Emergence (2019) s01e04 Episode Script
No Outlet
Previously on "Emergence" A plane crashed on a beach.
I found a kid at the crash site I'm being told wasn't even on the plane.
I think that she might have been a test subject.
This is the code your radio frequency was transmitting.
- You cracked it.
- Piper did.
Kindred, he's a very, very bad man who will do anything to protect his interests.
Do you know what I do with people who steal my property? Emily! Now! - What are we doing here? - Getting the cure.
We don't have much time.
That is a disk! It's her.
The disk is her.
The dock is in her wrist.
Upload will begin automatically.
Hello.
Jo? Hi.
Can I have some water? Yeah.
Sure.
Then you gotta go to bed, okay? Look, I figure she's our only source, so I've been keeping an eye on her.
She's been packing up her car.
She's gonna do a runner.
It worked.
The update worked on Piper.
That's Th That's good.
Isn't it? I don't know.
I don't even understand how any of this is possible.
But I bet she does.
Emily! No.
No.
You can't be here.
The first glitch was 11 minutes ago.
They could be outside.
What are you talking about? A glitch in the OS! That doesn't just happen.
- He got in the system! - Who did? Kindred! He knows.
Emily, I'm really sorry, but you're You're not going anywhere until you answer about a million questions.
- Good luck.
- Lis Emily Emily, listen.
I'm I need to know who is sleeping in my house.
Okay? What What was she made for? I don't know.
I-I just worked on a tiny piece of her code.
Her code? She She She She has been examined by a doctor.
She has had blood drawn.
She She She loves Rice Krispie treats.
How is that code? That's the bio side.
I don't know how it all works.
I mean, is is is she real? What is real? Is she a human body with a synthetic AI? No.
Synthetic everything.
Incredible.
Does she know what she is? No.
That would create a fatal exception error.
Telling an AI it's an AI effectively destroys the program.
Move.
Is she dangerous? I don't have any answers! Emily, wait.
Let me take you somewhere.
I can keep you safe.
I have ways to stay safe.
Do you? Kindred just killed one of his own guys.
Remotely.
In a hospital bed.
That's not a great advertisement for your services.
I mean, look at you.
You don't even know enough to be really afraid yet.
Just a complete waste of time.
Not a complete waste.
Hypothetical question.
If I did something illegal, would you rather know or not know? Fine.
I was hoping you'd say that.
Emily was, uh, packing this, and it looked important, so I nicked it.
Wanna see what's inside? I think Emily knows a little more than she was letting on.
And we should find out right about Ow! What the hell happened to it? Right.
Yeah, I think it's, uh it's not family photos.
Good news is I think I know someone who can crack this.
If you do, let me know.
If you don't I never saw this.
Hey.
Hold up.
What are you gonna do with the robot? Okay, that's not gonna be the word we use.
Okay.
Fine.
What are you gonna do with Piper? I'm still not letting you interview her, if that's what you're asking me.
Not at all.
Look, putting my personal interests aside for one minute you need to consider your options, Jo.
Yeah, what's your suggestion, hmm? Should I put her out on the curb on trash day? I think Emily came up with a very elegant solution.
"Fatal exception.
" Tell Piper she's an AI.
Problem solved.
No.
I'm not gonna do that.
She could be dangerous, Jo.
We don't know what she is.
Yes, we do.
She's code.
And until you learn that code's not dangerous, I'd treat it like it was.
Ow! That hurts.
Oh, my gosh.
It does not.
Yes, it does! Then sit still I'm trying.
Mia, why don't you go ahead and get moving downstairs, okay? The Kims are driving you to school today.
You look really tired, Mom.
Thanks.
That's so nice.
Downstairs.
Right now, Mia.
Wow.
Crabby.
Fine.
You do it.
Okay.
I like getting my hair brushed.
Why? Just feels nice.
Are you mad at me? What? What do you mean? I don't know.
You just smile more, usually.
Sorry.
Yeah, I'm just tired.
I'll finish it.
Excuse me, who are you? Stay in the car.
Stay in the vehicle.
Put your hands on the steering wheel.
Um, wait Hands on the steering wheel now.
Who are you? I'm Lily Salgado? With Children and Family Services? I have a business card in my purse.
It's in the unicorn wallet? Yep.
So, obviously a great first impression.
Really, it's not a problem.
Yeah, I didn't recognize you, but I did call your boss, and, I mean, you know, obviously, you are who you say you are.
So, again, I'm just I'm very sorry.
Seriously, it's okay.
It'll make for a great "first week on the job" story.
It's your Your first week, huh? That's Wow.
That's really something.
Congrat Congratulations.
Anyway, I just read this article you and, uh, Piper, is it? - Yeah.
Mm-hmm.
- Incredible.
And so sad that both of her parents died in a car accident.
Yeah, it was really tragic.
And then you taking her into your home? Amazing.
Not really how we do things, of course.
Well, I had some concerns for her safety.
I still do.
Which I totally respect.
I figured we would just start the process, open a case, make things official, and then I'll get out of your hair.
