Original subtitles

Come on out, kid.

I know you're here.

I followed you.

Come on, boy.

Come on out.

Nobody's gonna hurt you.

You know you didn't mean to hurt that man.

It's not your fault you messed up.

It's your parents' fault.

This is my wife.

Joanne. It's a pleasure to finally meet you in person.

You too, doctor.

Actually, I don't want you to get the wrong impression.

It isn't doctor.

Oh? I left after my third year of medical school.

I would call myself a highly skilled technician.

So, are you hoping for a boy or a girl?

You know?

Of course I know.

I analyzed the genetic material we took from Joanne.

Do you want to know?

Yes.

Before I tell you, I want us to be absolutely clear on what you're asking

do.

Well, mainly we want to assure that our child is intelligent.

Oh, and handsome.

Athletic. Yeah, and if it's a girl, we want to make sure that she's beautiful.

You don't understand.

I need to hear out loud exactly what you want me to do. It's a legal thing, you

understand.

Well, we haven't exactly decided to do it yet.

You want us to say it out loud to make sure we're not law enforcement, is that

it?

Okay, then.

We want you to...

genetically engineer our unborn child.

There is nothing wrong with your television.

Do not attempt to adjust the picture.

We are now controlling the transmission.

We control the horizontal and the vertical. We can deluge you with a

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.

are about to experience the awe and mystery which reaches from the deepest

mind to the outer limits.

Please stand by.

What will become of us when we take a

hand in our own creation?

In trying to create the new man, will we condemn the old?

That's our boy?

After enhancement at eight months, every shortcoming smoothed over, the flaw

repaired. In a word, perfect.

He's beautiful.

Could you show us what he would look like without the enhancement?

I don't have to, Joey.

I'm going to look like you, Howard.

Excuse me?

Average looks.

Average intelligence is slightly below average imagination.

Average? Now, you just wait a minute. I'm not saying anything Howard doesn't

already know.

Brilliant, athletic, attractive people don't require my services.

They know their children will inherit those qualities nature was kind enough

bestow on them.

People like yourselves, on the other hand, want to ensure that their children

will grow up with the same benefits.

People like you?

You're wondering if I'm one of them.

Are you?

Would it change your opinion of me?

Let me put it this way, Howard.

I was born this way.

Your son can be too.

Before we say another word, we should really find out how much all this is

to cost.

Oh, yes.

We can provide financing if necessary.

Is there any way of lowering this figure?

Well,

intelligence is the most costly part of the gene package. I suppose we could...

No.

There would be no point in doing this otherwise.

Mr. R. Kellyanne, can we get back to you on this?

Of course.

Oh, one more thing.

What about GRS?

There's a risk.

In one in 10 ,000 cases, an enhanced child will develop GRS. I've seen what

happens to them on the news.

It scares me.

Yes, it is a frightening thing.

Genetic rejection syndrome is arguably why enhancing engineering is still

illegal 30 years after it was developed.

Personally, I think it's worth the risk.

And I have customers lined up out the door who would agree with me, but...

Right.

Well, we'll be in touch.

And you're sure it was one of them?

Possible. I mean, who's supposed to do a thing like this except for one of those

GRS kids?

This is going to scar my daughter for the rest of her life.

Don't worry, ma 'am. We'll catch you.

You police should do more to track them down before they do things like this.

I want you to go there and look at what that thing did.

Yeah,

well, they're going to find out eventually.

Their own son was just killed in an accident, Howard.

It's been eight months now.

Well, I know, but it would have been Timmy's birthday a week Saturday.

I mean, how would you feel?

No, I don't want to hurt Fran.

Well, you know what's going to hurt Fran is when you're out to hear and you

still haven't told her.

Hi. Hi.

Fran, I'm sorry we're late, but the traffic was terrible.

You need a new joke, Howard.

I know.

Oh, yeah.

We could have a pie -eating contest.

We already did.

Yeah, but you have to tie your hands behind your back.

No, what we should do is after dinner, we should drive to the beach and watch

the pie -eating contest.

Whoops, a little late for that show.

Well, we will just have to go later and watch it ride.

I'm in. We've only got nine hours to kill.

Oh, God, we used to do this sort of thing all the time. Remember the time we

decided to go to the mountains and we just left all the dishes on the table

drove all night long?

All day back.

My leg was asleep for a week.

Remember, I didn't move my legs the whole way back because Timmy fell asleep

my lap.

