No, no, no. I unequivocally vote that we not alert the authorities.
It's a crime scene, Fredwynn. They're the police.
It looks like a crime scene, I grant you that.
But as a youngish male of a certain heritage,
I harbor a deep distrust of law enforcement,
which I ask you all now to respect.
And also, I may be on some watchlists.
Well, should we be worried?
I always felt I didn't know enough, and now I know too much.
Do you think they'll come for us?
-They know that we're onto them, yes. -Oh, that's certainly reassuring.
OK, I think we should get out of here
because this place is creeping me out.
Hey! Hey!
Hey! Ass-face!
Where is Clara Torres?
The point of no return.
That crucial moment in which it becomes all too clear
that the only remaining path is the one that leads forward.
No matter what perils may lie in wait,
there is, as they say, no turning back now.
At this point in our entertainment,
it's possible that you, too, dear viewer,
are experiencing that inexorable tug,
that you feel, in the parlance of bettors and gamblers,
"pot committed."
It is, I assure you, a false construct.
There's always a choice.
Even now, at this rousing narrative fulcrum, there's nothing stopping you
from returning to life as you previously knew it.
The mere push of a button will set you free
to read a book, tend a garden,
or perhaps make love to your spouse
while reading a book in your garden.
Of course, should your curiosity get the better of you,
should you, like our heroes, foolhardy and unflinching,
forge onward in search of answers, I will not try to stop you.
At this point, some of you are a part of this story yourselves.
But be forewarned:
when you heed the hunter's horn and set off on the chase -
be it white rabbits, waterfalls, dragons, or dreams -
two vital questions will inevitably arise.
How far are you willing to go in pursuit of your query?
And what happens if you actually catch it?
OK, well, this has been fun,
but I'm gonna see you guys around, I guess.
Wait. No.
We can't just walk away. The first 48 hours are most important.
-I just wanted to talk to dolphins! -I just wanted to dance.
No, that is not true! That's a lie!
Gravity-free dance salon, dolphin communication system,
they're excuses.
We all pulled a tab for the same reason -
because we had nothing to lose.
Now someone down there needs our help,
and you're just gonna walk away?
Maybe I'm wrong.
I would rather believe too much
than go back to not believing anything at all.
Peter!
Peter! Peter, are you OK?
-Peter! -Peter! Peter!
Peter! Are you concussed?
Bear in mind you've sustained several blows to the head already.
OK. That was a mistake.
Don't fall asleep!
I repeat, whatever you do, don't fall asleep!
God. Oh, God.
Peter.
It's you.
No. It's not really you.
It's not. I know that now.
I need you to remember that, Peter.
No matter what comes next.
Promise me, Peter.
I promise.
Promise me you'll remember the truth.
Peter. Peter!
-Simone. -Oh, thank God you're OK.
We couldn't find you, and then I thought I heard you scream, and...
Don't do that again!
-Sorry. -God!
The Milkman, he's down there.
This way.
Here it is.
OK.
Peter! Peter, wait.
Don't you think we should arm ourselves?
-What are we walking into? -Good thinking.
I have mace on my key chain.
-Good. -There must be something. OK.
Great.
This cannot possibly surprise any of you.
OK.
I'll go first.
-OK. -OK.
You're all just gonna say OK?
All right.
If I don't make it back... thanks for being my friends.
-Peter! -Peter? Peter!
Guys, please don't leave me here! I'm being attacked!
-Peter! -I'm being attacked!
Are you OK? What's happening?
Peter, open the door! Open the door, Peter!
-Peter! -Peter!
-He's being attacked!
Are you OK?
Fight, Peter! Fight!
Don't let them win, Peter! Fight them! Fight!
Bite their necks! Fight them!
Guys, you can come in.
Listen... I was wrong. I wasn't being attacked.
Also, I never want to talk about it ever again.
OK.
-What is this? -What the...?
-HQ. -Yes.
-Heart of darkness. -Guys, we are close.
We're close. I can feel it.
Look, dossiers.
-Let me see this. -On the players.
They must have them on every player.
On all of them?
Strengths, weaknesses,
personality, topology,
medical records.
This person does not like his mother.
-Let me see that. -There must be hundreds of them.
Not just Clara. They have all of us.
Hey.
We have to keep moving.
Dominae in artibus.
Omnes ave auctor est.
Dominae in artibus.
Fredwynn! Fredwynn!
Omnes ave auctor est.
Dominae in artibus.
Omnes ave auctor est.
Dominae in artibus.
Omnes ave auctor est.
Dominae in artibus.
Omnes ave auctor est.
Dominae in artibus.
Omnes ave auctor est.
Dominae in artibus.
Omnes ave auctor est.
Dominae in artibus.
Omnes ave auctor est.
Dominae in artibus.
Omnes ave auctor est.
-Hey. Hey. Hi -Janice.
-What is this? -I don't know.
Someone grabbed me and told me to put it on.
What is this? Is this the finale?
I don't know. Stay focused. This is about finding the real Clara.
We wait here until things heat up and then make our move.
Use the diversion against them.
Dominae in artibus.
Omnes ave auctor est.
We have brought the Stone of Soteria,
a ransom worthy of our queen.