What exactly is the the process? Oh, background check, financial check, all that boring stuff.
I'll need to interview you and your family, and of course Piper.
Sure.
Of course.
You seem a little nervous.
Which I get.
But this is gonna be fine.
You know, I didn't even ask you the most important question Did you want to permanently foster Piper? I just assumed that you did.
Sorry.
Um This might be work, so I'm gonna Just Hello? I sent a car to pick you up.
The driver's a very nice guy.
You're perfectly safe with him.
You wanna start by telling me who I'm talking to? Richard Kindred.
I imagine you have some questions for me.
Welcome to the best noodles in New York.
Have a seat.
I think we got off on the wrong foot.
My fault.
Not yours.
I have a short fuse.
It's a weakness.
I'm working on it.
I don't believe that for a minute, Mr.
Kindred.
You know, my folks lived around the corner from here.
I used to work at this very restaurant, in the back washing dishes, 3 bucks an hour.
And now you own the restaurant, the building, and six blocks all the way to the river.
I read the magazine profiles.
So, let's skip the origin story.
You said you had some answers for me.
I'm here to help, Chief Evans.
And I am very much looking forward to that happening.
You seem to be good at finding things that I've lost.
I recently lost some specialized technology, which could be dangerous to you.
See, it's so funny, you say that you're gonna help, but actually, you're just threatening me.
Not at all.
I can take it off your hands.
Well, that's real generous of you.
Except we both know that you've already tried to take her off my hands.
And you can't.
Because every single person that's tried to take her is dead.
That's a very good point.
It's my point, actually.
You found something dangerous, and you think you understand it.
So help me understand.
How much of her is programming, and how much is real? Real? Well, that's the trillion-dollar question, isn't it? You said you were gonna answer questions, so answer them.
I read this story once about a family that raised a chimpanzee like it was a human child.
They fed it, clothed it, treated it as part of the family.
They almost felt like it was human, until one terrible day, it showed them it wasn't.
Don't confuse your feelings about a thing with the thing itself.
I see my mistake now.
I thought you were gonna give me answers, but you're just giving me story time.
Listen, you enjoy your noodles.
Uh, Yelp says that they're bland and overcooked.
One of my facilities was broken into last night.
Have you heard any police chatter about that? Not my jurisdiction.
Well, I'll figure it out soon enough.
I'll keep you posted.
Mom.
Door.
Benny! It's so good to see you again.
What a nice surprise.
Here, eat up.
Oh, thanks, April.
So, uh this is what's giving you trouble? Yeah.
It cooked my laptop.
That seems excessive.
What's on it? I was hoping you could tell me.
Oh.
Sweetheart, you know, I don't really mess around with that stuff anymore.
Too much risk, not enough reward.
Not enough reward.
Come on.
You cracked the Lehman Brothers' server.
That was a once-in-a-lifetime story.
Yeah, for you.
I had to live with my cousin for two years after the bank took his house.
You heard of Richard Kindred? Augur Industries.
Ruined everything good and open about technology.
You were the best, April.
I am the best.
No smoke.
That's a good sign.
So you're in? Thank you, love.
I'll just get myself a little bit more soup.
It's so great that Chief Evans has you helping her out.
I like to be useful.
Never been a fan of living alone.
But Jo always gets home for dinner.
Yeah, 'cause family is a priority around here.
I can definitely see that.
Did you move in after Jo's divorce? No, no.
Before that.
Why? Uh I had health issues.
How's your health now? It's good.
Feeling good.
Yeah.
So, how about some lunch? Almost done, thank you.
Is Jo's mother still in the picture? No.
She, uh She didn't stick around for the long haul.
Took off when Jo was about 12.
That must have been hard for you.
And her.
I took it in stride.
Ancient history.
Yeah.
Sticks with you, though.
Hey, Chris.
Do me a favor.
Reach out to NYPD, see if they're investigating any break-ins at any of the Augur properties.
- Keep it off the record.
- Augur.
Sure.
Got it.
Okay.
Um Um, do you have any idea who that is? Emily.
What are you doing here? Well, I thought I'd crash the Southold PD database and erase about two decades' worth of records.
Or you give me back the hard drive you stole from me.
- Which one is it? - I don't have your drive.
Your database is older than Atari.
The security patch is from the '90s.
It's an irreversible wipe Just calm down, please, and No, I'm not calming down.
- That was my insurance policy.
- Okay.
That is the only thing keeping me alive.
What was on that drive? I don't know.
I haven't decrypted it yet.
But he didn't want anyone to see it.
And I got it.
Kindred.
You stole it from Kindred.
Okay, so, first, we're gonna say goodbye to the aughts.
Emily listen to me.
You need to be smart about this, okay? If you want leverage, let's figure out what's on the drive.
You can't.
No one can but me.
So help us.
And let us keep you safe.
Okay.
Yeah.
So, we're just gonna talk, and I'm gonna record what we say because I have a terrible memory.
Talk about what? Well, I'm here to make sure that you're safe and happy and taken care of.
