Tower Prep (2010) s01e10 Episode Script
Phone Home
Previously on Tower Prep Let me get a fix on the stars and figure out where we are.
This is weird.
The stars are out of place.
[C.
J.
.]
The plants and animals surrounding Tower are from all over the Earth? [Suki.]
I can't tell where we are.
Ceej, which guy do you like? - Mom? - [Woman.]
You're out of carrier range.
- Wait, Whisper? - Have a nice day.
Hello! [Gabe.]
"Sato Scientific"? Your family built this? You knew Whisper 23 was about to harm us.
Thank you, Whisper.
Strangle your hold Don't let me go Strangle your hold Don't let me go Until I want What you want Pray for the strength [chimes.]
Keep it in place Promise to God You won't [Whisper 119.]
Good morning, Ian.
It is 7:00 A.
M.
Yeah, thanks, Whisper.
I've got Faith in you To lose yours in me Like you say, though Before you go "I should probably be letting you go" [together.]
Surprise! [laughing.]
C.
J.
, you realize you're cleaning that up, right? [laughs.]
- Happy Birthday.
- Thank you.
Okay, let's try this, huh? Mm, breakfast of champions.
You're homesick.
What, you missing all those girls back home lining up to give you birthday kisses? [chuckles.]
No, uh I never had that.
I never even really had the chance to have any girl kiss me.
Maybe that's what you're upset about.
No, its-- it's just-- I just miss my parents.
That's all.
You know, this is the first birthday ever where I've woken up and my mom hasn't been right there to say "Merry Christmas.
" - Uh - You mean "Happy Birthday.
" No.
It's just this thing my family has.
Uh, when I was little, I must've been turning three or four or something, I saw this huge pile of gifts, and immediately I assumed that Santa had come, and I was way too young to understand that you got gifts on your birthday, too, so all day long, when they would give me cake, I would leave a piece out for the reindeer.
- [all chuckle.]
- After they sang me "Happy Birthday," I would sing them "Jingle Bells.
" Nice.
Ever since then I guess it's just been a family tradition to say "Merry Christmas" on my birthday.
I know it's dumb, but I don't know.
No, it's not dumb at all.
- Merry Christmas.
- Thank you.
You guys are the best, really.
[Physics.]
A sound wave is created as a result of a vibrating object.
It's frequency is determined by the material the object is made of, and that determines the speed of the wave, and the length of the material, which effects the wavelength of the wave.
Now, if we were observing these pendulums on Jupiter, the acceleration due to the increase of gravity is 2.
52.
Thus the period is shorter.
Frequency is determined by speed divided by wavelength.
Now, pendulums don't create sound as they oscillate, but they do let us see how frequency works.
Mr.
Archer? Mr.
Archer, you haven't been excused from class yet.
[Student.]
Check that out.
I want to talk to my parents.
Now.
Right now.
Tower Prep 1x10 Phone Home [tower bell chiming.]
[Whisper 119.]
Headmaster access granted.
Headmaster access granted.
Whisper 119, Archer Ian.
Home.
Yes, sir.
Dialing Ian Archer's home.
[remote ringing.]
[Woman.]
Hello.
- Mom? - Ian? Yeah.
Yeah, Mom, it's me.
Are you okay? Is everybody okay? Yes, yes, of course, Ian.
Happy Birthday.
Thanks, Mom.
Uh you know, I can't even tell you how good it is to hear you.
It wasn't my mom.
I know it.
"Happy Birthday"? Not "Merry Christmas.
" Guys, those weren't my parents.
Maybe you know, under those circumstances, a call out of nowhere after so many months? She just forgot.
No, not my mom.
I mean, my dad maybe, but Maybe your mom thought you outgrew it or something.
Yeah, and did outgrow it a long time ago, but you know how moms are.
They always have that one thing that keeps their kids their little babies forever.
Well, that was hers-- "Merry Christmas.
" She's going to say it when I'm 60.
My older brother passed away a few years before I came here.
For my mom, he'll always be that age.
I wish I knew if my mom had anything like that.
Man, that's a cruel thing to do to you, even for Headmaster.
She got her voice and her inflections down perfectly, but she just missed that one little detail about "Merry Christmas.
" They must have Whisper 119 preprogrammed for each of us, to imitate our parents.
If that's the case, Ian, then Headmaster must go to those lengths because our parents truly do not know that we're here.
I'll go back into Headmaster's office tonight and use his phone to call my real parents.
Maybe then they can call whoever to come find us and get us out of he.
Yeah, but what if that phone doesn't really call out? What if it's just a prop phone? Well, we won't know until we try it, will we? We can use the tunnels to get in and override his alarm system.
We've done it before.
And now I don't have to shut down Whisper to do it.
I can hack the alarm from my PDA.
Didn't you say, though, there was, like, a thumb lock scan thing on his desk and his phone? Well We're just going to have to get his thumb.
[indie rock.]
[whirs.]
[Suki, whispering.]
Ian.
Avoid disaster We must stop sleeping - We better wake up - Wake up - Wake up - Wake up Before we start drowning - You know - We lie, we lie to ourselves We lie, we lie to ourselves Yeah My eyes are ringing From all your screaming You better face it - Face it - Face it Before you've wasted away You know We lie, we lie to ourselves We lie, we lie to ourselves Yeah Wake up, wake up Wake up and start singing Wake up, wake up Wake up and start singing Hit them in the heart You're always running Trying not to stumble - But you have to wait it - Wait it Wait it So let's not lie Hit them in the heart [Headmaster.]
