Holly. Holly? Where've you been?
He's been here 20 minutes.
When we get to the lounge, I'll walk first and introduce you.
Kiss him once on each cheek then ask him...
Pull me out.
All right, take it easy.
It's OK.
Brain death in the host confirmed
and our link is cleanly severed.
We're done.
Vos?
Sorry, I don't think I'm back yet.
- It's OK. You need a break? - No, it's fine.
Let's just finish.
Go on, then.
Mm, this is my grandfather's pipe.
And he died before I was born.
Um, my father gave it to me.
Next.
This is also mine. Uh...
I killed and mounted it one summer when I was a girl,
and then I felt guilty about it.
- I still feel guilty about it. - Very good.
Next.
This isn't mine.
- Are you sure? - I've never seen it before.
Very good.
All the results are normal across the board.
No evidence of charring, no false psyche
from your time as Holly Bergman.
You look surprised. Anything you wanna flag?
Any, um, anomalies during interface?
No. No, I'm fine.
It's important not to withhold.
I said I was fine.
OK, good.
Our next contract's almost finalized, and it's a big one.
I can't have my star performer falling apart on me.
I would like to take some time, though.
Time for what?
Well, I've been talking to Michael
and I told him that I'd take some time.
Michael.
Isn't he...?
You and Michael...
are separated.
Yeah, of course we are.
But I've been talking to him.
You're not safe for them anymore, are you?
You told me yourself you'd become a danger.
Did I say that?
Hi, darling.
- Hi, darl... - Hi, darling!
Hi, darling!
Wha...? What have you got there? What have you got?
Hi, darling. What have you got there?
God! I'm absolutely starving.
I am absolutely starving, Michael.
Michael, I'm absolutely... I'm absolutely starving.
- Mum! - Hi, darling.
- Tas? - Hi.
- We have food. - Good, I'm absolutely starving.
Hey, get down from there.
- How was your trip? - It was fine.
Yeah. Dull, extraordinarily dull.
I can't tell you how glad I am to be back in town.
How is the paper?
- How's it coming? - It's coming along.
Although Dennis tells me
the new editor's a social science historian.
What's that?
Someone who's old
and stupid - they're not gonna like what I'm writing.
- You're quite old. - Oh. You're quite charming.
'New developments in the shocking murder
'of lawyer Elio Mazza on Sunday night.
'Police have revealed the identity of the killer
'to be 23-year-old Holly Bergman.
'Bergman was working as a hostess
'at the Blue Night Sky Lounge.
'Witnesses say she turned and stabbed Mazza multiple times...'
What do pythons drink to help them sleep?
I don't know, what do they drink?
Gerbil tea.
- What have you got there? - Dad bought it for me.
- I can make him do a dance. - Yeah?
When did you get so clever?
I tell you my new Greg story?
No. Please do.
I stopped by his office and there he is
with this voluptuous, young undergraduate student,
his shirt open to the middle of his chest.
He's playing loud Indian music and he's going on about Shakti
and the feminine power principle.
Meanwhile, this girl looked traumatized cos, well,
he's 65 years old and his chest is more than slightly hairy.
I remember Greg's chest hair being fairly aggressive.
It's a war crime. No, it was literally reaching for her.
You know, I'm convinced it detaches from his body at night
and it scuttles around the halls of the girls' dormitory,
rubbing itself against warm toilet seats
and slurping at the thighs of menstruating Buddhism students.
Only the menstruating ones?
Well, it's attracted to the smell of blood.
It's got an iron deficiency, which in this case
can be deadly because it leads to hair loss.
I'm sorry.
I didn't think... I didn't think they'd stay so long.
Why don't you ask them to leave, then?
Girder, hi, it's Vos.
I just wanted to apologize for not being myself yesterday.
I think I hadn't fully shed when we tested.
Anyway, I'm ready for work now and... call me.
Yeah, please call me. Thank you.
- Who was that? - Uh... Work.
Yeah, I might have to fly out again.
I thought they were giving you a break.
Yeah.
Uh... Something's come up.
I want you to move back in with us.
I hate this.
Tas.
Tas!
'Am I losing you?'
I'm becoming old.
I barely recognize myself anymore.
I'm too old for the machine, I... I can't take the strain.
As time goes on, it's becoming increasingly important
for me to find a replacement.
I thought that would be you.
I'm not normally a bad judge of character.
I would be honored.
You have a very special nature,
one we've worked hard together to unlock and refine.
And yet,
even I can see a small thread running from your skull
to a life I thought you'd moved on from.
