0:06

Come on, pick up

0:08

already. Hey, it's Brian.

0:10

Don't leave me a

0:13

message. Just text me.

0:15

Brian, can you just...

0:18

Just pick up the

0:20

phone. I've called you

0:22

a dozen times now

0:24

and likely sent

0:26

50 texts. We have

0:28

to talk. What the

0:30

hell, Brian? What am

0:32

I supposed to do now?

1:01

Hi, do you have an appointment?

1:04

No, I'm looking for Brienne.

1:06

Brienne Scanlon? She works here.

1:08

You're not some crazy ex-boyfriend

1:11

or anything, are you? Definitely not.

1:13

Her father and I have been trying

1:16

to get a hold of her, and

1:18

well, we're worried about her. Well, I'm

1:20

sorry, but I can't help you. Look,

1:22

I really need to talk to

1:24

her. Not to sound too

1:26

dramatic, but it's kind of

1:28

a life-or-death-or-death thing. I mean I

1:30

can't help you. As in, I don't

1:33

know where Brienne is. She's missed our

1:35

last two shifts. No call, no show.

1:37

Oh, shit. You're telling me. Now I'm

1:39

sorry, but like I just said,

1:42

we're short-staffed, so unless that life

1:44

or death thing you have going

1:47

on is something this hospital can

1:49

help with, I'm going to have

1:51

to ask you to leave. Right. Sorry.

2:06

Were you followed? No, I...

2:08

Who the hell are you?

2:11

Who else knew you were

2:13

meeting here? I... I don't

2:15

understand. Oh my God. I

2:17

know Anderson gave you my

2:20

journals. By now you know

2:22

I haven't exactly lived a

2:24

normal life or... death. One

2:27

day, I'll explain this in

2:29

more detail, but for now,

2:31

just... No, it's me. If

2:34

it helps, you can call

2:36

me Joe. Joe Foy. I

2:38

guess I can see it.

2:41

It's just unexpected. Sure. But

2:43

is this really any stranger

2:45

than anything else you've read

2:47

about or experienced? Plus, look

2:50

at the time we're living

2:52

in. If anything, this is

2:54

the normal thing. I guess

2:57

aside from the cause. Well,

2:59

I can't argue with that.

3:01

But back to what you

3:04

were saying. How the hell

3:06

should I know if I

3:08

was followed? Hmm. Well, it's

3:10

too late now, if you

3:13

were. Lots of eyes around

3:15

lately, you know? Yeah, I

3:17

guess. Look, thanks for meeting

3:20

me, Joe. I'm trying to

3:22

track down Brian and wanted

3:24

to know if you could

3:27

help me. She's avoiding you

3:29

now? More like she's avoiding

3:31

everyone. Ron and me? Neither

3:33

of us can get a

3:36

hold of her. Her car

3:38

is in her apartment and

3:40

she's been missing shifts at

3:43

work. I'm... I need to

3:45

talk to her. About your

3:47

boy? Among other things, yes.

3:50

Hmm. How long do you

3:52

think before those ducklings are

3:54

done with Mama and Papa

3:57

Duck? What? How would I...

4:00

Why would I give a shit?

4:02

You're right. There's other things on

4:04

your mind. My point is that

4:06

just because someone may disappear

4:08

from your life, it doesn't

4:11

mean that's not what's best.

4:13

Sometimes it just means they're strong

4:15

enough to be on their own.

4:17

And that they need to be

4:19

on their own. That's not what

4:22

I... I need to talk to

4:24

Brianne, Joe. Maybe this is more

4:26

about me. What are you talking

4:28

about? I saw Brian last week,

4:30

and that was the last

4:33

time I spoke to her.

4:35

You... What did you speak

4:37

with her about? I've been

4:40

seeing her every week, Jeremy.

4:42

Ever since my grandson kidnapped

4:44

your son. Judging by your

4:47

reaction, I'm assuming Brian didn't

4:49

tell you. Perhaps she had

4:51

her reasons, but... Based on

4:54

the urgency in your soul,

4:56

it might behoove you to

4:58

know. To know what? Joe,

5:01

just tell me. I've been

5:03

training her, teaching her to

5:05

strengthen her mind. She's naturally

5:08

strong, perhaps one of the

5:10

strongest people I've ever known.

