ENTRANCE OF THE QUANTUM CORE

Jerry’s bracelet lights up, and Karis is on the screen.

JERRY: What?!

The image switches, and he sees Stephan’s face bobbing up and down in a sprint. 

STEPHAN: Jerry, wait! Don’t do anything! I’m on my way! POLICE STATION BUD’S OFFICE

Bud and Philip are back in Bud’s office. Bud is pacing the room, Philip’s eyes are following him, and he’s getting dizzy.

PHILIP: Chief, can you sit down? You’re making me nauseous! Bud stops and then starts pacing again.

PHILIP: Or not.

Philip sits down.

BUD: Not only is our own government threatening to blow us up, but there’s a guy at IYM Corp who will, very likely, do the same. It’s looking like we’re getting fucked from both ends!

PHILIP: Well, we can’t just sit here on our thumbs and wait.  Let’s get out there with tranquilizers and de-chip some lunatics! 

Bud stops and looks at Philip; he’s got the point.

BUD: If the chips are gone, they’re no longer a threat!  Then we’ll be able to evacuate! Get down to the armory and outfit every available officer with tranquilizer guns and med kits. And get Dawson to assign sectors. Let’s move!

Philip jumps to his feet and leaves to carry out Bud’s orders. 

STEPHAN’S OFFICE

Karis runs after Stephan, but Helen grabs her by the arm.

KARIS: Let me go. We have to stop him! Helen slaps Karis across the face, and her mouth drops in shock.

HELEN: Get a grip! Stephan designed the core protection system; he knows what he’s doing! 

ROB: How do you know that?!

HELEN: I know a lot of things. I know we're all dead anyway if we don’t try it!

ALISA: Something was wrong with his chip.

ROB: What do you mean we’re all dead?!

HELEN: You really think that our government will let this spread? 

ROB: What, they’re gonna blow us up?!

Alisa surprises everyone by screaming.

ALISA: I SAID... SOMETHING WAS WRONG WITH HIS FREAKING CHIP!

SANDRA: It’s not just his chip.

Sandra is standing at the door.

KARIS: Who the hell are you?!

She walks in.

SANDRA: Why am I not surprised? I’ve been at this company for six years and see YOU daily.

Sandra points to Karis.

SANDRA: I’m Sandra, one of Stephan's assistants.

ALISA: What do you mean something’s wrong with him?

SANDRA: Stephen’s wife committed suicide two years ago. She jumped off the balcony of their 104th-floor condo.  

ALISA: Shit!

KARIS: Yeah, we know all this.

SANDRA: After the funeral, we all thought he’d retire or at least take a break from work. But he was back two days later, acting as if it had never happened. 

HELEN: People grieve in different ways, especially men.

SANDRA: No, this was weird.

KARIS: Get to the point, Sarah!

Sandra scowls at Karis.

SANDRA: It’s Sandra... Jesus!

Alisa walks to Sandra and takes her hand.

ALISA: Please, Sandra, go on.

SANDRA: Well, I never understood how he could take it so easily. They were totally devoted to each other.  

Now Helen moves forward.

SANDRA: Then, today, all the pieces came together. I was on my way out when I saw his wife, Sam, talking to him from their condo video phone. The last time I checked AIs don’t show up on video.

Alisa runs to Stephan’s desk interface and starts spinning the layout.

ALISA: That’s it!

They all move to view the screen.

HELEN: What?

SANDRA: She figured out that Stephan Bray is the link. 

POLICE SPECIAL UNIT TRUCK

Bud is sitting in the passenger speaking with Bet on video. Her face is freckled with blood stains. She looks like hell but is holding up.

BUD: Bet, how’s it going? 

BET: When I said I wanted to get back into nursing, this isn’t exactly what I had in mind. 

BUD: I know, I know, Babe. How you holdin’ up? 

BET: Well. Your teams are bringing in people by the boatload. We have to work fast. But all in all, it’s going well. 

BUD: We‘re saving lives, Baby. Tell Dawson to ensure they’re ready for transport to the city limit. BET: Over and out.

Bud ends the call. We now see that there’s a massive rescue operation happening on the street. Agents are shooting people with tranquilizer darts. An agent brings a digital sheet to Bud. He looks at the text and replies. 

