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(suspenseful dramatic music)

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- [Sarah] No voice sounding.

No touch of human hand.

No face with blooming flesh.

No lips, nor eyes, are in that land.

I know it not a soul, nor dost thou.

All is a blank before us.

All waits undreamed of in that region,

that inaccessible land.

(eerie dramatic music)

- Twitch.

Consent.

Sunset.

Vanilla bean.

Peacock.

Meadow.

Domineer.

Twitch.

Consent.

Sunset.

Vanilla bean.

Peacock.

- [Sarah] Where am I now?

(elevator door rattles)

- [Henry] And we'll be able to, uh,

speak with the, uh.

- The deceased? No.

No, not exactly, Mr. Nichols.

We're not reaching into an astral plane

or into the afterlife here, no.

Our technology at HDTA allows us

to simulate human consciousness.

In this case, your wife's.

- [Henry] Like AI?

- AI is incapable of giving meaning

to its calculations and its predictions.

Our simulations operate using personal experiences

and memories, not, not algorithms.

- Henry, this is who you wanted to see.

- I know, I know.

And this, uh, this?

- We call them Whisperers.

- He's good?

- Dr. Caul? Oh yes, he's our very best.

(eerie dramatic music)

Here he is.

- It's a pleasure to meet you.

- Afternoon.

- Doctor of what exactly?

- Psychology and parapsychology.

- Parapsychology?

You mean like ghosts and seances?

- Yes. I find that it compliments my doctorate

in neuroscience quite well.

Should we begin? - Mm-hmm.

- Mr. Nichols, when I start,

I'll be reciting a series of primer words.

- What words? - Words of meaning

are used to primer and guide,

if you will, the simulation.

- Words serve as a sort of phase-lock.

Meadow, domineer, twitch, consent,

sunset, vanilla bean, peacock.

- Peacock?

- Mm-hmm.

- These words meant something to Mrs. Nichols?

- Well, that's really something

that only Mr. Nichols can speak to.

- These are merely words that carry

a certain amount of trackable data.

For us these words will help us conduct a better interaction

between you and the simulation.

- Our minds create a flowing stream of thought,

but in a simulation, it's much more like a torrent.

- They help the simulation stay focused.

- Precisely. And any deviation from these words

will negatively impact the entire process.

Also, you must avoid any reference to the here and now.

- Here and now?

(sighs) Fellas, I thought I was just talking to my wife.

- You'll be speaking to a simulation

of your wife's consciousness.

And it may seem real, but I assure you

this is not her spirit or her soul.

It's just a feedback loop of ones and zeros.

Do you understand?

(soft suspenseful music)

(suspenseful dramatic music)

(eerie dramatic music)

(box warbling)

(box beeping)

(eerie music)

(Rachel rambling faintly)

- [Rachel] Running through, running on the beach.

Too much sand, Henry hates sand.

I can't stand. It's like he's strutting around like a peacock.

I mean a fucking peacock- - Meadow. Domineer.

- Twitch, consent, sunset, vanilla bean, peacock.

(static warbles and hisses)

(Rachel rambling faintly)

- Rachel?

- [Rachel] What is he doing here?

(Rachel speaking indistinctly)

Henry?

- [Henry] It's me, babe.

- [Rachel] Henry, what are you doing here?

Faithfulness, spineless heel, sleeping around.

Yeah, that's him all right.

- I just wanted to hear your voice.

- [Rachel] You can hear my voice anytime.

- I know. I've missed you.

- [Rachel] Is everything okay?

I can't stand you. I can't stand you.

- Everything's fine.

- [Rachel] I would leave but I don't even know were I would go.

- Rachel, there are some things

I didn't get to say to you before you-

(Rachel speaking indistinctly)

- [Henry] I hope you know that I love you.

(Rachel speaking indistinctly)

- [Rachel] Sleeping around.

Of course I do.

But Henry, you're starting to worry me.

- I hope that you know that if I ever hurt you,

it was never my intention.

- [Rachel] Never my intention to hurt me but you did...

Henry, I don't know what this is about.

But can it wait until I get home?

We can talk then.

- [Henry] Home? You can't, you're-

(box rattling) - [Rachel] I'm what?

(static crackling)

I can't feel my hands. (gasps)

Corpse, death is death!

(box crackling) Where am I, where am I!

I don't understand what's happening to me.

Henry? Henry, where am I?

Let me out of here!

- Meadow, domineer, twitch,

consent, sunset, vanilla bean, peacock.

(intense dramatic music)

- Where is she? Where's my wife?

- Mr. Nichols, your wife is deceased.

- That was my wife.

- No, as we already told you,

that was nothing more than a simulation.

Your wife is gone.

- Shut up!

What happens to her now?

- I'm afraid that's classified.

- [Henry] Roger?

- Mr. Nichols, I am sorry for your loss.

- Go fuck yourself. You creep.

(Roger sighs)

- A peacock?

- Mr. Nichols bought his wife a peacock pendant.

An apology gift for the first time he was caught

being unfaithful.

- You'll be hearing from us.

(ominous music)

(ominous music continues)

(switch clicks)

(device warbles)

(device crackles and whooshes)

(somber music)

(somber music continues)

- Franklin.

