The Fear Index (2022) s01e01 Episode Script

[theme music]
[reporter] Columbians
went to the polls today,
for what could be
an historic moment of change
for the country.
As second-round votes
are counted,
there are rumors
and speculation in the capitol,
that this could be the end
of an eight-year reign
for the political party
and incumbent president.
Columbian Presidents are
elected for four-year terms,
using a two-round system.
Well, this voting year
a new candidate received
a majority of the votes
in the first round.
- [phone buzzing]
- A run-off has been held
between the top two candidates
Hugo, you're concerned.
[Hugo]
No, not concerned. Curious.
It'll drop.
Let the others panic.
Well, if it drops any further,
it's gonna be our money.
The election results
will start coming in
in about three hours.
If it still hasn't changed
then you can be concerned.
- Well, I hope you're right.
- I am.
Okay, you're the genius.
Goodnight, professor.
[ominous music]
[Gabby] Hi.
I'm staring at the most
ridiculous picture of myself.
[Alex] We'll put it up
in the bathroom.
Uh, no, we will not.
No one should ever see
their face this big. Ever.
- How's it going down there?
- It's okay, I think.
I'm almost home.
I'm leaving soon.
- Okay, love you.
- Love you.
- See you soon.
- Bye.
[suspenseful music]
[birds chirping]
[footsteps approaching]
Columbian officials
have announced
that the incumbent president
has maintained power.
In the most tightly fought
political contest
the country has ever seen.
This unexpected result
defied early poll predictions
and sent shockwaves
through the country.
Agricultural policies
will no longer change,
affecting millions ofpeople
in rural areas
who were expecting
ownership and the economy
to be placed back in the hands
of local farmers and communities.
[light music]
[birds chirping]
- [Gabby] Hi.
- In here.
[footsteps approaching]
- Hi.
- Thank you.
Thank you.
I've wanted this book
for such a long time.
I didn't get you this book.
- What?
- Nope.
You must have dropped hints
to somebody else. Not me.
[soft chuckle]
[clears throat]
Who do you think it's from?
Um [tongue clicks]
I don't know. There's only
There was no note. Um
This book is so fascinating.
It's Darwin's third book.
He would use galvanism
to induce an emotional reaction
from his subjects.
- It's amazing.
- Oh, okay. That's hideous.
Can you put it away
while we eat please?
Um Yeah. Sorry.
[somber music]
[dial tone trilling]
Hugo.
[Hugo] Fine.
Shouldn't have doubted you.
What?
What? You're not
checking the figures?
You were right about Columbia.
- Thank you for the book.
- What book?
The first edition Darwin.
I know Gabby didn't buy it.
And no one else knows
I'd be interested in it, so
First edition? Absolutely not.
I would never spend
that much money on you.
Seriously? You didn't buy it?
No. Probably a grateful client.
I've wanted this book
for a long time.
So, VIXAL knew
about the election.
Speculated.
Speculation could be
worth ten million.
So, we go short
on Vista Airways?
- That's what it's telling us.
- Right.
I'll authorize it now. Bonsoir.
[suspenseful music]
I'm gonna go up.
Five minutes.
Okay.
[paper rustles]
[Alex] "Fear. Terror.
The word 'fear'
seems to be derived
from what is sudden
and dangerous.
And that of terror
from the trembling
of the vocal organs and body.
I use the word 'terror'
for extreme fear.
But some writers think it ought
to be confined to cases
in which the imagination
is more particularly concerned.
The frightened man
stands like a statue
motionless and breathless.
Or crouches down
as if instinctively
to escape observation."
[suspenseful music]
Evening.
Oh, shit.
That was a long five minutes.
Sorry.
I got distracted.
[soft chuckle]
So, it's the right time
of the month.
Oh, I know.
- Do you want to?
- Yes, please.
Yes, please?
[soft music]
[soft music continues]
[cell phone clicking]
All right, you. Time to shut down.
You're not the only one
with a big day tomorrow.
Sorry.
[cell phone clanks]
How are you feeling?
Um, fucking terrified.
It's so exposing.
It is.
You're the bravest person
I know.
I have a good feeling
about tomorrow.