Mr.
Forrest.
Trying not to stumble But you have to wait it - Wait it - Wait it Let's not lie this time - You know - We lie, we lie to ourselves We lie, we lie to ourselves Yeah [ends.]
[beeps.]
[beeps.]
- [exhales.]
- [exhales.]
[Whisper 119.]
Headmaster access granted.
Headmaster access granted.
[beeps, dial tone.]
Ian.
[beeps.]
[Headmaster.]
You think this is the best course of action? [door lock beeps, clicks.]
The solution seems rather extreme.
She hasn't displayed any signs of deviation.
[Man.]
Given the recent developments outside these walls, Headmaster, my father insists.
[Ian, whispering.]
Come on.
Let's go.
Come on.
Suki, what's wrong? You look like you've just seen a ghost.
I did.
The guy in there with Headmaster-- it's my brother.
Suki, Headmaster's office was dark, and you were in the passageways.
Are you sure? I heard him.
Guys, I heard my brother.
It's been, what, five years-- Oh, but you believe that wasn't your mom on the phone because of some "Merry Christmas" fail.
[Gabe.]
Whoa, whoa.
Whoa, Suki, calm down, okay? No one's saying anything.
It's just kind of weird.
That's all.
And, look, I can only imagine how this feels for you, but we just-- you know, we want to be sure.
Ian, didn't you hear him say "My father insists"? Yeah.
Tower Prep is run on Sato Systems technology.
It must be Shinji.
You said your brother had died.
How? I never knew, and I know it sounds like, "Yeah, right," but I was never told, and everyone was so sad.
I didn't want to make it worse.
Shinji and I were, like, not just brother and sister.
We were best friends.
He-- He never misbehaved.
He did what my dad said-- straight As, the whole deal, and then he was in his room online or whatever He would've been on a Sato Systems electronic a computer.
Like we were, the nights we were brought here.
The next morning my mom was sitting in the kitchen just all blank, and I asked her where Shinji was, and all she said was, "It's not because he was bad," and then my dad said, "Shinji is okay.
He's just not with us, and we must move ahead with our lives.
One day you'll understand.
" Well, Suki, I'd say that day is today.
Shinji didn't die.
He was brought to Tower Prep.
He would've graduated and came back around the time that you got here.
[Gabe.]
You guys must've just missed each other.
[Suki.]
I really miss him.
Why? Why did they need to deceive us? The answer must be so horrible.
Headmaster said that he thought what "they" were doing was extreme.
Now, who could "they" be? What are they going to do that's so extreme? I don't know.
They must know that we're planning to escape.
I told Cal when we were out in the woods.
Maybe he talked.
Even if he did, they could easily just send us to West Campus.
Why send her brother? Someone must've told my father I was planning to escape.
I bet he sent Shinji to take me home before I can leave on my own.
Then that's a way out, Suki.
They take you home.
They're not taking me because they miss me.
They're taking me home to control me, to prevent us from escaping.
If they know about our plans to escape, then I say we learn about their plans for stopping us.
[Headmaster.]
Blowing up toilets in the girls' washroom with dynamite mixed in Chemistry class.
I don't understand what you believed you would've accomplished with this, other than a trip to the West Campus.
You're dismissed.
[passes gas.]
[snickers.]
[Shinji.]
This is not just a Sato Systems request, sir.
This is personal to my father.
She is a part of our family.
[Headmaster.]
I understand, Mr.
Sato.
She is part of our family, too, of course, but change must come.
[Shinji.]
Inevitably unlike the things in your office, Headmaster.
[Headmaster.]
They offered to buy me a new desk when I took the job, but I wanted to keep it the way it was.
I wanted the students to be as scared as I was whenever I came in here.
[Shinji.]
Good.
My father will be happy.
He wants to be notified by phone as soon as it happens.
[Headmaster.]
I understand, Mr.
Sato.
We'll arrange for that tomorrow night.
Now, you must be tired from that long flight.
How about if I show you to your accommodations? We have you set up in the spare faculty dorm.
It's not the four-star hotel I've grown accustomed to, but it's not a dorm room, either.
[Headmaster.]
I'd be very happy to arrange either one of those if you prefer.
[Shinji and Headmaster laugh.]
Gabe and C.
J.
are covering for us.
It's him.
I saw Shinji.
It's definitely him, Ian.
If they're planning to take me out of here, it's happening tomorrow night.
[beeps.]
[Whisper 119.]
Headmaster access granted.
Headmaster access granted.
[dialing.]
[remote ringing.]
- [clicks.]
- Mom? Mom.
[Whisper 119.]
I'm sorry, Ian.
Whisper.
Was that you on the phone the other day, on my birthday? Yes.
Ian, I'm scared.
Yeah, I know.
I know.
You wrote me that note the day I got here.
You're a machine.
What are you so scared of? Changes that are coming.
Are you scared, too? [click dial tone.]
[Suki.]
"Time's running out," I heard my brother say, that my father was to be notified after "it" happens.
"It.
" That must be when they grab you and take you back.
Working from their timer, it happens a bit before midnight.
[Gabe.]
Well, midnight makes sense.
Less people around.
It's nighttime.
They could easily put you on a boat or a plane without anybody knowing.
After they manage to take me away, or not, Shinji will call my dad, an outside call.
If that call is made on an analog frequency, it might be possible for us to superimpose a subcarrier signal on its existing transmission, especially if we know the time of the transmission.
