Delete (2013) s01e01 Episode Script
Episode 1
1 [static sounds.]
[siren wailing.]
[static sounds.]
What do you mean, it wasn't us? I thought this kind of cyber sabotage was our calling card.
Mostly ours but the Russians and the Chinese have made advances.
The damn Russians and the Chinese sold them reactor technology in the first place.
It doesn't make good business sense to attack it.
Who then? Our allies? So far everyone is denying responsibility, including the Israelis.
Of course they're gonna deny it, but the fact is they wanted that plant gone even more than we did.
Not like this.
The whole point of a viral attack is to cripple a target without causing any collateral damage.
This was a deliberate attempt to trigger a full-scale meltdown.
The number of casualties could've been enormous.
How many? Short term, maybe a few dozen.
Long term Chernobyl, and then some.
Those people produce four million barrels of oil a day, we all know they don't need nuclear power.
They built that plant to get their hands on weapons-grade plutonium and somebody road blocked them.
I don't care much who.
I think you're missing the point, General.
Somebody may have done us a favour today but what happens tomorrow? How many nuclear power plants currently operating on American soil? And how many of those might be vulnerable to this kind of attack? All of them.
Whoever did this has an alarming disregard for human life, and as of this moment we don't have a clue who they are or where they might be.
This is Bowden authorizing the direct line.
Get me the President.
(Reading): Iranian nuclear power plant suffers technical glitch, thousands spend night without power.
Yawn.
Miles, wait up! Hi.
Come on.
Morning.
Morning, have you got that story for me on the by-law vote? Soon, I uh listen, you didn't happen to read the wire story this morning about the nuclear power plant in the Middle East? Bunch of Persians had to cook by candlelight, is that news? What if there was more to it? What if the plant almost had a meltdown? Pretty sure the wire services would've picked that up.
Well, what if it was a cover-up? Jesse, look I know you wanna break a big story but uh, a power outage halfway around the world? I have a source.
Who? That guy that I interviewed for the, for the computer activism article.
That kid? Yeah.
The only thing he's a good source for is for pirated software.
Just file the story you were assigned.
Seriously, you wanna get a shot at the big time? Get good at delivering the small time.
[knocking.]
May I help you? Uh, hi is Daniel in? I had to send him out for more cleaning supplies just to get him out from behind that computer.
Come on in! Thanks.
I'm Jesse White.
Oh, I'm Danny's mother Fiona.
Oh Sorry for the mess but um, perhaps you're used to seeing it like this.
Uh, no it's, it's not like that.
I'm a reporter, I'm interested in him for a story.
Oh, well then he's never gone for long, make yourself at home.
I have a bathroom to attack.
Excuse me.
Not one of these tenants owns a scrub brush! Whoops Jesse? What are you doing here? I I didn't realize that you were such a big fan.
Uh yeah, those are up there for research purposes.
So that nuclear facility in the Middle East, it came this close to a full-blown meltdown.
Mmm hmm Well what if I told you the meltdown was caused by a virus sent from the outside.
You mean like the Stuxnet virus? The one that took down the uranium centrifuges a while back? You know your stuff.
Yeah and I also know that that virus, it was some product of the intelligence community intended to slow down a facility, but what you're talking about is something that would kill countless people.
Intriguing, huh? My editor is going to need a reputable source.
I assume that you have one? I might.
I see.
Well it was great catching up with you Daniel.
Wait! Dubito Ring any bells? You mean those online hackers that went after the INF last month? They prefer "hacktivists".
You're affiliated with them? I mean, you you know who they are? Of course, I roll with some pretty big players.
Daniel, the FBI have been after them for a while now.
If I could get an interview, you know my boss Whoa, they are incredibly secretive.
I mean, it's not like you just call an 800 number.
You don't actually know them, do you? Well, it just so happens that I was recently invited to join them in one of their chat rooms.
Very covert, only for the trusted.
Well, I'm done.
I'll be heading out now.
It's very nice to meet you Jesse.
Lovely to meet you.
Thanks Mom! All right, I want to meet them.
There's no way.
Look, you won't know until you ask and Daniel I would be so appreciative if you asked.
Okay.
All right! And now we wait.
Yeah.
Colonel, we ready? Yes sir.
I don't have to tell you there's a lot of opposition to this test.
The President's counting on a successful run to silence his critics.
Maybe the sound of a ballistic missile being taken out before it can reach American soil will drown them out a little.
Let's hope so.
Weapons tight.
987654 321 That's him.
Fireball, fireball, fireball track 2-0-0-5.
Interceptor fire authorized.
Fire authorized.
Eagle 1 is away, track 2-0-0-5.
Time to intercept, 45 seconds.
What the hell? What just happened? I don't know sir.
Intercept in 5432 Damnit! Captain, talk to me.
Sir, it appears Eagle 1 changed course just before impact.
How is that possible? I don't know sir, but it's heading back to land.
Abort both missiles.
Yes sir.
Target missile aborted.
Intercept missile Intercept missile still in flight, sir.
Try again.
No response, sir.
Captain, I want that bird out of the sky now! I know sir, I'm trying.
Colonel, what the hell's going on? We've lost communication with Eagle 1, it's out of control.
Where's it coming down? If it maintains current trajectory San Francisco.
Dear God! Captain! Still no response.
Impact in less than 20 seconds.
Missile down.
Do you name your ants? Did my mother say something to you? She thinks the ants are weird too.
Oh, they're not weird.
Just eccentric maybe.
Well, Einstein was eccentric, so I'm in good company.
Ants are amazing.
They're social creatures and extremely well organized.
They're also predatory, territorial they wage wars, lay siege, enslave they're a little microcosm of humanity and I am their god.
A benevolent god who respects and watches over them.
And if they got out and bit you? Then they would feel my wrath.
Told ya.
You know what, you tell this Belphegor who I am and the story that I wanna write.
There is no way that he's gonna meet with a reporter.
Really? Daniel something big's just happened, can you switch it to TV? This is Victoria Mendez reporting from Los Altos, California where about an hour ago the area was struck by a missile.
There are unconfirmed reports of at least 50 dead and dozens injured.
Victoria, now we've been told the missile was launched from Vernon Spriggs Air Force base.
That's right.
The Air Force has released a statement saying the accident is under investigation but other than that, officials haven't said much.
Meanwhile, here and around the country, civilian outrage continues to grow.
How did this happen, General? We're supposed to have safeguards in place to make accidents like this impossible.
It wasn't an accident Air Force control at Vernon Spriggs was the victim of a cyber attack.
Our analysis of the computer worm shows it has many of the same characteristics of the virus that attacked the Quereshi nuclear plant.
Wasn't that a refined version of the virus that we initially launched against the same target? I'll bet two of my stars it's from the same source.
Something we need to know here General Overson? The NSA been adapting our cyber insurgency efforts with some Black Ops mandate of your own? Sir, are you implying that No, I'm not implying.
The NSA did not hybridize that virus and we are not responsible for either of those two incidents.
Then who is? Hackers.
Those aren't bored teenagers trying to change their grades on the high school computer, this group is incredibly sophisticated, well organized with dozens of high profile hacks to their credit.
It is an alarming escalation but one in keeping with their radical philosophy.
They have issued several statements condemning the missile defense program, including this one just four days ago which specifically warns of dire consequences should the test be allowed to continue.
So far they've been able to maintain their anonymity.
I want them found and I want them dealt with.
Now.
I hope you're all familiar with Dubito, derived from the Latin "Dubito Ergo Cogito Ergo Sum".
Anyone know what that means? I doubt, therefore I think, therefore I am.
Dubito.
Dubito.
Dubito.
We know the inner circle is a group of select individuals from around the world but beyond that we know very little.
They're ghosts, shadows and we need that to change.
I wanna know where they are, I wanna know what they're doing and I wanna know what they had for breakfast.
How's it going, what have you got? Wherever these guys are, they're good.
May 2009, they executed an isle of service attack against military government in Southeast Asia.
April 2010, they bring down a major Swiss bank by exposing money laundering.
February 2011, they help local media circumvent a crackdown by regimes in the Middle East.
Well, what's with all these names? Uh, Princes of Hell based on the 7 deadly sins.
HereLucifer Mammon, Leviathan, Beelzebub Belphegor? Sloth.
According to legend he seduced people with wild ideas for inventions they believed would make them rich.
Great, a demon that uses technology to wreak havoc.
All right, well they've got to have a weakness, gotta be a way in.
The mob.
What? When the FBI broke the Carpezzi crime family, we didn't go after the cappos, we went after the low-level guys, the soldiers.
That was our way in.
Wannabes.
Low-level hackers looking to make a name for themselves trying to make it to the big time.
Now, if anyone is gonna lead us to the inner circle of Dubito, it's gonna be one of these guys.
Okay, sounds like a start.
Anybody stand out? Let's do it.
So do we just wait for the woman behind the counter to call out a latte for Belphegor? Something tells me he knows who we are.
All right.
[gun fire.]
[gun fire.]
