Original subtitles

NARRATOR: In the city of Betaville, in the near future,

the technology we developed confronts us.

The science we created seduces us.

But will our dreams of tomorrow be turned into a nightmare?

Welcome To Paradox.

[music playing]

NARRATOR: Be careful what you wish for.

Nothing is impossible anymore.

[music playing]

If Betaville demands one thing, it's conformity.

And if you're different, rebellious, or troubled,

they'll demand you enter a clinic

that deals with your rage.

Jane and Rita, two castoffs.

[laughter]

They have nothing in common except the room

that they've been forced to share.

Sometimes when you lose your way,

it takes a stranger to help you find yourself.

[music playing]

[playful screaming]

[laughter]

[music playing]

WOMAN: Jane, are you in there?

Jane?

You damn freak.

[music playing]

[music playing]

Good, you're awake.

We're just a little farther, and we'll have you settled in, OK?

[music playing]

Madge, what the hell is this?

This is your new roommate, Rita.

RITA: Don't you bring her in here.

Don't bring her in here.

Rita, behave yourself.

You're not the only angry girl on the floor.

RITA: A thin skin?

You're sticking me with a fricking thin skin?

DR. G: Rita, please.

Get a grip on yourself.

I don't want her in here.

You said I didn't have to have anyone else in here with me.

I didn't make up the room assignment.

RITA: You can't do this to me.

And you can't tranq me without cause.

I know the rules.

This is my room.

She can't do that, can she?

Rita, take a deep breath.

This isn't the end of the world, OK.

[music playing] Just

She's a hard case, that one.

[beep]

You shouldn't be in my room.

I don't want you.

And if you give me any hassle, I'll hurt you.

Do you hear me?

I will hurt you.

[music playing]

[laughter]

You're laughing at me thin skin?

[laughter]

Nobody laughs at me.

Nobody.

[laughter]

[shock]

[music playing]

Behave yourself, Rita.

[music playing]

I swear I'll hurt you.

[music playing]

[beep]

[door slam]

[music playing]

[beeping]

Did she wake up?

What'd you people give her?

[music playing]

[door closing]

You see something you don't like?

I don't like thin skins.

New arrivals, screaming and crying that they

don't belong with us crazies.

Shaking all the time, and going off if you just say boo.

It gets old real fast.

Where do you think you're going, anyway?

[music playing]

I'm Rita.

I'm Jane.

DR. G: Now, Jane, this is what we call guided imagery.

[beep]

Now, I think we all try to understand how the past leads

us to do the things we do.

And the first step to understanding is remembering.

[beep]

[music playing]

DR. G: Maybe we could start with the time

before you started hurting yourself.

You could go there, and just remember how you felt,

what was different about it.

Does that make sense?

Good.

Now, usually the best way is to find a specific event,

and just go from there.

Can you think of one?

I don't know.

Jane, look, you just, you need to try and relax.

OK?

No one here is going to hurt you.

DR. G: Jane, I know how hard this must be for you,

but if we can discover what changed and why,

then maybe we can find our way back

to a time when you were simply alive,

and didn't have to prove it.

OK?

OK, good.

Give it another try.

[music playing]

[gasp]

[music playing]

[gasp]

[music playing]

[gasp]

[music playing]

[gasp]

[music playing]

[gasp]

[music playing]

[whine]

[music playing]

[whimper]

[music playing]

[crying]

[music playing]

Jane, can you tell me what you were feeling just now?

Jane?

Nothing.

Nothing.

So how are the two of you getting along?

Me and Jane?

Yeah, does she talk to you?

If you mean, does she relax when she's

with the rest of us mentals?

Then, no, Dr. G. I guess she isn't

communicating well at all.

Rita, I'm just asking for your help.

Is that a reason to get angry?

Maybe they don't talk on whatever planet she's from.

Did you ever think of that?

Look, there's all kinds of ways to respond

to the same problems.

You can hit out at people as though they have

no feelings of their own, or you can

do the same thing to yourself.

Then it's true what they're saying about her?

You feel so disconnected, either the world is unreal

or you are.

You do things to find out if anyone is there.

What?

DR. G: What are you looking at?

Did you sow that yourself?

DR. G: Yeah, why?

Nice job.

DR. G: And that's it?

Just-- when they first brought me in here I remember

grabbing onto it in my head.

I don't know why.

You never told me that before.

I don't know why I am now.

You know, Rita, if Jane does try talking to you,

you know, it wouldn't hurt to listen.

No, you're the doctor.

You listen.

You know, you might have more in common than you think.

I don't even know if she's there half the time.

I probably won't know she's gone until two days after.

Rita, have you ever thought that maybe you

might be the first to leave?

[music playing]

RITA: I hate when he does that.

Why does he always have to talk about me leaving?

Just say no.

I can't keep saying no forever.