He was always so comfortable with you.

I'm sorry.

Can I get anything?

Yeah.

Grab another bottle of wine from the fridge, would you?

It's all gone.

You okay?

Yeah, I... Everything reminds me. I know.

I mean, when I wake up in the morning, I think I'm to make him breakfast.

Or I'm supposed to drive him to school.

How's Tony handling it?

He's fine. Is he?

I've heard Fran almost every night.

Heard what?

Arguing, things breaking.

I've been waiting for you to come to me.

He's been drinking.

Tony's not a drinker. He's on his second bottle of wine right now, just about to

start his third. Or haven't you noticed?

Fran, you need help.

Let me help you. No!

No, wait.

It's all right.

If you just let us, we can help you. We understand the pain that you're...

Don't! Don't say you understand, because, Joanne, you can't. I loved him,

Well, I was Timmy's mother, not some nice lady next door.

His mother!

Look, I'm sorry.

Don't be.

You've heard the argument.

Do you think he's beating her?

No. Tony? Come on, Joe. We've known these people for years.

The clock on the table was smashed.

Well, maybe he's beaten the clock.

That is not even remotely funny.

Look, Joe, honey.

Tony is not abusing Fran, okay?

He's drinking? I would be, too. They lost their only son.

They're having screaming matches?

Maybe it's put a strain on their marriage. Short of the thought of losing

can't begin to imagine what that feels like.

I just wish I could talk to her.

About the baby you made?

Yes, about the baby, about everything.

You will.

But when you tell Fran you're pregnant, you cannot tell her what we're thinking

about doing.

I can't even ask her her opinion?

No. Why? Because you can't, Joe. It's just not done.

It carries a five -year prison sentence, so if we're going to do this thing, you

have got to keep it to yourself.

I will.

Well, the ultrasound went fine.

Your child takes a good picture.

Did you do PGS?

You'll be happy to know the prenatal genetic screen should know hemophilia,

anemia, or genetic mutations or deformities.

You're going to have a healthy, happy baby.

Do you want to know if it's a boy or girl?

No,

I think we want to be surprised. Don't you, sweetheart?

Oh, absolutely.

Well, I can keep a secret.

We'll schedule another ultrasound in about three months, but otherwise... Was

there anything in the PG, whatever it is, that could indicate how tall he's

going to be?

How tall he's going to be.

Mr. Sharp, I cannot and will not discuss genetic alteration of your child. No,

no, no, no, no. I'm just asking.

I can repair major genetic defects that would seriously impair the quality of

your child's life, yes.

Whether or not he's going to be captain of the football team, I cannot

guarantee. I know, I know. I was just wondering if there isn't some legal

procedure to... No.

Not a legal one.

Well, thank you for your time, Doctor.

Don't do it, people.

I'm sorry, don't do what?

Half the people who come through here obviously intend to have their child

enhanced.

As if life wasn't enough of a miracle for them. And I tell them all the same

thing.

Genetic engineering is illegal for good reason. It can lead to GRS.

And neither I nor anyone else can fix another genetic engineer's code. So if

change your mind... We weren't even considering it. Well, let me finish just

case.

Have you ever seen what a full -blown case of GRS could do to the human body?

We think that the proteins that bond to the altered DNA break down after several

hundred cell regenerations.

can cause deformities and mutations.

They're already responsible for 3 % of reported crimes. That's going up.

Their capacity for violence grows in step with their physical deformities,

there's no end to it.

They keep changing until they're no longer recognizable as people.

But the odds?

10 ,000 to 1, that's almost astronomical.

Maybe.

But how can you trust those stats when nobody admits to having done the

procedure? I mean, how can they be accurate?

What happens to these people?

They're usually caught by the authorities before they reach the final

And after they're caught, what happens then?

It's not generally known, but law requires that GRS victims be destroyed.

No, I see. But, Mrs. Parkinson, these

limited partnerships are virtually guaranteed to return 17 % after taxes

minimum amount of risk. And the projected earnings are...

Just a moment.

I had them right here. Wait a minute.

Let me tell you, I am buying shares in this LP. It should return 17 % APR after

taxes. The P &E is 14 beta 1.

It's a moneymaker.

Mrs.

Parkinson?

Hey, it's me. I was just wondering if you wanted to go shopping. Oh, Joanne, I

don't think... Fran, you're bleeding.

Oh.

