The Net (1998) s01e13 Episode Script

- I thought you were gonna spill.
- I never spill.
Check this out.
- What's that? - Info you wanted on Kallus Records.
That was quick.
Hey, when it comes to music, I'm the source, huh? The man behind the biggest music webzine on the net.
A million hits a month.
That's more readers than Rolling Stone.
So what's up? You trying to break into the business? Just doing some homework.
Well, I've got some homework of my own.
Early dub of the new Anatoxin Dust CD, leaked from Kallus Records.
Insider uploaded it to my site.
The new Anatoxin Dust? It's been four years since their last disc.
The lords of trip-hop, pioneers of acid house.
Kallus is banking on this one.
If this doesn't break big, the label is sunk.
- How is it? - Worse than a train wreck.
Check out my review on the zine, posted tonight.
This story is huge, and I am scooping the nation.
Hey, Frye, that review could kill that label single-handed.
Maybe you should, you know, keep it to yourself? Can't.
I'm a rock critic.
First Amendment stuff.
Later.
What you're hearing is the death rattle of Kallus Records.
A four-year hiatus has left Anatoxin Dust devoid of the hip-hop themes, hypnotic drum and bass, and seamless samples that made them the founding fathers of electronic dance music.
What should have been a triumphant return for Anatoxin and a cash bonanza for Kallus has turned out to be a bust.
People, the steam rising off of this trash could power the five boroughs.
Turn down that noise.
Cool it, Ma.
You watch your mouth, Horace.
You can download all 12 Anatoxin tracks from my site in real-time audio.
Smell them for yourselves.
This is Frye, and I speak the truth.
- Hello.
- I'm looking for Frye.
Is he home? - Yes, who's calling? - His fan club.
Ma? Who the hell are you guys? - If you hurt my mother - She's quiet.
You be quiet.
- You still have that rash? - All over.
- Powder work? - Keeps me dry.
But I still look like a candy cane.
Maybe it's hives.
Kid could be right.
- He post the review yet? - Not yet.
Good.
Take the thing apart.
You're from Kallus Records, aren't you? What happened to payola? Fresh out of chicks and cocaine? That's the trouble with kids.
You never know when playtime's over.
Let's calm down.
My name is Angela Bennett.
I discovered a group of computer terrorists.
They erased my life.
They made me into a criminal.
I am not going to stop until I get my life back.
But if they did this to me, they could do this to you.
THE NET 1x13 "SAMPLE" - Oh, my God.
Mrs.
Frye, what happened? - Take it easy.
She's going to be okay.
Animals broke in and shot her son dead.
- Shot? - This city's in the toilet.
I'm moving to Montauk.
Kallus Records.
It's me.
You living on the edge, junior? Phone calls can be traced.
Not to me.
I'm hijacking this signal.
- Your grandma brought you up so wrong.
- Well, at least she's not in the hospital.
What's that? This friend of mine named Frye died last night.
Whoever shot him, roughed his mom up for good measure.
Right, I know that guy.
Frye He's the kid that runs the music webzine, right? Jacob, I'm so sorry.
- I think it was my fault.
- How is it your fault? Well, we've known for months that the Praetorians run Kallus.
You think they killed him? He got a hold of an early dub of an Anatoxin Dust CD and he was about to tell a million potential buyers that it sucks.
What do you think? We have to take that company down.
Well, that's why I'm here.
Except this place is so clean.
No extortion, no drugs, no payola, nothing.
- There has to be something.
- Well, there is.
There's Adam Jarvis, Kallus' chairman.
Now, his computer is independent of the company's local area network.
Only way to reach his files is to work at his machine.
Access to his office is restricted.
Jarvis only.
Well, if he's that uptight, you know he's a Praetorian.
Keep on him.
Well, except that I've been moved.
I'm going to be the new assistant to Anatoxin Dust.
That's the best place for you.
Right now, Anatoxin is Jarvis' top priority.
Yeah.
Kallus Records.
Yeah, hi.
I need to leave a message with Dave about the photo shoot tomorrow.
- And your name, please? - Yeah, this is Tom Callaghan.
We're scheduled at 3:00 tomorrow.
I need to change that to 1:00.
Okay.