Sometimes, that's all it takes to lose control,
that small thought, like a tiny fracture.
I wanna show you some photographs we retained
from your work on the Holly Bergman job.
Why stab Elio Mazza?
You were provided with a pistol.
Well, maybe it just seemed more in character.
Whose character?
Do you want this?
Good.
'Consider the face of Colin Tate.
'Father deceased, mother estranged, no siblings.
Deals cocaine for a few years and then falls in love
and becomes engaged to one of his rich clients,
Ava Parse,
the daughter of John Parse, CEO of Zoothroo.
- Zoothroo? - Data mining.
Largest operation outside the US.
Head office is local.
But our deal is with Reid Parse, John's stepson.
And what's the narrative?
Um, well, imagine Colin Tate as the unstable lover
who feels diminished by his new family.
'Ava has all the power in the relationship.
'It's emasculating, he starts using more,
'behavior becoming more and more erratic.
'Ultimately, he breaks...'
killing John, kills Ava, kills himself.
With Ava out of the picture, Reid inherits everything,
becomes CEO, cry, cry, cry for the cameras.
Clean tragedy. No unanswered questions.
Pay is significant - money and shares.
But the real target,
according to corporate, is Zoothroo itself.
Hm?
Because once we own Reid, we own the company.
Right.
So, when do I start?
- You smell good. - Stop, I need to shower.
- Have you found our treats yet? - What do you want?
I need a line of something to get me started on my to-do list.
There's so much to do, I can't figure out how to start.
I don't think there's any left.
That's sad news.
I don't think there's any left.
Why don't I help with the list?
Well, it's not a list you'd understand.
Half of it's a list of other lists
and the other half is a coded list of internal chores.
'Huh.'
Huh.
'You wanna get dinner?'
You wanna get dinner?
Do you wanna get dinner? Do you wanna get dinner?
'I'm sorry, I'd rather not go out.
I'm sorry. I'm sorry.
'Wait till I'm back. We'll unpack together.
'Do you wanna go eat?'
Do you wanna go eat?
'Let's just go walk and find somewhere.'
Let's just go walk and find somewhere.
'Mm, all right. Let me get my jacket.'
Any trouble?
'No trouble. Our driver got him on the way to the airport.'
Good. How long will you need?
'It's estimating four hours to have him prepped.'
- And you? - I'm ready. I feel great.
'I'd like to offer some reminders before we begin.
'After initial binding you'll be locked in,
'but no loss of control permitted
'during this performance.
'Our completion target is John Parse's dinner function.
'It's scheduled for the night after tomorrow.
'Intermediate time will be used
'to help establish Tate's instability.
'Dr Melis has rated your compatibility
'at only three days, so there's no room for error.
'If we have to keep you in longer
'damage to your brain will begin
'at category C, which I'm not willing to risk.
'The implant web will begin to dissolve after five days.
'Use the calibration device at least once per day,
'more if you suffer persistent disorientation.
'Mr Tate's girlfriend is "Ava" not "Ahva".
'His irritable bowel syndrome has intensified,
'so moderate to severe pain in your lower right abdomen
'will be considered normal.
'Implant sync with motor memory predicted at 8.1.
'Coverage for basic workplace with limited verbal.'
Look at the ceiling and breathe normally.
- Watch your levels this time. - My levels are fine.
Just keep me in really deep cos I don't want any problems.
Sure, Miss Vos, I'll keep you in nice and deep.
You just make sure you pull the trigger on the way out.
What the fuck is that supposed to mean?
Just look forward.
All right. Interface is active, and we're at full power.
This might be a bit of a rough jump.
- Just do it. - As you wish.
Could you put the kettle on for me?
Oh. Yeah, of course.
You smell good.
I need a shower.
You're in a good mood this morning.
- Have you seen my powders? - Powders?
Mm. Tins of protein and tea powders in a box?
Gonna brew us some Damiana.
You'll like it. It's an anti-depressant.
I haven't.
I didn't hear you get in last night.
I couldn't get a flight until late. Barely slept.
How was the trip?
Thrilling.
Throomatics demoed the new software,
played a vital team-building game.
How was the rest of your rotation?
What's with you today?
What do you mean?
- What do you mean? - I don't know.
You've gone strange on me.
- Good morning. - Mr Tate.
This week I want you on curtains and blinds.
The guide is loaded at your station.
Tate! I fucking did it!
I fucking went for it, and it was incredible.
You did it?
You know those east coast girls, man, it was revolting.
It was inhuman. I'll never get the sin stain out.
What about you, sir?