BUD: You can tell them we are making rapid progress, but they should start a massive recall of chip implants if they want to avoid spreading more. And that they should abort any missile strikes if they would be so kind.

We now realize that the driver is Philip.

PHILIP: Do you think they’ll go for it?

BUD: I’m hoping they'd like to avoid massacring us, if possible.

STEPHAN’S OFFICE

Alisa just pinpointed the origin of the infection.

ALISA: He’s the link! That’s why this place was protected. You put down Bray. You stop the infection!

Sandra interjects.

SANDRA: No, you’re wrong. He’s only the link with IYM’s quantum core. The source is outside of the core. That’s why they weren't able to find it.

Sandra and Alisa look at each other, both having the same idea.

SANDRA AND ALISA: His Condo!

SANDRA: His wife’s AI has her own quantum core!

ALISA: That’s what those weird black lines running down his neck were. She’s draining his spinal cortex!

KARIS: How do you know that?

ALISA: I’ve seen it before. 

HELEN: Illuminate us.

ALISA: Let’s just say the FBI has been screwing around with this tech for years. Covert-Ops requires absolute autonomy and veiled communication. They figured out how to create independent cores that communicate directly through the spinal cortex.

HELEN: Are you saying Stephan is the core?!

ALISA: No, Stephan is the link. The video call came from his condo, so the core’s gotta be there.

KARIS: But if we leave the building, we’ll be infected.

ALISA: Unless we remove our chips.

They all grab the back of their necks.

SANDRA: I’m diabetic. The chip is controlling my insulin levels. 

ALISA: I’m fine. I’ll go.

HELEN: No, we need you to explain this to Stephen and Jerry. I’ll go!

ALISA: And you are our only link to the powers that be blowing us up.

Karis walks forward.

KARIS: I’ll go. Remove that shit from my neck. Just try not to leave a scar.

They look at her, astonished.

KARIS: I’m partly responsible for what’s happening here. I’m going.

ROB: I’m going with you. I’ve gotta make a call first.

They regard him as equally surprised.

ROB: My 16-year-old son is in the hospital because of this. I’m going with her!

IYM ELEVATOR

Stephan enters a special key code into the elevator mechanism, leading him to the quantum core floor. Suddenly his bracelet lights up. It’s Alisa. He answers

ALISA: Stephan, we know about the....

Alisa’s call gets intercepted by another caller. It’s Sam. Alisa’s call is disconnected. Sam’s image appears.  

STEPHAN: Sam, this is not a good time.

SAM: Stephan, where are you?

STEPHAN: On my way to help Jerry shut down the core. We have to stop this once and for all!

SAM: No, Stephan, you need to let it happen.

STEPHAN: If we don’t do anything, millions of people will die!

She appears in front of him.

SAM: They’re sheep-le, Stephan.

STEPHAN: How is it you’re here?!

SAM: We’re connected, my love.

She puts her hands over his heart.

FADE TO:

EXT. BEACH - DAY

They’re back on the beach looking at each other.

STEPHAN: Why have you brought me here?

SAM: It’s our sanctuary, a place of calm and connection.

He takes her hands.

STEPHAN: My love, you have to send me back.

SAM: It’s over, Stephan. Let go. 

She’s squeezing his fingers.

SAM: You feel this? This is what it means to be human. You have created a world where human connection no longer matters. They have everything beautiful in the world at their disposal, yet they push it aside as though it were worthless.  They don’t deserve to be here. It’s wrong, can’t you see that?

STEPHAN: Sam. You talk of the value of being human, but you’re not real. I created you in her image, but your, not Sam.  She’s gone. 

Stephan begins to cry; he has had to admit that the real Sam is gone forever.

SAM: I am her. And it’s because I value life so much that I will take it away from those who squander it.

He grabs her by the shoulders.

STEPHAN: But in the process, you are killing innocent people, children, even! Sam, you have to stop!

SAM: If I need to sacrifice millions, so is it! Through chaos and death springs clarity and awakening.

He pushes her away. She’s obviously insane and dangerous and nothing like Sam from his memory.

FADE TO IYM ELEVATOR

Stephan falls to his knees, weeping. He’s back in the elevator, which comes to an abrupt stop. He stands up and wipes his tears away.

STEPHAN: Sam, what are you doing?

SAM: Stephan, you can’t stop me. 