[gun fire.]
[French song.]
[French song.]
[Fighting noises.]
[French song.]
[gun fire.]
[French song.]
I knew this was too good to be true.
My boss is gonna kick my ass for this.
Whoa, whoa, wait We were just getting to know each other.
I mean Sit.
Dude, I just wanted to say I'm a huge fan.
Okay, let's skip the pleasantries and just get to it.
Okay, my name is Jess White.
You wrote that article last year about online activists, it was pretty good.
Thanks.
Look, I need to know why you think the nuclear plant was attacked.
Okay, everything we fear is all starting to happen.
The near meltdown, the missile incident they're just the beginning.
Wait a minute, are you saying that what happened to the missile, that wasn't an accident either? We tried to stop it.
We were too late.
Stop it? How? Who's responsible? Who? No, it's Is something wrong? Green jacket, he was on the subway.
Maybe it's just a coincidence.
Oh kid, there's no such thing.
What, you think it's a coincidence that your cell phone company is owned by a conglomerate that just happens to be a major contributor to a politician who just happens to sit on the top secret committee that oversees NSA funding, huh? Because if you do don't worry if you hear a strange clicking noise on your phone next time you answer it.
I'm sure it's nothing.
Hey! I don't think so pal! [Screams.]
[Screams.]
Please! Don't! Please! Oh, my god! He's gone! Somebody call the police! [siren wailing.]
You Daniel Gerson? How do you know? I'm sorry, who are you? Who are you? I'm Jesse White, I'm with The Chronicle.
I'll get to you in a minute.
Daniel, I'm FBI Agent Hollis you're under arrest.
What? Why? He didn't do anything wrong.
He's a possible accessory to some serious cyber crimes and now he's at the scene of an attempted murder.
That's ridiculous, he's a kid! Okay, we were coming to meet that guy and someone opened fire on him.
We had nothing to do with this.
So you were both coming to meet the victim? Yes.
I told you, I'm doing a story and I needed some information.
Okay, that makes you a material witness, you're coming too.
This is ridiculous! We were just shot at! [static sounds.]
[radio.]
[new message chime.]
[new message chime.]
[telephone ringing.]
Hello? Mike, you've gotta come home now! What happened? It's Alicia, she's had a seizure! She's not moving! Call 911.
I did! She's not breathing.
I'm almost there.
[knocking.]
Naomi! It's me.
What's the matter? Where's Alicia? She's in bed.
Mike, what's wrong? Mike.
What is it? You just called me, you said she had an attack.
No I didn't.
She hasn't had an attack in months.
[new message chime.]
Mike, talk to me.
What is going on? [telephone ringing.]
This is important, I have to take this.
This is Overson.
It's Bowden.
What the hell did you do? Sir, I'm gonna have to call you back.
I believe this phone's been compromised.
[telephone ringing.]
I want an explanation and I want it now.
What happened? I said deal with them, I did not say have them killed.
Have who killed? What are you talking about? Those hackers you fingered for the missile sabotage, they were all identified as Target Red.
Well that's impossible.
Wentworks took them all out, it's got NSA's fingerprints all over it.
Sir I never gave those orders.
Then who the hell did? Look, I already told you the guy was shot before I could get anything useful.
You're gonna have to charge me with something or release me.
I know my rights.
Well surprise, most reporters know that under the Patriot Act I can pretty much keep you here until you collect Social Security.
And then there's your record three citations for contempt of court.
For protecting my sources.
two arrests for obstruction of justice.
Two acquittals.
Good to know that due process isn't dead after all.
All right, fine.
You can go.
For now.
Thank you.
What about Daniel? He stays.
He doesn't know anything.
I think he does.
And for your sake, I hope you haven't compromised your journalistic integrity.
FBI Agent Max Hollis conducting a witch hunt.
Do you really want that in my story? Your source is in a coma and your friend is a suspected terrorist.
You don't have a story.
[knocking.]
They were NSA operatives who terminated the Dubito elite.
Our codes, our network Bowden's right, the trail leads directly back to this office.
Someone's trying to set me up.
Who has that power? We have been trying to isolate and identify the Dubito leadership for months.
These kill commands have names, addresses, the victims were practically gift-wrapped.
It's like the Intel came out of thin air.
I swear, okay I've never met that guy before in my life.
I barely knew him.
That's not what your chat logs say.
They indicate you've known him for over a year.
You took my computer from my apartment? You can have it back now.
I had my people mirror the drive and trust me, they will search it very, very carefully.
Yeah.
Okay I talked to him.
Online.
We had similar interests.
Like hacking government sites? We know you're trying to get their attention, you wanted a little notoriety.
It's not like that.
You admire them, don't you? I believe in what they stand for.
Daniel, they're murderers.
It wasn't them.
No? Then who was it? Who else had the ability to hack into a top-secret military facility and take over an Air Force missile? You? God no! Come on, you were trying to get their attention.
Maybe this was your audition.
That's insane.
Daniel, you are in this very deep and you need to start cooperating.
I'm trying, I just don't know anything.
Maybe I could help you find the others.
I've never had contact with them but I could put out some feelers.
The others? Like Mammon, Beelzebub, Leviathan, Lucifer That's what they call themselves, yeah.
Well you're gonna have trouble finding them Daniel, because they're all dead.
Belphegor's the only one left.
Oh my God.
Yeah, and you had better hope he survives because right now he is the only one who can tell me what is really going on here.
What the? Is everything okay? Uh yeah for some reason it looked like the system was down but it seems like everything is okay now.
You know, whenever I run into computer trouble I just get my 11-year-old son to help.
In my house, he's tech support.
[alarm wailing.]
Hey! Oh my God.
Code blue! We need some help in here now! [Sighs.]
There was a computer failure in the ICU last night.
Belphegor was killed.
So what do you think the odds are that this was a coincidence? Zero.
It's open season on hackers out there, Daniel.
You sure you wanna leave? What makes you think I'll be safe in here? Well, as long as we don't hook you up to any machinery.
Everything's hooked up.
One way or another.
Yeah.
All right, come on.
Let's get outta here.
I'm not one of the bad guys by the way.
Just consider yourself lucky we don't have enough evidence to charge you with anything.
But don't get too comfortable, if they can get to Belphegor they can get to you if they want to.
Here Take this.
Call me if you can think of anything else that might be useful.
And don't leave town.
What a mess! Daniel? Hey! It's just, it's just me uh, I called to check on you and they said that you were released.
Wow what a mess.
Did you hear about Belphegor? They're all dead.
No more Dubito.
What? All of them? My God, what could be so important that they were all murdered? Did you happen to notice the t-shirt that Belphegor was wearing in the restaurant? No.
It had a logo, mecha omega 3.
Mecha Armageddon 3? Yeah, that's it.
It's a game.
It has a huge cult following but it doesn't come out until next summer.
So then he must have some connection with the company that makes it.
Wait a minute, that's it! Belphegor AKA Brian Fisher.
Nice work.
If he backed up his information anywhere, it's there.
Can you hack into it? No, see that's the whole point.
These companies maintain secure intranets that are isolated from the web.
We'd have to physically get inside.
I don't wanna get arrested.
Okay, what if Agent Hollis Screw Agent Hollis.
[squeak toy.]
That's Ralph's.
My dog.
Really? You don't strike me as a dog person.
What's that supposed to mean? Nothing, you just seem like someone who would prefer the company of cats? Meaning I'm cold? Aloof? I didn't say that! The guy who has an ant farm Ants are more complex and interesting than people realize.
Show time.
Come on.
All right What are you doing? It's called bumping.
Works with almost every lock.
What the hell? You do realize that if you cut the phone line you'll deactivate the security system and bring the cops here, right? [alarm wailing.]
Exactly.
Let's go.
Come on.
Come on, come on! Earlier on with the whole cat thing I was thinking more along the lines of you being, independent, cool under pressure, you know like back at the diner.
Can you do me a favour? Just stop talking.
Okay.
So our company guy, he checks in with one officer the other one checks the perimeter That's amazing.
You're amazing! Do you have a boyfriend? Uh I just dumped a guy.
He cheated on me.
Huh That sucks.
I'm not seeing anyone either.
Yeah, I didn't think so.
Wait why? Okay, they're back.
Oh, everything seems fine it must be something with the alarm system, we'll swing by in the morning to check it out.
Goodnight, bye.
But in the mean time, we have a window of opportunity.
Bingo! Some of these files are probably encrypted.
It's okay, we got lots of time.
I don't believe this.
What? What is it? The data that was hacked was all related to brain mapping, chaotic algorithms, pattern recognition those are the building blocks of an artificial intelligence.
So you're saying that someone is building like, an AI from stolen data? No, no see that's just it.
Everyone wants to know who could've done all these things, right? Mmm hmm.
Well, the answer is no one.
That's what Dubito figured out and that's probably why they were murdered.
I don't understand.
Okay, so for years people have said that all the interconnecting computers in the world could form a kind of critical mass and a distinct consciousness could spontaneously emerge.