I am.
Then this is gonna be super easy.
I just have a couple questions.
Who's gonna listen to that? Me and maybe my boss.
Why? So that we can decide what the right thing is to do.
What do you mean? Well sometimes these situations are hard.
The kids aren't happy, or the families aren't happy, so we would try and find them someplace better.
Does Jo not want me to stay? No, no, absolutely not.
And I really don't think that's what's going to happen.
Please don't make me go someplace else.
I like living here.
So maybe tell me about why you like it.
Your favorite things.
- I want to stay here.
- I know.
And this isn't gonna take very long, cross my heart.
Maybe tell me a little bit about Jo.
I said I want to stay.
Oh! Oh, my gosh.
I'm so sorry.
Um, let me just go take care of this.
Hey, Daphne says you wanted to see me? Yeah.
Come in.
Who's this guy? He looks young.
Emily used to work for Augur Industries.
She is now cooperating with our investigation into both the plane crash and the murder of Ken Lerner.
Oh.
Okay, so Must want to get her, like, way off the map, then.
You read my mind.
Uh, not too far off the map.
I need broadband and a 4G signal.
And room service.
And ideally a view.
City, not water.
No, I-I think I know the perfect place.
No, I-I think I know the perfect place.
Mm.
So sorry.
That took a lot longer than I was expecting.
What happened? Eh, we had a little technology malfunction.
Um, my phone battery just exploded or something.
You hear about it, but you never think it'll happen to you.
Oh, wow.
Tell Piper I'm sorry.
I'll finish our interview tomorrow.
I'd really feel better if you let me give you a ride.
Really, it's fine.
Your field dressing is amazing.
I'll see you tomorrow.
Piper? Piper, what happened to her phone? I don't know.
What happened to her phone, Piper? It was an accident.
Did you do it? I'm sorry.
Please don't be mad.
- Hey, hey, hey! - Hi! We had snacks today in Advisory, and I got some extras for you.
No, thanks.
I'm just gonna go to my room.
Is she okay? Yeah, she's Um, why don't you go get started on homework for me, okay? I did it.
Did what? Figured out your little code from your radio frequency that you were listening to.
You're kidding me.
Nope.
Piper got me to the 5-yard line.
And then touchdown.
Check it.
They're coordinates.
Something called a Military Grid Reference System.
Where is that? Empty land about an hour from here.
Near Plainview.
Wait a second.
No.
No.
You're thinking about going now? Really? I think that this is where the plane was headed when it crashed.
That's where Piper was going.
There's so much I don't know about her.
Maybe this is where I get answers.
What is Gallant? Consumer credit reporting or data management.
I have no idea.
Then why are we here? Because your files have AES 256 encryption.
And I'm employing every computer in that building to help us.
It's like our own personal supercomputer.
That's pretty genius.
Yeah, as long as we don't get caught.
You know, it's been a long time since you bothered to get in touch.
What's so important about this? Maybe I'm trying to help someone.
Now I know you're lying.
Sorry, but I think I need to go.
Piper? Well, we are officially off the grid.
Hope you dropped some bread crumbs.
I have no idea how we'll get back.
We're not going back, not until we see what's inside.
Wait here.
Hey.
Where's the road go? It's not a road.
It's a runway.
What is this place? I think this was Piper's home.
You running away? Maybe.
You only ran three blocks.
I got tired.
You can keep this.
It's yours.
Here.
And Mom isn't gonna let Lily take you.
I don't know.
She's pretty mad at me.
Well, it doesn't matter.
You're in our family now.
You can't leave.
Families stick together.
Yours didn't.
Dad's not in the house anymore.
But he's still in the family.
That part doesn't change.
Make sense? Are you done running away now? Yeah.
But I don't want to go home yet.
That looks like a runaway backpack.
Lemme see it.
Come on.
A blanket, a hammer, some granola bars, and a box of tiny dinosaurs.
It's a good selection.
I'm taking the granola bar.
And a dinosaur.
You have to pay the toll.
Get in here.
Come on.
The real question is, pizza or Chinese? Yeah.
Welcome to Gaunts Brook Inn.
Nope.
- No.
- Yeah.
Some of my favorite memories are coming here every summer to go fishing with my dad.
No Internet, no cellphone service.
Just you and nature.
And, um, gin rummy.
I'm amazing at it, so I'm not okay with this.
This is unlawful imprisonment.
Okay, this is keeping you safe.
The people that are after you I've seen what they can do.
I'll risk it.
Okay, look, I-I get that you might not like this place, but I promise you, it's better than the alternative.
I'm right next door.
Don't open up for anyone but me.
What happened here? I don't know.
Hey, April.
Listen, I'm gonna have to call you back.
What the hell are you into? That is an excellent question.
I got one file open.
It's a video.
I just sent it to you.
Benny I don't like this.
All right, love, I'll I'll call you back, okay? Let's see it.
Happy birthday! Make a wish.
So, what'd you wish for? I want to leave.
We've talked about that.
You know you can't do that.