TERRY: She did it to herself, you know.

Why do you think she's in here?

This isn't a plastic surgery ward.

TERRY: Except, I didn't think anyone had the guts

to do that to themselves.

I didn't think she'd get past the first leg.

I heard Madge the Badge talking to one of the student

nurses about it last night.

So unless the meaning of self-inflicted

has changed while I've been in here.

No Brain Jane is sicker than we are.

We're not sick.

Stop your squirming and sit still for a minute, girl.

You like something I like to bate a hook with.

[beep]

[beep]

[door opening]

30 minutes, Rita.

[beep]

[door closing]

You're looking good.

Suze, this is my ah, new roommate, Jane.

Nice to meet you.

Shake her hand, you freak.

Shut up, Rita.

RITA: Shake her hand or I'll do a lot worse to you

than you've done yourself.

SUZE: Rita!

Who the hell do you think you are blowing her off like that?

- Back off. - What are you doing?

Get off of me.

What is wrong with you?

She can't treat you like that.

I mean, you try to be nice to the freak

and look what happens. - But I don't care.

I don't even know her.

I came here to see you.

Besides, she must be hurt pretty bad.

It's not about me and you.

Screw her, everybody's hurt.

So we try to be nice to each other to make up for it.

What, like you coming here to see me?

Grow up, Rita.

Cause if that's why you came here,

then you can just forget it.

You can just turn around and walk out.

Suze, please.

[beep]

I'll see you next time.

[beep]

[door closing]

RITA: This is all your fault, do you hear me?

Nobody wanted you in here.

You don't belong, but I put up with your crap.

I even introduced you to Suze, and what do you do?

You're too good to shake hands with her, is that it?

You think maybe you're better than her?

You're nothing.

You got Suze upset, and Suze never gets upset.

Your some kind of freak is what you are.

[crying]

I'm sorry.

What the hell have you done?

I'm so sorry.

You're lip, what have you done?

I didn't mean it.

I'm sorry.

I'm sorry.

[crying]

Somebody, get in here quick.

[music playing]

No.

She was there, Jane, in my field.

How did she get there?

What are you talking about?

What I'm talking about is this, this, these machines.

You're putting things in my head.

You are making me see things.

Rita, it doesn't work that way.

The equipment is used just to see what's going on inside you.

Look, she was there.

She was in my special place.

I don't want her there.

I never told her to start chewing on her damn lip.

It's not my fault.

Rita, no one said what happened to Jane

was your fault.

Yeah, well-- ever since she got put in my room

everything has gone wrong.

DR. G: What happened to Jane is not your responsibility.

She was hurting herself long before--

That's not the way Madge sees it.

She says I've been more disorderly since Jane got here.

She says, I keep it up, I'll get sent to the perm ward.

Well then, quit playing Madge's game.

You get your act together, Rita.

Start acting like a real human being,

and the Madge's of this world will not be able to hurt you.

It's your choice how you want to act, with Madge, with Jane,

and most of all with yourself.

[music playing]

Thanks for the lecture, Doctor.

When's the last time you got tranq'ed for anti-social

behavior?

[music playing]

DR. G: Rita, we're not finished.

[door slams]

TERRY [Singing]: Franken Jane feels no pain,

Franken Jane feels no pain.

Shut up Terry Louise.

Excuse me honey, I meant to say Princess Jane, so insane.

Shut up.

She nearly bit her lip off, and she

didn't even know she'd done it.

Why don't You tell me another seven times.

She practically chewed it off.

I could see her teeth right through it,

and her tongue was all dark red.

Shut up, Rita.

She can't feel it, any of it.

And you were right, she did that other stuff to herself

too, to her own self.

It's sick.

How could anyone do that and not feel it?

It's sick.

Fascinating.

Have you run any specific neuro-chem procedures

on this patient, Doctor?

Thought she was just another crazy, mm?

I'd have thought the same when I was just starting out.

We were treating her for depression,

and she was showing signs of improvement until--

Oh, I'm afraid all that's going to change now.

We'll run some cerebral diagnostics and--

You can't perform any specialized testing

without the patient's consent.

That's not going to be a problem,

is it Doctor Giancarlo?

DR. G: Jane, you realize that your participation

in this testing is strictly voluntary?

JANE: Yes.

DR. G: Now, please understand how important this is,

and no one here's ever had the opportunity

to examine congenital insensitivity to pain.

It's a rare condition, and we just want

to know all we can about it.

I'm not a lab animal.

DR. G: No, Jane, your not, and no one

here will ever treat you like you are.

You're a person with an unusual biological condition,

and with your help, we can learn so much more.

DR. G: Not only about your condition,

but other imbalances that might seem just the opposite.

And the pain and the rage that traps so many other young women

in here, and outside too.

DR. G: Now, I promise that no one will hurt you.