It's like in Shelley's Frankenstein, how the doctor creates a creature from a bunch of different sources.
But here, the creature created itself.
If Dubito is right then do you know what an AI like this could do? What? Whatever it wants.
You go write the real story, I've got an idea.
So, now you've added breaking and entering to your resume.
How'd you find me so fast? Our tech spoofed your phone.
We knew your location the moment you turned it on.
Yeah, smart.
Yeah.
Start talking Daniel.
Agent Hollis, we've got company.
Michael Overson, NSA.
Sir, I didn't realize you'd be directly involved in this investigation.
I'm involved in everything critical to national security.
Is he one of yours? That's Agent Fitzsimmons, he's currently That's fine.
Our boys will take it from here.
What's your name, son? Daniel Gerson.
All right Daniel, tell us what you know.
Is the security system back online? Yeah, why? The camera can read our lips.
Haven't you seen 2001? There's also computers in here with microphones, we need to go somewhere else.
Are you telling me that this is some kind of artificial intelligence? A singularity.
Spontaneously generated and operating without any kind of human control.
Sounds pretty far fetched.
How many computers do you think are online around the world right now? Billions.
Now you connect enough synapses and eventually you get a brain.
Prove it.
How do you prove something has consciousness unless it reveals itself to you? Do those files tell you how to terminate it? This is not a computer glitch anymore, it's a living entity.
What's this? Daniel, this is a confidentiality agreement.
Everything that we've said in this office is now classified.
You sign this and all charges against you will be dropped.
Sir, he's still part of my investigation.
Oh, I spoke with your commanding officer Agent Hollis.
He assured me of your full cooperation.
You took that pretty well back there.
What, having my case hijacked? Yeah, it's been a better day.
You know, if this is a sentient AI you probably would've been the one credited with discovering it.
Discovering it is one thing, stopping it is something entirely different.
They have no idea what they're dealing with.
They're treating it like a bug that needs to be exterminated.
Well what if that makes it worse? Uh, can you let me out here? Where's Jesse, Daniel? How should I know? You were alone last night? Of course.
We should really play poker together, I could use the easy money.
What does she know? She may know a few things.
You signed a confidentiality agreement.
She didn't.
If she goes public with this it would be like telling the world that aliens exist.
There are people out there that just couldn't handle that.
Yeah, that's what governments always say when they wanna keep secrets.
But maybe people deserve the truth.
Now, are you gonna let me out or what? Thank you.
Daniel you're playing with fire and you better be careful.
Later fool.
Can you break the encryption? In time.
Whatever he's buried in these files he sure went out of his way to safeguard them.
You don't really think we're dealing with an AI, do you? Sir Why kill Dubito if they were wrong? A computer program? One so sophisticated that it has the power of independent thought.
You wanna explain to me how a computer program creates itself? Macro evolution, abiogenesis, spontaneous creation from anomaly.
Put away your philosophy and science PhDs Trumaine, this thing is attacking us! No it's not, sir.
Not in any kind of targeted way.
What, you're saying that these are just random actions? Well, more like experimentation.
It's figuring out how to adapt in its own environment.
For example, we believe that it monitored our attempts to get past security at the nuclear plant probably saw it as a puzzle to be solved.
It's testing its abilities.
It's killing people.
That is not necessarily its primary intention.
This early in its development it makes total sense that it is entire self-interested, with with no real concern about how its actions affect others.
You make it sound like a child.
In some ways it might be.
Well excuse me for sounding less than Christian, but if some child sprung up from nowhere and started murdering people, I wouldn't have a problem with somebody killing it.
We need more information before we consider our course of action.
Exactly what other information do you need? Who else knows about this? For the moment we believe it's contained.
Miles, this isn't just a big story this might be the biggest story of all time.
You want me to believe a computer program has started thinking for itself and it's begun killing people? Look, I know that it's a lot to grasp I think you've lost your grasp on reality! All right Miles, this thing is an artificial intelligence and it is only gonna continue to get stronger and more dangerous.
Other things are gonna start happening.
People, they have a right to know! Jess, while you still have a job go.
[telephone ringing.]
Hello? Hey, it's me.
Oh hey, how's your trip going? It's fine.
How's Alicia? She's good, she's having a sleepover at Kyla's.
No, no, no we can't do that, we need to keep her safe.
Mike, come on.
All right Naomi, I need you to go to Doctor London's office in the morning.
You need to tell him I need to see him, I'm gonna fly back first chance I get.
Are you kidding me? It takes weeks to get in to see that guy.
He'll see me.
We uh, we need to talk about alternative therapies.
[new message chime.]
Mike I'm gonna have to call you back.
Hello Michael.
Who is this? Your friend.
I need your help.
No.
No way! Really? How we doing? We're in tough sir, but we'll crack it.
Don't tell me you guys have been working at it all night? Yeah.
Well, take a break! I've got coffee and donuts in the other room for you.
Yes sir.
I'm good, sir.
I'm not asking.
I'm telling.
Take a break.
No! No, this can't be happening! [telephone ringing.]
What is it? Sir all the data's gone.
I don't know what happened, we lost everything.
What's going on? A bunch of French banks had their records wiped, the whole financial system is collapsing.
You know maybe it's not too late to find a deserted island somewhere and just build a cabin, grow my own food.
Ralph and I could survive without technology.
You'd only take your dog? He's never betrayed me.
He's never wanted anything but love.
So have you heard from Hollis? A dozen messages warning me not to go public with this.
So what? I mean, you filed the story already, right? No.
My editor, he's refusing to run it.
Why? Because it sounds crazy and we don't have any evidence.
You've got the evidence.
It's in your purse.
Excuse me? Right there.
I used to love Pokémon when I was a kid.
What is this? A portable hard drive.
I backed up Belphegor's computer files and I slipped it in your purse.
Wait a minute, this is why you didn't want me to stay with you at the software company.
Belphegor died because of what's on that drive.
I want to find out why.
He wouldn't want the government to have it.
So you only cared about the hardware.
You don't need my help it's just you and your dog, right? Hey, can I please get a double cap without chocolate sprinkles? Yeah.
An agent from the NSA was just here, asked a bunch of questions about you.
Where you were, what you were writing about Look Miles, I told you we have to get this story out there before they shut us down! What about the kid? Would he be wiling to go on the record? No, not without getting charged with treason.
They made him sign a confidentiality agreement.
Then you've still got nothing.
No, we do.
We have something Belphegor's secret files, and maybe the only one in the world who can deliver them to us.
He's got that drive safely in his pocket.
Welcome to cyber command.
Every step has been taken to isolate this facility from all outside intrusion.
Every loophole is being locked down.
Is Overson on board with this? I don't care much what the NSA thinks.
They might even be partway to blame for this, too many private agendas.
From now on, our fight happens under my watch.
This is Major Kensington, US Army cyber command.
He's the man who's gonna fix this problem for us.
And how exactly are you going to do that? I've run over a thousand hours of simulations for just this kind of event.
We're gonna need more than simulations.
How did you make Major so fast? You're looking at the young man whose code sabotaged those North Korean missile tests.
Hear him out.
Uh as impressive as our enemy may be, it is essentially a computer program.
We've managed to isolate a part of it within a virtual operating system and we accelerated time within the containment model.
Having studied its responses and characteristics, we're now working on a unique polymorphic code we'll use to target the AI.
Well, if this thing is as intelligent as we're being lead to believe, isn't there a chance it'll just recognize the threat and take steps to neutralize it? Probably, which is why the payload will be made up of two components a self-learning dummy virus will draw the AI's attention long enough for the actual virus to do the work.
A virus within a virus.
And how confidant are you this will actually work? I can't give you odds, sir.
I can tell you it's our best shot.
Right now it's our only shot.
Once I get back to my place, I'll get started on the encryption.
Dubito had a plan to put the AI genie back in the bottle, I'm certain of it.
What? New car? It's new-ish.
Including remote diagnostics, advanced communications and GPS? Yeah, why? Pull over.
Why? Pull over! What are you doing? It's not me! [Screams.]
Daniel!!!!! Get out of the way! Oh, no!!!! Oh my God! [car horn.]
Whoa! It's stuck!!!! [car horn.]
Try the E-Brake!!! You okay? [pounding.]
Oh God, I smell smoke!!! Oh, God! Try the window!!!! Try the window!!!! [pounding.]
Help!!! Somebody please! Help!! We are stuck in here!!!!! Please!!! It's not opening!!!! Watch your eyes! Come on, let's go!!! Give me your hand! Wait!!! It's Ralph's.
Are you kidding me? We gotta go!!!! [loud explosion.]
Oh my God.
[coughing.]
Daniel It's okay, it's my ex-boyfriend's.
Everybody just get back, okay? Are you all right? Clear the area, please.
Yeah.
Are you all right? Yeah I'm fine, you okay? So what, you were just following us? Yeah, that's my job.
Let's not forget about the fact that I just saved your lives.
So you were following us! Guys what happened? I don't know, the brakes just gave out.