But I want to.
We're going to end this conversation, and we're going to talk about something new.
No.
I want to leave here.
Can we get a reset, please? Back to the beginning.
Everybody out.
I don't like it here anymore.
And I'd like to leave.
No! Stop! Jo I It's diabolical, really.
Making it a child.
I don't want to talk about this with you.
Cloaked in innocence.
That sweet, adorable little face.
You just want to protect her.
Keep her safe.
I do understand why you think she's real.
What does "real" mean? Oh, come on, Jo.
Don't do this to yourself.
Anything she's ever said, any emotion she's ever expressed it's nothing.
It's a program.
And what's worse is it's dangerous.
You saw what she did to those people.
She does that when she's protecting herself, when she's scared.
Listen to yourself.
She's a machine.
A lovely, amazing, manipulative machine that can simulate a human, but is very much not human.
- I fear for you.
- No.
I fear for your family, as well.
I still need answers.
I need to talk to Kindred.
But why? Why is it so hard for you to just admit what she is? 'Cause if she were a real little girl But she's not, is she? You have answers, Jo.
You just don't want to believe them.
One way or another, you have to let her go.
Hey! What's wrong? I can't talk about it right now.
Okay.
What do you I can't.
Please don't ask me again.
- All right.
Fine.
- Can I Can I come in? Absolutely.
Please.
I know they're a little too hopped up on sugar for a school night, but look at them Look at them Living their best lives.
- Hey, Mom.
- Hi.
So, um she was really freaked out about the social worker, but we talked about it, and she's okay now, okay? Everything's fine.
Piper, I need you to get your stuff and come with me.
Mia, you're staying with your dad tonight.
But it's not his night.
And I've got volleyball tomorrow, and my uniform's back at the house.
You can get it in the morning.
That's crazy.
I could just go now and save everybody a trip.
You're staying here tonight.
Why are you acting so weird? Mia, you heard your mother.
You're staying here.
It's final.
Why don't you just go brush your teeth, okay? Alright.
All right, Piper.
Let's do this.
- Thank you.
- Mm-hmm.
Are we going home? Is your seatbelt on? Yeah.
Is everything okay? Everything's fine.
Why isn't Mia coming with us? Because I wanted to talk to you.
Jo? Are you afraid of me? No.
I'm not afraid of you, Piper.
What did you want to talk about? Have you remembered anything about yourself? From before the night I found you? Sometimes, I have these little dreams.
But I'm not asleep.
They're scary.
I don't like them.
Why? Do you want to know who you are? Sometimes I think I don't.
Do you know? Stop! Piper! Hey! Piper, stop! Come back here.
What are you doing? Come on, go.
Buddy, go.
Sorry.
I'll get back in the car.
What the hell? No, wait! Wait! You got some kind of death wish or something? What is wrong with you? What did you do? Nothing.
It didn't connect.
I'm sorry.
I just needed to make something.
You need help.
Okay, this is no way to live your life.
You look like you had a really nice childhood.
Oh, you can tell just by how I look? Cool.
I don't know.
It's just a feeling.
People loved you.
Yeah, um People loved me.
You know, sometimes people like you just don't get people like me.
The Augur Industries job was the one stable thing I've ever had.
And now it's gone.
Hey, uh I'm sorry.
They let me code on the most beautiful projects.
And I would find this rhythm.
This flow state where I didn't even exist anymore.
There was just the code, and I was part of it.
Do you know what I'm talking about? I-I got, um, the Tower of Orthanc Lego set? 2,000 pieces.
I was just kind of, like, focused, you know? The pieces were just kind of putting themselves together.
I mean, I'm I'm not saying it was spiritual, but it was kind of spiritual.
Yeah.
That's exactly what I'm talking about.
Okay.
Uh, yeah.
I-I think I'm gonna get you out of this room and out of your head.
So, uh, shoes on.
I'm gonna take you to where I caught my first trout.
Come on.
Grab 'em and let's go.
Yeah! Your family is lovely.
Very protective of Piper.
Oh, thanks.
She makes it easy.
If you were to continue fostering her, I don't think it's wise to throw her right back into school.
Especially with her memory loss.
I'd recommend delaying that for a few months.
Okay.
We can do that.
You're sure you want to take this on, Chief Evans? Yeah.
Positive.
It's a lot.
Not many people would want that responsibility.
And with your history My history You mean with my mom? Do you think about how that's impacting your decision? You mean like, do I really want to take care of Piper? Or am I just trying to fix myself and prove I'm not my mother? Um yeah, I can see how you could think that.
Uh I guess maybe a little afraid of that at first.
But, um I don't know.
I guess I'm just not afraid anymore.
Take it back.
But you're the only one who can crack this.
It's flattering, but not strictly true.
And I learned a long time ago, if a job feels wrong, you walk away.
Okay.
Then I won't argue.
You should do the same.
- Get out of this.
Do it now.
- I can't.
- Why? - Don't worry about that.
Tell me.
I think I deserve a real answer.
I think it might change the world.