5:13

With only a modicum of training,

5:15

Malcolm wouldn't have stood a chance

5:17

against her. So, that's what I

5:20

spoke with her about. How does

5:22

that work? I think your life

5:24

is... Better for not knowing how

5:27

to go down the path Brian

5:29

is taking There are too many

5:31

people depending on you right now.

5:34

What are you? Are you saying

5:36

she's going to hurt herself? No,

5:38

but anyone with as much power

5:41

as hers is going to attract

5:43

a lot of attention from

5:45

a lot of people You

5:47

have too many people they

5:49

can use to get to you.

5:51

Sure, Brian has wrong, but

5:53

He's been playing this game

5:55

for long enough to survive Plus

5:58

I'm not sure if You

6:00

have the Constitution for all

6:02

this. Are you sure Brienne

6:04

does? What do you mean?

6:06

These powers. I've

6:09

read a lot of papers about people with

6:11

abilities. I've encountered a

6:13

number of them now too. But

6:15

I've yet to run across anyone with

6:17

abilities who is using their power

6:19

to save lives. Power

6:23

is an interesting word,

6:25

don't you think? I

6:29

mean, what comes to mind when

6:31

you hear it? Lightning?

6:33

A president?

6:35

A bodybuilder? I

6:38

think it boils down to influence.

6:41

Motion, if you will.

6:43

Or rather, the

6:45

ability to move things.

6:49

And what is more powerful of

6:51

all the things that can be

6:53

moved than the power to move

6:55

hearts, minds, and souls? Imagine

6:59

fighting an entire war with nothing

7:01

but a thought. I only have so

7:03

little blood on my hands because it

7:06

has been spilled on the hands of

7:08

those I've moved. Perhaps

7:13

you're right, Jeremy. Perhaps

7:17

power directly

7:19

destroys. But

7:22

I take refuge in the lives that

7:24

have been spared for the ones who

7:26

I have harmed, whether

7:29

that was directly or

7:31

otherwise. Frankly,

7:33

that's what I'm worried about. I

7:36

don't know that the ends always

7:38

justify the means. I've been around

7:40

longer than I should have, Jeremy. Sometimes

7:44

I'm inclined to agree. Other

7:50

times... Other times I know

7:52

that in the scales of

7:54

the universe, I've done right.

7:56

I just want to know

7:58

my son is... safe. There's something

8:01

coming and I'll do anything

8:03

to protect my son through

8:06

all of it. I don't

8:08

care what the cost is.

8:10

Back in that room, if

8:13

it had been your son

8:15

who was going to kick

8:17

off this whole ritual, would

8:20

you have pulled the trigger?

8:22

It wasn't my son. No.

8:24

No, it wasn't. Just something

8:27

to think about Jeremy. I'll

8:31

be off now,

8:33

but I'll let

8:35

you know if

8:37

I hear from

8:39

Brian. Thanks, I

8:41

guess. I can't

8:43

even ask Brian

8:45

why she told

8:47

me what she

8:49

did, because I

8:51

can't find her.

8:53

I thought I

8:55

knew her. I

8:57

considered her not

8:59

only an ally

9:01

in this whole

9:03

hydra shit, but

9:05

also a friend.

9:07

She's helped me

9:09

and my wife

9:11

take care of

9:13

Chris. I didn't

9:15

think... I mean,

9:17

she literally saves

9:19

lives for a

9:21

living. I can't

9:23

imagine her killing

9:25

anyone. And yet...

9:28

What else am I

9:30

supposed to think? And

9:32

if she did kill

9:34

him, is she... What

9:36

about the other hosts

9:39

who have been killed?

9:41

Ashley, what's her face?

9:43

That was incredibly violent.

9:45

Was that the power

9:47

that Joe Foy was

9:49

talking about? Tearing a

9:51

person from limb to

9:53

limb? It's inhuman. It's

9:55

inhuman. I can't believe

9:57

that this is Brienne.

10:00

I just, I can't.

10:03

And if it is,

10:05

to what end? The

10:08

entity doesn't stop unless

10:10

all the hosts are

10:13

dead. All of them.

10:15

And if it comes

10:17

down to, to that,

10:19

or to my son,

10:21

I won't let anything

10:24

hurt him, ever

10:26

again. I

10:28

just wish she would talk to me.

10:31

I'm rambling again. There's nothing

10:33

I can do right now.