Okay, uh, in English, please.
If we send out a transmission on a phone in the same frequency as theirs, we could piggyback on their satellite signal.
I could just modify my PDA.
This could be huge.
If her phone works, we could use it for when we escape.
After we get out, we could call someone and have them come get us.
- Yeah, but what if they get to her? - You can make the call.
We won't let them get you.
First we have to see if we can even make a call with a modified phone.
If we're going to tap into Shinji's signal and call home, we've got exactly 15 hours and 25 minutes to build it.
We have to find the parts.
Piece of cake.
Glad you think so because this all seems complicated to me.
Oh.
No, yeah, this-- extremely complicated.
I was literally talking about that piece of cake.
If we're going to do this in 15 hours or less, I'm going to need the sugar rush, and that puppy looks scrumdiliumcious.
- I'm going to take it.
- That's Ian's.
I don't care if it's Ian's.
He'll let me have it.
Sorry, buddy.
Mm, what do we need? [Suki.]
Copper wire, at least 20 feet.
Yo, teach, you know, I really enjoyed that lab we did on pendulums the other day.
Really? Because the results of your test would indicate otherwise.
D.
Ouch.
Uh, well, you know, I was reading on Foucault's pendulum the other day, and I thought, "Whoa, how interesting would it be to recreate some of his experiments by building a giant pendulum, just like he did, you know, maybe extra credit to make up for the test kind of deal? Sure.
Great.
Although I'm going to need some supplies, starting with a coil of wire.
Thanks.
You're the best.
[C.
J.
.]
What else? [Suki.]
We need a 100-ohm variable resistor.
I think I know where to find that-- Whisper 23.
[C.
J.
.]
That's you.
You think that means that Cornelius Tower is your grandfather? No, I know all my grandparents.
My grandpa Ed and grandma Mil live, like, five blocks from my house.
I see them practically every week.
Or I used to seem them every week.
Must've been amazing.
I always dreamed about having grandparents.
Well, my grandma Mil has chronic gas, my grandpa Ed used to make me do yard work every time I visited.
Ian, come help me with this.
Hey.
So you and Ian, huh? Me and Ian what? Oh, nothing.
It's just crazy.
That's all.
You guys are friends, and now it's, like, you like each other or something.
So? Doesn't bother me.
It's just funny.
That's all.
You know, you like him.
Next thing you know, cats like dogs, Headmaster likes Coach, Suki likes Ray.
Careful, Gabe.
Your jealousy's showing.
I-- I'm not jealous.
You're-- You're stupid.
Is it going to work? Yeah.
[buzzing.]
You have doubts.
Signal is just much weaker than I calculated.
We need a direct line to the satellite's position, but the trees, the cement buildings, are all obstructions.
Is there a way to amplify our signal? Or maybe, like, a roof we can call from? The roof of the Administration Building is the only place I can think of with a clear shot at the sky.
All the other buildings on Campus are either surrounded by trees or impossible to access.
There's that building on the way to We Campus over there.
It's like an old infirmary or medical lab or something.
It's shut down.
We can use that to make the call.
It's in the forbidden zone.
The gnomes would be on us before we even got set up.
It's perfect.
Look, I can rig any device made by Sato Systems, into an amplifier, thereby creating, like, a mini wifi hot spot.
We can use them to harness a signal coming from their transmission to give us strong enough reception to hop on the satellite.
We just need to set up a bunch of them in the building, point it at the satellite.
You want to place them as directly beneath each other as possible, with the antenna facing out.
That should let us marshal enough signal strength to give our phone the extra boost it needs.
Okay.
[devices buzzing.]
[gnome rasping.]
- [PDA beeps.]
- Ian did it.
Signal amplifiers are all in position.
Perfect.
Well, we should get out of here, check the connection points around campus, and make sure all the networks work.
I don't want to leave you alone in case they're coming for you.
I'm all right.
They've planned it for a few hours from now, and, besides, no one knows about the observatory.
Now's a good time to go.
- You sure? - Yeah.
Come on.
[door opens.]
Ian, I think we have a problem.
To piggyback, we need to know the position of the satellite they'll be using, but these star charts and coordinates don't match what we see in the sky.
- [footsteps approaching.]
- If we can't find the position of the satellite, we can't catch a ride on their signal.
[sighs.]
Suki, I missed you so much.
You know, I never told anyone I knew about this room.
It was my own place to escape to.
Shinj, are you here to take me back? Take you back? Wouldn't that be awesome, Suke, back to when we were kids, back before our time together was taken away from us? Yeah, if we could do that, we could skip all this Tower Prep stuff.
We could have regular lives as kids again.
If I could, I'd take us both back.
Why are you here, then? Why am I here? Suki, haven't you had the same amount of daydreams as I have, about seeing each other again? Thousands, but not like this.
I couldn't have those daydreams, Shinji.
I didn't think you were alive.
I put myself in danger today, Suke, coming here to this room.
I couldn't let you see me in the halls, but I wanted to see you.
They'd understand, but they wouldn't accept it.
Are you working for Sato Systems? You know I'm working for our father, Suke.
You know you will, too.
After they sent me here, I know I won't.
I never will.
But it's our family.
There's no choice.
Being a Sato, and the privileges that come with it, means we have to sacrifice other stuff.
In some ways it's better not having to deal with having a choice.
No.
Shinji, don't think that.
You should escape it.
Is that what you're planning? That's good, Suki.
