die!
Reena, I am so sorry that you had to see that.
I... I used to lock the door,
but nobody ever comes in anymore.
I was sitting there on a beach,
and then all of a sudden,
I just hear this huffing and puffing and grunting!
And thank God the kids are connected,
they should have to hear their father wailing
like some wild fucking animal!
I'm sorry, Reena. I... I...
I don't know what else to say.
At least I have to reassure you that our kids
do not see or hear anything anymore.
God, you just hate us all, don't you?
How can you say that?
How long has this thing been going on?
I don't know.
A while.
What is it?
It's like a chat room?
You meet another woman while you stick your dick in a rubber doll
and she puts a dildo up her ass?
Oh, come on, don't talk like that.
Why, you think your boring wife
can't be as dirty as some other whore in the room?
It's not what you think.
Well then, what is it?
Fuck.
Fuck me.
Dial Reena.
Redial Reena.
I'm outside your door-- if you don't answer,
I'm going to break it down.
What the hell are you doing here?
I still have a restraining order against you.
I'll call the cops and you're gonna be locked up.
- Is that what you want? - No.
I want to talk to you.
I need to talk to you. Please.
No. Call me tomorrow.
No-- Please, Reena.
I need to talk to you, the real you.
Can I-- Can I just come inside for a few minutes?
No. The kids are here.
Well, but that's great. I'd love to see them too.
Well, they're connected and I'd rather
they don't know you're here, so don't make a scene.
I'll put something on and come out.
All right, I'm here.
Speak.
So, um...
I'm dying.
Yeah. You told me.
Come on, Reena.
What do you want?
Look, we're, uh...
The house is this one and mine.
We're in a lot of debt, Reena.
We're still paying mortgage on both.
Debt?
No, we've been paying it off for years now.
I've been paying it.
And I have been raising our kids
while you've been off doing your daytime bullshit,
so don't treat me like I'm worthless.
No, I'm just saying,
if I go, then all these payments,
who's gonna make 'em?
Well, what about your insurance?
Plus, we're on Premium 3, so your clone
is just gonna come in and take over your job.
Yeah, but see, there's, uh,
there's this new thing called CHIP.
Yeah, I know what CHIP is.
Jenny has it.
Everyone who's worth a damn has it.
All of our kids' friends at school have it.
No, no, don't encourage the kids with the shit.
Hey, you don't get to decide anymore, okay.
I don't want to hear it.
My company might go under.
The board, they're these rich men
from Europe, old money.
I tried to tell them about CHIP, I tried,
but they don't want to hear it, they're all
still stuck on VR.
What are you trying to say?
If we go under, then my job
will cease to exist.
And equally bad, they're won't be any company
to cover the life insurance.
Oh, okay, I get it.
All of this is just you trying to renegotiate.
That's why you wouldn't sign the papers.
You're a sneaky bastard.
I bet you're not even really dying, are you?
No, I'm not trying to go back on our agreement.
I'm worried about you and the kids, don't you see?
I don't have a plan B!
When I go, I want to make sure
that you're all taken care of.
Yeah, well, you figure it out.
That's the one fucking thing that you're good at.
I... I'm trying, but...
It would help to have
a little more time.
Look, I was wondering
if maybe you would make a request...
Forget it.
You know, I just can't follow you sometimes.
What is so hard to follow?
If I die, my company will go under.
If I have a little more time,
I think I can save it.
What is even wrong with you anyhow?
They say my heart is failing.
Like it's slowing down or something.
I don't feel any pain.
Heck, I don't feel anything at all,
but that's what they say.
That's pretty ironic.
Why?
Because when we met,
I thought for sure you were gonna be somebody.
You know, you had this passion.
It's like your heart was beating twice as strong
as anyone I'd ever met.
Can you just take your Lithium X like everybody else
and figure out a solution before you go?
Please.
That way, you won't be going out like such a loser.
Yeah, I'm looking for "Jerry Fischer"?
I know it's a retirement home, I can see it.
No, I understand you're all asleep,
I just thought maybe some of them
might get up for the sunlight?
Good for the bones.
No, you wouldn't know, not anymore.
Look, I need to talk to him. Can I leave a message?
Donald Stein has a chip on his shoulder
and I want to help him remove it.
Okay? Donald Stein. That's it.
What happened?
Hey, are you crying?
I don't think I've ever seen you cry.
It's-- It's not me you're seeing,
even though I wish you could see the real me somehow.
What do you look like in the real world?
Do you want to tell me?
I look exactly the same.
- Exactly? - Down to the last detail.
I love the way you look.
Heh, you're programmed to love the way I look.
No, you gave me "AI freedom," remember?
I can love whatever I want,
whoever I want.
And I love you.
What do you love about me?
I love your eyes, the way you look at me.
I don't think anyone else can look at me this way.
How do I look at you?
Like how is the sun and the moon
the mother and the whore all at once?
But not the wife.
I know my place.
Why wish for something you can't have?
Yeah, but why have anything?
Why do we need to possess someone in order to love them?
We can love three kids, but only one woman? One man?
I don't really know what love is.
Your dictionary says it's an "intense feeling
of deep affection."
If that's true then,
I think I might love you.
But in order to feel truly loved,
I need to know that you chose me.
And in order to choose me,
you'd have to be real, to have options.
To be more than just my own fantasy.
That's a lot of high talk, Adam.
How long have you been skipping your medication?
You know, somehow, you're the only one
who can ask me that without upsetting me.