- Ellis.

- Got a minute?

- Sure.

- It's beautiful up here.

I'd like to think that all those twinkling lights down there

are all HTDA devices. (chuckles)

Too much competition for that to be true though, right?

- I don't like Nichols.

- All right, don't have to worry about him.

He's taking his deep pockets elsewhere.

- I'm sorry.

- You more than anyone knows

how important this Auburn project is.

It could fundamentally reshape the entire process

of the justice system.

But Franklin, if you need time off.

- No, no.

I'm fine.

- Okay.

Franklin, the DOJ is doing psych evals

on all the HTDA senior staff.

It's mandatory.

(ominous music)

(pills rattle)

(ominous music continues)

(ominous music continues)

- [Becca] I can't believe you're making me

call the home phone.

Answer your texts, like a normal person.

Pop, it's coming up on a year.

I know it's hard for you.

It's hard for me too.

Look, text me or just call me like a psychopath or whatever.

Just talk to me. Don't make me ambush you.

Love you.

(ominous music continues)

(ominous music continues)

(ominous music continues)

(intercom buzzes)

(Caul clears throat)

- Yes?

- [Engineer] Dr. Caul, we're ready for you.

- All right.

- You haven't been involved

in this step for a while, Dr. Caul.

- [Caul] No, I haven't.

- (clears throat) We figured this was important

if you were taking part.

(machine softly whirring)

- Okay, I'm gonna start with Wernicke's area.

(machine whirring)

(machine warbling)

Okay, good.

Now Broca.

(machine whirring and warbling)

(Liam speaking distortedly)

Initiate synaptic transmission.

- Dr. Caul, how're we doing today?

- Simulate action potential.

Why are you here?

- Ellis sent me down to observe.

- I'm to be observed?

- The process, observe the process, not you.

If all goes well, the DOJ will be taking a deep dive

into this process so.

- The vesicles able to bridge the cleft

to the postsynaptic neurons?

- [Engineer] Looks like just about all of them.

(Devon sighs)

- This is the youngest person HTDA has ever simulated.

- First juvenile SC.

- Why the son, not the father?

- Mr. Auburn's somatosensory association area

was too badly damaged.

The bullet.

- What does that do?

- [Caul] Tactile senses; touch, temperature.

- And that's important for an SC?

- For a simulated consciousness,

the relationship between the somatosensory association area

and Wernicke's area is very important.

The Wernicke is cognitive language,

comprehension and the like.

We'd know a lot more about that relationship

if we spent more time on research

and less on the vanity projects.

- This is a vanity project?

(Caul sighs)

- Oh, um, we need a release for Prichard.

- The suicide?

- The very few simulations we've done,

there's been no signs of degradation.

It'd be very helpful. - No,

there's no time for research.

We have to prove that this is viable tech.

- You mean monetizable?

- Prichard is getting purged.

There'll be others. Unfortunately.

Ellis wants you to stay focused

and be prepared for tomorrow's dry run.

- Have you been able to contact the mother?

The primer words are incomplete.

One conversation with her would be the key.

- [Devon] We're, we're working on it.

- [Caul] You know how vital

the correct words are to this process.

- It will be okay.

- The greatest lie ever told.

(suspenseful music)

- [Whisperer] For here, there are no tears.

(suspenseful music continues)

(ominous music)

(ominous music continues)

[Whisperer] Franklin, for here is no fear.

(suspenseful music)

(ominous music)

(Caul sighs)

(box whirring)

(ominous music continues)

(machine whirring)

(ominous music continues)

- Nick. - Dr. Caul?

Isn't it a little late for you to be lurking around the office?

- Have you purged Prichard yet?

- Prichard? Ah, I'm not sure.

- How much?

- Why don't we double whatever it was last time?

(device chiming)

Whatever you need, Dr. Caul.

(switch clicks)

(device warbles)

(Devon sighs)

- You sure we need him?

- [Devon] Dr. Caul.

- The device is already set up for you, Dr. Caul.

- The cingulate cortex is absent

from the limbic system routines.

I just wanna say

that unfortunately we're still in the process

of compiling all the information necessary

to complete Liam Auburn's string of primer words.

(Caul clears throat)

(box warbles)

Shall we start?

- Let's.

(static hisses)

(Liam rambling faintly)

- [Liam] Shouldn't be talking to strange men.

(Liam continues rambling faintly)

- Cyan, dice.

- [Liam] We should let me talk to him and find out more.

We should me stay to speak-

- Toast, woods.

(Liam continues rambling faintly)

- Liam?

- [Liam] I don't know. Yes?

- Liam, I am a friend of your father's, James.

- [Liam] Okay.

- Liam, I just wanna ask you a few questions,

if that's okay?

- [Liam] Mom and Dad wouldn't let anything bad happen to me.

Okay. Okay.

- Liam, what were you doing home from school

in the middle of the day on February 12th?

- [Liam] Spring break vacation.

That's why Dad stayed home and Mom went to work.

- And was your dad expecting any visitors?

- [Liam] I don't think so.

We're supposed to go to the comic store.