There's no escape for either of us.
We can be brother and sister again after you leave here.
Okay? Missed you so much.
[exhales.]
I know from the time they expect to make the call and the need to use the satellite in mid-level equatorial bit, that the satellite must be passing through the sky just south of Scorpio Beta, but without a star map of this area, I have no idea where that star is.
If you've identified a constellation, couldn't you tell us if we're in the Northern or Southern Hemisphere? Scorpio Beta is an equatorial constellation, meaning it's seen in both hemispheres.
I'm not Buzz Aldrin here, but can't we just go outside and look up at the sky? To piggyback on the signal, I need specific coordinates.
Cornelius Tower's office had a star field of the Tower Prep sky on the ceiling, but-- but the constellations weren't identified, and we don't recognize any of them.
Maybe we're looking at it from the wrong angle.
We need to adjust it for the Earth's rotation.
It's like Foucault's pendulum.
Well, he created this giant pendulum that made circles in the sand below it, which was really the first tangible proof that the Earth actually rotated around the sun.
I did some extra credit.
I thought that was just to talk Physics into giving you the wire.
Well, it was, but I didn't want to get a D.
Okay, but how are we supposed to find the right angle? Physics.
[Gabe.]
Arneb-- love it.
Markab-- boring.
[Suki.]
There it is, Scorpio Beta.
Okay, guys, remember, when we get to the rooftop, the satellite will be in that direction.
Right ascension 3.
88 hours, declination -61.
15 degrees.
Okay, how much time do we have? Seventeen minutes.
- We gotta go.
- Come on.
I don't understand.
Why can't we take the tunnels? They don't go to that building.
We have to cut across campus.
I won't let you take me from them.
Suki, you know I can't let this happen.
You're my brother.
We're family, not the family business, not Sato Systems.
Shinji and Suki.
They say you can't choose your family.
You can.
Come with us.
It's not too late.
You don't need to belong to them.
Come with us and help us.
We could use your technological knowledge.
Join this family.
Please.
Suki.
Whisper.
Alert the monitors! Security breach! - Dorm building! - [alarm wailing.]
[Whisper 119.]
Security breach.
Security breach.
Dorm building.
Come on, let's go.
[Gabe.]
Ian, what's on Shinji's PDA? Suki, they have a tracking device on you.
What? Shinji must've put it on you when he hugged you.
- I'll find it.
- No, guys, there's no time.
The satellite uplink is in eight minutes.
Come on.
The door to the rooftop is straight ahead.
- [several gasp.]
- What is this? - We'll go back.
- We can't.
We'll be caught.
- Guys, we're running out of time.
- What are we going to do? Gabe [gravel patters.]
What is it? Remember how we talked about pendulums in class? Well, let's put it to good use here.
Oh, my God.
Wouldn't want you to die without ever having kissed a girl.
Okay, catch.
All right, here we go.
You know what, Suki? This whole thing-- I-- you know, I never kissed a girl, either.
You're not going to die.
Are you okay? Okay, ready? Okay.
God.
Okay.
Hold on for a sec.
Okay.
- No, I can't do this.
- Yes, you can.
- I know you can.
- You can do this.
- It's okay, Gabe.
- But you've got to be quick.
We've got less than six minutes.
Okay.
Come on, come on.
Okay, come on, Gabe.
One, two three! - Gabe! - Oh, my God, help me.
- Gabe.
- Okay.
[Suki.]
Gabe! - Oh, God.
- You can do this.
You know what? I'm not going to make it.
Just save yourselves, okay? Just don't let Suki's brother take her, okay? - Just hang on! - [Ian.]
Hold on! I can't.
I can't.
I'm slipping.
- [screams.]
- Gabe! Gabe, don't move.
Don't move.
[gasping.]
[groaning.]
Don't panic.
[cable creaking.]
[Gabe whimpers.]
Oh, God, God-- [plaster cracks.]
- [Gabe yells.]
- [gasps.]
I love you, man.
I swear to God.
Shut up and run.
Come on, let's go.
Come on.
Come on.
- It's locked.
- [gnomes rasping.]
They're coming.
We're almost out of time.
Shinji's going to make that call.
Wait, Whisper can open it.
Can't we trigger it using Shinji's PDA? It's worth a shot.
[as Shinji.]
Whisper, open the door to the roof in the old infirmary.
[Whisper 119.]
Suki, I know your position, and Gabriel, C.
J.
, and Ian.
- Good-bye.
- Wait, Whisper.
Whisper, please.
Please don't let them take Suki.
Please.
Come on, let's go.
Thank you, Whisper.
Time's up.
Guys, it says "Whisper 120.
" That's why Shinji came here-- not to take me back, but to upgrade Whisper 119.
That's what they were doing at midnight.
And opening the door was Whisper's act of rebellion towards Tower Prep right before she died.
"I'm scared.
" She knew.
We owe it to her to make this call.
[static ringing.]
Shinji must be calling my dad right now to confirm the upgrade.
[beeps.]
- Signal's good.
- Good.
Is it me? Um, considering we happen to be running from my family I wouldn't know who to call.
Stop.
Ian, we all know this is your call to make.
Whatever they say, it'll be all right.
We still have each other.
Okay.
[remote ringing.]
[Mrs.
Archer.]
Hello.
Mom? It's me.
Mom, are you there? Honey, do you know how dangerous this call is? What? Mom, why is it dangerous? To you? To me? Who? Ian, oh, Merry Christmas.