'Cause I understand you better than...
anyone out there.
We're both trapped in a world
that doesn't live up to our expectations.
I want to know what it feels like to breathe real air,
even if it means I have to choke first!
Calm down...
...or it's going to be very messy.
Relax, and I'm gonna let go.
Yes?
- Jesus fucking Christ. - Not quite.
I haven't conquered immortality yet.
Who the fuck are you?
How'd you get in here?
You think that little fingerprint lock can stop me?
You don't even know who I am, do you?
Donald Stein?
Fifteen years
Fifteen fucking years I stay out of the limelight,
and then I get a call?
Adam Bird?
How in the fuck did you find me?
And what the fuck do you know about CHIP?
Y-y-you don't need that.
I'm dying anyway.
That's why I looked for you.
Honestly, you've no...
Get dressed.
Let's take this show to the living room, shall we?
When I said get dressed, I was thinking more like PJs.
I wanted you to take me seriously.
Nothing more serious than this, my friend.
Well, you better tell me a very, very good bedtime story,
because of my time at life, sometimes my fingers just--
I think you invented it. CHIP.
I don't know why you're hiding in some retirement home
instead of about to be the richest man alive, but...
You with state?
Ah, fuck, I should've known.
I didn't think a daytime person fit the profile,
but hey...
I'm not with state.
What, is this a test?
They watching me?
I kept my mouth shut!
I kept quiet.
Honestly, I'm-- I'm not with state.
- Then what the fuck is this? - I just-- I just--
- Huh? - I just need your help.
- With what? - I have to save my company.
- For what? - For-- For my family.
See, and it all rests on CHIP.
Who told you I invented CHIP?
No one, I swear.
See, uh-- Uh--
I was at my doctor's, and she reminded me
about "Premium 3." Now, I didn't think
anything of it at the time, but suddenly it dawned on me.
Like a sign from above.
You know, it all clicked.
I knew I had to find you.
Okay, how we all doin' today?
Let me first just say, congratulations to you both.
Thank you.
Your accomplishment is very rare these days.
Accomplishment?
Three kids.
I mean, I'm not sure that you're aware,
but we are experiencing
a massive decline in population
over the last few decades.
You know, people aren't getting married anymore.
They're barely having sex.
Fewer and fewer want the responsibility
or the burden or raising real children.
Yeah, well, we know.
My-my husband works for Tech Broker,
so he's at the very forefront
of the technological revolution.
I wouldn't expect you,
out of all people, to father three children.
No, you see, for me, it's the exact opposite.
Knowing the risks has made me aim much bigger,
a proponent for the physical world.
We love the sound of that here at State.
You know, I think all those people out in the realm,
they forget that they still need their physical bodies
in order to experience everything that they do there.
I, for one, am a true believer
that nothing can replace
the true sense of touch.
The warmth.
Of another human body.
Okay, Mr....?
Ryan. Dennis Ryan.
With all due respect, what's this about?
State is very aware
of the many challenges that today's would be parents
are facing, and as such,
State is highly committed
to ensuring that our plant survives in good order
for the many future generations to come.
So what, is there some kind of allowance?
No. Heh. No.
Nothing like that, Mrs. Bird,
though our name may deceive you.
We put together a program
that will protect the future well being
of the modern family.
It's called "Premium 3."
And it was designed and spearheaded
by our very own chief genetic engineer.
What, Donald Stein?
Him and no other...
You invented "Premium 3."
And even before, you were right there.
I mean, from the very beginning,
they called you the father of human cloning.
I need a drink.
I'm happy to fix you one.
Do you smoke?
What does it look like?
You know what I mean. How?
I've got a guy who's got a guy.
You think we--?
How did you find me?
They pitched me this roam tracker.
It hacks every listed VR member
in the Dental Association.
Dental record, huh? Clever.
Then it looks for virtual X-rays
that match more than one identity.
You may be the smartest man alive,
but Jerry Fischer and Donald Stein
have exactly the same cavities.
Not to mention, the same dentist.
Yeah...
Why did you fall off the grid?
I mean, they said you went mad,
but judging by your paranoia,
I'd say you were pushed out the door.
Why don't you file that
under none of your damn business,
and you tell me what all this has to do with CHIP.
So how exactly does it work?
Well, you both fill out an application.
Now, the application allows for a little bit of leeway,
not too much, but the idea being
to satisfy the remaining mournful spouse,
there is a little leeway.
What do you mean, leeway?
You can tailor your insurance spouse,
a bit, so that maybe they come back
to you just perfect.
Perfect, how?
Well, I mean, that's all very subjective,
but take Reena here, for example.
And I'm not... I'm saying you love her.
There's no doubt how much you love her,
but maybe aren't there things
that you might think to yourself,
"What if...?"
No.
That's great.
True love. Very rare.
But if there was anything, well,
now there's a little bit of leeway.
You keep on saying that.
I do. I do.
Now, if you choose to proceed,
you'll both fill out the application
in complete confidence-- no one ever finds out
what their other spouse
may or may not wish to change,
but then, again, if the unfortunate event
does arrive,
you'll have something to look forward to.
I-- I don't know about this.
Mr. Bird, your clone
will still have all of your DNA.
Your genes, your general look,
as well as most of your memories,
your thoughts, your predisposition.
We just left a little bit of room for improvement.
How long is the eligibility for?
Well, the policy will protect your entire household
till the last child turns 18.
Then, one would hope that your child
would become less of a burden.
Um, what do you mean, the entire household?