10:35

Before Anderson dropped that bombshell

10:37

on me, I'd been trying to come

10:40

at this from a slightly

10:42

different angle. Instead of

10:44

reactively searching for people's

10:47

names in the papers after

10:49

they turned up dead, I'm

10:51

trying to find the next

10:53

host, the next so-called divine

10:55

acalyte. The last paper with

10:57

Thomas Strong named someone else,

11:00

Erica Daniels. I searched the papers

11:02

for anywhere else that the name

11:04

appeared, and so far I've found

11:06

one other instance. It was written

11:08

on a flash drive in permanent

11:10

marker. I reached out to Anderson

11:12

for help with it, since I've

11:15

been made aware that inserting random

11:17

flash drives and SD cards into

11:19

my personal computer may not be

11:22

the wisest thing I've ever done.

11:25

Someone in IT at the

11:27

Sheriff's Department verified there was no

11:30

virus or anything on it. Just

11:32

a normal text document and

11:34

a video file. The text document seems

11:36

to be a post-analysis report

11:38

on the video, written by

11:40

the superior of the doctor

11:43

in the video. It will hopefully make

11:45

sense once you've heard it all. So

11:47

I'll go ahead and play the video

11:49

for you now. For most of it,

11:51

there's just two people sitting in

11:53

metal folding chairs. facing each other

11:56

in a blank room. There's a

11:58

man, probably in his fort. wearing

12:00

a lab coat, and a girl

12:02

somewhere around the age of 15,

12:05

I'm guessing. That's Erica.

12:07

Anything else I haven't

12:10

described? Well, it's probably

12:12

best you can only hear

12:14

the audio. This isn't for

12:17

the faint of heart,

12:19

and listener discretion is

12:21

advised. Hello, Erica. You

12:23

don't know me, but I'm

12:25

Dr. Linton. Over the next

12:27

several weeks, I'll be meeting

12:30

with you to go over

12:32

a series of questions. Why?

12:34

Well, as you undoubtedly know

12:36

by now, you possess skills

12:38

and abilities that many of

12:40

your peers don't. The date

12:42

you provide helps us to

12:44

understand why that is, and

12:46

we may be able to

12:48

use that information to help

12:50

other people. What about me? Do

12:53

you not feel that your needs

12:55

are being met? Needs. And how

12:57

do you define needs? Well, we

12:59

provide your essential needs. Air,

13:02

food, water, shelter, clothing, and

13:04

a place to sleep. Mazzlow,

13:06

right? Yeah, I've read that one.

13:08

I seem to recall there being

13:10

a bit more to that hierarchy

13:13

than just one layer. How do

13:15

you think that list was

13:17

developed? By giving people

13:19

everything they want? How the

13:21

hell should I know? And what is

13:23

even your point? My point is

13:25

that you don't know what you

13:28

need until you need it. Until

13:30

then, at best, it's a want,

13:32

not a need. That must make

13:34

your job way easier if you

13:37

can just dismiss what I

13:39

need so quickly. I'm not...

13:41

Erica, let's start over. What

13:43

do you feel like you

13:45

need that is not currently

13:47

being provided? Oh, no, no, doctor.

13:50

Now I'm much more interested in

13:52

what you need. Or want? If

13:54

you don't know it's a need,

13:56

in fact, maybe that was the

13:58

better question all along. What

14:00

do you want, Doctor? Well,

14:03

right now, I'd like for

14:05

you to answer my questions.

14:07

Oh, you don't seem to

14:09

want it all that bad. I

14:12

assure you, I do. No.

14:14

You doctor types don't know

14:16

what it means to want

14:18

something bad. You don't

14:20

know me? You're right. I'll

14:22

tell you what, Doc. I

14:25

have a deal for you.

14:27

An answer for an answer.

14:29

How's that sound? So you'll

14:31

answer my questions. For

14:33

the low low price of it

14:35

answers to one of mine. Yeah.

14:37

Very well. First question,

14:39

please describe your... Where

14:41

are your manners, doctor? I

14:43

get the first question. What

14:46

do you mean when you

14:48

say you want something? Like,

14:50

really, want something. What does...

14:52

Well, it means that there

14:54

is something that would bring

14:57

me satisfaction or... Pleasure of

14:59

some kind, I suppose. Holy

15:02

shit, that might be

15:04

the most boring answer

15:06

ever. Do you have

15:08

a life outside of

15:10

this at all, Doc?