[clicks, dial tone.]
We're out of here.
This is weird.
The stars are out of place.
[C.
J.
.]
The plants and animals surrounding Tower are from all over the Earth? [Suki.]
I can't tell where we are.
Ceej, which guy do you like? - Mom? - [Woman.]
You're out of carrier range.
- Wait, Whisper? - Have a nice day.
Hello! [Gabe.]
"Sato Scientific"? Your family built this? You knew Whisper 23 was about to harm us.
Thank you, Whisper.
Strangle your hold Don't let me go Strangle your hold Don't let me go Until I want What you want Pray for the strength [chimes.]
Keep it in place Promise to God You won't [Whisper 119.]
Good morning, Ian.
It is 7:00 A.
M.
Yeah, thanks, Whisper.
I've got Faith in you To lose yours in me Like you say, though Before you go "I should probably be letting you go" [together.]
Surprise! [laughing.]
C.
J.
, you realize you're cleaning that up, right? [laughs.]
- Happy Birthday.
- Thank you.
Okay, let's try this, huh? Mm, breakfast of champions.
You're homesick.
What, you missing all those girls back home lining up to give you birthday kisses? [chuckles.]
No, uh I never had that.
I never even really had the chance to have any girl kiss me.
Maybe that's what you're upset about.
No, its-- it's just-- I just miss my parents.
That's all.
You know, this is the first birthday ever where I've woken up and my mom hasn't been right there to say "Merry Christmas.
" - Uh - You mean "Happy Birthday.
" No.
It's just this thing my family has.
Uh, when I was little, I must've been turning three or four or something, I saw this huge pile of gifts, and immediately I assumed that Santa had come, and I was way too young to understand that you got gifts on your birthday, too, so all day long, when they would give me cake, I would leave a piece out for the reindeer.
- [all chuckle.]
- After they sang me "Happy Birthday," I would sing them "Jingle Bells.
" Nice.
Ever since then I guess it's just been a family tradition to say "Merry Christmas" on my birthday.
I know it's dumb, but I don't know.
No, it's not dumb at all.
- Merry Christmas.
- Thank you.
You guys are the best, really.
[Physics.]
A sound wave is created as a result of a vibrating object.
It's frequency is determined by the material the object is made of, and that determines the speed of the wave, and the length of the material, which effects the wavelength of the wave.
Now, if we were observing these pendulums on Jupiter, the acceleration due to the increase of gravity is 2.
52.
Thus the period is shorter.
Frequency is determined by speed divided by wavelength.
Now, pendulums don't create sound as they oscillate, but they do let us see how frequency works.
Mr.
Archer? Mr.
Archer, you haven't been excused from class yet.
[Student.]
Check that out.
I want to talk to my parents.
Now.
Right now.
Tower Prep 1x10 Phone Home [tower bell chiming.]
[Whisper 119.]
Headmaster access granted.
Headmaster access granted.
Whisper 119, Archer Ian.
Home.
Yes, sir.
Dialing Ian Archer's home.
[remote ringing.]
[Woman.]
Hello.
- Mom? - Ian? Yeah.
Yeah, Mom, it's me.
Are you okay? Is everybody okay? Yes, yes, of course, Ian.
Happy Birthday.
Thanks, Mom.
Uh you know, I can't even tell you how good it is to hear you.
It wasn't my mom.
I know it.
"Happy Birthday"? Not "Merry Christmas.
" Guys, those weren't my parents.
Maybe you know, under those circumstances, a call out of nowhere after so many months? She just forgot.
No, not my mom.
I mean, my dad maybe, but Maybe your mom thought you outgrew it or something.
Yeah, and did outgrow it a long time ago, but you know how moms are.
They always have that one thing that keeps their kids their little babies forever.
Well, that was hers-- "Merry Christmas.
" She's going to say it when I'm 60.
My older brother passed away a few years before I came here.
For my mom, he'll always be that age.
I wish I knew if my mom had anything like that.
Man, that's a cruel thing to do to you, even for Headmaster.
She got her voice and her inflections down perfectly, but she just missed that one little detail about "Merry Christmas.
" They must have Whisper 119 preprogrammed for each of us, to imitate our parents.
If that's the case, Ian, then Headmaster must go to those lengths because our parents truly do not know that we're here.
I'll go back into Headmaster's office tonight and use his phone to call my real parents.
Maybe then they can call whoever to come find us and get us out of he.
Yeah, but what if that phone doesn't really call out? What if it's just a prop phone? Well, we won't know until we try it, will we? We can use the tunnels to get in and override his alarm system.
We've done it before.
And now I don't have to shut down Whisper to do it.
I can hack the alarm from my PDA.
Didn't you say, though, there was, like, a thumb lock scan thing on his desk and his phone? Well We're just going to have to get his thumb.
[indie rock.]
[whirs.]
[Suki, whispering.]
Ian.
Avoid disaster We must stop sleeping - We better wake up - Wake up - Wake up - Wake up Before we start drowning - You know - We lie, we lie to ourselves We lie, we lie to ourselves Yeah My eyes are ringing From all your screaming You better face it - Face it - Face it Before you've wasted away You know We lie, we lie to ourselves We lie, we lie to ourselves Yeah Wake up, wake up Wake up and start singing Wake up, wake up Wake up and start singing Hit them in the heart You're always running Trying not to stumble - But you have to wait it - Wait it Wait it So let's not lie Hit them in the heart [Headmaster.]