- [Devon] Liam, do you know if your father

got into any arguments with any other adults,

that you can remember?

- [Liam] Dad fights with Kevin all the time.

Always about how to run the business.

Sometimes it really scares me.

When I'm bigger I'll help back someone into-

- Who's Kevin?

- [Liam] A manager at my dad's shop.

Dad got me for Christmas.

- [Devon] And do they fight often?

- [Liam] Sometimes.

There's no way out, there's no light to guide my way-

- Do you think that Kevin could ever harm your dad?

- [Liam] And how do I get home?

- Or you? - I can't see my hands,

my feet.

I don't know. I don't know, I don't know.

It's cold, it's dark and I want to be home.

- Um, Liam?

- [Liam] Sometimes.

(ominous music)

(melancholic music)

(melancholic music continues)

(phone chiming)

- Hello?

- Uh, this is Dr. Caul from HTDA.

- How can I help you?

- Well, I'm, I'm really, I'm really here to help you.

- My account was resolved.

So if you're coming for more money.

- No, no. No, no, it's not that.

Um, I'm, I'm, I'm here to talk about Adam.

- What about my husband?

I thought HTDA didn't do charity cases.

- Well, there, there's, there's been a shift

ever since the Ehrenfest Foundation

situation last year.

There's now some internal belief

that this technology must be

at, at some point made available to everyone, so.

- Right.

- Mrs. Prichard.

I am with HTDA, but I'm not here for HTDA.

(lock buzzes)

- [Sylvie] Come in.

(door clicks)

Want a copy?

Can't even give 'em away.

- [Caul] Uh, there.

- So?

- Uh, so, um-

There were, uh, certain things in your file

that drew our, my attention.

- Such as?

- Suicide is not as common amongst our clients

as one might think.

There's still a lot that we don't know about the simulations

and a lot we can learn from them.

- So this is a charity case

with an added touch of lab-rat academia.

- Sure.

- Look, I've already moved on from this.

- Uh, uh, Mrs. Prichard.

Mrs. Prichard.

- Sylvie.

- Sylvie.

Everyone deserves a chance to say goodbye.

- Is that why people do this?

- I think so. Yeah.

Closure of one form or another.

- How does it work?

- The device?

Well, our consciousness is comprised of three parts.

Our superego; morality.

Our ego; reality. The id; instant.

And these three parts, they each have a distinct voice.

And these voices, well, they converse

and they combine to, um, well,

to form our consciousness.

And that shapes our thoughts, choices we make.

(sighs) In a simulation, well, these voices,

sometimes they all talk at the same time.

Sometimes to themselves. Sometimes to each other.

This device, well, taps into that.

And we use our primer words to act as a sort of phase-lock,

which allows all of these voices to sort of come together

as one coherent stream of consciousness.

- Has anyone ever wanted to hear

all the voices speaking at once?

- You don't wanna hear everything.

(device clicks)

(ominous music)

You ready?

(dramatic music)

- [Adam] Falling, falling, falling.

It's not worth speaking anymore.

I don't hear myself. No one hears me.

(Adam speaking faintly)

- Cedars. - How has it gotten

to this place? - Attenuate.

Contrast.

(Adam speaking faintly)

- [Adam] Falling away, falling.

Wanna help but no one to help me.

- Affix, fragile.

- [Adam] I don't want help. Wasting, wasting, wasting.

How's it gotten to this?

I wanna make it all better, but-

- Adam? - It's impossible.

I can't be here anymore.

(Adam rambling)

Sylvie? Not here.

She shouldn't be here.

Shouldn't see this.

Shouldn't see me.

Are you okay?

They can't make me do this.

- I've been thinking about us a lot.

- [Adam] Things haven't been great, have they?

(Adam rambling)

- They have not.

What happened?

Where did we veer off course?

- [Adam] I thought it was us

that was broken for the longest time, Sylvie.

(sighs) As it turns out it was me.

A broad statement, but the only time

I ever felt happy was on that trip to Japan.

Letting go. In that little mountain town, Hakone.

The bus pulled into that sleepy street.

The morning fog was still thick.

We found that little diner.

The old lady cooked us udon and curry.

Maybe knowing. Nothing moved outside, Sylvie.

- I remember.

- But outside of that memory,

everything's been chaos.

(device warbling)

A cacophony I can't seem to turn the volume down on anymore.

As long as I'm here. - I understand.

I really do.

(solemn music)

- Did you, um, did you get something from that?

- [Sylvie] I did.

- Closure?

- [Sylvie] Confirmation.

- Okay. Uh, thank you, Mrs. Prichard, Sylvie.

- [Sylvie] Bye, Dr. Caul.

(ominous music)

(box whining)

(ominous music continues)

(dramatic music)

- Cedar, attenuate.

Contrast.

(Adam rambling)

Cedar, attenuate, contrast,

affix.

(Adam continues rambling)

(static crackling)

Cedar, attenuate, contrast,

affix, fragile.

(Adam continues rambling)

Fog.

- [Adam] Hello?

- You can hear me? Good.

I am Dr. Caul.

I'm gonna read you something. (clears throat)

Adam Prichard, son, brother, husband,

died on Tuesday, March the 31st, 2029,

at his home in Metrocalus.