You're going to sell everything.
[suspenseful music]
[distant clunk]
[breathes deeply]
[grunts]
[suspenseful music]
[door bangs in distance]
[ominous music]
[door opens]
[door creaks]
[suspenseful music]
[suspenseful music continues]
[beeping]
[foreboding music]
[dial tone trilling]
Police, please.
Ah, I might have
an intruder in my house.
My name is Alexander Hoffman,
an alarm should
have been triggered.
No. Well, could you send
somebody quickly, please?
Yes. Thank you.
[ominous music]
[ominous music continues]
[foreboding music]
[light switch clicks]
[panting]
Gabby, lock the door!
There's someone in the house!
[shouting] Gabby!
[Gabby] Alex?
Alex?
[paramedic]
Dr. Hoffman, can you hear me?
- Hello? Alex? Alex?
- Dr. Hoffman.
Are you all right?
[groaning]
Oh.
[Gabby] Oh, my God!
You're really bleeding, my love.
Dr. Hoffman.
I am Jean Phillipe Leclerc.
Do you feel able
to answer some questions?
How long was I unconscious?
Maybe 25 minutes.
We found these in the kitchen,
next to the knives.
Do they belong to either of you?
What the fuck?
No, I have never
seen them before.
It's possible the intruder
was planning a kidnapping
rather than a robbery.
Oh, my God.
- Are you okay?
- I'm okay.
- He didn't hurt you?
- He didn't touch me.
Do you know if anyone
has a grudge against you?
If anyone may have wanted
to extort money from you?
- No, no.
- No?
He disabled the alarms,
how did he get in?
- What?
- Through the front gate.
Did anyone, apart from you,
know the codes here?
- Maurice.
- Maurice Genoud, yeah.
- Maurice Maurice Genoud.
- [Gabby] Oui.
[Alex] Uh, he's the head of security
for my company.
- [Gabby] And for the house.
- Yeah.
- He took his shoes off.
- [Gabby] What?
Why would he do that?
His shoes. What shoes?
He left his boots
by the front door.
That's how I knew
someone was in the house.
[sighs]
So, do you remember
what he looked like?
It's very important
we show a description
of this man as soon as possible.
[Leclerc] Dr. Hoffman?
I'm all right.
- Oh!
- Whoa!
- Careful. Careful.
- I'm all right. I'm all right.
Just leave me alone.
Just stop, okay!
Just give me a second.
It's in here.
Someone sent me this book
anonymously yesterday.
That's him,
that's the man I saw.
Uh, you know
that this photograph
is more than
a hundred years old?
Obviously, I'm aware of that.
Fuck!
But that's him.
He looked like that.
Long hair, gaunt face.
[Gabby in French]
[Gabby]
Erm
Forty-two million Euro.
Oh [chuckles]
Yeah, it's a good price, here.
Because I grew up in Geneva,
you know, and now,
can't afford that
because I'm living outside
and driving to work.
Come on, let's go.
Just get off me, please.
Come on.
[indistinct radio chatter]
Merci, Inspector.
Bon courage.
[suspenseful music]
[in French]
Oui.
[Gabby]
Alex, you have to take it easy.
Who are you calling?
- Hugo.
- [dial tone trilling]
He needs to know what happened.
I really don't think he needs to
come to the hospital though.
- [Hugo] Alex? It's 5:00 a.m.
- We had a break-in at the house.
- What?
- Yeah. We're all fine.
I just got a knock to the head,
so, we're in an ambulance.
Which hospital?
- University.
- I'll be there.
[sighs]
[birds chirping]
[in French]
Milliardaire, oui.
Ah, oui, d'accord.
[Tallon laughs]
[Tallon] Gabby.
- A genuine patient?
- Oui.
- Ca va?
- Oui, ca va.
This is my husband, Alex.
This is Fabian Tallon,
the duty technician.
Do you remember
I told you about him?
He helped me with the scans
for the exhibition, remember?
Yeah, I remember, uh
Thank you for everything
you've done for my wife.
Oh, it's been a pleasure.
[chuckles]
Now, Alex, let's see
what we can do for you.
- Alex?
- What?
I'm sorry, what did you say?