I know that Dave said that that would be okay with him if I had to do it.
- All right.
- Just pass it on.
- Thank you very much.
- You're welcome.
Kallus Records.
Have a seat, Mr.
Jarvis.
- I hear you were in New York.
- Business with the A&R Department.
- How was the redeye? - Slept like a baby.
What's that like? I thought we were restricting contact.
It's a sensitive time.
We release the new CD in two days.
The board is concerned about your control of our investment.
We hear rumours that the product is inferior.
Based on the band's name recognition alone we'll move up to a million units the first week.
Up-front ticket sales from domestic and international tour dates should gross over $100 million.
- And what about radio and video outlets? - Paid off.
First single's guaranteed heavy rotation across the country.
What about the media? Have you guaranteed favourable reviews? Bad press could kill Anatoxin's CD before it hits the market.
Look.
The reviews will be great.
What's the problem? Electronic dance music is the fastest growing arena in the industry.
Anatoxin Dust will position Kallus as the dominant label in the genre for years to come.
Unless that CD fails.
A man under that kind of pressure might slip up compromise our chance of success.
I have it covered, gentlemen.
Relax.
- He look nervous to you? - Could be the coke.
- Is that making a comeback? - Never left.
A young man named Frye turned up dead in New York this morning.
He ran an influential music web page.
CD reviews.
Drew a million hits a month with his promise to speak the truth.
Worth looking into.
Mr.
Chairman I'm coordinating the VX gas shipment to Chechnya.
The situation there remains extremely volatile, as does the gas.
It's called multitasking, Trelawney.
Or is my security chief limited to one responsibility at a time? I always wanted to be in the music business.
Sang soprano in the church choir, then my testicles dropped.
Congratulations.
Mrs.
Frye? Mrs.
Frye.
It's Jacob.
Jacob.
Will you tell me what happened? My son is dead.
What else is there? Did you recognise the people who broke in? I already told the police everything, Jacob.
Let's stop this.
Please tell me.
Did you know them? They said they were his fan club.
He didn't hear them coming.
Had that damn music blasting.
He was on his website.
He never posted a review last night.
I checked the site.
Horace loved you, you know.
He always said you were his best friend.
Oh, she loves me.
She loves you not.
She loves me.
Hey, hey, hey, hey.
Hit me with one of those floppy discs and you'll be picking them out of your teeth.
Let me see your hands.
You'll do fine.
- You should see my feet.
- Don't tempt us.
We're musicians.
Here, pick up five discs one by one.
- See, I told you.
- Real fine.
Wow.
All we need are some psychedelic projections.
Groom.
He's Monk.
I know.
You're Anatoxin Dust.
I've seen your billboards.
I'm Angela Frasier.
Kallus sent me over because they said you wanted a new assistant.
You want to assist us? Sneak into Jarvis' office and lace his double-shot, no foam cappuccino with strychnine.
Poison.
That's a subtle alternative to a friendship ring.
Guy's a slimeball.
Well, I might be a little fuzzy on music history but didn't Jarvis pull you out of Long Beach sign you to a label and make you millions? Our songs made Jarvis millions.
He made us prisoners.
We've spent 18 months making music in this cell.
Then he takes the tracks away from us and hands them over to some no-game, in-house producer.
Yeah, studio producers usually suck.
I'm trying to dig up dirt on Kallus Records.
Jarvis, in particular.
I thought you were our assistant.
Well, I'm a hyphenate.
I'm an assistant/reporter.
I'm freelancing for Vibe, Bleach, the Reader You want to smear Jarvis in the press? Bring down the label? Well, it's not as lethal as strychnine, but it's close.
Okay, cool.
Yeah? Well, I need to get into Jarvis' personal files, but they're on his PC and to do that, I have to get into his office.
Not a problem.
Anatoxin Dust has total access.
He used to sleep with Jarvis' wife.
She'd give him anything.
I dabble.
I don't.
Later.
Wounded, but still breathing.
What the hell are you doing in here? There's nothing left to steal, kid.
- Do I look like a looter to you? - You look like a light bulb.
Frye was my friend.
Did you know him? I questioned his mother this morning.
The newspaper needs to make a copy of the picture.
Then she wants me to bring it to her.
It's a shame it was torn up in the robbery.