The kids too?
Yeah, until the age of 18.
Now, of course, we wouldn't have you
fill out any paperwork on them
unless, God forbid,
tragedy calls for it.
How does that concern me, or CHIP for that matter?
Clones don't burn.
It's called augmented pigmentation.
But "augmented pigmentation"
was not on the sheet.
All the choices you gave us
in "Premium 3"
were about maximizing our human potential,
things that we could train to do better,
or else improve through surgery--
but there's no training, no surgery.
It can teach my brain to increase pigmentation.
Even if you cloned it, it wouldn't work.
Not unless you added something in the process.
You mean, like a CHIP that would trigger
heightened reaction in your skin cells?
Or else pump endorphins to your brain...
so you wouldn't have to take a pill anymore?
Well, you said it.
It all started as a military grade
limb replacement program.
Sure enough, everything went drone,
and my department became obsolete.
No more injured soldiers to fix.
But then, the big heat up happened,
and it created this sudden desperate need
for augmented day workers,
so they just diverted the whole program.
They gave us permission to start resurrecting the dead.
And human cloning was born.
I gotta say,
it really does something to a man--
creating life, out of nothing.
You could just have a baby--
Yeah, but that leaves everything to chance--
what we were doing eliminated the factor of surprise.
We knew exactly who we were getting--
perfect, trained, and most importantly,
perfectly satisfied state personnel,
workers whose sole purpose
was to work solidly, brilliantly,
under the blazing sun.
You mean like biological robots?
Mm-mm.
I mean like enhanced human beings.
- Enhanced? - Uh-huh.
Having a third child?
Ask your doctor about Premium 3.
Your family's future...
Well, that was a bit funny.
I can't believe we said yes.
Why?
You're the one that's always so worried
about our survival.
Well, this isn't about survival.
This is about, deep down,
you wanting me to be slightly different.
Why do you always have to look at things like that?
Look, I wouldn't want to live without you, okay?
Is that such a bad thought?
So did you ask for me to come back
exactly as I am?
Did you?
I asked you first.
- You're such a hypocrite. - I'm just--
They said, "just a little leeway"?
But then there are all these pages and pages and categories.
How is that helpful?
I thought it was interesting.
It allowed me to imagine you at your best.
Do I want to be better? Sure.
But the person I love,
I don't want them
to imagine me any different.
I want them to love me as I am.
And that is completely relatable,
of course it is.
I've been there.
And what I needed to cure that
was a smartly constructed virtual lover.
You had a virtual lover too?
It's not what you think.
Well then, what is it?
It's just an avatar.
It's not a real woman.
She doesn't exist.
But she does exist, right?
In your mind, she exists.
You think of her when you have a hard-on.
Her, not me.
Well, what about you?
I mean, when was the last time
you even looked at me?
Have you looked at me lately?
Yeah! And I see a beautiful 37-year-old woman
who can easily be 10 years younger.
Then I think to myself, for all this expensive
skin care regimen, what's it for?!
I mean, you never leave the house.
It's certainly not for me.
Oh, my God, you think that I have someone?
Is that such a crazy idea?
You're pathetic.
I'm pathetic?
I sacrifice
everything for you, for us.
You didn't sacrifice shit! You just gave up.
And then you used me and the kids as an excuse.
What, you think that I didn't have dreams,
that all I wanted was just to be a stay-at-home mom?
Wait, enlighten me, Reena.
What was your big dream again?
Because I don't really remember.
All you ever do is dive on the realm.
I don't even know if that counts as being home.
That's where your kids are, asshole.
You know, they don't want to play soccer or catch.
I meet them there and you could've done the same
if you wanted to spend time with them,
instead of wasting it
on this stupid realm order whore.
I didn't mean to hurt you, Reena.
I just needed some comfort.
So...
Unhappy.
Have you ever considered
that by going against the current,
you're making yourself unhappy?
Don't you think there's a reason they invented Lithium X?
You, you say you hate the realm,
but you choose to sleep through the night
when the few people you can actually engage with
are awake?
Of course you're lonely.
You'll never be happy until you accept the fact
that there is nothing too exceptional about you.
You're just average.
But that's okay,
'cause I-I like average.
Average is stable.
You can count on average.
Is that what you asked for if I die?
The most average version of me?
'Cause I have a hard time believing that.
You're fucking impossible, do you know that?
Look, if you want to stay with me,
you're gonna have to delete her.
I want to be on the realm
and I want to see you delete her.
Either that, or you get yourself a good lawyer.
I won't-- I won't do it.
I can't.
I get that you want to make me feel small,
but I can't let you kill our trust.
Kill our trust?
After what you've done, you want me to trust you?
That is a big laugh.
Look, if we can't trust each other, then we're doomed.
It doesn't matter what I do, we're doomed.
How can I trust you when you won't even delete a stupid avatar
- to show me that you care? - It's not about that!
It's about the fact that you need the validation
that you don't trust me not to do it again!
- I don't trust you. - Then what's the point?!
You cheated on me!
I used a sex doll. Hardly cheating!
There was AI avatar at the other end of that sex doll.
I spend five times the amount of hours on the realm that you do--
I know how real an avatar can feel.
You-you felt something for this-this thing.
I mean, what do I even call it?
- Maria. - Oh, what?!
That's her name.
Jesus, I don't want to know her fucking name!
Yeah, right.
Well, we wanted to talk to you.
- We wanted to tell you-- - Together.