Mr.
Forrest.
Trying not to stumble But you have to wait it - Wait it - Wait it Let's not lie this time - You know - We lie, we lie to ourselves We lie, we lie to ourselves Yeah [ends.]
[beeps.]
[beeps.]
- [exhales.]
- [exhales.]
[Whisper 119.]
Headmaster access granted.
Headmaster access granted.
[beeps, dial tone.]
Ian.
[beeps.]
[Headmaster.]
You think this is the best course of action? [door lock beeps, clicks.]
The solution seems rather extreme.
She hasn't displayed any signs of deviation.
[Man.]
Given the recent developments outside these walls, Headmaster, my father insists.
[Ian, whispering.]
Come on.
Let's go.
Come on.
Suki, what's wrong? You look like you've just seen a ghost.
I did.
The guy in there with Headmaster-- it's my brother.
Suki, Headmaster's office was dark, and you were in the passageways.
Are you sure? I heard him.
Guys, I heard my brother.
It's been, what, five years-- Oh, but you believe that wasn't your mom on the phone because of some "Merry Christmas" fail.
[Gabe.]
Whoa, whoa.
Whoa, Suki, calm down, okay? No one's saying anything.
It's just kind of weird.
That's all.
And, look, I can only imagine how this feels for you, but we just-- you know, we want to be sure.
Ian, didn't you hear him say "My father insists"? Yeah.
Tower Prep is run on Sato Systems technology.
It must be Shinji.
You said your brother had died.
How? I never knew, and I know it sounds like, "Yeah, right," but I was never told, and everyone was so sad.
I didn't want to make it worse.
Shinji and I were, like, not just brother and sister.
We were best friends.
He-- He never misbehaved.
He did what my dad said-- straight As, the whole deal, and then he was in his room online or whatever He would've been on a Sato Systems electronic a computer.
Like we were, the nights we were brought here.
The next morning my mom was sitting in the kitchen just all blank, and I asked her where Shinji was, and all she said was, "It's not because he was bad," and then my dad said, "Shinji is okay.
He's just not with us, and we must move ahead with our lives.
One day you'll understand.
" Well, Suki, I'd say that day is today.
Shinji didn't die.
He was brought to Tower Prep.
He would've graduated and came back around the time that you got here.
[Gabe.]
You guys must've just missed each other.
[Suki.]
I really miss him.
Why? Why did they need to deceive us? The answer must be so horrible.
Headmaster said that he thought what "they" were doing was extreme.
Now, who could "they" be? What are they going to do that's so extreme? I don't know.
They must know that we're planning to escape.
I told Cal when we were out in the woods.
Maybe he talked.
Even if he did, they could easily just send us to West Campus.
Why send her brother? Someone must've told my father I was planning to escape.
I bet he sent Shinji to take me home before I can leave on my own.
Then that's a way out, Suki.
They take you home.
They're not taking me because they miss me.
They're taking me home to control me, to prevent us from escaping.
If they know about our plans to escape, then I say we learn about their plans for stopping us.
[Headmaster.]
Blowing up toilets in the girls' washroom with dynamite mixed in Chemistry class.
I don't understand what you believed you would've accomplished with this, other than a trip to the West Campus.
You're dismissed.
[passes gas.]
[snickers.]
[Shinji.]
This is not just a Sato Systems request, sir.
This is personal to my father.
She is a part of our family.
[Headmaster.]
I understand, Mr.
Sato.
She is part of our family, too, of course, but change must come.
[Shinji.]
Inevitably unlike the things in your office, Headmaster.
[Headmaster.]
They offered to buy me a new desk when I took the job, but I wanted to keep it the way it was.
I wanted the students to be as scared as I was whenever I came in here.
[Shinji.]
Good.
My father will be happy.
He wants to be notified by phone as soon as it happens.
[Headmaster.]
I understand, Mr.
Sato.
We'll arrange for that tomorrow night.
Now, you must be tired from that long flight.
How about if I show you to your accommodations? We have you set up in the spare faculty dorm.
It's not the four-star hotel I've grown accustomed to, but it's not a dorm room, either.
[Headmaster.]
I'd be very happy to arrange either one of those if you prefer.
[Shinji and Headmaster laugh.]
Gabe and C.
J.
are covering for us.
It's him.
I saw Shinji.
It's definitely him, Ian.
If they're planning to take me out of here, it's happening tomorrow night.
[beeps.]
[Whisper 119.]
Headmaster access granted.
Headmaster access granted.
[dialing.]
[remote ringing.]
- [clicks.]
- Mom? Mom.
[Whisper 119.]
I'm sorry, Ian.
Whisper.
Was that you on the phone the other day, on my birthday? Yes.
Ian, I'm scared.
Yeah, I know.
I know.
You wrote me that note the day I got here.
You're a machine.
What are you so scared of? Changes that are coming.
Are you scared, too? [click dial tone.]
[Suki.]
"Time's running out," I heard my brother say, that my father was to be notified after "it" happens.
"It.
" That must be when they grab you and take you back.
Working from their timer, it happens a bit before midnight.
[Gabe.]
Well, midnight makes sense.
Less people around.
It's nighttime.
They could easily put you on a boat or a plane without anybody knowing.
After they manage to take me away, or not, Shinji will call my dad, an outside call.
If that call is made on an analog frequency, it might be possible for us to superimpose a subcarrier signal on its existing transmission, especially if we know the time of the transmission.
Okay, uh, in English, please.