Did you find time in your professional sojourn
to die with your little head-office side project?
Well now, Eddie, what do you think?
Good man!
I always considered it your moral obligation
to cuckquean the boss's daughter.
Uh...
Brown curtains.
Grommet pleat.
Standard bar.
None visible.
Venetian blinds.
Shear.
White cloth.
'Is something wrong, Mr Tate?'
Hello?
'You're moving at a snail's pace. Focus.'
Sorry.
Looks like... shears.
No pleat visible.
'Vos, please check in.'
- I'm here. - 'What happened?'
What do you mean?
'Your levels spiked and I couldn't reach you.'
Nothing. I was in the mine. I couldn't speak freely.
'You're at the Zoothroo building.'
Yes. I just started Colin's shift.
Everything seems perfectly normal.
No disruption on this end.
'I don't understand.'
You should probably talk to our new tech.
He probably let me surge on the controller end.
Tell him to watch his levels.
I'll have Dr Melis run a deep analysis.
But you report back if you see anything -
minor artefacting, sync loss.
'We can't afford any mistakes on this one.'
Don't worry. I have it under control.
- Hey, Tate. You OK? - Yeah, why?
Well, I saw you, uh... run out of the mine.
- You're not looking so hot. - I'm fine.
If you say so.
They're having some of us come in on Saturday to do lampshades.
Your name's at the top of the list.
Why do I get the sense the boss doesn't like you?
- Where've you been? - I don't know.
Uh... Sorry. I forgot my ringer was off.
- I had to work a double. - You have to text me.
I almost called the police.
I'm sorry.
Come and have a line with us.
You're an absolute ghoul, Colin, a ghoul.
- Stop it. - She doesn't have to stop.
I can tell her to stop if I want to.
Well, there are like, correct modes of conduct.
This isn't the state of fucking nature.
We're celebrating Moira's promotion at Zoothroo.
- You two should talk. - Oh, at Zoothroo.
Um, nice to meet you.
We met. I guess it wasn't that memorable.
- When do you start? - Yesterday.
Ava says you're still on the floor.
Why would you want that job?
Ava's dad gave it to him.
Your father's a sadist.
I hear the floor is on par with lower-end sweat shops.
My father has a habit
of subjecting my most serious lovers
to some insidious form of trial by ordeal.
In this case, I think the shape of Colin's psychological scars
will determine his innocence.
Well, and I'm sorry, Ava,
but why not just say "fuck you" to the old man and quit?
- Colin? - Who is this?
What?
I feel like a certain type of mind must get off
on violating people's lives like that.
I mean, seriously,
how much pussy do you see at work every day?
Reeta!
Well, I can only imagine the stuff he sees over there.
I jerk off every day in front of my webcam
so that Zoothroo knows which brand of vibrator I'm using.
We know and you can stop now.
Oh! I'm... sorry.
- What are you doing? - Drying my hands.
I've missed you. Can we be friends again?
Ava doesn't care. She doesn't mind at all.
Yeah. Yeah, sure.
Good.
So, I'll give you a call when I get back from Chicago.
Sorry, didn't think they'd stay so long.
It's all right.
What's going on with you?
I'm fine.
I'm just so tired.
Is that it?
You seem so deformed these days.
I'm starting to worry it's something I've done to you.
You don't have to keep the Zoothroo job
- if it's killing you. - I'm fine!
I swear on my life, I'm fine.
That's such a weird thing to say.
I mean...
Fuck!
Fuck, Colin!
You don't have to talk about it, but it's hard sometimes.
I don't think I'm asking for much,
just some basic level of access.
Ava.
I'm just crashing.
I love you.
I love you, too.
Girder.
Girder, please respond.
'Vos, Status.'
Normal. I'm right in the body. What about Melis?
'Analysis here was inconclusive. It's very strange.'
Don't sound so worried.
I'm one-to-one with the host right now. I can feel it.
I'm completely clear.
Besides, Parse's dinner party is tonight.
I'll be out in less than 24 hours.
'All right, good. I want you to recalibrate.
'Set to: 13, 145, 12, 80, R.'
'Walter Benjamin once wrote
'that boredom is a dreambird
'that hatches the egg of experience.
'My closest friends and allies,
'I'd like to end tonight by saying...'
that I am bored with you.
I am bored because you are all so flawless.
And our operation has become so flawless
that I find myself with nothing to do.
Nothing rustles the bushes.
And in my boredom, an egg has hatched.
And from it has come the very special next stage
in the evolution of our work.
- To boredom! - To boredom!
Ready for this?