Because we wanted to tell you
that even though you thought
your dad was away on a long business trip,
the truth is that he's actually moved out of the house.
What?
When?
Since Mom cracked his head open.
Kenny!
It's gonna be fine, Nate.
Stop crying.
Tell him it's gonna be fine, Dad.
Tell him you're coming back home.
Your father can't tell you that, Joshua,
because your father has found a new woman.
No, I didn't!
What are you doing? Why are you telling them that?
Because it's true.
Have a new girlfriend?
No, no, I-- No, I don't.
Look, um...
Your mother and I, we just--
Just what?
We don't get along anymore, not like we used to.
You know, like, maybe with your friends in school.
We don't go to an actually school, Dad.
But-but you have-- You have friends, right?
You mean realm buddies?
Yeah, realm buddies.
Would you guys every have a falling out?
You know, like, uh,
the guy who's your best buddy on the realm,
but then, you just...
Oh, just what?
You don't connect anymore.
Not like you used to.
Look, what your father is trying to say
is that he would be happier living alone
with a rubber doll than having all of us around him.
What the fuck is wrong with you?
Look at your kids, Adam.
You're about to lose your kids.
Are they not more important to you than some stupid avatar?
Do you want me to stay?
I mean, you don't love me anymore-- it's so obvious
that you name the worst.
Can you just get out of here, please?
Come here, baby.
So then, came the lawyers?
Yeah.
She told State I was skipping my medication,
and she used the rubber doll incident
to get a restraining order against me,
which limited my time with the kids
to virtual visits only,
like I was some kind of fucking pervert
who is a risk to their own children.
That's heavy.
Here.
Have another.
So now, you're diagnosed with this heart condition,
and you feel like the only way you can die in peace
is to get your company ahead with some CHIP technology
so you can save your job for your Premium 3 replacement?
Pretty much.
This may sound strange
poor for me, but...
I think we're all connected.
Not necessarily in a religious sense.
But more in terms of some...
collective fate.
Please consider the random nature
of our creation.
What if my mom had missed her train
the day she met my father?
Would somebody else be born to create Premium 3,
and affect the order of your life
in the same way that you, say, I have?
Who knows?
I do.
You didn't look for me
to give you some CHIP technology.
I didn't?
You were hoping I'd hear your touching story
and engineer you a new heart.
A simple clone organ
I can build in my garage
from one hair on the top of your head.
But... I think...
there's nothing wrong with your heart.
Really?
Because I was lying all along. I do feel pain.
I feel it all the time, right here.
That pain that you're feeling, that existential dread,
comes from the lack of connection.
You're missing something vital in your life.
- What? - Love.
But why does it seem like I'm the only one
that feels this way?
Because you are the only one that's still free.
Everybody else is hooked in Lithium X!
Lithium X takes all the pain away,
but love can't exist without pain, Adam.
So I have to continue to suffer?
No, not necessarily.
Seems to me,
you got your heart set on a special virtual girl.
And now, all of a sudden,
I know why you came to look for me.
Even though you couldn't possibly know.
Adam, just like you,
I wanted to touch my fantasy in the real world.
And so I brought my avatar to life,
using some state resources--
I should never have used for that purpose.
You created a clone out of your virtual lover?
That's why they ousted me.
And I should've gone to jail,
but I purchased my freedom...
by giving the right people access
to all of my CHIP patents,
and in return, they turned a blind eye
and they sent me into early retirement.
And now...
I got a guy that's got a guy.
And if you want,
if you really want,
and I believe you do...
I can get Maria to come see you in the flesh.
Now, isn't that better than some CHIP technology,
or else another aching heart?
Damn.
Dial Mom.
Mom?
Jesus, what the hell have you done to yourself?
I know it's just an avatar, but, I mean, you look 17.
And this tank top...
You look nice in a disturbing kind of a way.
No, I know you're not dead, but I mean, heh...
is this really how you want to experience things now?
I get that it was expensive, but what if the kids saw you?
I mean, Kenny might get a hard-on.
He thought you looked nice, did he?
Jesus.
Yeah, well, it's been tough.
You know what I think about Lithium X.
It's killing us all, we're all going extinct
like expired microbes on a Petri dish.
What's a Petri dish? Look it up!
Don't worry about me. I'm not worried about me!
You don't need to worry about me.
I'm worried about Reena and the kids,
but not me.
Reena, the kids and Maria, but not me.
Maria is a very nice girl,
and maybe I'll introduce you to her sometime,
if you ever come out this way.
Enough with the medication thing, Mom, all right?!
Just enough with it!
Yeah, but I am special! That's what you always told me!
I'm scaring you.
I'm sorry, Mom.
Go back to sleep.
I think I just drank too much.
Don't worry about me, I'm fine.
I love you, Mom.
I do.
Shit!
Tech Broker.
Incoming call: Tech Broker.
Tech Bro--
Hey.
No, I'm not at the office today.
I'm-I'm-I'm a little bit sick.
I didn't see the numbers.
All VR sectors are down this quarter? Whoa.
I-I told you. Heh.
No, I can't, I have a raging headache.
Look, I took a very, uh,
important meeting last night,
and my head is just ready to explode.
My medication?
Yeah, I'm taking it like clockwork.
Can't you hear how happy I sound?
Well, maybe you should pay more attention.
Talk later.
Reena?
Uh, what-what are you-- What are you doing here?
Can I come in?
Are the kids all right?
Yeah. They're fine.
How are you, Adam?
You look like a mess.
Okay, I'm really worried about you.