When asked to describe himself in one word,

he chose temeritous.

Born September 5th, 1983, to Jim and May Prichard,

Adam was always known to have his headphones on

and listening to music from across the spectrum of genres.

Turning his appreciation for music into a career,

Adam wrote countless reviews and articles

for a number of music industry platforms.

- [Adam] Enough.

- What, what is not written here?

- [Adam] That I killed myself.

(solemn music)

- Adam, are you aware

that you are not you?

- [Adam] Am I not me?

- No, no, you are a simulated consciousness

compiled from data and raw material

taken from the brain of your deceased body.

- [Adam] Does that not make me who I am?

- Adam, how do you know that you took your own life?

- [Adam] Whether I'm that Adam or not,

it's something I knew I would likely do.

- In my past experiences,

a simulated consciousness tends to, um,

well, deteriorate after it's been active too long.

Experiences a, a form of psychosis.

However, it seems that those who have taken their own lives

don't suffer the same degradation.

- [Adam] And what is it you're looking for, Dr. Caul?

- I don't know.

I'm hoping maybe you can help me find out.

(ominous music)

- [Becca] Dad, you have to speak to me.

Call me back.

Dad, you have to speak to me.

Call me back.

(ominous music)

(phone buzzing)

- Yeah, Devon?

- We got Mrs. Auburn, the mother.

(dog barking) (birds chirping)

(doorbell ringing)

- Mrs. Auburn?

Hi, uh, we're with HTDA.

We spoke yesterday about interviewing you

and processing your home to help us with your son's case?

- Come in. - [Devon] Thank you.

Uh, Mrs. Auburn, uh, thank you so much

for agreeing to speak with us

and giving us access to your home

during this very, very difficult time.

We recognize your hesitance, and I'd like to assure you

we will be sympathetic throughout this entire process.

Okay? Is it okay if we begin?

Great. I am going to record this.

And while you and I are having our conversation,

my colleague is going to look around

your, your beautiful home.

Would that be okay?

(floor creaking)

Um, so Mrs. Auburn, some of these questions,

they, they may be a bit uncomfortable to hear,

but please know that I'm asking them

as a way to, uh, to piece together a, a bigger picture.

A picture that's, well,

that may help catch the person

who committed this heinous crime.

Do you understand that?

- Yes. - Okay.

Okay. Uh, so how long have you lived here?

- [Mrs. Auburn] Well, we bought it shortly after we married.

And Liam came not too long after.

15 years or so.

- [Devon] What kind of child was he?

Was he precocious, was he inquisitive,

was he rambunctious?

- [Mrs. Auburn] He was, Liam was all those things.

- [Devon] How about his relationship with his dad?

- He was a carbon copy of his father.

There was very little that they disagreed on.

I think Liam so wanted to be like his father

that when he had a different opinion,

he would change it to align with his father's.

- Hm. And sports?

Did he have any favorite sports, belong to any clubs?

- [Mrs. Auburn] Archery, like his father.

- Naturally. Naturally.

How about, uh, behavior?

Did, uh, did Liam exhibit any odd behavior,

any, uh, fidgets, any tics?

- These are rather odd questions.

- [Devon] I know. Mrs. Auburn, I'm sorry.

Would, would you like a moment?

- Um, no, I'm, I'm, I'm sorry.

You should continue.

- Uh, so, um, odd behavior?

- Wait, how, how is asking questions

about my son's life gonna help?

- [Devon] Well, uh, we're trying to formulate a picture

of Liam, all of his nuances,

so as to better inform our simulation of your son

so that we can assist with the investigation

to the best of our ability.

- What does it matter?

(ominous music)

- I'm sorry? - What does it matter?

None of this is going to bring Liam back, or my husband.

- No. No, it won't.

But, uh, I'm not sure if you're aware of our technology--

- Fully aware of what your technology does,

but it doesn't matter, that's not Liam in that box.

It's just a remnant, an echo.

- But don't you wanna catch who did this?

The person who did this to your family,

they're still out there.

- What will it change?

My family will still be gone.

I'm trying to move as far beyond this as I possibly can.

Can you understand that?

- Oh, I can. I can, Mrs. Auburn.

And you have my sympathy.

But we need to continue with the interview to ensure

we've gathered sufficient details regarding Liam's life.

(ominous music)

- [Becca] Dad, you have to speak to me.

Call me back.

- [Mrs. Auburn] I'm fully aware

of what your technology does.

But it doesn't matter, that's not Liam in that box.

It's just a remnant, an echo.

It doesn't matter, that's not Liam in that box.

It's just a remnant, an echo.

(ominous music continues)

(suspenseful music)

- [Caul] Adam.

- [Adam] Dr. Caul?

- [Caul] You can call me Franklin.

- [Adam] Okay. Franklin.

Franklin, you don't have a family?

All of this, this experiment takes time.

And I'd imagine some sacrifice.

- Now, you and Sylvie, did you ever consider children?

- [Adam] (scoffs) To bring a child into our chaos

would've been parental negligence from the start.

- You both seem pretty even keel.

- [Adam] It's not all wrecking balls.