Are you all right? Oh, yeah, yeah, it's fine. It just looks worse than it really

is. What happened?

Well, I was in the kitchen, and I was opening the cupboard, and I... Did Tony

this to you?

Joanne. Fran, you said yourself that Tony's been drinking, and you... No.

Joanne. It just happened while you were knocking, so I think I should really go

put some ice on it. Look, why don't you go ahead, and I'll call you later, okay?

No, Fran.

No, really.

Look, I can't stress enough what a great opportunity this issue is. Yeah, that's

what you told us last time. I know I said that about you.

I know, I know.

But there was no way to predict that they would lose the lawsuit. Now, I can,

however, predict that this company is not involved in any litigation.

Mr.

James, you think about it.

Think about it. I'll call you back. I'll call you back.

Got a second?

Yeah.

Have a seat.

Oh, no.

Don't.

Don't what?

Can't fire me now, Ty. My wife just found out she's pregnant for crying out

loud. Howard, calm down. You're ten steps ahead of me here. Well, am I

Am I?

Yeah. You can't do it, Ty. My numbers are too good. They used to be good.

they haven't changed.

I know, Howard, but they've changed. They've blown the curve. These kids,

they're... Twenty -five, twenty -three, for God's sake.

You should see the volume they turn over.

I'll bring them up.

I'll work some more hours.

You have got to at least give me the chance to try. It's not up to me, damn

I didn't decide this.

How you doing?

I'm okay.

You hungry?

This is almost ready.

No.

Are you sure?

I mean, you just lost your job, Howard.

That's why I'm sure.

If I'm obsolete, what'll happen to our son when he's my age?

Unless we go through with this thing, he'll be a second -class citizen.

You are not obsolete.

Joanne, it's not because I didn't work hard enough or because I messed up.

I got let go because I wasn't good enough.

Somewhere along the line it happened, without our knowing it. What happened?

Well, there's two kinds of people in the world now.

It's a matter of evolution, and we're about to become extinct.

Howard, you're upset.

Maybe we should wait.

Wait until it's too late to save our son from what happened to me, or worse?

We've been assuming that we can't have a wonderful, healthy, happy child on our

own. I mean...

Who's to say we can't?

You're the one that wanted to do this.

Well, what about GRS?

The fact is, our son has a 1 in 10 ,000 chance of turning into a monster if we

go through with this.

And no chance at a future at all if we don't. We have to. No, Howard, we don't

have to.

We might be able to have a...

wonderful, handsome child without altering it. No, look at us. Look at who

are.

I'm not ashamed of who we are. I am.

I am ashamed, Joanne.

I can't keep up.

Everywhere I look, there's one of them.

Let me tell you, I am inferior to them.

It's just a fact.

I don't want my son to be.

I say we call our Kelly in.

What do you say?

Now, Joanne, I want you to breathe deeply.

Stay perfectly still.

This is only going to hurt a tiny little bit, and then it's over.

Now, all I'm doing is introducing the retroviruses that carry the engineered

genetic material into the amniotic fluid.

It'll be over before you know it.

All done.

That's it?

That's it.

The lion's share of my work is in the assembly of the gene package.

Mother Nature will take care of the rest.

Go on.

Is there anything else we should know?

Nothing at all.

I just want you to put this room...

Put me, this procedure, entirely out of your mind from this day forward.

Thank you, Mr. O 'Callaghan.

Beautiful baby boy. Yes, we are.

Believe me, you won't regret it.

But if you do happen to change your mind, well, the procedure is only

for 21 days. After that... Well, why would we want to change our minds?

Exactly.

Why would you?

Take your time. There's no rush.

When you want to leave, just knock and Mr. Stark will show you out.

All right?

What was that?

Was that Tony shouting?

Stephen called the police.

Oh, John, I'm not going to call the police just because Tony's raising his

voice. No, Howard, you didn't see her the other day. She had a big gash across

her face.

Well, I'm not going to let him do that to her.

Stop.

You should still go over there.

None of our business.

Howard. They're our best friends.

Which is exactly why I don't think that Tony would physically hurt Fran. Come

on, you know him.

Yeah, I guess.

Good. Now, I got an early meeting tomorrow, so I think right now we should

some sleep, okay?

well right now but leave your name

Joanne, it's impossible.

It was him.

It was no accident. He developed GRS.

The eyes.

They were in so much pain.

It was Timmy, I know it.

We went to his funeral.

We stood over his casket.

We never saw the body, Howard.