Can you stand up for me, please?
Of course.
[machine buzzing]
[sniffs]
[Tallon] It won't take long.
- It's going to be okay.
- I hate these things.
[Tallon] Have you missed
our conversations?
[Gabby laughs] Yes, I have
[door closes]
[sighs]
[Tallon] Alex?
Alex, can you hear me?
- Can you hear me?
- Yeah.
Okay, I need you to keep
as still as possible.
[machine buzzing]
Alex, stop moving.
Head back up, please.
[breathes shakily]
[breathes deeply]
[foreboding music]
I need to get out.
- Please, get me out now!
- Okay.
[panting]
[Tallon] Did you get it?
[Dufort] No evidence of fracture
and no swelling
which is
the most important thing.
But you see these
tiny hemorrhages
in the brain tissue
- [Gabby] Serious?
- [Dufort] Not necessarily.
But I'd like to do an MRI.
Get a clearer image
of the soft tissue.
Tell us whether or not
it's related to the attack
or if it's a
pre-existing condition.
Well, how long will that take?
It depends
when the scanner's available.
Uh, we might be able
to use it around noon.
As long as there's no emergency.
[Gabby]
Sorry, is this not an emergency?
There's no immediate danger, no.
[sighs]
- Then I'd like to be discharged.
- No, no, no.
You are having this scan.
Monsieur, anyone
who's been knocked unconscious,
as you have,
should be kept under observation
for 24 hours.
You just said there was
no emergency,
so there's no immediate danger.
Correct?
My advice would be to take this
to your doctor
- as soon as possible.
- Okay
Sorry. But, why?
Is there a tumor or something?
I can't say for sure.
That's why you need an MRI
to rule out a few things.
Well, like what?
Dementia, MS? What?
You are having a scan
and you are not
going to the office.
I will have the scan.
But tomorrow.
You have to get to the gallery.
You've been working
on this exhibition for months.
Okay. Look at me, I'm fine.
You can see the scan,
there's no swelling,
there's no fracture.
- And no bloody common sense.
- That wound must be stitched.
And you need to sign a form
releasing the hospital
from all responsibility
if you decide to leave.
Fine.
[Hugo] Well then, professor,
let's get you stitched up.
Don't want that brain
falling out now, do we?
Thank you, Doctor.
[indistinct chatter in French]
[Gabby] Hugo, please.
They said he needs
to be observed
for at least 24 hours.
Oh, Gabby, I wouldn't dream
of telling Alex what to do.
If he wants to go to the office today
I couldn't stop him if I tried.
This pitch is worth
a hell of a lot.
You could always do it.
Oh, no, you can't,
'cause you're just good
at counting all the cash
he makes you.
[foreboding music]
[knocking]
Dr. Hoffman, are you all right?
Just a minute. [clears throat]
Your CT scan results.
Take it from me,
it is always the unknown
that is most frightening.
See your doctor, monsieur.
[Gabby]
I know when you're not fine.
My love,
I really think your health
is more important than a pitch.
Don't worry,
I'll look after him.
[sighs]
[classical music]
[sighs deeply]
[foreboding music]
- [Gabby] Alex, what's wrong?
- Nothing.
I think the anesthetic
is just wearing off.
It stings a little.
Turn the radio up will you,
Claude?
[classical music plays louder]
[car door opens]
[Leclerc] Bonjour.
Bonjour. May I help you?
Yeah.
Inspector Jean Phillipe Leclerc.
I'm leading the investigation
into Dr. Hoffman's attack.
- Any progress?
- Yeah. Working on it.
Try not to worry.
Oh, we're quite busy today.
So, I'll make sure
Dr. Hoffman calls you
as soon as possible.
I'll see you
in a couple hours.
You look after yourself, okay.
Can I give you my card?
- Oui.
- Yeah.
Thank you.
Now this little group
of investors we've put together
could buy out all our other
investors five times over.
[Claire]
Good morning, gentlemen.
- Morning, Claire.
- Claire.
I need to go find Genoud.
All in good time, Alex.
We can't afford to assume
we've already got
their investments.
Let's not be complacent.
I'm not complacent,
I'm confident.