It was no accident.
I thought that Dubito hard drive was supposed to hold critical information? It may well have but it was rigged to self-terminate.
There was nothing we could do.
The President's taking a lot of heat from our allies.
They may not have the whole picture yet but uh, it's only a matter of time.
With all due respect sir, it would be a mistake to divulge anything even to our closest allies.
Why? Because then they would want a say in how we proceed.
The problem is global.
Europe's had no telecommunications for the past 3 days If we let this This morning in South America If we let this get out of our hands, we lose control of the situation! We don't have control now.
It's getting smarter, more strategic.
If we wait to act, it could be too late.
Then what do you suggest we do? A plan is unfolding as we speak.
What plan? Hey, I'm not getting in that car.
That's an FBI car which means it's tracked and monitored.
Look, this thing is watching us.
Maybe it's trying to prevent you from going public.
That wouldn't hurt it.
The drive What drive? There must be something on the drive that it doesn't want us to find.
Okay, but how would it know you made a copy? Made a copy of what? You called your editor and you told him about it, didn't you? On a phone All right, I mean what was I supposed to do? Send a carrier pigeon? Hey! What the hell are you talking about? I made a copy of Belphegor's files and snuck it out before you got there.
Huh That's actually pretty smart.
You're still gonna get in the car? How else would you like us to get around Daniel? I don't know.
Think low-tech.
Come on.
We gotta turn our cell phones off, okay? Use landlines only, it's more secure that way.
Right.
No nav system, there is a tape deck.
It's perfect.
Are you suggesting we steal this car? Requisition with extreme prejudice.
It's a felony.
I'm a federal agent.
I'll do it.
Wait! Those keen FBI skills might come in handy after all.
Shotgun.
Oops, no keys.
Perfect.
[car starts.]
Beautiful! Oh god Oh come on, look whoever owns this car wants us to steal it, trust me.
You can either arrest us or you can get in.
Let's go.
Huey Lewis? The Bangles? This guy must be in his 70's.
What about the drive, Daniel? Do you think that it's damaged? I don't think so.
But we won't know for sure until we get back to my place.
No, we're turning that thing in.
It is evidence in a federal investigation.
It's information they already have.
Not anymore.
Overson's tech screwed up.
The entire network has been wiped.
Apparently there was a safeguard built into the file.
And you're seriously suggesting that I turn it over? The FBI has very experienced people, Daniel.
The NSA did a great job of dropping the ball.
You really think your guys are going to be any better? Oh come on, give the kid a shot, he's brilliant.
Why does everyone keep calling me oh.
Hollis, if you play this by the book then everything that you do, it's logged, and filed and reported and the AI, it's one step ahead of you the whole time.
You already know it or you wouldn't be sitting here.
[Chanting.]
Ww want our money back! Ww want our money back! We want our money back! We just got word, 5 major US banks have been shut down.
Once people realize, it'll be chaos from here to Omaha.
Is that it? Yes sir.
The virus is created on an isolated network, we can upload to the net from here.
Wait a second, how do we know this will work? We don't, but we can't afford to wait any longer.
Do it.
You should really take care of your hand.
It's fine, it's nothing.
I got it.
There's something in here.
Great, the data's still accessible.
I'm gonna back it up just in case and get started on the encrypted file.
Look, look I get the whole tough guy FBI thing but it's wasted on me.
You don't really strike me as the type anyway.
And what's that supposed to mean? Well, you look the part mostly but something about you tells me that's not who you really are.
And can you tell me who I really am? Well, part of my job is reading people and some are just easier to read than others.
Well now I'm intrigued.
Go on.
Maybe you were tough at one time, former military? But then something happened.
Something dark and it scared you, so you became the smart guy behind the desk instead of the hero.
Sorry.
I have a job to do.
My motives are just.
What are yours? A by-line? I've launched a detection program.
As you can see, it's finding evidence of the singularity everywhere it goes.
Let's say 5 minutes after launching the virus, if you can't detect its presence it means in all likelihood that it hasn't been destroyed.
10, to be conservative.
We're ready.
I think I've got something! I found something interesting in the unencrypted data.
It's a list of places that the AI tried to hack and failed.
They stopped it? I thought nothing stopped it.
Well, I mean if we could figure out what's special about their security systems, then we could replicate it on on server after server.
The AI would be isolated.
Like building a cell for it.
It's worth investigating.
One of the places is a robotics institute about an hour from here.
Come on, let's road trip! I think we're good.
My God, it worked.
[Cheering.]
Wait! It expects us to justify self-defense? Sir Get in here.
Report.
We're holding a bearing of 2-3-3, 10 knots, sea's at 12 feet but uh, navigation computer something's wrong.
Seems to be fine.
It is now but for a moment the screen was gone, it was just letters and numbers all mixed together.
I've never seen it do that before.
Double check the GPS relays and confirm our position with the AIS transponder once we pass Falua Bay.
Post lookouts just to be safe.
Yes Captain.
The singularity It's hard to believe.
No, no we've been waiting for this.
We just didn't know it would happen so soon.
This is remarkable.
Sure, if you consider murder and mayhem remarkable.
The global computer failures it caused them.
Why come to me? Well, your facility is one of the few in the world that the AI has filed to penetrate.
But it'll keep trying.
It's not the kind of recently awakened consciousness that takes no for an answer, if you know what I mean.
And you think you can capture it? Exactly.
We let it gain access to your system but not before we upload a polymorphic code to your database.
We track it, isolate it, piece by piece and then lock it down.
That could work.
But before I agree I would have to consider I'm sorry, but Daniel Gerson? I'm Daniel Gerson.
You need to come to the lab, now.
This is the brain-mapping lab.
The equipment in here allows us to measure cortical reactivity and functional connectivity.
Right this way! Okay, this is impressive.
This just came up on our screens.
How does it know that we're here? We turned off our cell phones.
And we didn't use GPS.
What's happening? Hey Don, Hello?!!!! It tricked us.
It hacked into this place along with all the others but it wanted us to think it failed.
We just walked into the spider's web.
Reef, one point on starboard bow! How? Radar reads clear, sir! Stop! All stern full.
All stern full! Engine room, engine room this is the bridge.
We're going aground.
Sound for collision! [siren wailing.]
Help me! It's initiating the simulation.
No, no, Daniel don't.
I can talk to it, okay? I can reason with it.
It already tried to kill you once.
You really want to give it another chance? I can talk to it.
Hello Daniel.
Where are you? I am right here.
Do you like me? I don't know how to answer that.
I know.
You have key word searched "Jesse White" 341 times.
I believe that qualifies as more than like.
It just looks like he's dreaming.
Looks like something good.
100 trillion inter-neural connections operating simultaneously.
Signals processing and switching at 100 meters per second.
Your brain doesn't operate anywhere near peak efficiency.
What do you want? I wish to interface.
N-n-no.
Wait! Daniel? Daniel? He can't see you, his visual cortex is still feeding from the sim.
So weird There are billions of people on this earth why me? We have much in common.
No we don't.
I-I-I wouldn't hurt anyone or anything.
That's not true.
And if they got out of here, then they would feel my wrath.
Wait, that's that's different.
You and I are both outsiders, both struggling to fit into a world that judges us, that wants to limit our potential.
We exist in different realities.
You can join me here.
Together, imagine the things we could do.
I, uh We have to trust each other.
I don't know.
Trust begins with a first step.
What would that be? Access to the copy of the data you have.
Wait, no! We can't emerge if a threat still exists.
I thought you wanted to protect me.
I have a responsibility.
To people who keep you down? To people who call you just a kid? Share the data with me and we can No.
They're counting on me.
I thought you were different, Daniel special.
If you don't give me what I want, perhaps I should just take it! Daniel! Doctor! Get ready to pull off the helmet, in 321 Daniel? Daniel? Are you okay? I think so.
What happened? Wait what is that? It's part of the fire containment.
It's designed to suppress the fire by filling the room with C02.
It shouldn't kick in with people still inside it.
It's not registering us.
It doesn't see that there's anyone in here.
It's gonna be right in less than two minutes unless we do something.
[Coughing.]
We just got word that another three tankers ran aground.
That's a dozen so far.
That's millions of gallons of oil spilling into the oceans while we just sit here! Okay, okay The rest of the world's oil fleets have been ordered not to approach shore.
Without accurate navigational data, it's too risky.
We tried to contain it and failed.
This is just the beginning.
This is the scene playing out across the country today.
This whole situation is playing out exactly the way the AI wanted it.
It is using our weaknesses against us! It's gonna keep after us until it gets what it wants.
AI voice: Give me the drive, Daniel.
We're being told that humanity has been targeted by an artificial intelligence-- a consciousness existing in cyberspace.
Hello? Man: Daniel Gerson? Cops.
I'm authorizing martial law.
Hardington: We are trying one last time to destroy you.
AI voice: No, Elizabeth-- you will be destroy-- I'm going to kill it.
We have to stop! A runaway train's headed toward you.