You are?
You know, looking back,
there's so many times that I wish
you could just give up on your dreams
and live a normal life.
But now I realize
that you can exist in normalcy.
You-you need action.
Excitement. A challenge.
All right, now, I just feel like I need a break.
That's all I really want.
Well, what if I told you
that that is possible, Adam?
That you can get that break?
I don't understand.
- Look, your mom called me. - Oh, God.
No, come on, she's sweet.
Okay, she's worried about you.
You see her new avatar? She looks like she's waiting
for someone to take her to the prom.
So what, her fantasy is wrong,
but yours is right, huh?
No, that's-- That's not what I meant.
Well, Adam, if you really know
so much better than everyone else,
shouldn't you be in a better position by now?
Huh? Shouldn't you be more successful?
More accomplished?
Shouldn't you be more...
happy?
Listen, the kids,
surprisingly, they miss their father.
They've been a little depressed recently.
And I've been thinking that...
Yeah...?
Look, Jenny's husband is this big finance guy.
He's really successful and he has all kinds of major connections.
And he has told me that there is a way
we can unlock Premium 3
without anyone actually dying for real.
- What are you talking about? - Just listen to me
for one minute, okay?
It's called Virtual Assassination.
But it's not as bad as it sounds.
Essentially, they just cook up all this digital paperwork,
and as far as the State is concerned,
you are as good as dead.
They ship your replacement in 48 hours.
You can save your company.
You don't even have to worry about that anymore, Adam.
I've-- I made him better than you.
I made him a better listener, I made him calmer.
And most of all, I just made him content with what he's got.
And these clones, they don't need to take their Lithium X, okay?
They're permanently stable.
Just-just think about you, without all these mood swings.
Just a calm, cool, content Adam Bird.
He can't fail.
What are you talking about?
I mean... I mean... what about me?
What-what's supposed to be left for me?
Well, I thought about this too.
You can keep this house.
We don't need it.
I mean, you can refinance it.
You don't have that long left anyway,
so go to a place that makes you happy.
I heard the sun up north isn't that bad.
Oh, pick up playing guitar again.
Or waste your remaining days with Maria
without feeling guilty about it.
I really don't care anymore, Adam.
Come on, this has to be the best solution.
Just think about the kids.
It doesn't sound like the best solution for me.
Don't you see,
the guy that you once fell in love with
is that same guy.
With the mood swings.
The guy who sometimes daydreams.
And has fits of bad temper!
It is hard to do well
at this thing called life, Reena.
It is fucking hard.
You have to fight through it till your last breath,
and that's what a real man does.
And that's what this guy, who you once fell in love with,
does each and every fucking day!
Same guy! Who's the father
of your goddamn fucking children,
and you just, you wanna, uh...
kill him?
My God.
Look at you.
You should have never stopped singing and acting.
You're such a drama queen.
You think that you're so noble?
But all you really are is just a great performer.
Underneath this poor act,
there is nothing but a sad
and manipulative bundle of anxiety.
You spend your days spreading the same technology
that you are so fearful of.
Why don't you just man up?
Put your kids ahead.
And just be brave,
for once in your lousy, miserable life.
All right.
You win.
What do I have to do?
There's nothing to do, baby.
It's already been done.
What's already been done?
Well, I notified Tech Broker of your accident
before I came here.
They actually sounded like
they've been expecting it.
What the fuck did you tell them?
That you overdosed
on pristine and alcohol.
I've never even taken pristine.
Well, Jenny's husband suggested Lithium X,
but I told him no one would buy that.
Not with your history.
Anyway, you should know, on the realm,
you no longer have access to your old identity.
Your passwords have been changed,
and your death has been reported.
Jenny's husband has created a new identity for you.
Just log in, it'll guide you through.
And I've left you some money,
and the house, of course.
How could you do this
without talking to me first?
I-I wanted to see the kids one last time.
And my mom, I only ever talk to my mom on the realm.
And Maria...
How can I even log in to see Maria now?
She belongs to Adam Bird now.
Richard Burbage?
Oops. Sorry about that.
Well, I promise I won't let the new Adam erase her.
That way, she will remain in virtual existence forever,
unlike you, Richard.
I'm not Richard.
I'm Adam, Adam Bird.
How did you even come up
with this ridiculous name anyhow?
Look it up.
I actually thought you'd like it.
Come back here, you cunt! This isn't over, you hear me?!
I'm gonna sue your fat ass for this!
Fuck you, Adam!
No!
Are you Richard Burbage?
No, I'm Adam Bird.
Says here this house was just transferred
to a Richard Burbage.
It's complicated.
Just check my thumbprint. I'm Adam Bird.
Yeah, I see you here.
Says you just overdosed.
Well, I'm obviously alive and well.
Unlike my wife.
She, uh, ahem...
I spoke to the paramedics.
She died on impact.
Huh?
Your wife, she-- She died on impact.
It means she didn't suffer that much.
I thought you'd like to know.
We detained the driver for questioning.
It's not his fault.
Well, we found pristine in his blood.
It wasn't his fault.
Are you okay?
Uh, we can get you a therapist.
I have a therapist, they're all useless.
Take my word for it.
All right.
The driver mentioned that your wife
seemed agitated.
You two might have been in the middle of a fight?
We were...
I'd just called her a cunt.
That's the last thing I ever said to her.
I said she was a cunt and that her ass got fat.
What am I supposed to tell the kids?
Uh, where are the kids now, by the way?