15:12

It's my turn to

15:14

ask a question, Erica.

15:16

Please describe your dream

15:18

last night to the

15:20

best of your

15:22

recollection. Might... Okay. Sure. Why

15:25

not? Um... I drowned. Oh,

15:27

let's see. I was walking

15:29

around the halls here, except

15:31

instead of linoleum, it was

15:33

grass in the ground. I

15:35

kept trying to get people

15:38

to talk to me. I

15:40

went up to every window

15:42

and every door, but nobody

15:44

would say anything. And then,

15:46

when they opened their mouths, it

15:48

wasn't right. How do you mean?

15:51

At first glance, it seemed

15:53

normal. They had their teeth

15:55

and gums and... Yeah. But

15:58

after that. There

16:00

was no tongue or that dangly

16:03

thing at the back of your

16:05

throat or or a throat well

16:07

Not one that made sense. There

16:10

wasn't like a wall at the

16:12

back or anything It was just

16:14

this fleshy hole that kept going

16:17

and going in a direction that

16:19

didn't match their bodies The dimensions

16:21

didn't make sense so all they

16:24

could do was open and close

16:26

their mouth No tongue so No

16:28

words. It was like their

16:31

bodies weren't real. They just

16:33

dangled from the thing that

16:35

was opening up to form

16:37

a mouth on their face. And

16:39

how did that make you feel?

16:42

By my count, that's your

16:44

third question, since we struck

16:46

our deal. And you've only

16:48

answered one. What's the most

16:51

you've ever wanted something, doctor?

16:53

Well, uh... Let's see. Uh... I'm

16:55

up for a promotion right now

16:58

and it'd be a real

17:00

bullshit. That's not remotely

17:02

close to the most

17:05

you've ever wanted something.

17:07

That's almost at the top

17:09

of the hierarchy crew in it.

17:11

Well, okay. When I was 19,

17:14

there was this girl that I,

17:16

well I, I talked to her

17:18

nearly every day. We had a

17:20

class together and I, we really

17:22

hit it off. We really hit

17:25

it off. Over time I... uh...

17:27

wrong... answer. Closer to the

17:29

core, but... still way off,

17:31

Doc. Oh, okay. When I

17:33

was nine years old, I

17:36

decided to steal beer

17:38

from the gas station.

17:40

Doctor? Why? Because

17:42

my, uh... my father, he...

17:44

he always drank beer. And...

17:46

and every time he drank,

17:49

he... he'd be so angry

17:51

with me. No matter what

17:53

I did. I thought it

17:55

was because he saw me

17:57

as different than him because

17:59

he He became a different

18:01

person when he drank. So

18:04

I figured if I drank

18:06

two, I'd be like him.

18:08

And he wouldn't be so

18:10

mad. He wouldn't be so

18:13

mad. I wouldn't have to

18:15

worry if the lock on

18:17

my door. would hold or

18:19

if I get dragged out

18:22

of the house and forced

18:24

to sleep in the front

18:26

yard. We're getting closer but

18:28

I still don't think you've

18:31

answered my question. It didn't

18:33

work. He thought it was

18:35

real hoot for a couple

18:37

minutes. Then he just got

18:40

angry again like always. Well,

18:42

not like always. He pinched

18:44

my nose and started... pouring

18:46

the cheap booze in my

18:49

mouth. At first I tried

18:51

to drink it, but it

18:53

burned, you know, and I

18:55

choked. Then I was coughing

18:58

it up, but there was

19:00

only so much air in

19:02

my lungs to cough out,

19:04

and he was pinching my

19:07

nose shut to force me

19:09

to drink, and he just

19:11

wouldn't let up. He wouldn't

19:13

let me breathe. There we

19:16

go. Air. Now, this next

19:18

thing I say isn't a

19:20

question. Because I'm not a

19:22

cheat like you doctor Think

19:25

about how that felt how

19:27

bad you wanted to breathe

19:29

Live in that moment again

19:31

and remember as everything else

19:34

leaves your mind Except for

19:36

that singular desire Oh god

19:38

now think about those keys

19:40

I heard jingling in your

19:43

pocket when you walked in

19:45

here I know they don't

19:47

let you carry sharp objects

19:49

in here, so I'm guessing

19:52

that's the sharpest thing you

19:54

have on you. It's not...