I don't believe this was a robbery.
Guess you didn't notice the big empty spot where the TV used to be.
Thirty-inch screen? Kind of hard not to miss.
Yeah, whoever did this came to kill.
The rest is obfuscation.
Obfuscation.
Very nice.
And you used it correctly in a sentence.
- My SATs are coming up.
- Okay.
Let's go, genius.
And if you tear down that police tape again you'll be using "incarceration" in a sentence.
Good evening, Kallus Records.
No, I'm sorry, everyone's gone home for the night.
Okay.
Monk says, "Hello.
" Jarvis, your files are mine.
Who needs to see you, and who do you need to see? Holy What is this? Mr.
Olivier, we have an unauthorised video uplink.
Trace it back to the source.
Break the link.
Bashful.
Oh, no.
- Yes? - Mr.
Jarvis, there's some mail for you.
Okay, bring it in.
And the New York newspapers you requested.
Good.
Let me have them.
Have a good evening, sir.
I always do.
Broken nose, facial haematoma.
.
22 calibre behind the ear.
Bounces around the skull.
That way they don't linger.
Generally, professional killers don't want them to.
Want to tell me why the FBI cares about a B&E homicide here in New York? Your victim was a rock critic who ran a webzine.
- Is that English? - Computerspeak, for an Internet magazine.
His work crossed state lines.
We believe the homicide could be related directly to his Internet activity.
And that puts this investigation into my pocket.
Excuse me.
I wanted an update on the shipment.
Both tanks erupted.
Tell the team leader the village is an unfortunate loss however, he is to continue with the project.
Sergeant? I'd like to see the crime scene.
Sure.
- Well, good luck with the investigation.
- Yeah.
- I'm sorry.
My hands are cold.
- No colder than mine.
I'm coming to get you, Frye.
Recover? Yes.
Type of file? Compressed digital video.
How's it going? I'm in real-time video compression hell, trying to raise a friend from the dead.
- How about you? - Text encryption purgatory.
Yeah.
Thanks to Anatoxin Dust.
Oh, and their hatred for Adam Jarvis.
Most of his files are trash.
A&R reports, distribution analysis but I found a subdirectory protected by Pentagon-level encryption.
The Praetorians hiding their dirty little secrets.
I also accessed this really weird video uplink on Jarvis' PC.
Weird how? Could have been the Bridge of Starship Enterprise except for the crew was wearing Armani.
I think that was the episode with Captain Pike.
I don't know about Pike, but I did hear somebody mention Mr.
Olivier.
Olivier? Are you sure? This is Frye.
This is Frye, and I speak the truth.
Jacob? That was polite.
Do you drink juice? Coming through.
How can you two just sit there like that? Taking advantage of gravity.
You should try it.
Come on.
Don't you guys ever dance? - Never understood the concept.
- Those who don't dance make music.
Oh, I see.
- So what do you do when you're on stage? - We look bored and do this.
Just move.
Feel the drum and bass.
Oh, my God.
Come on.
You're scaring the kids.
Hey, check it out.
You know who that is? That's Anatoxin Dust, baby.
So you're telling me that Kallus turned you guys over to another producer? After all your success they're just gonna undermine you like that? We recorded 20 tracks, cutting-edge beats.
We took the sound to a new level.
The label said it was too experimental.
Jarvis had 12 tracks remixed, drained all the blood out of it.
What, they can't afford to take a risk on your CD? They don't want innovation? They just want whatever it was that went platinum four years ago.
Electronic dance music is huge and we could put Kallus at the head of the movement.
But we hate "huge.
" So we're not gonna support this CD.
No promotions, no tour.
You break your contract, they're gonna put you out of the business.
Glad to be.
It's all lies and payola now, anyways.
And that's what you'll find when you decode Jarvis' files.
Why didn't we dump this gig a long time ago? You're Anatoxin Dust.
Could you sign my belly? And you were asking why? - Who should I make it out to? - Bob.
My step dad.
- Cool it.
- You watch your mouth Maybe it's hives.
Who the hell are you? from Kallus? Don't worry, Frye.
I'll drop him.
You could tell me what you're looking for.
I supervised the crime scene.
Well, I'm sure the hard drive was destroyed.