Chaos can be quietly destructive too, Franklin.

- Fair enough.

Adam, I'm going to ask you a series of questions,

if that's okay.

- [Adam] That's what I'm here for, right?

- You don't have to answer if you don't want to.

- [Adam] Okay.

(Caul clears throat) (ominous music continues)

- All right.

What do you call the world?

What is your original face?

When you can do nothing, what can you do?

When the many are reduced to one,

what is the one reduced to?

- [Adam] These are koans.

- Yes. Yes, they are.

Have you ever wished you could go to sleep

and never wake up?

- [Adam] Yes.

- How connected did you feel to the people around you?

- [Adam] Oddly, Franklin, I feel more connected

to the ones I love now than before I was gone.

- Can you tell me, um, a little bit more about Hakone?

The stillness?

- [Adam] I've said enough about that.

Let me tell you about the emptiness.

- The emptiness?

- [Adam] There was a day that wasn't particularly different

than any other, but when I got home,

I stood at my kitchen sink.

I just stood there, jacket still on, shoes still on,

still shouldering my bag carrying my laptop.

I think my keys were even still in my hand.

It wasn't until Sylvie came home that I realized

that I had been standing there

for what ended up being three hours.

I looked at that empty sink,

into the black hole of the drain.

I'm sure I cried because my face was wet

when Sylvie touched it.

She said she was scared.

Then she said something comforting to me,

but I couldn't hear her words anymore.

I felt nothing for her fear, or her love.

I just felt empty.

That is if you can feel emptiness.

I went to the office the next day

and during some droning meeting

that's when I realized I didn't care anymore,

about anything.

(ominous music)

(static crackling)

(Whisperer speaking faintly)

- [Devon] For the past two years,

we have been working to secure a government contract.

And now the DOJ has given us that opportunity.

We've all worked very hard for this.

I think that about covers it.

Thank you very much.

Caul.

Caul!

- Yeah.

- Ellis seems to think that you need to be reminded

that this is the most important thing

that we've ever done.

That you've ever done.

- I know.

But not for the reasons you and Ellis think it is.

- (sighs) Fine, Caul.

Just don't derail this. Okay?

And remember your psych eval.

Ellis is insistent.

- [Caul] So, so you, you do feel something.

Can you describe, can you describe it to me?

- [Adam] It feels like a fluid stream, but not like water.

- Mm-hmm, but, but it is a sensation. Is it tactile?

- [Adam] Yes. I don't know.

You're trying to back me into a description

that makes sense to you.

- I'm sorry.

- [Adam] I feel your frustration.

I'm frustrated too.

- We just, you're, you're the first simulation

that, that's gone on this long without degrading.

I just, I just don't understand why.

- [Adam] Maybe I'm not a simulation.

- (scoffs) I don't think that's possible.

- [Adam] Why not?

- Well, I know you, I mean, I made you.

I coded and sourced you.

- [Adam] And here I am talking about my feelings.

What else qualifies me to be among the living?

Aside from the lack of vessel,

am I not a living entity?

- I don't know.

I guess I'm tired of not knowing.

- [Adam] Everything will be okay.

(Caul laughing)

What's so funny?

- Everything will be okay.

It's the, uh, it's the greatest lie ever told.

- [Adam] How so?

- Well, it's, it's what everybody wants to believe,

you know, it's what everybody clings to

as though it's the truth.

But, um, well, more often than not,

everything's not okay.

- [Adam] Franklin, you're a very dour man.

Has anyone ever told you that before?

- Yeah, often.

My wife, she, uh, she would say the same thing.

- [Adam] Franklin? - Yeah.

- [Adam] What happened to her?

- (sighs) I, uh.

(gasps) I told her every, everything would be okay.

(ominous music)

No, please, please wait.

I don't know if I ever told you, um,

but, uh, when I was young,

my father made me stand in a stream in the middle of winter.

Punishment for something, I guess.

He said it was a lesson in the principle

of sufficient reason.

Law of reason and consequence.

It was my first, uh,

my first lesson in psychology.

(ominous music continues)

(Sarah scoffs)

(water sloshing)

(glass clunks)

Please.

Why are you leaving me?

- [Sarah] Where am I now?

(dramatic music)

(intense dramatic music)

(box crackling)

(doorbell chiming)

- [Sylvie] Please. Can I offer you anything?

- No, no. Thanks.

- [Sylvie] So?

- Um, just wanted to, uh,

ask you a few questions about Adam.

If that'd be okay?

Before he killed himself,

did, did you have a sense

the two of you were drifting apart?

- I guess maybe I should have, but when you're in it.

At that point it had been a long time

of Adam and I being distant with one another.

And he told me directly that he was...

I probably wouldn't have heard it.

- Well, I'm sure that's not true.

- Are you? Because you know us so well.

- [Caul] Well, I didn't mean to imply anything by that.

- Yeah, Dr. Caul, I have things to do.

- What would've happened

if it had been the other way around?

If you had gone to Adam and told him you were in pain,

would he have listened?

- I think what happened, happened. Adam wanted out.

Wouldn't have mattered if I tried to stop him.

- But you did, didn't you?