If anybody can, it's you.
Benny, what are you doing?
I found a kid at the crash site I'm being told wasn't even on the plane.
I think that she might have been a test subject.
This is the code your radio frequency was transmitting.
- You cracked it.
- Piper did.
Kindred, he's a very, very bad man who will do anything to protect his interests.
Do you know what I do with people who steal my property? Emily! Now! - What are we doing here? - Getting the cure.
We don't have much time.
That is a disk! It's her.
The disk is her.
The dock is in her wrist.
Upload will begin automatically.
Hello.
Jo? Hi.
Can I have some water? Yeah.
Sure.
Then you gotta go to bed, okay? Look, I figure she's our only source, so I've been keeping an eye on her.
She's been packing up her car.
She's gonna do a runner.
It worked.
The update worked on Piper.
That's Th That's good.
Isn't it? I don't know.
I don't even understand how any of this is possible.
But I bet she does.
Emily! No.
No.
You can't be here.
The first glitch was 11 minutes ago.
They could be outside.
What are you talking about? A glitch in the OS! That doesn't just happen.
- He got in the system! - Who did? Kindred! He knows.
Emily, I'm really sorry, but you're You're not going anywhere until you answer about a million questions.
- Good luck.
- Lis Emily Emily, listen.
I'm I need to know who is sleeping in my house.
Okay? What What was she made for? I don't know.
I-I just worked on a tiny piece of her code.
Her code? She She She She has been examined by a doctor.
She has had blood drawn.
She She She loves Rice Krispie treats.
How is that code? That's the bio side.
I don't know how it all works.
I mean, is is is she real? What is real? Is she a human body with a synthetic AI? No.
Synthetic everything.
Incredible.
Does she know what she is? No.
That would create a fatal exception error.
Telling an AI it's an AI effectively destroys the program.
Move.
Is she dangerous? I don't have any answers! Emily, wait.
Let me take you somewhere.
I can keep you safe.
I have ways to stay safe.
Do you? Kindred just killed one of his own guys.
Remotely.
In a hospital bed.
That's not a great advertisement for your services.
I mean, look at you.
You don't even know enough to be really afraid yet.
Just a complete waste of time.
Not a complete waste.
Hypothetical question.
If I did something illegal, would you rather know or not know? Fine.
I was hoping you'd say that.
Emily was, uh, packing this, and it looked important, so I nicked it.
Wanna see what's inside? I think Emily knows a little more than she was letting on.
And we should find out right about Ow! What the hell happened to it? Right.
Yeah, I think it's, uh it's not family photos.
Good news is I think I know someone who can crack this.
If you do, let me know.
If you don't I never saw this.
Hey.
Hold up.
What are you gonna do with the robot? Okay, that's not gonna be the word we use.
Okay.
Fine.
What are you gonna do with Piper? I'm still not letting you interview her, if that's what you're asking me.
Not at all.
Look, putting my personal interests aside for one minute you need to consider your options, Jo.
Yeah, what's your suggestion, hmm? Should I put her out on the curb on trash day? I think Emily came up with a very elegant solution.
"Fatal exception.
" Tell Piper she's an AI.
Problem solved.
No.
I'm not gonna do that.
She could be dangerous, Jo.
We don't know what she is.
Yes, we do.
She's code.
And until you learn that code's not dangerous, I'd treat it like it was.
Ow! That hurts.
Oh, my gosh.
It does not.
Yes, it does! Then sit still I'm trying.
Mia, why don't you go ahead and get moving downstairs, okay? The Kims are driving you to school today.
You look really tired, Mom.
Thanks.
That's so nice.
Downstairs.
Right now, Mia.
Wow.
Crabby.
Fine.
You do it.
Okay.
I like getting my hair brushed.
Why? Just feels nice.
Are you mad at me? What? What do you mean? I don't know.
You just smile more, usually.
Sorry.
Yeah, I'm just tired.
I'll finish it.
Excuse me, who are you? Stay in the car.
Stay in the vehicle.
Put your hands on the steering wheel.
Um, wait Hands on the steering wheel now.
Who are you? I'm Lily Salgado? With Children and Family Services? I have a business card in my purse.
It's in the unicorn wallet? Yep.
So, obviously a great first impression.
Really, it's not a problem.
Yeah, I didn't recognize you, but I did call your boss, and, I mean, you know, obviously, you are who you say you are.
So, again, I'm just I'm very sorry.
Seriously, it's okay.
It'll make for a great "first week on the job" story.
It's your Your first week, huh? That's Wow.
That's really something.
Congrat Congratulations.
Anyway, I just read this article you and, uh, Piper, is it? - Yeah.
Mm-hmm.
- Incredible.
And so sad that both of her parents died in a car accident.
Yeah, it was really tragic.
And then you taking her into your home? Amazing.
Not really how we do things, of course.
Well, I had some concerns for her safety.
I still do.
Which I totally respect.
I figured we would just start the process, open a case, make things official, and then I'll get out of your hair.