Any chance it was taken into evidence? The what? I'll take that as a no.
That's not important.
Just more computerspeak.
I did find someone in here the day after the murder.
Was it either of these men? No, afraid not.
Just a kid, friend of the family.
All right.
Well, thank you, Sergeant.
Hey, the two in the picture, are they your suspects? Accessories to the murder.
So let me see the new stuff that you came up with on the flight.
- Well, this is what I got so far.
- Okay.
- That's Jarvis.
- Then you've seen him? Oh, I could have shined his shoes.
Oh, don't even think it, smart ass.
All right, you got Jarvis in the apartment the night of the murder.
- You gotta send it to the police.
- Not yet.
The minicam kept recording.
There's more video, but it's all scattered.
If I can piece it together, I'm sure that it'll show Jarvis pulling the trigger.
You know, Monk and Groom use an Avid to piece together video sequences for the live show.
Maybe you can use it to reassemble this.
- The deck is here? - Oh, yeah, it's right there.
Come on.
Jarvis should get on his knees and kiss my feet for even going to that meeting, man.
Hey, what happened? The label demands that we perform live tonight at the Evolution in Santa Monica.
Debut party for the new Anatoxin CD.
Man, Jarvis can choke on that bum disc.
There's no way we perform.
Adam Jarvis killed my friend.
- Jarvis is a killer? - How do you know that? This is Jacob.
He's assisting me with my piece on Kallus.
He has some evidence saying that Jarvis might have been at a murder two nights ago, but it's not conclusive.
He killed a guy named Horace Frye.
Frye's dead? You knew him? We used him.
We wanted the CD to tank.
Frye was a sure thing.
We knew he'd hate it.
Share his thoughts on the webzine.
I mean, Kallus would never recover.
You sent him the CD? He was your friend, I'm sorry.
I mean, we knew Jarvis was into some bad stuff but we never thought he was crazy enough to kill somebody.
- I got some work to do.
- Hey.
I gotta go with him.
Hey! This is bad.
That kid's dead 'cause of us.
So what do we do now? We do what's right.
John Daly, my butt.
It's all short game, guys.
Hey, what's it look like? Splotches? - Hard to describe.
- Seepage? 'Cause, seepage would be bad.
Maybe it's nerves.
Nerves manifest in strange ways.
Rashes, shingles, dead teenagers.
Hey, forgive my tone, all right? I'm tired.
Just flew in from New York City.
Had to make a visit to the morgue.
You see? There I go again.
The man deserves some respect, Mr.
Trelawney.
Who? Him? He's an errand boy.
We don't like loose cannons in the rank and file.
- Look, if you're accusing me of murder - I'm accusing you of being a jackass.
You got a problem, you give us a call.
You do not compromise our agenda.
You had an easy gig, Jarvis.
Launch a CD, count the money.
But what? You had to kill a teenager? And then beat his mother? Now, I'm picking up the pieces heading off NYPD before they sniff a trail all the way back to the bunker.
You don't seem to understand the problems Frye could have caused us.
That kid is the least of your problems, Jarvis.
Someone made an unauthorised video uplink to our headquarters from your office.
- Nobody has access to my office.
- Someone does.
And for that little transgression, I should kill you right here and now but, you know, your death would only make more trouble.
Nah.
We want the CD launch to go smoothly.
No more controversy.
Yeah.
Try keeping your head down bound to improve your game.
What happened to payola? Fresh out of chicks and cocaine? That's the trouble with kids.
You never know when playtime's over.
Let's calm down.
You've got what you need.
Just send it to the police, Jacob.
This guy is not somebody that you mess with.
He killed your friend over a record review.
Where are Monk and Groom? They came in and apologised about Frye and then left.
They said they had some business at the label.
Oh, my God.
They're gonna go break their contract.
Help! Help me! Help me! Help! Somebody, help me! Enough, Jarvis, pull him in.
No performance, no tour, no deal.
Is that what you said? Help! Help me! Help! Shut him up.
Now not only will you perform in support of this CD you will also renew your contract in the terms I dictate.
Say, 10 more years.
Kallus takes 80% of the gross profits.
Anything, Monk, anything.
Come on.
Stop! Angela? How the hell did you get in here? Help! Help! - You're the receptionist.