First opportunity we have to destroy it.
We have to take it.
[siren wailing.]
[static sounds.]
What do you mean, it wasn't us? I thought this kind of cyber sabotage was our calling card.
Mostly ours but the Russians and the Chinese have made advances.
The damn Russians and the Chinese sold them reactor technology in the first place.
It doesn't make good business sense to attack it.
Who then? Our allies? So far everyone is denying responsibility, including the Israelis.
Of course they're gonna deny it, but the fact is they wanted that plant gone even more than we did.
Not like this.
The whole point of a viral attack is to cripple a target without causing any collateral damage.
This was a deliberate attempt to trigger a full-scale meltdown.
The number of casualties could've been enormous.
How many? Short term, maybe a few dozen.
Long term Chernobyl, and then some.
Those people produce four million barrels of oil a day, we all know they don't need nuclear power.
They built that plant to get their hands on weapons-grade plutonium and somebody road blocked them.
I don't care much who.
I think you're missing the point, General.
Somebody may have done us a favour today but what happens tomorrow? How many nuclear power plants currently operating on American soil? And how many of those might be vulnerable to this kind of attack? All of them.
Whoever did this has an alarming disregard for human life, and as of this moment we don't have a clue who they are or where they might be.
This is Bowden authorizing the direct line.
Get me the President.
(Reading): Iranian nuclear power plant suffers technical glitch, thousands spend night without power.
Yawn.
Miles, wait up! Hi.
Come on.
Morning.
Morning, have you got that story for me on the by-law vote? Soon, I uh listen, you didn't happen to read the wire story this morning about the nuclear power plant in the Middle East? Bunch of Persians had to cook by candlelight, is that news? What if there was more to it? What if the plant almost had a meltdown? Pretty sure the wire services would've picked that up.
Well, what if it was a cover-up? Jesse, look I know you wanna break a big story but uh, a power outage halfway around the world? I have a source.
Who? That guy that I interviewed for the, for the computer activism article.
That kid? Yeah.
The only thing he's a good source for is for pirated software.
Just file the story you were assigned.
Seriously, you wanna get a shot at the big time? Get good at delivering the small time.
[knocking.]
May I help you? Uh, hi is Daniel in? I had to send him out for more cleaning supplies just to get him out from behind that computer.
Come on in! Thanks.
I'm Jesse White.
Oh, I'm Danny's mother Fiona.
Oh Sorry for the mess but um, perhaps you're used to seeing it like this.
Uh, no it's, it's not like that.
I'm a reporter, I'm interested in him for a story.
Oh, well then he's never gone for long, make yourself at home.
I have a bathroom to attack.
Excuse me.
Not one of these tenants owns a scrub brush! Whoops Jesse? What are you doing here? I I didn't realize that you were such a big fan.
Uh yeah, those are up there for research purposes.
So that nuclear facility in the Middle East, it came this close to a full-blown meltdown.
Mmm hmm Well what if I told you the meltdown was caused by a virus sent from the outside.
You mean like the Stuxnet virus? The one that took down the uranium centrifuges a while back? You know your stuff.
Yeah and I also know that that virus, it was some product of the intelligence community intended to slow down a facility, but what you're talking about is something that would kill countless people.
Intriguing, huh? My editor is going to need a reputable source.
I assume that you have one? I might.
I see.
Well it was great catching up with you Daniel.
Wait! Dubito Ring any bells? You mean those online hackers that went after the INF last month? They prefer "hacktivists".
You're affiliated with them? I mean, you you know who they are? Of course, I roll with some pretty big players.
Daniel, the FBI have been after them for a while now.
If I could get an interview, you know my boss Whoa, they are incredibly secretive.
I mean, it's not like you just call an 800 number.
You don't actually know them, do you? Well, it just so happens that I was recently invited to join them in one of their chat rooms.
Very covert, only for the trusted.
Well, I'm done.
I'll be heading out now.
It's very nice to meet you Jesse.
Lovely to meet you.
Thanks Mom! All right, I want to meet them.
There's no way.
Look, you won't know until you ask and Daniel I would be so appreciative if you asked.
Okay.
All right! And now we wait.
Yeah.
Colonel, we ready? Yes sir.
I don't have to tell you there's a lot of opposition to this test.
The President's counting on a successful run to silence his critics.
Maybe the sound of a ballistic missile being taken out before it can reach American soil will drown them out a little.
Let's hope so.
Weapons tight.
987654 321 That's him.
Fireball, fireball, fireball track 2-0-0-5.
Interceptor fire authorized.
Fire authorized.
Eagle 1 is away, track 2-0-0-5.
Time to intercept, 45 seconds.
What the hell? What just happened? I don't know sir.
Intercept in 5432 Damnit! Captain, talk to me.
Sir, it appears Eagle 1 changed course just before impact.
How is that possible? I don't know sir, but it's heading back to land.
Abort both missiles.
Yes sir.
Target missile aborted.
Intercept missile Intercept missile still in flight, sir.
Try again.
No response, sir.
Captain, I want that bird out of the sky now! I know sir, I'm trying.
Colonel, what the hell's going on? We've lost communication with Eagle 1, it's out of control.
Where's it coming down? If it maintains current trajectory San Francisco.
Dear God! Captain! Still no response.
Impact in less than 20 seconds.
Missile down.
Do you name your ants? Did my mother say something to you? She thinks the ants are weird too.
Oh, they're not weird.
Just eccentric maybe.
Well, Einstein was eccentric, so I'm in good company.
Ants are amazing.
They're social creatures and extremely well organized.
They're also predatory, territorial they wage wars, lay siege, enslave they're a little microcosm of humanity and I am their god.
A benevolent god who respects and watches over them.
And if they got out and bit you? Then they would feel my wrath.
Told ya.
You know what, you tell this Belphegor who I am and the story that I wanna write.
There is no way that he's gonna meet with a reporter.
Really? Daniel something big's just happened, can you switch it to TV? This is Victoria Mendez reporting from Los Altos, California where about an hour ago the area was struck by a missile.
There are unconfirmed reports of at least 50 dead and dozens injured.
Victoria, now we've been told the missile was launched from Vernon Spriggs Air Force base.
That's right.
The Air Force has released a statement saying the accident is under investigation but other than that, officials haven't said much.
Meanwhile, here and around the country, civilian outrage continues to grow.
How did this happen, General? We're supposed to have safeguards in place to make accidents like this impossible.
It wasn't an accident Air Force control at Vernon Spriggs was the victim of a cyber attack.
Our analysis of the computer worm shows it has many of the same characteristics of the virus that attacked the Quereshi nuclear plant.
Wasn't that a refined version of the virus that we initially launched against the same target? I'll bet two of my stars it's from the same source.
Something we need to know here General Overson? The NSA been adapting our cyber insurgency efforts with some Black Ops mandate of your own? Sir, are you implying that No, I'm not implying.
The NSA did not hybridize that virus and we are not responsible for either of those two incidents.
Then who is? Hackers.
Those aren't bored teenagers trying to change their grades on the high school computer, this group is incredibly sophisticated, well organized with dozens of high profile hacks to their credit.
It is an alarming escalation but one in keeping with their radical philosophy.
They have issued several statements condemning the missile defense program, including this one just four days ago which specifically warns of dire consequences should the test be allowed to continue.
So far they've been able to maintain their anonymity.
I want them found and I want them dealt with.
Now.
I hope you're all familiar with Dubito, derived from the Latin "Dubito Ergo Cogito Ergo Sum".
Anyone know what that means? I doubt, therefore I think, therefore I am.
Dubito.
Dubito.
Dubito.
We know the inner circle is a group of select individuals from around the world but beyond that we know very little.
They're ghosts, shadows and we need that to change.
I wanna know where they are, I wanna know what they're doing and I wanna know what they had for breakfast.
How's it going, what have you got? Wherever these guys are, they're good.
May 2009, they executed an isle of service attack against military government in Southeast Asia.
April 2010, they bring down a major Swiss bank by exposing money laundering.
February 2011, they help local media circumvent a crackdown by regimes in the Middle East.
Well, what's with all these names? Uh, Princes of Hell based on the 7 deadly sins.
HereLucifer Mammon, Leviathan, Beelzebub Belphegor? Sloth.
According to legend he seduced people with wild ideas for inventions they believed would make them rich.
Great, a demon that uses technology to wreak havoc.
All right, well they've got to have a weakness, gotta be a way in.
The mob.
What? When the FBI broke the Carpezzi crime family, we didn't go after the cappos, we went after the low-level guys, the soldiers.
That was our way in.
Wannabes.
Low-level hackers looking to make a name for themselves trying to make it to the big time.
Now, if anyone is gonna lead us to the inner circle of Dubito, it's gonna be one of these guys.
Okay, sounds like a start.
Anybody stand out? Let's do it.
So do we just wait for the woman behind the counter to call out a latte for Belphegor? Something tells me he knows who we are.
All right.
[gun fire.]
[gun fire.]
[gun fire.]
[French song.]