What exactly is the the process? Oh, background check, financial check, all that boring stuff.
I'll need to interview you and your family, and of course Piper.
Sure.
Of course.
You seem a little nervous.
Which I get.
But this is gonna be fine.
You know, I didn't even ask you the most important question Did you want to permanently foster Piper? I just assumed that you did.
Sorry.
Um This might be work, so I'm gonna Just Hello? I sent a car to pick you up.
The driver's a very nice guy.
You're perfectly safe with him.
You wanna start by telling me who I'm talking to? Richard Kindred.
I imagine you have some questions for me.
Welcome to the best noodles in New York.
Have a seat.
I think we got off on the wrong foot.
My fault.
Not yours.
I have a short fuse.
It's a weakness.
I'm working on it.
I don't believe that for a minute, Mr.
Kindred.
You know, my folks lived around the corner from here.
I used to work at this very restaurant, in the back washing dishes, 3 bucks an hour.
And now you own the restaurant, the building, and six blocks all the way to the river.
I read the magazine profiles.
So, let's skip the origin story.
You said you had some answers for me.
I'm here to help, Chief Evans.
And I am very much looking forward to that happening.
You seem to be good at finding things that I've lost.
I recently lost some specialized technology, which could be dangerous to you.
See, it's so funny, you say that you're gonna help, but actually, you're just threatening me.
Not at all.
I can take it off your hands.
Well, that's real generous of you.
Except we both know that you've already tried to take her off my hands.
And you can't.
Because every single person that's tried to take her is dead.
That's a very good point.
It's my point, actually.
You found something dangerous, and you think you understand it.
So help me understand.
How much of her is programming, and how much is real? Real? Well, that's the trillion-dollar question, isn't it? You said you were gonna answer questions, so answer them.
I read this story once about a family that raised a chimpanzee like it was a human child.
They fed it, clothed it, treated it as part of the family.
They almost felt like it was human, until one terrible day, it showed them it wasn't.
Don't confuse your feelings about a thing with the thing itself.
I see my mistake now.
I thought you were gonna give me answers, but you're just giving me story time.
Listen, you enjoy your noodles.
Uh, Yelp says that they're bland and overcooked.
One of my facilities was broken into last night.
Have you heard any police chatter about that? Not my jurisdiction.
Well, I'll figure it out soon enough.
I'll keep you posted.
Mom.
Door.
Benny! It's so good to see you again.
What a nice surprise.
Here, eat up.
Oh, thanks, April.
So, uh this is what's giving you trouble? Yeah.
It cooked my laptop.
That seems excessive.
What's on it? I was hoping you could tell me.
Oh.
Sweetheart, you know, I don't really mess around with that stuff anymore.
Too much risk, not enough reward.
Not enough reward.
Come on.
You cracked the Lehman Brothers' server.
That was a once-in-a-lifetime story.
Yeah, for you.
I had to live with my cousin for two years after the bank took his house.
You heard of Richard Kindred? Augur Industries.
Ruined everything good and open about technology.
You were the best, April.
I am the best.
No smoke.
That's a good sign.
So you're in? Thank you, love.
I'll just get myself a little bit more soup.
It's so great that Chief Evans has you helping her out.
I like to be useful.
Never been a fan of living alone.
But Jo always gets home for dinner.
Yeah, 'cause family is a priority around here.
I can definitely see that.
Did you move in after Jo's divorce? No, no.
Before that.
Why? Uh I had health issues.
How's your health now? It's good.
Feeling good.
Yeah.
So, how about some lunch? Almost done, thank you.
Is Jo's mother still in the picture? No.
She, uh She didn't stick around for the long haul.
Took off when Jo was about 12.
That must have been hard for you.
And her.
I took it in stride.
Ancient history.
Yeah.
Sticks with you, though.
Hey, Chris.
Do me a favor.
Reach out to NYPD, see if they're investigating any break-ins at any of the Augur properties.
- Keep it off the record.
- Augur.
Sure.
Got it.
Okay.
Um Um, do you have any idea who that is? Emily.
What are you doing here? Well, I thought I'd crash the Southold PD database and erase about two decades' worth of records.
Or you give me back the hard drive you stole from me.
- Which one is it? - I don't have your drive.
Your database is older than Atari.
The security patch is from the '90s.
It's an irreversible wipe Just calm down, please, and No, I'm not calming down.
- That was my insurance policy.
- Okay.
That is the only thing keeping me alive.
What was on that drive? I don't know.
I haven't decrypted it yet.
But he didn't want anyone to see it.
And I got it.
Kindred.
You stole it from Kindred.
Okay, so, first, we're gonna say goodbye to the aughts.
Emily listen to me.
You need to be smart about this, okay? If you want leverage, let's figure out what's on the drive.
You can't.
No one can but me.
So help us.
And let us keep you safe.
Okay.
Yeah.
So, we're just gonna talk, and I'm gonna record what we say because I have a terrible memory.
Talk about what? Well, I'm here to make sure that you're safe and happy and taken care of.
I am.
Then this is gonna be super easy.