I mean--

I know what you mean, Doctor.

Well, then I just need you to sign this release.

RITA: Jane.

Why are you doing this?

You think Novak's a walking nightmare.

Dr. Novak is one of our best research neurologists, Rita.

And I won't have you scaring Jane out of the best chance

that she's got.

Best chance, huh?

Then why'd you write a letter about Novak to the board

last year?

Who did you hear that from?

One of the nurses.

DR. G: Dr. Novak's research is very important and worthwhile,

and I would encourage any of my patients

to participate in it, including Jane, if she's willing.

I know where took her.

Know you don't. OK, where?

Come on, spill.

East wing.

That's impossible, they're tearing down the east wing.

Demolition got pushed back another year,

so they turned over the wing to the research

division for special projects.

I saw Madge taking her over there last night.

Did you see what they're doing to her?

I can't get past the door.

Restricted access.

[beep]

[door opening]

[music playing]

Hey.

Hey, Jane, what's it like where they took you,

and what are they doing to you?

Stuff, tests.

About what I said, I'm sorry.

Forget it.

RITA: I didn't mean to hurt you.

Nobody can hurt me.

That comfortable, lying on your back like that?

You get a pretty good view of the ceiling, huh?

I guess.

When I was little, there was this big field down the road

where the grass grew up as high as my waist.

I used to run through it with my arms

out so the wind would pick me up and fly me away.

And when I fell down, in the green,

I'd have this whole green world that

was just for me, just mine.

I felt like I was the Queen of the world.

RITA: And then my parents made me

wear shoes that hurt my feet, so I couldn't run anymore.

And I said, I won't, I won't.

My father locked me in the hall closet.

It was dark.

I started screaming.

He took me out, and he started hitting me,

and he wouldn't stop.

RITA: The next day I hung my Christmas doll over his chair

and I set it on fire.

The judge sent me away for spitting at him in court.

He thought I had a bad attitude.

[laughter]

Remembering that field is all I

have left now, except for Suze.

RITA: I mess up with her, I don't know

what I would do with myself.

So I get a little funny sometimes,

but I guess you don't have to shake

her hand if you don't want to.

I saw how she touched you, you know, how she held you.

And I thought how lucky you were to have

somebody touch you like that.

And then she held her hand out to me,

like a spotlight shining in all my deepest, darkest places.

JANE: All the reasons I don't deserve it.

I couldn't take it.

I'd rather spend all day with those doctors

poking wires in me than one second with your friend's

hand in mine.

[music playing]

Where they took you today, poking wires in you,

what are they doing?

JANE: Seeing if they can get me to feel anything.

Not too smart.

Anyway, Tommy G. says since they're not getting anywhere,

they have to stop and go through some whole approval thing

before they can try anything else.

What you said, that you don't deserve people being

nice to you, it's not true.

RITA: You do so deserve it, everybody does.

Thanks.

Here, in case you get thirsty.

[music playing]

Night, Rita.

Good night.

Shh.

Don't wake Rita.

[music playing]

Jane?

Jane?

[beep]

[shock]

[music playing]

Where are you taking Jane?

Just slow down, Rita.

OK, let's start over.

Now, who was it who took Jane?

Just tell me everything you remember.

I don't know what time it was.

They took Jane, Madge and an orderly.

Are you sure you didn't imagine this?

Imagine it?

I had the testing delayed.

I know what I saw.

They can't just take her like that, can they?

Doesn't she have rights?

Jane is a voluntary participant.

So Dr. Novak can just torture her and get away with it.

Things aren't that simple, Rita.

Yes they are. Things are simple.

Jane is a human being and she's my friend,

and you don't give a rat's ass what happens to her.

Look, I'll make sure she's OK.

I promise.

I will go down there right now.

Let me come with you.

Rita--

I'm good with Jane.

She talks to me.

Let me help.

Please.

[music playing]

[beep]

[door opening]

That's a restricted area, you can't go in there.

Thank you nurse, but I'm quite aware of the regulations

in this facility.

[music playing]

No matter what you see down there,

you let me do all the talking.

For Jane's sake, you've got to control yourself,

you understand?

[music playing]

[beep]

[door opening]

[door closing]

What the hell is this?

This is a restricted area, Doctor.

What are they doing to her?

You were told to stop the testing until the board

could complete its review.

What is that you really want, to be part of this research?

My god, is that all you can really think about?

I want my patient back.

I'm afraid that's not possible.

Rita!

Stop her.

[beep]

Open it.

Open the door.

You had better talk her out there now.

Or what?

You'll put me in there too?

I'm a doctor, Tommy.

I would never do any thing tojeopardize her well-being.

So why take her out in the middle of the night?

We wanted to see if sleep interruption was a factor,

and to work without your interference.

Jane, talk to me.

I made them stop. I won't let them hurt you.