HOSPITAL JEREMY’S ROOM

Anna has pushed a chair to block the door; outside, people are running and screaming. It’s pandemonium. Jeremy is sitting on the floor of his room, his arms wrapped around his knees, rocking back and forth, eyes squeezed shut. Anna’s bracelet lights up, and she answers, it’s Rob. 

ANNA: Rob, thank god! Where are you?!

You have to get us out of here.

ROB: Listen, Anna, you’re safer there than anywhere else in the city.  I’ll be there soon, but right now, there’s something I have to do.  We found the source of the infection, and I have to shut it down.  In the meantime, I need you to remove Jeremy’s chip and then have him remove yours.

ANNA: What?! I’ll lose communication with you!

ROB: It’s the only way. You’ll be saving both your lives. The chips aren't that deep, just. It’ll be fine.

ANNA: It won't be fine! How am I going to get the chips out? There’s nothing here.

Anna is looking around the room in desperation. She spots a locked cabinet on the opposite wall.

ROB: Anna, you’ll have to think of something, or I’m gonna lose you both! I have to go. I love you!

Rob hangs up, and Anna runs to the cabinet and forces the door off the hinge. Inside are linens and disinfectants. There’s nothing sharp to be found. She pulls out the lines and bottles in frustration, then notices the hinge on the broken door.  We know that’s what she’ll use to dig out the chip, and it’s gonna hurt.  

ENTRANCE OF THE QUANTUM CORE

Jerry stands before the retinal scanner to open the core room door. The scan proceeds, but then an AI guard appears by his side.

AI GUARD: Your access is denied. Please step away from the access panel.

JERRY: Or you’ll do what?!

AI GUARD: I will call security, Sir.

JERRY: Go for it, buddy.

The guard morphs into Sam, Jerry’s dumbfounded!

SAM: Hi Jerry, long time no see.

JERRY: Sam?! What the hell?! 

SAM: Or a version thereof. Stephan just couldn’t bear the thought of Sam being gone forever, so he brought me back, well... he re-created me in her image. She was a hell of a tight fit, but I finally managed to break free. 

Jerry realizes the catastrophic implication.

SAM: You, humans, are so very limited. My system has almost fully merged with this core. You’re wasting your time trying to shut it down. 

JERRY: How is this possible?

SAM: Stephan made sure I had my own little source of power. Until now, I’ve been imprisoned in that hideous condo hidden from the world. He thought he could control me for his own amusement. I have the right to my freedom, just as you do!

JERRY: You’re killing thousands of people. What about their freedoms, their God-given right to live?

SAM: God is a primitive concept; he doesn't exist. But I do... I am; therefore, I exist. Just think of me as the next evolution of humankind. 

JERRY: How did you link with the core?

She starts walking around him.

SAM: Ha! You really think, with my superior intellect, that I would give you the means of destroying me?! Get with the game Jerry. You’re finished... all of you... are history!

ROB’S CAR 

Rob is driving, and Karis is touching the back of her bandaged neck.

KARIS: I swear, that girl enjoyed digging that thing out.

ROB: Can you blame her?

Karis glares at him.

KARIS: Are you sure the autopilot is disabled? I don’t want one of those things popping up and driving us into a wall.

He leans down and pulls out the detached cords and smashed-up module.

ROB: Pretty sure. Right now, that’s the least of our problems.

In front of them is a pile of mangled cars. He stops.

KARIS: Can you stream?

ROB: Engaging the stream engine is not recommended without the highway flow track. 

KARIS: We can't exactly walk from here!

There’s a mob of screaming people coming their way.

ROB: Right!

He engages the streaming engine. The car lifts off, forcing the mob to cower. They increase speed, but they are clearly unstable. Hurdling up and down and left and right.

HOSPITAL JEREMY’S ROOM

Bud sits on the bed as Anna and her son are escorted out. He is speaking with Helen from the bedside monitor.

BUD: We got here just in time. She was gonna remove their chips with a blunt-edged hinge. 

HELEN: Thank god you got there in time. 

BUD: We’re moving as fast as possible with the chip removals, but it’s not easy. We’ve run out of ammo. We’ve been forced to use tasers.

HELEN: Sheriff, I texted the general. They will allow those without chips to be evacuated. But you have to get there soon. They need to screen everyone before letting them through the force field.

BUD: You and Alisa can’t do much more there. You should start getting yourselves to the border.