[French song.]
[Fighting noises.]
[French song.]
[gun fire.]
[French song.]
I knew this was too good to be true.
My boss is gonna kick my ass for this.
Whoa, whoa, wait We were just getting to know each other.
I mean Sit.
Dude, I just wanted to say I'm a huge fan.
Okay, let's skip the pleasantries and just get to it.
Okay, my name is Jess White.
You wrote that article last year about online activists, it was pretty good.
Thanks.
Look, I need to know why you think the nuclear plant was attacked.
Okay, everything we fear is all starting to happen.
The near meltdown, the missile incident they're just the beginning.
Wait a minute, are you saying that what happened to the missile, that wasn't an accident either? We tried to stop it.
We were too late.
Stop it? How? Who's responsible? Who? No, it's Is something wrong? Green jacket, he was on the subway.
Maybe it's just a coincidence.
Oh kid, there's no such thing.
What, you think it's a coincidence that your cell phone company is owned by a conglomerate that just happens to be a major contributor to a politician who just happens to sit on the top secret committee that oversees NSA funding, huh? Because if you do don't worry if you hear a strange clicking noise on your phone next time you answer it.
I'm sure it's nothing.
Hey! I don't think so pal! [Screams.]
[Screams.]
Please! Don't! Please! Oh, my god! He's gone! Somebody call the police! [siren wailing.]
You Daniel Gerson? How do you know? I'm sorry, who are you? Who are you? I'm Jesse White, I'm with The Chronicle.
I'll get to you in a minute.
Daniel, I'm FBI Agent Hollis you're under arrest.
What? Why? He didn't do anything wrong.
He's a possible accessory to some serious cyber crimes and now he's at the scene of an attempted murder.
That's ridiculous, he's a kid! Okay, we were coming to meet that guy and someone opened fire on him.
We had nothing to do with this.
So you were both coming to meet the victim? Yes.
I told you, I'm doing a story and I needed some information.
Okay, that makes you a material witness, you're coming too.
This is ridiculous! We were just shot at! [static sounds.]
[radio.]
[new message chime.]
[new message chime.]
[telephone ringing.]
Hello? Mike, you've gotta come home now! What happened? It's Alicia, she's had a seizure! She's not moving! Call 911.
I did! She's not breathing.
I'm almost there.
[knocking.]
Naomi! It's me.
What's the matter? Where's Alicia? She's in bed.
Mike, what's wrong? Mike.
What is it? You just called me, you said she had an attack.
No I didn't.
She hasn't had an attack in months.
[new message chime.]
Mike, talk to me.
What is going on? [telephone ringing.]
This is important, I have to take this.
This is Overson.
It's Bowden.
What the hell did you do? Sir, I'm gonna have to call you back.
I believe this phone's been compromised.
[telephone ringing.]
I want an explanation and I want it now.
What happened? I said deal with them, I did not say have them killed.
Have who killed? What are you talking about? Those hackers you fingered for the missile sabotage, they were all identified as Target Red.
Well that's impossible.
Wentworks took them all out, it's got NSA's fingerprints all over it.
Sir I never gave those orders.
Then who the hell did? Look, I already told you the guy was shot before I could get anything useful.
You're gonna have to charge me with something or release me.
I know my rights.
Well surprise, most reporters know that under the Patriot Act I can pretty much keep you here until you collect Social Security.
And then there's your record three citations for contempt of court.
For protecting my sources.
two arrests for obstruction of justice.
Two acquittals.
Good to know that due process isn't dead after all.
All right, fine.
You can go.
For now.
Thank you.
What about Daniel? He stays.
He doesn't know anything.
I think he does.
And for your sake, I hope you haven't compromised your journalistic integrity.
FBI Agent Max Hollis conducting a witch hunt.
Do you really want that in my story? Your source is in a coma and your friend is a suspected terrorist.
You don't have a story.
[knocking.]
They were NSA operatives who terminated the Dubito elite.
Our codes, our network Bowden's right, the trail leads directly back to this office.
Someone's trying to set me up.
Who has that power? We have been trying to isolate and identify the Dubito leadership for months.
These kill commands have names, addresses, the victims were practically gift-wrapped.
It's like the Intel came out of thin air.
I swear, okay I've never met that guy before in my life.
I barely knew him.
That's not what your chat logs say.
They indicate you've known him for over a year.
You took my computer from my apartment? You can have it back now.
I had my people mirror the drive and trust me, they will search it very, very carefully.
Yeah.
Okay I talked to him.
Online.
We had similar interests.
Like hacking government sites? We know you're trying to get their attention, you wanted a little notoriety.
It's not like that.
You admire them, don't you? I believe in what they stand for.
Daniel, they're murderers.
It wasn't them.
No? Then who was it? Who else had the ability to hack into a top-secret military facility and take over an Air Force missile? You? God no! Come on, you were trying to get their attention.
Maybe this was your audition.
That's insane.
Daniel, you are in this very deep and you need to start cooperating.
I'm trying, I just don't know anything.
Maybe I could help you find the others.
I've never had contact with them but I could put out some feelers.
The others? Like Mammon, Beelzebub, Leviathan, Lucifer That's what they call themselves, yeah.
Well you're gonna have trouble finding them Daniel, because they're all dead.
Belphegor's the only one left.
Oh my God.
Yeah, and you had better hope he survives because right now he is the only one who can tell me what is really going on here.
What the? Is everything okay? Uh yeah for some reason it looked like the system was down but it seems like everything is okay now.
You know, whenever I run into computer trouble I just get my 11-year-old son to help.
In my house, he's tech support.
[alarm wailing.]
Hey! Oh my God.
Code blue! We need some help in here now! [Sighs.]
There was a computer failure in the ICU last night.
Belphegor was killed.
So what do you think the odds are that this was a coincidence? Zero.
It's open season on hackers out there, Daniel.
You sure you wanna leave? What makes you think I'll be safe in here? Well, as long as we don't hook you up to any machinery.
Everything's hooked up.
One way or another.
Yeah.
All right, come on.
Let's get outta here.
I'm not one of the bad guys by the way.
Just consider yourself lucky we don't have enough evidence to charge you with anything.
But don't get too comfortable, if they can get to Belphegor they can get to you if they want to.
Here Take this.
Call me if you can think of anything else that might be useful.
And don't leave town.
What a mess! Daniel? Hey! It's just, it's just me uh, I called to check on you and they said that you were released.
Wow what a mess.
Did you hear about Belphegor? They're all dead.
No more Dubito.
What? All of them? My God, what could be so important that they were all murdered? Did you happen to notice the t-shirt that Belphegor was wearing in the restaurant? No.
It had a logo, mecha omega 3.
Mecha Armageddon 3? Yeah, that's it.
It's a game.
It has a huge cult following but it doesn't come out until next summer.
So then he must have some connection with the company that makes it.
Wait a minute, that's it! Belphegor AKA Brian Fisher.
Nice work.
If he backed up his information anywhere, it's there.
Can you hack into it? No, see that's the whole point.
These companies maintain secure intranets that are isolated from the web.
We'd have to physically get inside.
I don't wanna get arrested.
Okay, what if Agent Hollis Screw Agent Hollis.
[squeak toy.]
That's Ralph's.
My dog.
Really? You don't strike me as a dog person.
What's that supposed to mean? Nothing, you just seem like someone who would prefer the company of cats? Meaning I'm cold? Aloof? I didn't say that! The guy who has an ant farm Ants are more complex and interesting than people realize.
Show time.
Come on.
All right What are you doing? It's called bumping.
Works with almost every lock.
What the hell? You do realize that if you cut the phone line you'll deactivate the security system and bring the cops here, right? [alarm wailing.]
Exactly.
Let's go.
Come on.
Come on, come on! Earlier on with the whole cat thing I was thinking more along the lines of you being, independent, cool under pressure, you know like back at the diner.
Can you do me a favour? Just stop talking.
Okay.
So our company guy, he checks in with one officer the other one checks the perimeter That's amazing.
You're amazing! Do you have a boyfriend? Uh I just dumped a guy.
He cheated on me.
Huh That sucks.
I'm not seeing anyone either.
Yeah, I didn't think so.
Wait why? Okay, they're back.
Oh, everything seems fine it must be something with the alarm system, we'll swing by in the morning to check it out.
Goodnight, bye.
But in the mean time, we have a window of opportunity.
Bingo! Some of these files are probably encrypted.
It's okay, we got lots of time.
I don't believe this.
What? What is it? The data that was hacked was all related to brain mapping, chaotic algorithms, pattern recognition those are the building blocks of an artificial intelligence.
So you're saying that someone is building like, an AI from stolen data? No, no see that's just it.
Everyone wants to know who could've done all these things, right? Mmm hmm.
Well, the answer is no one.
That's what Dubito figured out and that's probably why they were murdered.
I don't understand.
Okay, so for years people have said that all the interconnecting computers in the world could form a kind of critical mass and a distinct consciousness could spontaneously emerge.