And Hugo, I'm serious,
I will be at Gabby's opening.
Till then, do your worst.
Now, let me talk you through
who's coming,
eight investors,
all existing clients.
Four institutions
and two family offices.
Now, they're due in
an hour and a half, all right?
So, I'll introduce you.
You walk them through
the basic principles.
In a language
they understand,
please, professor.
And after that,
we'll show them the hardware
and I'll make the pitch.
And last but not least,
we'll take them out to lunch
at the Beau Valais.
By which point I'd like us all
to be five billion better off.
But I'll settle for 4.5.
Commission of 2 and 20,
all right?
Ah! Monsieur Genoud. A word.
Best system money can buy.
That's what you said.
So, you're responsible
for security, Genoud,
at the office and at our homes.
This building
is as well protected
as any in Geneva.
As for your home,
the system wasn't breached.
The intruder must have known
the codes.
I do the best I can Dr. Hoffman,
but no security system
in the world
can protect against that.
[Hugo] Yes, but, apart
from Alex and Gabby,
the only other person
who knew those codes was you.
[Genoud] None of my staff
have access to those codes.
And if they did
they wouldn't be able
to decipher them
because they're encrypted.
- No leak came from me.
- I guess we'll just have to
take your word for that,
won't we?
All right, until this man
is caught
the priority is arranging
proper protection for Alex, yes?
A permanent guard
is already at the house.
When Dr. Hoffman leaves
this building or his home
I would suggest he is covered
by a security guard
with counter-terrorism training.
Counter-terrorism?
Yes, if you or Gabby
were kidnapped,
you'd command
a pretty high ransom,
so I say let's do whatever
it takes to protect you.
All right. But I want Gabby
to have whatever I have.
She's worth more than me.
That's all for now, thank you.
Dr. Hoffman, I know Leclerc,
the detective leading
this investigation.
Okay.
May I ask,
have you told him everything?
Of course.
Absolutely everything?
Yes. What are you implying?
That's enough now, Maurice.
[indistinct chatter in distance]
What the hell's
he talking about?
- I need you to start focusing.
- Do you trust him?
If he wanted to do something
to you or Gabby,
if he wanted to steal from you,
he would've done it already.
And he would
have been very good at it.
[sighs deeply]
I could do without the lunch.
We've waited a year for this.
Remember the end game.
[exhales deeply]
Yep.
[clears throat]
Now maybe take a shower
and comb your hair.
They'll want brilliant
and eccentric,
but not completely mad.
- Jesus!
- [Marie-Claude] I did knock.
I just wanted to know
if you'd like anything done
before I go.
Oh. [sighs]
You keep a record of
the security codes for my house,
don't you?
- Yes, Dr. Hoffman.
- Where do you keep them?
On my computer,
but I can't open the file.
Only you can do that.
Does anyone else have access
to that computer?
- Certainly not.
- Not even your husband?
My husband died last year.
Yes, um
I'm sorry. I
Someone broke
into the house last night
and the police say the intruder
had the codes.
I'm, uh [soft chuckle]
I'm sorry.
That's okay.
If you'd like anything else,
let me know.
Okay.
Fuck.
[indistinct chatter in distance]
[cell phone ringing]
[man speaks foreign language]
Rosengaarden.
[clears throat] Guten Morgen.
Do you speak English?
Yes, how can I help you?
[sighs deeply]
I believe you sent me a book.
My name is Alexander Hoffman,
I live in Geneva.
Dr. Hoffman, of course,
I remember,
it was a Darwin first edition.
A beautiful book.
Is something wrong?
A problem
with the delivery or
No, no. I received it.
I just, it didn't come
with a note
and I wanted to thank
whoever bought it for me, so,
uh
Could you provide
that information?
Uh, but, you bought it,
Dr. Hoffman.
No, that's, uh
No, I didn't buy the book.
[chuckles] Dr. Hoffman, I have
the order form in front of me.
You bought the book.
I assure you I did not.
Is there any way
you could have confused
this purchase
with another item or
No, no, I, um
Can you tell me
how I paid for the book?
A bank transfer.
How much?
Ten thousand Euros.
Okay, who did I speak to
when I bought the book?
You ordered by email.