Yeah, of course I am, why wouldn't I be?
Well, I love my father, but he's an atrocity.
- He's a great man. - He's really not.
I'm not even sure he's human.
He's just like this giant, human-shaped protozoan
that feeds off misery.
Come on.
Daddy?
Darling, you've brought a boy home with you.
- Good evening, Mr Parse. - Yes.
We were just discussing the psychology
of failing as a parent.
You start to embrace it, I think,
when you realize there's nothing else you can do.
Mr Boyko also has daughters.
- Alex - Colin.
- Colin works for me now. - Oh?
Yes, I, uh... I found him a job
that, hopefully, isn't beyond his skillset.
Managing to keep your head above water, Colin?
- I'm fine. Thanks. - Good, good.
You let me know if it gets too difficult for you.
- You need a drink. - Yeah.
Wait here. I'll be back with gin.
OK.
I'm in place.
'Good.'
Tonight, I want you to get in a fight with Parse.
Get yourself thrown out, something public,
and later you can go back and we'll finish this.
Understood.
What the...?
- You OK? - I'm sorry.
Yeah, sorry. You want... You want another drink?
No, I'm fine.
Can we help you?
I've a feeling you owe me an apology?
Oh, is that right?
I have a feeling.
My... My future son-in-law, everyone.
We're just having a little chat here, Colin,
so why don't you fuck off into a corner somewhere?
Don't dirty my floor.
I'll leave when Ava's done with my fucking cock in her mouth.
Ah, hey!
Hey, that's enough.
Fuck off! Get the fuck off!
You think you can step on me? I'm a giant!
- I'm a fucking giant! - Colin!
- Fuck off, you bitch! - Get him out!
You fucking bitch!
Shit!
I don't think I can go home tonight.
You stay here.
Your room's been waiting.
You haven't been helping.
You're such a creature. You're unbearable.
- I'm going to bed. - Yeah.
Why don't you run off to fucking Dubai with your mother, then?
Dubai and goodbye.
What are you doing here?
What is this?
Get out!
Get out before I call the police.
Why don't you make me?
I'm drunk.
I'm going to bed.
Oh, fuck! Oh, fuck!
Pull me out.
Fuck!
Out! Get me out!
Get me out! Get me out!
- What happened? - She's surging.
Don't pull her, don't...
I'm reading physical damage to the implants.
- Signal is heavily corrupted. - I need dampers on her now.
Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!
Your agent is stable, but non-responsive.
Seems she was unable to maintain control over the host will.
- And Tate? - Hard to say.
We're now tracking him as the dominant in the body,
but I'm seeing a great deal of bleed-through.
Let's leave her in, see if she can fight her way back
and finish the job.
There's already a degree of permanent damage.
The longer she stays in, the greater the risk to her brain.
She stays in.
Help me.
'Mr Tate? Mr Tate, are you there?
'I was wondering if I might have a word.'
They're following.
They're... following.
They're following me.
Ugh! God!
Hello?
Hey, what...? What are you doing here?
I'm sorry. I'm sorry, look.
Look, I did it. Uh...
I did it, you know, so that we can be together. I did it.
- What? What have you done? - I did it. I did it.
I was just... I was just... I was angry.
They... They... They attacked me.
All I was doing was defending myself.
Colin, you're not making any sense.
I should have stayed with Michael.
Who's Michael?
I don't know.
Oh, my God. Fuck! You're bleeding.
OK, come on, sit down. Sit down.
Oh, yeah, I tripped on the way over here and I...
I hit my head.
OK, well, you're going to have to go to the hospital
because you probably have a concussion.
No, I'll be all right.
Sorry if I scared you.
Scare me?
Here.
You want some water, or gin?
It's water or gin, that's all I got.
I'm just getting ready to go to the airport.
- Chicago. - Mm-hm.
When I get back, we should see each other.
Ava and I had a fight.
Can I stay here?
I can't go home.
Poor baby.
OK, two nights.
Leave the key at the desk when you go.
OK? Right, I'm gonna take a shower.
Thank you.
Darling.
Of course, darling.
Starving.
Absolutely starving.
Absolute...
Colin?
'We're hearing from the family
'that the condition of Jonathan Parse has stabilized,
'but we're unable to confirm
'what that might mean in this context.
'It was reported earlier
'that he suffered significant brain trauma
'in a shocking attack that left his daughter dead...'
'..and Mr Parse critical
'with paramedics arriving barely in time to resus...
Who's there?
Who is it?
'Tate! Tate!'
- Eddie? - 'Come on, let me in already.'