- [Sylvie] Excuse me?

- What did you say to him when you found him in the kitchen?

Huh?

When you saw him crying there by the sink,

what did you say to him?

- How did you? - Please,

just tell me what you said.

- Get out.

- I- I just wanna know what you said.

- Get out now! - I just wanna know

what you said to him.

(dramatic music) (door thuds)

Please.

Please, just tell me what you said.

What did you say to Adam?

Please.

(solemn music)

- It'll be okay.

That's what I said to him.

(solemn music continues)

(ominous music)

- [Caul] Adam.

- [Adam] Franklin.

- I have to ask you a question.

Did you ever think that Sylvie might be at risk?

- [Adam] Why do you ask?

- Well. (lock clicks and buzzes)

- [Adam] Franklin wait, why did you ask that?

(lock buzzes) - It's nothing.

- [Adam] Franklin, for here is no fear. Turn around.

(box crackling)

(static hissing)

(door creaking)

- [Devon] An olive branch by way of grapevines.

- Come on in. I already have one open.

(door creaking)

Ellis tell you to bring me that bottle?

- Nope, nope. I am here on my own volition.

- Mm-hmm. How does that feel?

- I don't agree with everything Ellis says and does, Caul.

- No? - Believe it or not.

Look, where HTDA goes

after this Auburn project, I don't know.

But I do know it is the most important thing right now,

and I think that much we can both agree on.

- But you do see where this is going, don't you?

- I don't.

Consumer products, government contracts.

I. What do you do with something so particularly intimate?

- You see it as something more.

- I didn't say that.

- Devon, we were at a turning point.

We were approaching some sort of technological singularity

and HTDA is treating it like some sort of pocket game.

- Okay. A contract with the DOJ is hardly a pocket game.

- They feel the same emotions as you and I do.

There, there's a, a self-awareness.

You must see that.

What if, just, just consider.

What if we are not so much simulating as, as capturing?

- I don't think that's the case.

I don't, I think, I think our soul, our spirit,

whatever it is you wanna call it,

I think it bursts into a kaleidoscope of energy.

I think it touches those closest to us.

And then that's it.

- Well, I think we should be focusing on what happens

to a consciousness after it's been transferred on--

- Caul, I did not, I did not come here

to debate this with you.

I don't disagree with you, but right now we need to focus

on what will keep the lights on.

And don't let Ellis's stoic aspirations fool you.

We are still very much fledgling.

At least our department is. And this government contract,

it'll keep the lights on for a long, long time.

- And take the research out of our hands, right?

Out of my hands.

- Yes. Maybe so.

- Yeah, hi, is Sylvie there?

(ominous music)

Um.

Uh, no, I'm, I'm nobody.

I'm sorry. Sorry for calling.

(ominous music continues)

(static crackling)

(ominous music continues)

- [Adam] Franklin.

- Yes.

- [Adam] Why did you ask me about Sylvie?

Franklin?

Franklin?

- (panting) Adam.

Sylvie's dead.

- [Adam] What have you done?

- I'm so sorry.

- [Adam] I don't wanna be here anymore.

Don't keep me here.

(ominous music continues)

- [Matthews] We're looking forward to a good show, Ellis.

- Well, it's a little more

than a performance, deputy director.

- Yeah. - Are you okay?

- Yes, Devon, I'm, I'm fine.

Thank you for asking.

- [Matthews] Well, let's get to it then.

- [Ellis] Absolutely.

Gentlemen, are we ready?

- Yes. Yes, of course.

First of all, thank you all very much for coming.

Uh, members of the DOJ, Deputy Director Matthews,

and our member from the prosecution team.

(Devon sighs)

For several years, we at HTDA have provided service

to a purely domestic base in search of closure,

clarification, and comfort.

And as fulfilling as those pursuits have been,

our aim has always been to do more, to be more,

and providing our service to the legal system

could fundamentally balance the scales of justice

for the better.

3:00 PM on a Wednesday, a father and son are murdered

in their quiet middle class suburban home.

Random valuables are taken, no forced entry.

It is our deepest hope here at HTDA

that we can provide clues and confirmation

by simply having a conversation

with the simulation of Liam Auburn, the son.

So, without any further delay, let's proceed.

(device beeping)

(box warbling)

(dramatic music)

(Liam rambling)

- Cyan, dice,

toast, (static crackling)

wood.

(Liam continues rambling)

Attenuate, fog

(static crackling)

And cyan, dice. (box warbling)

Toast.

Wood.

(Liam continues rambling) Arrows, window.

(Liam continues rambling)

- Liam.

Liam, I'm a friend of your father's.

I'd like to ask you a few questions, if that's okay?

- [Liam] Yeah, that's okay.

- Liam, do your parents keep anything

very important in the house?

- [Liam] Like expensive stuff?

- Sure.

- [Liam] My mom has some pretty necklaces,

but she's always making fun of Dad

for having all the money in the world,

but only buying her costume stuff.

(Devon chuckles)

- I mean, do you have keys to your house?

- [Liam] Why would I need those?

- To let yourself in after school.

- [Liam] We never lock our doors.

- Really?

- [Liam] The only door that's ever locked in the house

is my dad's office.