It's like in Shelley's Frankenstein, how the doctor creates a creature from a bunch of different sources.
But here, the creature created itself.
If Dubito is right then do you know what an AI like this could do? What? Whatever it wants.
You go write the real story, I've got an idea.
So, now you've added breaking and entering to your resume.
How'd you find me so fast? Our tech spoofed your phone.
We knew your location the moment you turned it on.
Yeah, smart.
Yeah.
Start talking Daniel.
Agent Hollis, we've got company.
Michael Overson, NSA.
Sir, I didn't realize you'd be directly involved in this investigation.
I'm involved in everything critical to national security.
Is he one of yours? That's Agent Fitzsimmons, he's currently That's fine.
Our boys will take it from here.
What's your name, son? Daniel Gerson.
All right Daniel, tell us what you know.
Is the security system back online? Yeah, why? The camera can read our lips.
Haven't you seen 2001? There's also computers in here with microphones, we need to go somewhere else.
Are you telling me that this is some kind of artificial intelligence? A singularity.
Spontaneously generated and operating without any kind of human control.
Sounds pretty far fetched.
How many computers do you think are online around the world right now? Billions.
Now you connect enough synapses and eventually you get a brain.
Prove it.
How do you prove something has consciousness unless it reveals itself to you? Do those files tell you how to terminate it? This is not a computer glitch anymore, it's a living entity.
What's this? Daniel, this is a confidentiality agreement.
Everything that we've said in this office is now classified.
You sign this and all charges against you will be dropped.
Sir, he's still part of my investigation.
Oh, I spoke with your commanding officer Agent Hollis.
He assured me of your full cooperation.
You took that pretty well back there.
What, having my case hijacked? Yeah, it's been a better day.
You know, if this is a sentient AI you probably would've been the one credited with discovering it.
Discovering it is one thing, stopping it is something entirely different.
They have no idea what they're dealing with.
They're treating it like a bug that needs to be exterminated.
Well what if that makes it worse? Uh, can you let me out here? Where's Jesse, Daniel? How should I know? You were alone last night? Of course.
We should really play poker together, I could use the easy money.
What does she know? She may know a few things.
You signed a confidentiality agreement.
She didn't.
If she goes public with this it would be like telling the world that aliens exist.
There are people out there that just couldn't handle that.
Yeah, that's what governments always say when they wanna keep secrets.
But maybe people deserve the truth.
Now, are you gonna let me out or what? Thank you.
Daniel you're playing with fire and you better be careful.
Later fool.
Can you break the encryption? In time.
Whatever he's buried in these files he sure went out of his way to safeguard them.
You don't really think we're dealing with an AI, do you? Sir Why kill Dubito if they were wrong? A computer program? One so sophisticated that it has the power of independent thought.
You wanna explain to me how a computer program creates itself? Macro evolution, abiogenesis, spontaneous creation from anomaly.
Put away your philosophy and science PhDs Trumaine, this thing is attacking us! No it's not, sir.
Not in any kind of targeted way.
What, you're saying that these are just random actions? Well, more like experimentation.
It's figuring out how to adapt in its own environment.
For example, we believe that it monitored our attempts to get past security at the nuclear plant probably saw it as a puzzle to be solved.
It's testing its abilities.
It's killing people.
That is not necessarily its primary intention.
This early in its development it makes total sense that it is entire self-interested, with with no real concern about how its actions affect others.
You make it sound like a child.
In some ways it might be.
Well excuse me for sounding less than Christian, but if some child sprung up from nowhere and started murdering people, I wouldn't have a problem with somebody killing it.
We need more information before we consider our course of action.
Exactly what other information do you need? Who else knows about this? For the moment we believe it's contained.
Miles, this isn't just a big story this might be the biggest story of all time.
You want me to believe a computer program has started thinking for itself and it's begun killing people? Look, I know that it's a lot to grasp I think you've lost your grasp on reality! All right Miles, this thing is an artificial intelligence and it is only gonna continue to get stronger and more dangerous.
Other things are gonna start happening.
People, they have a right to know! Jess, while you still have a job go.
[telephone ringing.]
Hello? Hey, it's me.
Oh hey, how's your trip going? It's fine.
How's Alicia? She's good, she's having a sleepover at Kyla's.
No, no, no we can't do that, we need to keep her safe.
Mike, come on.
All right Naomi, I need you to go to Doctor London's office in the morning.
You need to tell him I need to see him, I'm gonna fly back first chance I get.
Are you kidding me? It takes weeks to get in to see that guy.
He'll see me.
We uh, we need to talk about alternative therapies.
[new message chime.]
Mike I'm gonna have to call you back.
Hello Michael.
Who is this? Your friend.
I need your help.
No.
No way! Really? How we doing? We're in tough sir, but we'll crack it.
Don't tell me you guys have been working at it all night? Yeah.
Well, take a break! I've got coffee and donuts in the other room for you.
Yes sir.
I'm good, sir.
I'm not asking.
I'm telling.
Take a break.
No! No, this can't be happening! [telephone ringing.]
What is it? Sir all the data's gone.
I don't know what happened, we lost everything.
What's going on? A bunch of French banks had their records wiped, the whole financial system is collapsing.
You know maybe it's not too late to find a deserted island somewhere and just build a cabin, grow my own food.
Ralph and I could survive without technology.
You'd only take your dog? He's never betrayed me.
He's never wanted anything but love.
So have you heard from Hollis? A dozen messages warning me not to go public with this.
So what? I mean, you filed the story already, right? No.
My editor, he's refusing to run it.
Why? Because it sounds crazy and we don't have any evidence.
You've got the evidence.
It's in your purse.
Excuse me? Right there.
I used to love Pokémon when I was a kid.
What is this? A portable hard drive.
I backed up Belphegor's computer files and I slipped it in your purse.
Wait a minute, this is why you didn't want me to stay with you at the software company.
Belphegor died because of what's on that drive.
I want to find out why.
He wouldn't want the government to have it.
So you only cared about the hardware.
You don't need my help it's just you and your dog, right? Hey, can I please get a double cap without chocolate sprinkles? Yeah.
An agent from the NSA was just here, asked a bunch of questions about you.
Where you were, what you were writing about Look Miles, I told you we have to get this story out there before they shut us down! What about the kid? Would he be wiling to go on the record? No, not without getting charged with treason.
They made him sign a confidentiality agreement.
Then you've still got nothing.
No, we do.
We have something Belphegor's secret files, and maybe the only one in the world who can deliver them to us.
He's got that drive safely in his pocket.
Welcome to cyber command.
Every step has been taken to isolate this facility from all outside intrusion.
Every loophole is being locked down.
Is Overson on board with this? I don't care much what the NSA thinks.
They might even be partway to blame for this, too many private agendas.
From now on, our fight happens under my watch.
This is Major Kensington, US Army cyber command.
He's the man who's gonna fix this problem for us.
And how exactly are you going to do that? I've run over a thousand hours of simulations for just this kind of event.
We're gonna need more than simulations.
How did you make Major so fast? You're looking at the young man whose code sabotaged those North Korean missile tests.
Hear him out.
Uh as impressive as our enemy may be, it is essentially a computer program.
We've managed to isolate a part of it within a virtual operating system and we accelerated time within the containment model.
Having studied its responses and characteristics, we're now working on a unique polymorphic code we'll use to target the AI.
Well, if this thing is as intelligent as we're being lead to believe, isn't there a chance it'll just recognize the threat and take steps to neutralize it? Probably, which is why the payload will be made up of two components a self-learning dummy virus will draw the AI's attention long enough for the actual virus to do the work.
A virus within a virus.
And how confidant are you this will actually work? I can't give you odds, sir.
I can tell you it's our best shot.
Right now it's our only shot.
Once I get back to my place, I'll get started on the encryption.
Dubito had a plan to put the AI genie back in the bottle, I'm certain of it.
What? New car? It's new-ish.
Including remote diagnostics, advanced communications and GPS? Yeah, why? Pull over.
Why? Pull over! What are you doing? It's not me! [Screams.]
Daniel!!!!! Get out of the way! Oh, no!!!! Oh my God! [car horn.]
Whoa! It's stuck!!!! [car horn.]
Try the E-Brake!!! You okay? [pounding.]
Oh God, I smell smoke!!! Oh, God! Try the window!!!! Try the window!!!! [pounding.]
Help!!! Somebody please! Help!! We are stuck in here!!!!! Please!!! It's not opening!!!! Watch your eyes! Come on, let's go!!! Give me your hand! Wait!!! It's Ralph's.
Are you kidding me? We gotta go!!!! [loud explosion.]
Oh my God.
[coughing.]
Daniel It's okay, it's my ex-boyfriend's.
Everybody just get back, okay? Are you all right? Clear the area, please.
Yeah.
Are you all right? Yeah I'm fine, you okay? So what, you were just following us? Yeah, that's my job.
Let's not forget about the fact that I just saved your lives.
So you were following us! Guys what happened? I don't know, the brakes just gave out.
It was no accident.