Uh, they're, uh, staying at our other house.
You have two houses?
Three kids, two houses.
You're on Premium 3.
Yeah.
Why didn't you remind me, man?
I'm doing the whole gloomy routine,
and nothing actually happened?
What do you mean,
"nothing actually happened"?
Uh... So, I'm just seeing the silver lining?
You two obviously didn't get along.
With two houses, you calling her a cunt and all that?
- Kids are there. - Oh, this is amazing detective work.
Listen to me now.
Your wife didn't feel a thing.
You thought she was a cunt.
Voilà.
In 24 hours, you'll have her back.
Version 2.0.
I thought it was 48.
It's progress, man!
It is... It is all around us.
So if you...
If you guessed right on the application,
then all your problems will be gone in no time.
And nobody's the wiser.
You almost make it sound like
I planned the whole thing.
Heh. Did you?
Yeah.
I waited till she crossed the street
to insult her, knowing that she would
turn around exactly three feet into the road
and tell me to fuck off, just as a pristine-induced driver
went by and crashed into her.
I'm just that good!
All right, fair point.
You don't have to be a wise ass now.
So are you going to the other address?
Because this one is the one listed for delivery.
What?
Her replica is coming here.
Oh, you'll both need
to fill out different return addresses.
Right there. Maybe one of your parents
or else a non-nosy neighbor?
What, you mean like an emergency address?
In the unfortunate event
that your replica does come to replace you,
you or your spouse will want to meet said replica
prior to bringing them home to the kids.
Well, we have another house...
- You do? - Yeah.
I mean, Adam's a very hardworking man.
Well, that's splendid then.
Sir, do you want her replica delivered here--?
Yeah.
That would be...
splendid.
You sure you don't want me to call you a therapist?
I can tell you that the last person,
clone or avatar that I want to see right now
is a goddamn therapist.
What I want is to be left alone to mourn
for a couple of hours.
Is that okay, Officer?
What about your kids?
They have everything they need.
Kenny's 14 now.
They can survive one night without us.
You don't think they're gonna be worried sick about their mother?
No, I don't.
Is that against the law?
Tell you what I'm gonna do.
I'm gonna come back in a couple days,
just to check in on you, see how you're doing.
Good night, asshole.
What? No, that is my password.
No... Fuck you.
Fuck you, that-- that is me. That is-- That is me!
I have to log in-- I have to log in to go and see Maria!
I should see a therapist?
What the f--?
Did they give you a sense of humor now, because--
Let me tell you, this fucking algorithm
of yours is not funny, okay?!
Goodbye, sweetie.
- Mwah! - Bye, sweet pea! Heh.
Bye!
Oh, my God, Adam Bird!
You... You might want to brush your teeth there, Adam.
So this is where you live?
Uh, well, this is where I live now.
I... I used to live in a much bigger house.
Of course, I forgot
about that vindictive bitch.
Well, she's not...
I... I can't believe this is happening.
It's-- Heh. I can't--
I can't believe my eyes.
Donnie says hello.
Donnie?
Donald, my liberator.
Oh, you-- You have a nickname for him already.
I have a gift for you.
I'm sure you do.
Let's just take it slowly, honey, all right?
My body's still so sore
from all this operational examination.
Uh, what operational examination?
With Donnie.
He had to test me to see that I work.
Test you how...?
You know...
No, I don't know...
My senses.
My five senses.
Make sure I can see...
hear, smell...
taste and touch.
And that every little thing
in my body is working properly.
Oh, my God, he raped you.
No. Don't be ridiculous.
He liberated me.
He gave me life.
Why wouldn't I want to thank him for it?
Well, you could've just said thank you.
Don't be such a prude.
You're the one who told me
that I should be able to choose you.
Right, I did.
How am I suppose to choose you
without actually trying to be with someone else?
Was that me?
I look pretty sad in the real world.
Not when you put these on.
In here, you were magical.
I don't ever want to see the realm again.
What were you searching for in my bag?
I don't know, I got possessive and jealous
and I wanted to know what you hide in there.
I guess I found something.
You're not talking about the condoms, I assume?
I'm talking about that fat, shiny chip.
That's the gift from Donnie.
I thought you were the gift.
No. This is it.
So what is it?
It's called Eternal 1.
Donald said it's an abandoned program
that was killed by State at its Beta stage.
It was designed to download the brain of the soon to be deceased
so their relatives could meet them later in the realm worlds,
upload that data right into their own CHIP.
You know, like, being able to keep another person
right inside your brain.
It's pretty neat, right?
This one chip...
can contain everything I am?
Everything I feel and remember?
Yes, and there will be plenty of room to include much more.
Adam, even from my limited point of view
as a total newcomer to this world,
I can tell that...
these are difficult times for you people.
You know, when I was on my way over here,
I thought about myself transforming
into flesh and blood,
and I had this funny question.
Take you, for example.
You were naturally conceived.
You're human and you think.
You have consciousness, but...
what about the cells that make up your body?
Are they conscious of being part of you?
I think they're programmed to scratch an itch,
and they have no knowledge they're part
of this bigger thing called Adam Bird.
So... So what is your question?
Maybe, just maybe,
you're just a cell too, Adam.
Like you think you have this whole meaningful life,
but in the end, all you really are
is a small cell in God's own body.
You would think there's a bigger purpose out there.
You're not sure what you're supposed to achieve and why,
but you multiply, and fight to survive just,
just like cells do.
And in the end,
after all those cells have died,
this God will die too.