If we send out a transmission on a phone in the same frequency as theirs, we could piggyback on their satellite signal.
I could just modify my PDA.
This could be huge.
If her phone works, we could use it for when we escape.
After we get out, we could call someone and have them come get us.
- Yeah, but what if they get to her? - You can make the call.
We won't let them get you.
First we have to see if we can even make a call with a modified phone.
If we're going to tap into Shinji's signal and call home, we've got exactly 15 hours and 25 minutes to build it.
We have to find the parts.
Piece of cake.
Glad you think so because this all seems complicated to me.
Oh.
No, yeah, this-- extremely complicated.
I was literally talking about that piece of cake.
If we're going to do this in 15 hours or less, I'm going to need the sugar rush, and that puppy looks scrumdiliumcious.
- I'm going to take it.
- That's Ian's.
I don't care if it's Ian's.
He'll let me have it.
Sorry, buddy.
Mm, what do we need? [Suki.]
Copper wire, at least 20 feet.
Yo, teach, you know, I really enjoyed that lab we did on pendulums the other day.
Really? Because the results of your test would indicate otherwise.
D.
Ouch.
Uh, well, you know, I was reading on Foucault's pendulum the other day, and I thought, "Whoa, how interesting would it be to recreate some of his experiments by building a giant pendulum, just like he did, you know, maybe extra credit to make up for the test kind of deal? Sure.
Great.
Although I'm going to need some supplies, starting with a coil of wire.
Thanks.
You're the best.
[C.
J.
.]
What else? [Suki.]
We need a 100-ohm variable resistor.
I think I know where to find that-- Whisper 23.
[C.
J.
.]
That's you.
You think that means that Cornelius Tower is your grandfather? No, I know all my grandparents.
My grandpa Ed and grandma Mil live, like, five blocks from my house.
I see them practically every week.
Or I used to seem them every week.
Must've been amazing.
I always dreamed about having grandparents.
Well, my grandma Mil has chronic gas, my grandpa Ed used to make me do yard work every time I visited.
Ian, come help me with this.
Hey.
So you and Ian, huh? Me and Ian what? Oh, nothing.
It's just crazy.
That's all.
You guys are friends, and now it's, like, you like each other or something.
So? Doesn't bother me.
It's just funny.
That's all.
You know, you like him.
Next thing you know, cats like dogs, Headmaster likes Coach, Suki likes Ray.
Careful, Gabe.
Your jealousy's showing.
I-- I'm not jealous.
You're-- You're stupid.
Is it going to work? Yeah.
[buzzing.]
You have doubts.
Signal is just much weaker than I calculated.
We need a direct line to the satellite's position, but the trees, the cement buildings, are all obstructions.
Is there a way to amplify our signal? Or maybe, like, a roof we can call from? The roof of the Administration Building is the only place I can think of with a clear shot at the sky.
All the other buildings on Campus are either surrounded by trees or impossible to access.
There's that building on the way to We Campus over there.
It's like an old infirmary or medical lab or something.
It's shut down.
We can use that to make the call.
It's in the forbidden zone.
The gnomes would be on us before we even got set up.
It's perfect.
Look, I can rig any device made by Sato Systems, into an amplifier, thereby creating, like, a mini wifi hot spot.
We can use them to harness a signal coming from their transmission to give us strong enough reception to hop on the satellite.
We just need to set up a bunch of them in the building, point it at the satellite.
You want to place them as directly beneath each other as possible, with the antenna facing out.
That should let us marshal enough signal strength to give our phone the extra boost it needs.
Okay.
[devices buzzing.]
[gnome rasping.]
- [PDA beeps.]
- Ian did it.
Signal amplifiers are all in position.
Perfect.
Well, we should get out of here, check the connection points around campus, and make sure all the networks work.
I don't want to leave you alone in case they're coming for you.
I'm all right.
They've planned it for a few hours from now, and, besides, no one knows about the observatory.
Now's a good time to go.
- You sure? - Yeah.
Come on.
[door opens.]
Ian, I think we have a problem.
To piggyback, we need to know the position of the satellite they'll be using, but these star charts and coordinates don't match what we see in the sky.
- [footsteps approaching.]
- If we can't find the position of the satellite, we can't catch a ride on their signal.
[sighs.]
Suki, I missed you so much.
You know, I never told anyone I knew about this room.
It was my own place to escape to.
Shinj, are you here to take me back? Take you back? Wouldn't that be awesome, Suke, back to when we were kids, back before our time together was taken away from us? Yeah, if we could do that, we could skip all this Tower Prep stuff.
We could have regular lives as kids again.
If I could, I'd take us both back.
Why are you here, then? Why am I here? Suki, haven't you had the same amount of daydreams as I have, about seeing each other again? Thousands, but not like this.
I couldn't have those daydreams, Shinji.
I didn't think you were alive.
I put myself in danger today, Suke, coming here to this room.
I couldn't let you see me in the halls, but I wanted to see you.
They'd understand, but they wouldn't accept it.
Are you working for Sato Systems? You know I'm working for our father, Suke.
You know you will, too.
After they sent me here, I know I won't.
I never will.
But it's our family.
There's no choice.
Being a Sato, and the privileges that come with it, means we have to sacrifice other stuff.
In some ways it's better not having to deal with having a choice.
No.
Shinji, don't think that.
You should escape it.
Is that what you're planning? That's good, Suki.
There's no escape for either of us.
We can be brother and sister again after you leave here.