Here, come on, here. Let me have a look at you.
- Oh, poor thing. You poor dear. - What are you doing here?
I heard you were in an accident. I wanted to check up on you.
- How did you know I was here? - Reeta called me over.
- You know Reeta? - Sure do. Hey, get me a drink.
Oh, yeah.
Vos. Vos.
There you go. You're coming back.
I've temporarily suppressed the host's will.
You should have near to full control
but we need to move quickly before the effects wear off, OK?
Oh, whoa, whoa.
Let's be civil.
Girder sent me. I'm your lifeline.
- Girder? - I was a plant.
You didn't know? I'm a collaborator.
I scouted Tate for the Parse deal.
Come on, come on.
There we go.
I've heard a lot about you, the great Tasya Vos.
It's real honor. I was a huge fan of the Elio Mazza stabbing.
Eddie?
In the head.
I can't seem to pull the trigger.
Oh, no, no, no. I'm a Christian.
Besides, Girder says it has to be you.
Distraught killer can't live with the guilt.
Something public. No questions. Look, I'm...
I'm just here to fix your head.
It's just that I don't have complete control right now.
That's why I'm here.
Come on. We don't have much time.
All right. There you go.
Yeah.
OK.
There you go. Just booting up.
I'm gonna check your sync first.
You'll see a series of images.
Just look at them and answer my questions.
Do you see a fox or a bird?
Fox.
- Fish or snake? - Fish.
- Mouse or a dog? - Mouse.
Good, good. You're seeing all the right animals, as they say.
Now, I'm going to do a pulse analysis.
You might find this uncomfortable,
but you just need to try to keep breathing.
Ready?
Oh, God!
Eddie.
Eddie. Oh!
Oh, fuck.
No, no, no. Fuck!
Oh, fuck!
Oh, shit.
Oh, fuck. Oh, fuck.
You bitch.
You want a shot? Do it.
Do it! Do it! Do it!
Do it!
You missed.
Hi, darling.
Darling.
Hi, darling.
Darling.
Hi, darling.
Michael.
Hello, Michael.
I'm absolutely starving.
I'm starving.
- Hello. - Hi.
- What you got there? - A map.
What's it a map of?
It goes to the pond. I discovered it yesterday.
Oh.
- What's your name? - I'm Ira.
Ira.
I think I know you from somewhere.
Is that your house over there?
- Ira! - Uh-oh.
Yeah.
Michael?
Yes.
Uh, hi, I'm a friend of your wife's.
I'm a friend of Tas.
- Hi. - I'm sorry.
Tasya doesn't live here anymore.
No, I know. I know, she wanted me to tell you something.
- Yeah, maybe some other time. - Can I come in to talk?
Get in the fucking house!
- Please. - Where is she?
- She doesn't live here anymore. - Where is she?
- I swear I don't know. - Sit down! Hands on the table!
Get your hands on the table.
She travels for work. I don't think she's in the country.
Do you recognize me? Do you know me?
I need to know.
I need to know what she's done to me, do you understand?
Tell me what this is about. Maybe I can help.
Do you ever think of your wife as a predator?
Hm, do you ever think of her that way?
I don't know. I don't understand.
Don't look at me. Get your head down.
Do you ever worry about parasites, like the cat?
What?
Just think, one day your wife is cleaning the cat litter
and she gets a worm in her,
and that worm ends up in her brain.
The next thing that happens is she gets an idea in there, too.
And it's hard to say whether that idea is really hers
or it's just the worm.
And it makes her do certain things.
Predator things.
Eventually, you realize that she isn't the same person anymore.
She's not the person that she used to be.
It's gotta make you wonder...
whether you're really married to her...
or married to the worm.
Are you seeing this, you fucking bitch? I'll do it.
Come out or I'll do it!
I'm here. I'm here.
What are you doing here?
Tas.
I've been looking for you. I wanted to talk.
Why?
What have you done to me?
Done to you?
You're the one in control.
No.
I haven't been in control of myself lately.
But you have.
Where's Ava?
Where's your lovely girl?
Can't you remember?
No, that wasn't me.
Of course it was.
Poor Michael.
I loved him, too.
But I'm not sure if it was me.
I'll kill him.
You fix this or I swear I'll kill him.
Go ahead. Do it.
He's only holding you back.
This is what you've always wanted.
Pull me out.
'Do you need to take a break?
'No, let's finish.'
OK.
This is my grandfather's pipe.
He died before I was born.
My father gave it to me.
Good.
Next?
This is also mine.
I killed and mounted it one summer when I was a little girl.
Very good.