I just have a couple questions.
Who's gonna listen to that? Me and maybe my boss.
Why? So that we can decide what the right thing is to do.
What do you mean? Well sometimes these situations are hard.
The kids aren't happy, or the families aren't happy, so we would try and find them someplace better.
Does Jo not want me to stay? No, no, absolutely not.
And I really don't think that's what's going to happen.
Please don't make me go someplace else.
I like living here.
So maybe tell me about why you like it.
Your favorite things.
- I want to stay here.
- I know.
And this isn't gonna take very long, cross my heart.
Maybe tell me a little bit about Jo.
I said I want to stay.
Oh! Oh, my gosh.
I'm so sorry.
Um, let me just go take care of this.
Hey, Daphne says you wanted to see me? Yeah.
Come in.
Who's this guy? He looks young.
Emily used to work for Augur Industries.
She is now cooperating with our investigation into both the plane crash and the murder of Ken Lerner.
Oh.
Okay, so Must want to get her, like, way off the map, then.
You read my mind.
Uh, not too far off the map.
I need broadband and a 4G signal.
And room service.
And ideally a view.
City, not water.
No, I-I think I know the perfect place.
No, I-I think I know the perfect place.
Mm.
So sorry.
That took a lot longer than I was expecting.
What happened? Eh, we had a little technology malfunction.
Um, my phone battery just exploded or something.
You hear about it, but you never think it'll happen to you.
Oh, wow.
Tell Piper I'm sorry.
I'll finish our interview tomorrow.
I'd really feel better if you let me give you a ride.
Really, it's fine.
Your field dressing is amazing.
I'll see you tomorrow.
Piper? Piper, what happened to her phone? I don't know.
What happened to her phone, Piper? It was an accident.
Did you do it? I'm sorry.
Please don't be mad.
- Hey, hey, hey! - Hi! We had snacks today in Advisory, and I got some extras for you.
No, thanks.
I'm just gonna go to my room.
Is she okay? Yeah, she's Um, why don't you go get started on homework for me, okay? I did it.
Did what? Figured out your little code from your radio frequency that you were listening to.
You're kidding me.
Nope.
Piper got me to the 5-yard line.
And then touchdown.
Check it.
They're coordinates.
Something called a Military Grid Reference System.
Where is that? Empty land about an hour from here.
Near Plainview.
Wait a second.
No.
No.
You're thinking about going now? Really? I think that this is where the plane was headed when it crashed.
That's where Piper was going.
There's so much I don't know about her.
Maybe this is where I get answers.
What is Gallant? Consumer credit reporting or data management.
I have no idea.
Then why are we here? Because your files have AES 256 encryption.
And I'm employing every computer in that building to help us.
It's like our own personal supercomputer.
That's pretty genius.
Yeah, as long as we don't get caught.
You know, it's been a long time since you bothered to get in touch.
What's so important about this? Maybe I'm trying to help someone.
Now I know you're lying.
Sorry, but I think I need to go.
Piper? Well, we are officially off the grid.
Hope you dropped some bread crumbs.
I have no idea how we'll get back.
We're not going back, not until we see what's inside.
Wait here.
Hey.
Where's the road go? It's not a road.
It's a runway.
What is this place? I think this was Piper's home.
You running away? Maybe.
You only ran three blocks.
I got tired.
You can keep this.
It's yours.
Here.
And Mom isn't gonna let Lily take you.
I don't know.
She's pretty mad at me.
Well, it doesn't matter.
You're in our family now.
You can't leave.
Families stick together.
Yours didn't.
Dad's not in the house anymore.
But he's still in the family.
That part doesn't change.
Make sense? Are you done running away now? Yeah.
But I don't want to go home yet.
That looks like a runaway backpack.
Lemme see it.
Come on.
A blanket, a hammer, some granola bars, and a box of tiny dinosaurs.
It's a good selection.
I'm taking the granola bar.
And a dinosaur.
You have to pay the toll.
Get in here.
Come on.
The real question is, pizza or Chinese? Yeah.
Welcome to Gaunts Brook Inn.
Nope.
- No.
- Yeah.
Some of my favorite memories are coming here every summer to go fishing with my dad.
No Internet, no cellphone service.
Just you and nature.
And, um, gin rummy.
I'm amazing at it, so I'm not okay with this.
This is unlawful imprisonment.
Okay, this is keeping you safe.
The people that are after you I've seen what they can do.
I'll risk it.
Okay, look, I-I get that you might not like this place, but I promise you, it's better than the alternative.
I'm right next door.
Don't open up for anyone but me.
What happened here? I don't know.
Hey, April.
Listen, I'm gonna have to call you back.
What the hell are you into? That is an excellent question.
I got one file open.
It's a video.
I just sent it to you.
Benny I don't like this.
All right, love, I'll I'll call you back, okay? Let's see it.
Happy birthday! Make a wish.
So, what'd you wish for? I want to leave.
We've talked about that.
You know you can't do that.
But I want to.
We're going to end this conversation, and we're going to talk about something new.