19:56

a question, you don't have

19:58

to answer. Now, think about

20:01

how much you want to

20:03

take one of your keys

20:05

in one hand, grab the

20:07

tip of your tongue in

20:10

the other, and use that

20:12

key to sever the end

20:14

of your tongue. Please, please,

20:16

please. You want it as

20:19

bad as you want

20:21

to breathe on that day.

20:23

It's the thing you

20:25

want it the most. More

20:28

than your promotion. More than

20:30

an attempt at miserable love

20:33

you fucked up

20:35

and more than

20:37

the affection of

20:40

your abusive dad

20:42

more than air

20:44

please Please don't

20:46

there we go

20:49

do it doctor

20:51

show me how

20:53

bad you want

20:55

it There

20:58

it is. Oh, the fuck

21:01

are you likely to?

21:03

My dog! My fucking

21:05

dog! My fucking dog!

21:08

Hello, Erica. Tell me

21:10

about your dream last

21:13

night. Oh, come on, Doc.

21:15

No, how have you been?

21:17

It's been longer than

21:20

expected since we

21:23

last spoke. sure

21:27

I'm jealous of how you have

21:29

your full tongue and I

21:31

don't. We'll be sticking

21:34

strictly to these questions

21:36

today, Erica. Tell me

21:38

about your dream last night.

21:40

That ID card you have.

21:43

Hard plastic. I imagine the

21:45

edges would be sharp enough

21:48

to break the skin with

21:50

the right motion and

21:53

determination. Yeah? Eric, Erica.

21:55

Please did. Just answer

21:57

the question. You

22:00

don't care about

22:03

the question though?

22:06

Did you even

22:09

write it down

22:12

last time? Do

22:14

you even remember

22:17

what I said?

22:20

Nope, I know what you

22:22

want. And so do. So,

22:24

do it. by Dr. Linton's

22:27

Superior. This report is following

22:29

up on complaint F303-09. Dr.

22:32

Garrett Linton entered the subject's

22:34

interview fully briefed on the

22:37

subject's profile and abilities, as

22:39

well as recommended guidelines for

22:41

handling. Dr. Linton has previously

22:44

been admonished for not strictly

22:46

following procedure, and was chosen

22:49

for this assignment due to

22:51

his lack of discipline. The

22:53

results have been well documented.

22:56

After the first session, Dr.

22:58

Linton's tongue was 0.6 inches

23:01

shorter after the edge being

23:03

removed with a file cabinet

23:05

key. In the second session,

23:08

another inch of his tongue

23:10

was removed during a self-administered

23:13

amputation with his identification card.

23:15

In subsequent sessions, additional inches

23:18

of his tongue were removed

23:20

with various objects including a

23:22

pen, notepad paper, and his

23:25

own teeth. As

23:27

of the current date, Dr.

23:29

Linton is without a tongue

23:32

entirely. He has signed documentation

23:34

indicating he understands the repercussions

23:36

of his actions were his

23:38

and his alone, and he

23:40

agrees that he has received

23:42

sufficient discipline for his oversights.

23:44

No further corrective action is

23:47

recommended at this time. As

23:49

for the subject, she appears

23:51

to have a unique ability

23:53

to shepherd in the consciousness

23:55

of dimensional altars. or at

23:57

least portions of it. This

23:59

has the effect of herb

24:02

being able to impact her

24:04

targets reasoning, and thus their

24:06

actions, at least to a

24:08

degree. The interview session files

24:10

have been catalogued for further

24:12

study. That's it. That's the

24:14

report. Be glad you didn't

24:16

watch the video like I

24:19

did. It was... as gruesome

24:21

as it probably sounds. It's

24:23

a hundred times worse

24:25

to actually see it.

24:28

Torture a side. I

24:30

find it highly unlikely

24:32

that Malcolm would have

24:34

interacted with Erica Daniels

24:36

and wouldn't have recruited

24:38

her. The idea of

24:40

someone with her abilities

24:42

simply existing is frightening

24:44

enough. But to be

24:46

operating in service to

24:48

Malcolm is absolutely terrifying.

24:50

Is every thought I've had my

24:53

own? What about you? I don't know.

24:56

I should probably reach

24:58

out to Detective Anderson

25:00

with this information.

25:02

I just... I don't know. I

25:04

need to find Brian.