Email
- When?
- Uh, May 3rd.
No, I'm looking at my emails now
and I don't see an email to you.
Um
Could, uh, perhaps you have
another computer?
Could you have sent it
from home?
No. Uh
[man clears throat] Uh
Are you still there,
Dr. Hoffman?
Yes.
Yes. Do you have
an account number
for that transaction?
I'm sorry, but I can't disclose
that information.
Why not,
it's my account, isn't it?
I cannot give that information
over the phone.
I I could send it
to the email address
given on the order.
Great. Could you please do that?
- Thank you.
- I'll send the email. Goodbye.
[foreboding music]
[Dufort] These tiny hemorrhages
in the brain tissue
I'd like to do an MRI.
My advice would be to take this
to your doctor
as soon as possible.
Take it from me,
it is always the unknown
that is most frightening.
See your doctor, monsieur.
[foreboding music]
[keyboard clanking]
[foreboding music continues]
[indistinct chatter]
One more.
One go for eight, that's fine.
- I'll call you back.
- Lin.
I need you to check
an account number for me.
Uh, looks like a Cayman Island's
- US dollar account.
- Is that a company account?
Forward it to me, I'll run it
through the system.
What's this got to do with?
I just need to know whose it is.
And keep it to yourself. Okay?
Okay. Alex,
has Marieme spoken to you?
No, why?
You authorized a big short
on Vista Airways last night.
It's in direct opposition to the
trend and Marieme's worried,
wants to call
a risk committee meeting.
She's saying our risk limit's
been breached.
Tell her to talk to Hugo, okay?
Okay.
[sighs]
[foreboding music]
- [Marie-Claude] Dr. Hoffman.
- [gasps]
[breathes deeply]
They're waiting
for you in the boardroom.
- What time is it?
- Almost 11:00.
[sighs]
[grunts]
Are you all right?
Just tell Hugo
I'll be a few minutes, okay.
Okay.
- I need a word, now.
- Marieme, it'll have to wait
- till after the presentation.
- It's urgent.
Not now.
You authorized a short
on Vista Airways.
I said not now. Okay?
Aha. Here he is at last.
The President of
Hoffman Investment Technologies.
Well, as I was saying,
it's been nearly eight years
since Alex and I
first set up shop.
And in that time,
you've all seen
your net worth increase
by 83 percent.
So, you already know
that bringing your money to us
was the smart thing to do.
About 18 months ago,
Alex and his team
made a technological
breakthrough,
for want of better words.
As a result,
we had to hard close the fund.
Some of you were
very disappointed.
But we had to do it
because we had
to be absolutely sure
that increasing the size
of our fund
would not decrease
our performance.
Well, it pleases me greatly
to tell you that VIXEL 4
is now robust enough
to support portfolio expansion
from our most important
existing clients.
Now, I'd like to hand you over
to Dr. Alex Hoffman.
Around 350 BC,
Aristotle defined human beings
as "The animal
that has language."
Language, above all,
is what differentiates us
from the other creatures
on the planet.
The development of language
freed us from a world
of physical objects
and substituted a universe
of symbols.
For over 50,000 years,
only humans
were the animal with language.
But now,
for the very first time,
that is no longer the case.
I mean, we share our world
with computers.
Everywhere we go,
we leave a digital trail.
All that data can be read
and analyzed.
But here's the thing. [sighs]
We still read at the same rate
as Aristotle did.
The average American
college student
only reads 450 words a minute.
A computer can perform
trillions of calculations
every second.
There's a physical limit
to how much we can,
as a species, process,
and absorb.
There's no such limit
for computers
as long as we give them enough
processing power and memory.
And on top of that,
algorithms don't have
imagination.
They
They don't give in to panic,
unlike humans.
So, that makes them
ideally suited to trading
in the financial markets.
With our new generation of VIXAL
we were able to isolate, measure
and factor in
to our market calculations
the element of price
that derives entirely
from human behavior.
We built an algorithm
that can adapt its strategy
and that's what gives it
a competitive edge.
So basically,
this is just behavioral finance?
You're going to analyze
every aspect
of human behavior
in the markets?
Well, that would be impossible,
as you well know.