No.
I want to leave here.
Can we get a reset, please? Back to the beginning.
Everybody out.
I don't like it here anymore.
And I'd like to leave.
No! Stop! Jo I It's diabolical, really.
Making it a child.
I don't want to talk about this with you.
Cloaked in innocence.
That sweet, adorable little face.
You just want to protect her.
Keep her safe.
I do understand why you think she's real.
What does "real" mean? Oh, come on, Jo.
Don't do this to yourself.
Anything she's ever said, any emotion she's ever expressed it's nothing.
It's a program.
And what's worse is it's dangerous.
You saw what she did to those people.
She does that when she's protecting herself, when she's scared.
Listen to yourself.
She's a machine.
A lovely, amazing, manipulative machine that can simulate a human, but is very much not human.
- I fear for you.
- No.
I fear for your family, as well.
I still need answers.
I need to talk to Kindred.
But why? Why is it so hard for you to just admit what she is? 'Cause if she were a real little girl But she's not, is she? You have answers, Jo.
You just don't want to believe them.
One way or another, you have to let her go.
Hey! What's wrong? I can't talk about it right now.
Okay.
What do you I can't.
Please don't ask me again.
- All right.
Fine.
- Can I Can I come in? Absolutely.
Please.
I know they're a little too hopped up on sugar for a school night, but look at them Look at them Living their best lives.
- Hey, Mom.
- Hi.
So, um she was really freaked out about the social worker, but we talked about it, and she's okay now, okay? Everything's fine.
Piper, I need you to get your stuff and come with me.
Mia, you're staying with your dad tonight.
But it's not his night.
And I've got volleyball tomorrow, and my uniform's back at the house.
You can get it in the morning.
That's crazy.
I could just go now and save everybody a trip.
You're staying here tonight.
Why are you acting so weird? Mia, you heard your mother.
You're staying here.
It's final.
Why don't you just go brush your teeth, okay? Alright.
All right, Piper.
Let's do this.
- Thank you.
- Mm-hmm.
Are we going home? Is your seatbelt on? Yeah.
Is everything okay? Everything's fine.
Why isn't Mia coming with us? Because I wanted to talk to you.
Jo? Are you afraid of me? No.
I'm not afraid of you, Piper.
What did you want to talk about? Have you remembered anything about yourself? From before the night I found you? Sometimes, I have these little dreams.
But I'm not asleep.
They're scary.
I don't like them.
Why? Do you want to know who you are? Sometimes I think I don't.
Do you know? Stop! Piper! Hey! Piper, stop! Come back here.
What are you doing? Come on, go.
Buddy, go.
Sorry.
I'll get back in the car.
What the hell? No, wait! Wait! You got some kind of death wish or something? What is wrong with you? What did you do? Nothing.
It didn't connect.
I'm sorry.
I just needed to make something.
You need help.
Okay, this is no way to live your life.
You look like you had a really nice childhood.
Oh, you can tell just by how I look? Cool.
I don't know.
It's just a feeling.
People loved you.
Yeah, um People loved me.
You know, sometimes people like you just don't get people like me.
The Augur Industries job was the one stable thing I've ever had.
And now it's gone.
Hey, uh I'm sorry.
They let me code on the most beautiful projects.
And I would find this rhythm.
This flow state where I didn't even exist anymore.
There was just the code, and I was part of it.
Do you know what I'm talking about? I-I got, um, the Tower of Orthanc Lego set? 2,000 pieces.
I was just kind of, like, focused, you know? The pieces were just kind of putting themselves together.
I mean, I'm I'm not saying it was spiritual, but it was kind of spiritual.
Yeah.
That's exactly what I'm talking about.
Okay.
Uh, yeah.
I-I think I'm gonna get you out of this room and out of your head.
So, uh, shoes on.
I'm gonna take you to where I caught my first trout.
Come on.
Grab 'em and let's go.
Yeah! Your family is lovely.
Very protective of Piper.
Oh, thanks.
She makes it easy.
If you were to continue fostering her, I don't think it's wise to throw her right back into school.
Especially with her memory loss.
I'd recommend delaying that for a few months.
Okay.
We can do that.
You're sure you want to take this on, Chief Evans? Yeah.
Positive.
It's a lot.
Not many people would want that responsibility.
And with your history My history You mean with my mom? Do you think about how that's impacting your decision? You mean like, do I really want to take care of Piper? Or am I just trying to fix myself and prove I'm not my mother? Um yeah, I can see how you could think that.
Uh I guess maybe a little afraid of that at first.
But, um I don't know.
I guess I'm just not afraid anymore.
Take it back.
But you're the only one who can crack this.
It's flattering, but not strictly true.
And I learned a long time ago, if a job feels wrong, you walk away.
Okay.
Then I won't argue.
You should do the same.
- Get out of this.
Do it now.
- I can't.
- Why? - Don't worry about that.
Tell me.
I think I deserve a real answer.
I think it might change the world.
If anybody can, it's you.
Benny, what are you doing?