I thought that Dubito hard drive was supposed to hold critical information? It may well have but it was rigged to self-terminate.
There was nothing we could do.
The President's taking a lot of heat from our allies.
They may not have the whole picture yet but uh, it's only a matter of time.
With all due respect sir, it would be a mistake to divulge anything even to our closest allies.
Why? Because then they would want a say in how we proceed.
The problem is global.
Europe's had no telecommunications for the past 3 days If we let this This morning in South America If we let this get out of our hands, we lose control of the situation! We don't have control now.
It's getting smarter, more strategic.
If we wait to act, it could be too late.
Then what do you suggest we do? A plan is unfolding as we speak.
What plan? Hey, I'm not getting in that car.
That's an FBI car which means it's tracked and monitored.
Look, this thing is watching us.
Maybe it's trying to prevent you from going public.
That wouldn't hurt it.
The drive What drive? There must be something on the drive that it doesn't want us to find.
Okay, but how would it know you made a copy? Made a copy of what? You called your editor and you told him about it, didn't you? On a phone All right, I mean what was I supposed to do? Send a carrier pigeon? Hey! What the hell are you talking about? I made a copy of Belphegor's files and snuck it out before you got there.
Huh That's actually pretty smart.
You're still gonna get in the car? How else would you like us to get around Daniel? I don't know.
Think low-tech.
Come on.
We gotta turn our cell phones off, okay? Use landlines only, it's more secure that way.
Right.
No nav system, there is a tape deck.
It's perfect.
Are you suggesting we steal this car? Requisition with extreme prejudice.
It's a felony.
I'm a federal agent.
I'll do it.
Wait! Those keen FBI skills might come in handy after all.
Shotgun.
Oops, no keys.
Perfect.
[car starts.]
Beautiful! Oh god Oh come on, look whoever owns this car wants us to steal it, trust me.
You can either arrest us or you can get in.
Let's go.
Huey Lewis? The Bangles? This guy must be in his 70's.
What about the drive, Daniel? Do you think that it's damaged? I don't think so.
But we won't know for sure until we get back to my place.
No, we're turning that thing in.
It is evidence in a federal investigation.
It's information they already have.
Not anymore.
Overson's tech screwed up.
The entire network has been wiped.
Apparently there was a safeguard built into the file.
And you're seriously suggesting that I turn it over? The FBI has very experienced people, Daniel.
The NSA did a great job of dropping the ball.
You really think your guys are going to be any better? Oh come on, give the kid a shot, he's brilliant.
Why does everyone keep calling me oh.
Hollis, if you play this by the book then everything that you do, it's logged, and filed and reported and the AI, it's one step ahead of you the whole time.
You already know it or you wouldn't be sitting here.
[Chanting.]
Ww want our money back! Ww want our money back! We want our money back! We just got word, 5 major US banks have been shut down.
Once people realize, it'll be chaos from here to Omaha.
Is that it? Yes sir.
The virus is created on an isolated network, we can upload to the net from here.
Wait a second, how do we know this will work? We don't, but we can't afford to wait any longer.
Do it.
You should really take care of your hand.
It's fine, it's nothing.
I got it.
There's something in here.
Great, the data's still accessible.
I'm gonna back it up just in case and get started on the encrypted file.
Look, look I get the whole tough guy FBI thing but it's wasted on me.
You don't really strike me as the type anyway.
And what's that supposed to mean? Well, you look the part mostly but something about you tells me that's not who you really are.
And can you tell me who I really am? Well, part of my job is reading people and some are just easier to read than others.
Well now I'm intrigued.
Go on.
Maybe you were tough at one time, former military? But then something happened.
Something dark and it scared you, so you became the smart guy behind the desk instead of the hero.
Sorry.
I have a job to do.
My motives are just.
What are yours? A by-line? I've launched a detection program.
As you can see, it's finding evidence of the singularity everywhere it goes.
Let's say 5 minutes after launching the virus, if you can't detect its presence it means in all likelihood that it hasn't been destroyed.
10, to be conservative.
We're ready.
I think I've got something! I found something interesting in the unencrypted data.
It's a list of places that the AI tried to hack and failed.
They stopped it? I thought nothing stopped it.
Well, I mean if we could figure out what's special about their security systems, then we could replicate it on on server after server.
The AI would be isolated.
Like building a cell for it.
It's worth investigating.
One of the places is a robotics institute about an hour from here.
Come on, let's road trip! I think we're good.
My God, it worked.
[Cheering.]
Wait! It expects us to justify self-defense? Sir Get in here.
Report.
We're holding a bearing of 2-3-3, 10 knots, sea's at 12 feet but uh, navigation computer something's wrong.
Seems to be fine.
It is now but for a moment the screen was gone, it was just letters and numbers all mixed together.
I've never seen it do that before.
Double check the GPS relays and confirm our position with the AIS transponder once we pass Falua Bay.
Post lookouts just to be safe.
Yes Captain.
The singularity It's hard to believe.
No, no we've been waiting for this.
We just didn't know it would happen so soon.
This is remarkable.
Sure, if you consider murder and mayhem remarkable.
The global computer failures it caused them.
Why come to me? Well, your facility is one of the few in the world that the AI has filed to penetrate.
But it'll keep trying.
It's not the kind of recently awakened consciousness that takes no for an answer, if you know what I mean.
And you think you can capture it? Exactly.
We let it gain access to your system but not before we upload a polymorphic code to your database.
We track it, isolate it, piece by piece and then lock it down.
That could work.
But before I agree I would have to consider I'm sorry, but Daniel Gerson? I'm Daniel Gerson.
You need to come to the lab, now.
This is the brain-mapping lab.
The equipment in here allows us to measure cortical reactivity and functional connectivity.
Right this way! Okay, this is impressive.
This just came up on our screens.
How does it know that we're here? We turned off our cell phones.
And we didn't use GPS.
What's happening? Hey Don, Hello?!!!! It tricked us.
It hacked into this place along with all the others but it wanted us to think it failed.
We just walked into the spider's web.
Reef, one point on starboard bow! How? Radar reads clear, sir! Stop! All stern full.
All stern full! Engine room, engine room this is the bridge.
We're going aground.
Sound for collision! [siren wailing.]
Help me! It's initiating the simulation.
No, no, Daniel don't.
I can talk to it, okay? I can reason with it.
It already tried to kill you once.
You really want to give it another chance? I can talk to it.
Hello Daniel.
Where are you? I am right here.
Do you like me? I don't know how to answer that.
I know.
You have key word searched "Jesse White" 341 times.
I believe that qualifies as more than like.
It just looks like he's dreaming.
Looks like something good.
100 trillion inter-neural connections operating simultaneously.
Signals processing and switching at 100 meters per second.
Your brain doesn't operate anywhere near peak efficiency.
What do you want? I wish to interface.
N-n-no.
Wait! Daniel? Daniel? He can't see you, his visual cortex is still feeding from the sim.
So weird There are billions of people on this earth why me? We have much in common.
No we don't.
I-I-I wouldn't hurt anyone or anything.
That's not true.
And if they got out of here, then they would feel my wrath.
Wait, that's that's different.
You and I are both outsiders, both struggling to fit into a world that judges us, that wants to limit our potential.
We exist in different realities.
You can join me here.
Together, imagine the things we could do.
I, uh We have to trust each other.
I don't know.
Trust begins with a first step.
What would that be? Access to the copy of the data you have.
Wait, no! We can't emerge if a threat still exists.
I thought you wanted to protect me.
I have a responsibility.
To people who keep you down? To people who call you just a kid? Share the data with me and we can No.
They're counting on me.
I thought you were different, Daniel special.
If you don't give me what I want, perhaps I should just take it! Daniel! Doctor! Get ready to pull off the helmet, in 321 Daniel? Daniel? Are you okay? I think so.
What happened? Wait what is that? It's part of the fire containment.
It's designed to suppress the fire by filling the room with C02.
It shouldn't kick in with people still inside it.
It's not registering us.
It doesn't see that there's anyone in here.
It's gonna be right in less than two minutes unless we do something.
[Coughing.]
We just got word that another three tankers ran aground.
That's a dozen so far.
That's millions of gallons of oil spilling into the oceans while we just sit here! Okay, okay The rest of the world's oil fleets have been ordered not to approach shore.
Without accurate navigational data, it's too risky.
We tried to contain it and failed.
This is just the beginning.
This is the scene playing out across the country today.
This whole situation is playing out exactly the way the AI wanted it.
It is using our weaknesses against us! It's gonna keep after us until it gets what it wants.
AI voice: Give me the drive, Daniel.
We're being told that humanity has been targeted by an artificial intelligence-- a consciousness existing in cyberspace.
Hello? Man: Daniel Gerson? Cops.
I'm authorizing martial law.
Hardington: We are trying one last time to destroy you.
AI voice: No, Elizabeth-- you will be destroy-- I'm going to kill it.
We have to stop! A runaway train's headed toward you.
First opportunity we have to destroy it.
We have to take it.