- Well, I was, but now I'm their assistant.
- Hey.
- You made the video uplink.
- Where'd you get this card? - For God's sake, tell him! All right.
I'll tell you anything that you want to know.
Just don't hurt them.
Hurt them? One word and this stops.
What's that word, Monk? We have a deal? - Or we drop Groom? - Help! Maybe see if his girlfriend can catch up to him before he hits the ground.
Yes.
Oh! Yes.
A wise man.
Pull him in.
- Are you okay? - My head's gonna pop.
She made the uplink.
Turn her over to Trelawney.
Could give you room to manoeuvre.
No.
We don't need Trelawney.
We'll keep the three of them under wraps.
Make sure they make tonight's performance in one piece.
Get them inside.
Yeah, I got him.
- How you doing, buddy? - I can't feel my feet.
Maybe it'll help your dancing.
- Watch it.
- Sorry.
Do you have any business here? Yeah, Groom and Monk sent me to programme the video samples for the multimedia display.
They usually produce the samples themselves.
Something they asked me to put together, special for tonight.
Okay.
Just stay out of the way.
Coming through.
Watch your back.
Okay, everybody, let's hear it for Anatoxin Dust! Dust! They rule! Listen, I don't know what you're so worried about.
These guys are awesome.
They're killing it.
I wasn't nervous.
I was making you nervous.
- Listen, come inside.
I'll buy you a drink.
- No, thanks.
- Personally, I hate this music.
- Come on.
You own these guys.
Check up on your investment.
- I'll be right in.
- Okay.
How can you do this to musicians? This is Frye.
This is Frye, and I speak the truth.
The truth.
The truth.
The truth.
later.
Ma? If you hurt my mother, my mother, my mother - You still got that rash? - All over.
All over.
All over.
Maybe it's hives.
Hives.
Hives.
Stay put.
Kid could be right.
Kid could be right.
Kid could be right.
- He post the review yet? - Not yet.
Good.
Take the thing apart.
Thing apart.
Thing apart What happened to payola? Payola.
Payola You're from Kallus Records, aren't you? You're from Kallus Records, Kallus Records, Kallus Records That's the trouble with kids.
You never know when playtime's over.
What are you doing? Shut it down.
Turn it off.
What are you doing? Shut it down! Shut it down! Shut it down! Hey, it's out of my hands, dude! All right, let's calm down, buddy.
There he is, above.
We should go.
Now! Hey! - Bring him down! - Hold him.
Jacob! Your finger on the trigger for all the world to see? I call that controversy.
Look.
I served under the chairman for nine years, Mr.
Trelawney.
- I'll put my fate in his hands.
- Yeah, well, I admire your faith.
The chairman instructed me to have you wait for him in Chechnya.
A remote village.
You'll love the mountain air.
Jacob! Stop! - What are you doing? - Damn it! - Hey, Mrs.
Frye, it's Jacob.
- Jacob.
Where are you? Field trip.
But I'll be back soon to see you.
- How are you feeling? - Still tired, but I'm okay.
I got your package.
Thank you.
Thank you so much.
Yeah, well, that old picture was torn.
I wanted you to have a new one.
He was right, Jacob.
You are a good friend.
Yeah.
Like I said, I'll see you soon? Big Leak? No way.
They did not change their name to Big Leak.
Yeah.
Every time they get famous they're gonna change their name and start from scratch.
They're also signing with a small independent label.
And now that that bogus disc has been tanked and Kallus has gone into receivership - they get the rights to the original mixes.
- Sweet.
- How's it coming? - Can you say "payola"? You broke the code to one of Jarvis' files? Yeah.
I'm sending it to the Federal Trade Commission as soon as Jarvis turns up.
- Not likely.
- True.
But if he does, we can add it right up to the murder charge.
We might not have beat the Praetorians, but we slowed them down.
You know, there's still 37 files on that disc that I haven't cracked and I think one of them contains the video uplink that I stumbled onto in Jarvis' office.
What do you think I saw, Jacob? Well, my guess, and right now it's just a guess is that you saw the Praetorians' base of operations.
And somewhere in a file on this disc is the base's location.
So, let's get to work.
You get to work.
I gotta get home.