And he's usually in there all the time.

- Liam, did your father ever get into any arguments

with any other adults, that you can remember?

- [Liam] Kevin, Kevin. He wants to hurt Mom and Dad.

Kevin, fighting about how to run the business.

He scares me.

- Who, who is Kevin?

- [Liam] Tell him, tell him what we know.

A man that works at my dad's shop.

- And do they fight often?

- [Liam] Sometimes.

- Liam, do you think that Kevin

could ever harm your dad or you?

- [Liam] Sometimes he's sitting in his car

outside of the house.

He doesn't think I see him, but I do

with my spy binoculars Dad bought me for Christmas

and I see him out there looking at our house.

Yes, I should tell Mom or Dad that he's out there,

but I'm afraid he'll hurt them or me.

But he's a mean man with meaner eyes.

- Liam, Liam, it's okay, we're here for you.

(box crackling)

- [Liam] I wanna go home.

I wanna go home.

I- I wanna go home to see my mom and dad.

- Cyan. - [Liam] I just.

- Dice, toast, woods,

ocean, light.

- [Liam] I wanna be with them.

- Dice, toast, woods,

arrow, windows.

(box crackling)

(suspenseful dramatic music)

(dramatic music)

(dramatic music continues)

- [Becca] Dad, I need to hear your voice.

Tomorrow's the anniversary and I need to know you're okay.

- [Whisperer] Franklin, listen to us.

Hear us, hear us. There is no fear.

(dramatic music continues)

(Whisperer speaking faintly)

(dramatic music continues)

(dramatic music continues)

- [Sarah] Where am I now?

(static crackling)

- [Adam] Franklin.

Please end this.

- What are you?

- [Adam] Whatever I am, I'm in pain.

Please do this for me.

Please, let me be with her.

(lock buzzes)

(static continues crackling)

(box whirring)

- Adam?

(lock buzzing)

(static crackling)

(ominous music)

(Adam rambling)

- Caul!

I am the herald of good news

but I'm not gonna shout it through your door.

(knuckles rapping)

Are you okay?

- [Caul] Yeah, I'm fine.

- Well, aren't you going to invite me in?

- Yeah, sure.

- Okay, great. Let's have a toast here.

(door creaking)

- [Caul] So, Devon, what are we toasting to?

Full termination of the project?

The liquidation of HTDA?

- How about to a three-year trial study

exclusively with the DOJ?

- What? - Mm!

We are no longer taking on consumer facing clients

to keep the lights on.

The government is our one-and-only,

at least for the next three years.

- What about the demonstration?

- Hm, demonstration went off the rail toward the end there,

but the information we got from Liam's SC

proved to be absolutely invaluable.

They said the device could be a strong supplement

toward gathering forensic evidence.

- And my research?

- Your research will have to be

put on the back burner for right now.

But just for right now, Caul.

Oh, come on, you certainly wear excitement

different than most.

Is there something wrong?

- Tomorrow it'll be a year.

- A year for?

(gasps) Oh God.

A year?

I'm sorry, Caul. I did not, I did not realize.

Well, here's to Sarah.

Hm? She would be so proud of the work that you've done.

(Adam speaking faintly)

- [Sarah] Where am I now?

- What is that?

- You can hear that? - Yeah.

Yeah. What is it?

(Adam rambling)

- [Adam] I should be deep in the ground decomposing.

There should be a blank spot in the lives

of those who knew me.

I shouldn't be here. (Adam rambling)

- Caul?

- I need to do research.

We're doing research.

Starting with the Prichard simulation.

- Caul. - What?

What, he was just another SC to you.

You were going to purge him.

- Did you even consider

how his wife might feel about this?

- She doesn't matter anymore.

(Adam rambling)

- Jesus Christ.

Caul, but why?

Why are you doing this?

You, you have to know at some point

you would be able to continue your research.

- Yeah. When, when, huh?

You, you just told me that research

is HTDA's lowest priority.

- But that doesn't make this right, Caul.

What you're doing here is...

Caul, we're on early, unstable ground with the DOJ.

If they find out about any of this, we're-

Caul, you're risking years of work and effort,

and, and resources for, for what?

For what, extracurricular studies? For?

- [Adam] Maybe knowing the end was coming

made the sweet moment sweeter.

We can't do this. - Caul?

- [Adam] We can't stop. We shouldn't be here in the-

- Are you doing this to relieve you of your guilt?

- [Adam] We need to be here for her.

And it seems we need to be here for him.

We can't- - Jesus Christ, Caul.

You cannot do this!

The ethical implications of this.

- Ethical implications?

- [Devon] Yes!

I have to tell Ellis.

You have to get out of this

before we lose everything.

- Ellis will shut me down.

- Yes, Caul, yes.

He will make an example of you.

- [Caul] Wait Devon. (Adam continues rambling)

Devon, wait!

Devon. Devon, please.

Just listen! - No, no, no. You.

Caul, I'm so done.

I am so done with you, with this,

with this fucking insanity.

All I do is protect you and you,

you hold yourself in some kind of higher regard

than the rest of us.

You know, I do hope he makes an example out of you.