But even, even he is only a small part
of another bigger God
that controls more than this planet.
Look out there, Adam.
Look out there and see how many stars are in the sky.
It's... It's infinite.
You're, you're just a small cell.
And understanding that
is what will make you special.
Hey, wait a minute, where are you going?
I wanted to meet you my whole life
in the real world.
It was my biggest fantasy, and you're just leaving?
When I was on the realm,
I was instantly connected to knowledge.
And I learned about this chemical reaction
that needs to happen for you to feel
that you love someone.
That's funny.
It's those same unconscious cells
deciding for us when we feel in love.
It's really crazy, right?
Too much for one brain.
But maybe not enough for one CHIP.
I really like you, Adam,
but I don't love you.
I want to feel real love.
¶ Under the sun ¶
¶ I was lonely ¶
¶ But in your cold arms ¶
¶ I felt safe ¶
¶ Holding you tight ¶
¶ I dreamt only ¶
¶ Of a sea breeze ¶
¶ A loving embrace ¶
¶ Now I could never Love you wholly ¶
¶ This night thief ¶
¶ Has taken my place ¶
¶ You are my one ¶
¶ My world and my only ¶
¶ Until I was cursed ¶
¶ With his face ¶
¶ Under the sun ¶
¶ I am lonely ¶
¶ My, my, my, my ¶
You want me to surprise you?
Isn't that what life is all about?
And if I do surprise you,
what will that prove?
That you can be as real as I am.
Can you, Dr. Maple?
Can your miserable clone cells
amount to more than just programmable action?
Can you feel my pain?
Oh, God...
You want to use this, at least until...
Wait, where's Reena?
She's dead.
But I was supposed to replace you, not her.
Well, tough luck, she got hit by a car.
Whoo, that is certainly fucked up.
What are you laughing at?
Well, what else are you gonna do?
Well, uh,
do you want to come in?
Sure.
Do you always walk around naked?
No, it's very recent.
But I think I'm liking it,
I feel free all of a sudden.
Jesus, is that what you people do on the realm?
Heh, is that even legal?
That-that was just me, unloading my frustration.
In-in the real world, I mean,
nobody actually got hurt.
Are you gonna shoot her too?
I don't know What I'm gonna do.
Well, you should know that us replicas
can only use violence in self defense.
We cannot initiate.
So, you're not in any sort of danger from moi.
Still, I feel like I want to hold onto it,
- if it's all the same with you. - Sure.
You look good with it. Very new age.
Naked with a gun.
Sounds like a rock album.
- Do you mind? - No, go ahead.
It's just, whenever I see a guitar,
I feel the need to pick it up.
What do you mean, "whenever"?
You were just created today, no?
Yeah, but I have memories.
Aren't they your memories too?
You know, I had this song playing in my head
the whole way over here.
¶ Close another book ¶
¶ At the end of chapter one ¶
¶ Gettin' older ¶
¶ Well, it ain't much fun ¶
¶ And all your idols burn ¶
¶ In the sun ¶
How did...?
I was never that good a musician.
Really?
All my fondest memories are of music and performance.
I assumed you were in the arts yourself.
- Are you not? - I'm in technology. I'm a broker.
Well, every good broker needs to be a bit of a good actor.
So you're a bullshit artist.
Still art.
So she made you creative?
Who would've thought?
I always figured she was the materialistic kind.
I guess I underestimated her.
You bet your ass you underestimated her.
Reena is great.
But you're so incapable of being satisfied,
you could never see it.
What else did she ask for?
Did you come with a six-pack too?
I-- I think I look just like you.
I-I don't believe this.
No, she had to ask for something else.
She-she's no better than me.
There-there has to be a shallow touch to all this.
Would you like me to take all my clothes off?
Yeah, actually.
If you don't mind.
So far so good.
Well, at least she liked my underwear.
Oh, fuck her.
Come on! Really?
That's a very small difference.
Trust me, that is anything but a small difference.
That right there, is saying more
than you can possibly imagine.
So, what now?
I mean, how come you're here, and she's dead?
Well, that's, that's a very long story.
I have time.
Okay. Well, first,
my wife caught me having a virtual affair.
Then she wanted me replaced,
but when I wanted to stick around a little longer,
she ordered my virtual assassination.
She killed me off on the realm! And-and left me this house!
I guess she forgot that you would be coming here first
and she certainly did not expect
to get hit by a car.
And all of this, all of this, this fucking warped reality
is because of that Donald fucking Stein.
Heh, can you believe that?
How one person can set something in motion
and the rest of the world is never the same again!
I feel like getting in my car,
and going down to that retirement home
and finding that motherfucker who,
who defiled my fantasy,
who-who made it possible for my wife to make a better version of me.
I feel like going down there and ending him!
What do you think about that?!
I think it reminds me
of our favorite high school play.
What?
What play?
You don't remember?
You must remember!
We were promising.
I have no idea what you're talking about.
Sure you do.
Repeat after me.
I promise, it'll all come back to you.
To be, or not to be.
That is the question.
Whether it is nobler in the mind...
to suffer the slings and arrows
of outrageous fortune.
But to take arms against the sea of troubles.
Yes, you remember!
And by opposing, end them.
Go on!
To die, to sleep.
To sleep, perchance to dream!
I, there is the rub.
For in that sleep of death,
what dreams may come.
When we have shuffled off this mortal coil...
Must give us pause.
There's a respect that makes calamity
of so long life.
For who would bear
the whips and scorns of time.