What?

They were supposed to go on vacation.

They insisted that we go alone.

So they could fake their own son's death?

We sat through his service. We laid him in the ground. They bribed the funeral

home. They had to.

Listen to yourself.

They couldn't tell us.

They couldn't tell anyone. They had no choice.

Honey, you're pregnant. Your hormones are all over the place. Oh, for God's

sakes.

Just go over there.

Okay.

Okay.

You make you feel better, I'll go.

No, no, no, no, no, no, no. I want you to... Don't you recognize me? I know it.

Jo, I want you to stay. I want... Fran!

Tony!

Who is it?

It's us, Howard and Jo.

Now is not a good time. If you don't let us in right now, we're going to call

the police.

I know it's none of our business, but it sounded like the seventh circle of hell

here last night.

What are you and Tony arguing about so much?

Fran.

What are they doing in here?

Thought we were friends.

If you're my friend, you'll stay the hell out of this.

For God's sake, Tony, we're worried about you.

Howard. How'd this happen?

I tipped it over.

We're having trouble, Howard. I was drinking.

I want to see him.

What are you talking about?

Timmy, I want to see him. Timmy is gone, Joanne. For God's sake, that is not

funny. No, it's not.

You'd both better leave.

Now.

Don't think I won't throw you out. I saw him this morning from the basement

window.

I know he's in the house. I know he has GRS. Don't lie to me.

We won't say anything.

No.

Oh, please.

I just want to sleep.

Go home, Howard.

Please.

Could you just tell him that I am...

Mom?

I heard Auntie Jo.

She has to go now, sweetheart.

Auntie Jill?

I'm here, Timmy.

Why'd you move away?

We didn't want to.

We had to.

You didn't say goodbye.

Oh, I'm so sorry. We wanted to.

Don't go near him.

Okay, honey.

I got it.

Here.

Did you?

Timmy, stay here, okay?

No, no, no.

Timmy, Timmy.

Timmy, let's go downstairs.

Okay, I'll spend some time with you.

Okay.

Sweetheart. But I really miss her.

Mom.

I know.

to do it tonight.

I don't want to see it, buddy.

Okay.

It's Fran.

Joanne, forgive me.

I have to hear you say you won't tell anyone.

Try again, Howard.

We just didn't know what else to do.

You know what they do to GRS victims, don't you?

They destroy them.

Animals. What are you going to do?

I don't know.

We keep hoping that it won't get any worse.

I mean, at first we could manage it. You should have told me, Fran.

Oh, Joanne, I know, I know. You really cared for Jimmy.

No.

That's not why you should have told me.

Timmy? Timmy?

Timmy? This has got to stop, son.

You can't keep going out and hurting people.

Timmy?

You come out, right now, and listen to me.

Leave me alone.

I don't want to have to lock you down here all the time.

But I will if I have to. Go away. Now you listen to me.

You lied to me about Auntie Jo.

Sometimes grown -ups do things that don't make a lot of sense.

Liar!

Liar!

We didn't want you to get your feelings hurt, son.

Liar!

Why don't you just come out from wherever you're hiding and we can talk

it.

You didn't do it.

Did you?

Oh, Joanne.

Please tell me you didn't make the same mistake as Tony and I did.

Mr. R. Kellyanne?

Oh, thank God. Hi.

It's Howard Sharp. Listen.

We need you to undo the procedure right now.

Well, I don't care if you have a dinner date. We want the procedure undone now.

I'm sorry.

Mr. R. Kellyanne, please.

Yes, we're certain.

We can be there in 15 minutes.

We'll take him right now.

God's sake, Howard, drive!

Markelian is expecting us.

You're doing the right thing,

Joe.

He did it. He's the only one who can undo it.

Sharp, if your husband tells me you want to... Reverse it. Stop it, yes.

But why?

I mean, it cost you a small fortune to have it done. It doesn't matter.

Just do it. I can't wait any longer.

All right.

You get undressed. I'll be back in a moment.

reversed quite easily, in fact.

I have a solution that will undo the chemical bonds in the altered DNA.

Of course, now you realize I'm going to have to charge you for this procedure as

well. We understand. Just do it.

Okay, Joanne.

It's going to hurt a little more than the last time.

Ready?

You want him to hurt you.

No!

Here he is.

Your little boy is back from his very first bath.

He must be so proud.

Look at him. He's just perfect.

Yes, he is.

And what we want to become.