I'm done! - What?

- I'm done!

I would prepare for the worst, if I were you, Caul.

(bottle thuds) (Devon grunts)

(Devon thuds) (dramatic music)

(Caul panting)

(ominous music)

(ominous music continues)

- [Whisperer] It'll be okay.

Cedar, rook, attenuate,

contrast, affix.

All of this is for not, Caul.

Cyan, toast, dice, arrows, windows.

Adam is mine. To matter is me.

Twitch, consent, sunset.

As you will be soon be me. Peacock.

It's so simple.

(ominous music)

No longer would you have to live with your pain.

You'd be free.

End your pain.

Your words are meaningless.

It's so simple.

Be with Sarah.

(box crackling) (dramatic music)

Everything. (box warbling)

Will be okay.

(ominous music) (box crashing)

(Caul grunts)

(eerie ominous music)

(dramatic music)

(melancholic music)

(somber music)

(box rattles) (device whirs)

- [Sarah] It's coming in and out of the darkness.

A stillness making my teeth buzz with anxiety.

Anxiety, it's coming for me.

It's coming in and out of the darkness.

(Sarah rambling) (box crackling)

- [Caul] Honeysuckle, ocean,

bridge, gratitude,

flight, anxiety.

(box crackling)

Sarah.

Sarah.

- [Sarah] It comes for me, and only me.

It comes in the night, in the day.

It never leaves me. I just want it to be over,

to be done, to be gone.

(somber music)

- Sarah.

I, uh.

I miss you.

- [Sarah] No map there, no guide,

no voice sounding, no touch of human hand,

no face with blooming flesh,

no lips, nor eyes, are in that land.

I know it not our soul, nor dost thou,

all is a blank before us,

all waits undreamed of in that region,

that inaccessible land.

(somber music)

- Sarah?

(wheel whirring)

(wheel squelching)

(somber music continues)

(Caul sobs)

(somber music continues)

(somber music continues)

(somber music continues)

- [Becca] Dad? Dad!

(footsteps tapping)

Dad, are you home?

Dad?

Dad?

You okay, Pop?

- Why are you here?

- Well, you don't answer my voicemails or texts

I show up unannounced, that's how this works.

Doesn't look like you've changed much.

The house?

- You know, your, your mother,

she believed that when we die,

we enter a, another plane of existence.

That our souls, our consciousness

became unencumbered with physical form.

But if our bodies

are just receptors or receivers

for consciousness, if our consciousness is,

I don't know, broadcast from somewhere else,

the question becomes what happens to it

when there's no body there to receive the signal?

- I don't know, Pop.

It's nice to know that Mom believed

there was something else beyond this.

(Caul sighs)

It's comforting.

What do you believe?

- I don't know.

Maybe nothing.

And after all my work,

my research on death and dying,

as to everything I've learned,

that I'm just more contested

there's just nothing at all after this.

Maybe there shouldn't be.

- Can we not do this?

Not today.

Not on her anniversary.

Do you want coffee?

I want coffee.

(Caul sobs)

- I tried, I tried to save her.

I really wanted to save her.

- Yeah, we all did.

It's not your fault.

Everyone's pain is their own.

Where do you keep the coffee filters? Hm?

- Oh, wait, wait.

Just, just wait for a minute.

(bin lid clangs)

- Are you all right, Pop?

(dramatic music)

- What?

Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine.

- This is a lot of wine bottles.

Maybe you should ease up a bit.

It'll be okay.

(dramatic music continues)

Dad?

Dad!

(ominous music)

Dad!

(phone buzzing)

- [Whisperer] Where am I now?

(ominous music continues)

- [Psychologist] Thank you for coming. Dr. Caul.

Dr. Caul, uh, we're gonna start.

Um, I'm gonna ask you a series of questions,

which you're not obligated to answer,

but the more you do,

the better we can assess you.

You understand?

Okay. Let's start.

Uh, how long have you been an employee

at Haptic Transitional Diagnostic and Attunement?

- [Caul] 11 years.

- In that time, have you taken regular vacations?

- [Caul] No.

- [Psychologist] Have you suffered a recent loss?

Is there a history of mental illness in your family?

- Um.

Hm, my father.

He, uh, he suffered

from schizoaffective disorder.

- [Psychologist] Mm-hmm.

- God, he was a brilliant man.

- [Psychologist] Excuse me?

- My father was, he was brilliant.

He was a physicist.

First thing he taught me, was the, uh,

the principle of sufficient reason.

He killed himself.

- [Psychologist] How old were you?

- Ten.

(Psychologist sighs)

- [Psychologist] Do you think

this had a lasting impression on you?

(Caul sighs)

- Um.

I used to think grief was, um-

Grief is a, it's a, it's a whisper.

- [Psychologist] Say again.

- I used to think grief was something

that you had cured.

- [Psychologist] Mm-hmm.

- You, you healed from.

Um, that, that you got fixed.

- [Psychologist] And now?

What is, what is grief to you now?

- Something you live with.

(solemn ominous music)

(solemn ominous music continues)

(solemn ominous music continues)

(solemn ominous music continues)

(solemn ominous music continues)

(solemn ominous music continues)