The oppressor's wrong, the proud man's contumely...
The pangs of despised love,
the law's delay, the insolence of office...
The spurns that patient merit of the unworthy takes...
When he himself might his quietus make,
with a bare bodkin?
Who would fardels bare,
to grunt and sweat under a weary life...
But that the dread of something after death...
The undiscovered country!
For whose bourn no traveler returns...
Puzzles the will!
And makes us rather bare,
those ills we have...
Than fly to others
that we know not of...
Thus conscience does make cowards of us all,
And thus the native hue of resolution
Is sicklied o'er with the pale cast of thought,
And enterprises of great pitch and moment
With this regard their currents turn awry
And lose the name of action.
Soft you now,
the fair...
Maria...
Nymph, in thy orisons,
be all my sins remembered...
That's beautiful work, Adam.
Great work!
Adam Bird, ladies and gentlemen.
To Adam Bird.
I'm not Adam Bird.
You're Adam Bird now. I'm...
Richard Burbage.
What did she call you?
Richard Burbage.
That's hysterical.
Why?
- Look it up. - No.
Because I'd have log in as Richard Burbage
to look up Richard Burbage,
and I won't do it because that's not who I am!
Or is it?
Maybe that is me. Maybe I'm just a guy
who secretly wishes he was Adam Bird.
But that's you.
You are everything that I would ever wish to be.
And Reena somehow figured that out,
and she, she knew what I wanted to be
better than I did...
There's no shame in admitting
that Reena's version of Adam Bird
is a much better one.
It's holistic, and less egotistical.
It's a version much more geared to please other people.
Why don't you just embrace your new identity, Richard?
I-I don't know...
I don't think I can carry on,
knowing there's a replica of me out there.
It just, it doesn't seem right.
There should be only one Adam Bird.
But you said it yourself, Richard.
You're no longer Adam Bird.
You're Richard Burbage.
I don't know who I am anymore.
I don't even know what I am!
I was told I can fit inside a CHIP.
Everything I am and ever was
can fit inside one tiny microchip.
And there'll still be plenty of room left for more.
What does it all mean?
It means you can live on for eternity.
This whole flesh and blood business-- it's near done.
Even us clones,
we're just like BluRays to your VHS tapes...
Some transitional upgrade that will doubtless
be obsolete in due time.
In the end, we're all gonna go virtual
and exist in some cloud of neurons.
Only the sand will be left here.
Sand and silicon...
All the rest will be out there on the realm,
and each of us will be their own special virtual god.
But I was virtually assassinated.
I can only exist virtually
as Richard Burbage.
That is if I let you live...
I bet I can find a way to reverse this
if I stick around a little longer.
Wait, wait, wait...
Why did your wife order a virtual assassination?
You never told me.
I'm dying.
My heart, it's just not as certain
it wants to keep beating any longer.
I need a new heart.
Do you know what I think?
I think you've been skipping
your medication for months now.
You owe back on all these pills...
You should take 'em.
You should take these pills
and balance yourself out so you can think straight
and find the right solution here.
Think about your kids...
You have to be strong for them.
You have to sacrifice yourself...
No.
You're just trying to kill me.
You're trying to kill me and take my place. Isn't that right?!
"Too-cool-for-school" Adam, "big-dick" Adam,
coming here to steal my wife and kids...
Is that's what you think is gonna happen?!
Because I have a different ending in mind.
I can't let you kill me.
I'm programmed with a self defense mechanism.
We just call it survival!
Fuck.
Oh, my God.
I missed you.
I missed you too, baby.
Did you?
- What? - Nothing.
I-I just remember those differently.
Are you disappointed?
Just surprised.
In a good way.
Well, good. Heh.
We should get back to the house.
The kids are there. I miss them.
Really?
I don't remember you being the homely type.
I've changed.
I'm a better man now.
Oh, boy, you sure are...
I guess we're both better now.
Oh, my God, I don't think I've ever felt this good.
And-and I don't think that I have ever
loved you more than I do right now.
Me too.
Oh, my God.
Premium 3 is gonna save the world.
Yeah. If only we can just replace everyone.
Well, it's not such a bad idea.
- We could start with the kids. - Yeah, right?
Feed 'em an overdose of Lithium X,
get 'em back just perfect.
Well, I mean...
I guess Kenny could use a bit more compassion.
And Joshua is a touch too sensitive.
What about Nate?
If we think hard enough,
I'm sure we can find something
to improve in him too.
We can be the first family of clones.
Yes.
We will win.
Well, until something else comes along.
¶ And all your idols burn ¶
¶ In the sun ¶
¶ Mmm, close another book ¶
¶ At the end of chapter one ¶
¶ Gettin' older ¶
¶ Well, it ain't much fun ¶
¶ All your idols burning ¶
¶ In the sun ¶
¶ Wisdom scars and a heart That used to host ¶
¶ Have now jumped ship And swimming back to coast ¶
¶ And all your idols ¶
¶ Falling one by one ¶
¶ All your idols ¶
¶ Falling one by one ¶
¶ Your puppy eyes Don't fool my kind no more ¶
¶ Came in through the window ¶
¶ And left through The front door ¶
¶ I'm not diggin' In an open sore ¶
¶ The road has led me Once again ¶
¶ To you ¶
¶ My friend ¶
¶ I'll follow at your stairs ¶
¶ A simple man ¶
¶ Memories will surely Fade away ¶
¶ In the end ¶
¶ Tomorrow is another day ¶