I'm not hurting, not yet.

Jane, listen to me.

JANE: Pain keeps you safe, because it hurts.

You know something's wrong.

It's how you stay alive.

How you stay whole.

You don't have to do this anymore.

You can just tell them you want to stop.

You can still manage her therapy, keep an eye on her.

Imagine if we could find the key to unlock the brain

chemistry of these poor girls.

Wouldn't it be worth it?

Oh, yeah, wouldn't it?

When I can feel a touch, or a kiss,

I can feel your arms around me, I can see my days stretching

out here while they forget, and leave the heat on too long just

to see me not knowing, till I can smell my own skin burning.

And they hate me for it, because I didn't make them stop.

Cause I know this thing about themselves

and what they're capable of.

They'll never let me go now, Rita.

Tell them-- tell them like you just told me.

You can make them stop.

I can't, I can't.

I just keep thinking, they'll find a way

to hurt me like they want to.

And then I'll be OK.

I'll be safe, like everybody else.

I won't have to be alone anymore.

Jane is the professional opportunity of a lifetime,

and you don't have the slightest idea what to do with her.

But I do.

Now, go talk your other patient out of there, and get out.

[music playing]

Jane.

Jane.

DR. G: Rita.

Rita, open the door, let me help.

Jane. DR. G: Rita, please.

Rita.

[beep]

[door opening]

You have to let her go now.

I understand, she's your friend, and I

understand your concerned.

But believe me, we're not doing anything

that can harm her in any way.

What do you call this?

A wire shorted out a sensor, that's all.

She didn't feel a thing.

That's a bunch of crap.

I'm afraid you're going to have to leave.

No, not without Jane.

You told me to let you in so that you could help.

Rita, please, we have to go.

DR. G: Jane is Dr. Novak's patient.

She's under her care now.

No.

[shock]

Maybe they transferred her somewhere else.

You don't know that.

You didn't see what they were doing to her.

Oh, get real.

This place is tough, but they're not murdering patients.

How come nobody knows where she is?

Because nobody knows anything around here.

[music playing]

JANE [VOICEOVER]: If they hurt me, I can be real.

Not a freak, not a freak.

[music playing]

Where's Jane?

Rita--

You saw what Novak was doing to her.

We both saw it.

Rita, just calm down.

Well, what's happened to her?

Where is she?

I don't know, she's not my patient anymore.

Stop jerking me around.

You're afraid Novak will use her clout and get you fired,

and that's all you can think about.

You know, Rita, you're coming this close to being

a permanent fixture around--

Hey-- excuse me Doctor, but aren't you the one who

told me that I was supposed to be supportive

of my fellow patients?

Well then, if Jane, who is not your patient anymore,

is still alive, then she might still be down there.

And we're not talking about any ordinary young lady here,

Doctor, we're talking about a patient

with an unusual condition, and a doctor

who's important and worthwhile research

is the best chance she's got.

It must be what she's doing to her right now, helping her,

so she can help other people.

What do you expect me to do?

Not you, we, you and me.

Rita, I have no clearance to get into the east wing.

Novak had it revoked.

That won't be a problem.

[music playing]

Madge, got to help me.

I'm really, really sick.

Real quick.

Come on.

Right thumb, right thumb.

[beep]

[door opening]

[music playing]

We got 10 minutes tops, come on.

[music playing]

Oh my god.

Rita, I need to see you one last time.

Don't talk, we're getting you out of here.

No.

Yes, they're going to kill you.

They already have.

You're talking crazy.

Rita, when you're away from Suze, you hurt, don't you?

Of course.

JANE: And when you're hurt, you go to your green place.

Pain is my green place.

It's where I go and they can't get me,

no matter how hard they try.

You don't belong here with all these really crazy people.

Rita.

When I leave, I'm taking you with me.

We'll go to my green place together, you, me, and Suze.

We'll lie on a blanket, we'll eat sandwiches, go for a walk.

We'll get sunburned.

And I'll press my finger against your shoulder,

like this, where your skin is burnt,

and you'll say, ouch, that hurts.

Ouch, that hurts.

DR. G: She's gone, Rita.

What about Novak?

She'll have her day in court, like any other citizen.

You better come see me when you get out.

I'm never getting out of here.

You think they're going to let you out?

I'm not sick.

I'm not crazy.

And I'm not angry about everything

anymore, only what I should be.

So what am I doing here?

[music playing]

Rita [VOICEOVER]: I did it, Jane, and you showed me how.

I'm going to do what I told you.

Me and Suze, we'll go out to the country.

We'll be there in the sun, in the green.

We'll get sunburned, it'll hurt, you'll be there with us.

[music playing]

Society shut her out, and the government locked her away,

but all that Rita really needed was

a stranger's friendship to find the courage to face the world.

Welcome To Paradox.