Okay? Missed you so much.
[exhales.]
I know from the time they expect to make the call and the need to use the satellite in mid-level equatorial bit, that the satellite must be passing through the sky just south of Scorpio Beta, but without a star map of this area, I have no idea where that star is.
If you've identified a constellation, couldn't you tell us if we're in the Northern or Southern Hemisphere? Scorpio Beta is an equatorial constellation, meaning it's seen in both hemispheres.
I'm not Buzz Aldrin here, but can't we just go outside and look up at the sky? To piggyback on the signal, I need specific coordinates.
Cornelius Tower's office had a star field of the Tower Prep sky on the ceiling, but-- but the constellations weren't identified, and we don't recognize any of them.
Maybe we're looking at it from the wrong angle.
We need to adjust it for the Earth's rotation.
It's like Foucault's pendulum.
Well, he created this giant pendulum that made circles in the sand below it, which was really the first tangible proof that the Earth actually rotated around the sun.
I did some extra credit.
I thought that was just to talk Physics into giving you the wire.
Well, it was, but I didn't want to get a D.
Okay, but how are we supposed to find the right angle? Physics.
[Gabe.]
Arneb-- love it.
Markab-- boring.
[Suki.]
There it is, Scorpio Beta.
Okay, guys, remember, when we get to the rooftop, the satellite will be in that direction.
Right ascension 3.
88 hours, declination -61.
15 degrees.
Okay, how much time do we have? Seventeen minutes.
- We gotta go.
- Come on.
I don't understand.
Why can't we take the tunnels? They don't go to that building.
We have to cut across campus.
I won't let you take me from them.
Suki, you know I can't let this happen.
You're my brother.
We're family, not the family business, not Sato Systems.
Shinji and Suki.
They say you can't choose your family.
You can.
Come with us.
It's not too late.
You don't need to belong to them.
Come with us and help us.
We could use your technological knowledge.
Join this family.
Please.
Suki.
Whisper.
Alert the monitors! Security breach! - Dorm building! - [alarm wailing.]
[Whisper 119.]
Security breach.
Security breach.
Dorm building.
Come on, let's go.
[Gabe.]
Ian, what's on Shinji's PDA? Suki, they have a tracking device on you.
What? Shinji must've put it on you when he hugged you.
- I'll find it.
- No, guys, there's no time.
The satellite uplink is in eight minutes.
Come on.
The door to the rooftop is straight ahead.
- [several gasp.]
- What is this? - We'll go back.
- We can't.
We'll be caught.
- Guys, we're running out of time.
- What are we going to do? Gabe [gravel patters.]
What is it? Remember how we talked about pendulums in class? Well, let's put it to good use here.
Oh, my God.
Wouldn't want you to die without ever having kissed a girl.
Okay, catch.
All right, here we go.
You know what, Suki? This whole thing-- I-- you know, I never kissed a girl, either.
You're not going to die.
Are you okay? Okay, ready? Okay.
God.
Okay.
Hold on for a sec.
Okay.
- No, I can't do this.
- Yes, you can.
- I know you can.
- You can do this.
- It's okay, Gabe.
- But you've got to be quick.
We've got less than six minutes.
Okay.
Come on, come on.
Okay, come on, Gabe.
One, two three! - Gabe! - Oh, my God, help me.
- Gabe.
- Okay.
[Suki.]
Gabe! - Oh, God.
- You can do this.
You know what? I'm not going to make it.
Just save yourselves, okay? Just don't let Suki's brother take her, okay? - Just hang on! - [Ian.]
Hold on! I can't.
I can't.
I'm slipping.
- [screams.]
- Gabe! Gabe, don't move.
Don't move.
[gasping.]
[groaning.]
Don't panic.
[cable creaking.]
[Gabe whimpers.]
Oh, God, God-- [plaster cracks.]
- [Gabe yells.]
- [gasps.]
I love you, man.
I swear to God.
Shut up and run.
Come on, let's go.
Come on.
Come on.
- It's locked.
- [gnomes rasping.]
They're coming.
We're almost out of time.
Shinji's going to make that call.
Wait, Whisper can open it.
Can't we trigger it using Shinji's PDA? It's worth a shot.
[as Shinji.]
Whisper, open the door to the roof in the old infirmary.
[Whisper 119.]
Suki, I know your position, and Gabriel, C.
J.
, and Ian.
- Good-bye.
- Wait, Whisper.
Whisper, please.
Please don't let them take Suki.
Please.
Come on, let's go.
Thank you, Whisper.
Time's up.
Guys, it says "Whisper 120.
" That's why Shinji came here-- not to take me back, but to upgrade Whisper 119.
That's what they were doing at midnight.
And opening the door was Whisper's act of rebellion towards Tower Prep right before she died.
"I'm scared.
" She knew.
We owe it to her to make this call.
[static ringing.]
Shinji must be calling my dad right now to confirm the upgrade.
[beeps.]
- Signal's good.
- Good.
Is it me? Um, considering we happen to be running from my family I wouldn't know who to call.
Stop.
Ian, we all know this is your call to make.
Whatever they say, it'll be all right.
We still have each other.
Okay.
[remote ringing.]
[Mrs.
Archer.]
Hello.
Mom? It's me.
Mom, are you there? Honey, do you know how dangerous this call is? What? Mom, why is it dangerous? To you? To me? Who? Ian, oh, Merry Christmas.
[clicks, dial tone.]
We're out of here.