Relinquish Clara now and all will be forgiven.
Nice try,
but Clara's worth more to us than any earthly treasure.
Our silence cannot be bought.
We will chase you to the ends of the earth
until Clara is returned to us.
What are you talking about? You guys have Clara.
We're here to get her back.
If we had Clara, do you think the Cage of Illumination
would be sitting there empty?
-You're gonna keep her in a cage? -Just give us Clara.
She'll help us change the world. She belongs to us!
Clara belongs to everyone.
She's an artist, not an asset.
Losers!
-Screw you, parasite! -Lowlife!
Lowlife!
-This is it. -This is it?
-Now. -Now?
That's it. Go.
Willkommen. Welcome.
Finally.
And congratulations.
Look what you've become,
simply because a month ago you chose a color.
Tonight marks the culmination of a profound journey
of mind, body, and soul.
To borrow a phrase, what a long, strange trip it's been.
But please, don't think of this as the end of your adventure.
What happens next is entirely up to you.
Your future begins in five, four,
three, two, one.
Hello again, friends.
You are friends.
Even those of you who hate me and everything I stand for,
perhaps you most of all.
Hello, Janice. Wonderful to see you again.
Oh, Peter, Simone, Fredwynn, so glad you could join us.
Now, for those of you who regard me with distaste
or perhaps something even stronger, please allow me one last time
to plead my case.
I created my Institute all those many years ago
with a singular purpose -
to promote the betterment of mankind
through rigorous inquiry and tireless industry.
I stand for the advancement of the human race.
That's big talk.
But that's all you con men have, isn't it?
Empty words and empty hearts.
The Elsewhere Society strives to liberate mankind
from the constraints of consumerism and greed.
He wants to put a fence around every idea
and charge admission for the carnival of human experience.
And he wants to lead you into the abyss.
Idealism without purpose is the enemy of progress.
Invention.
Freedom.
Enterprise.
Anarchy!
Inspiration!
Joy!
Since the dawn of time,
from the Stone Age to the Space Age,
conflict has plagued mankind,
a constant in all human endeavors,
pitting brother and brother,
sister against sister.
But now we must ask the most important question of all:
Is there another way?
What?
He's a clone.
You know, 30% of twins have a third sibling that they absorb in the womb.
What?
Loyal Jejune Associates...
Agents of Elsewhere,
we ask you now to turn,
look upon your fellows, and think of them...
...as you.
One side wants to worship Clara, the other to enslave her.
We must smash these pernicious precepts.
That is your final task.
You heard him! Let's smash this shit!
Excellent.
Now, in the inner pocket of your tunic,
you will find a Memory to Media facilitation disc.
Please remove it and adhere it firmly to your temple.
Now concentrate.
Think of your most enjoyable experience on this whole journey,
your favorite memory,
favorite memories of working together.
Ladies and gentlemen,
welcome to Radio Nonchalance: Dispatches From Elsewhere.
Take a moment to look around you
at the faces of the other intrepid souls
you can now call family.
Fear not. The Elsewhere Society is here.
I am Commander 14.
You've all been selected as agents of Nonchalance.
The keys to your cell rest at your feet.
Reach down and unlock the door.
Emerge as free men and women!
Promise me you'll remember the truth.
Janice. Janice, stop it.
By working together, we will water the soils of the spirit
and strengthen the roots of our families and communities.
Oh, my God.
This whole thing was a lesson in cooperation.
Barf.
Simone, look.
Microfilm machine. This I can do.
Oh, we were a great team.
That was impressive!
Just wanted to let you know that in case you bleed out
before we get there.
-OK. Yeah. -OK?
Hang on a sec.
If all of that was part of the game, then that means--
We've been playing this whole time.
A hundred, a thousand,
a million flowers will bloom!
But one will rise above them all!
Just a small-town girl
Living in a lonely world
She took the midnight train Going anywhere
Wait, where's Peter?
No, Peter. No.
Oh, God!
Stop the music!
Give me this!
Stop the music! Please stop the music!
That's not Clara. There is a real Clara.
That's not her, but there is a real Clara,
and she is out there and she is in trouble.
So, who's with us? Who's with us?
Looks like you've gotten carried away. You seem to be confused.
Oh, I'm not confused.
I was confused.
I was. But now I'm awake.
I'm awake, and I am pissed off.
I'm pissed off because I want to know the truth!
Calm yourself. It's just a game, son.
Where is she, Octavio?
Jenny, lights, please.
No. No, no, no.
No.
Would someone tell me what's going on?
What is happening? What is happening?
-Tell me what is going on! -Peter, stop!
I'm so sorry, Peter.
We were wrong.
No, guys.
Fredwynn, Janice... Janice... Janice, please, come up.
Janice, I need a partner.
I can't.
It's over, man. Come on.
Please.
No.
You told me I was special.
I said that to everyone.
You did a great job! You were marvelous!
Hey, check it out. It's the guy.
No way.
That guy definitely died of humiliation.
Maybe it's his ghost.
Stop.
I can hear you.
It's fun!
Hey, hey.
All right, so, look, I'm not saying that it wasn't great.
I'm asking, was it too great?
-It's a valid question. -Yeah.
I loved Smash Room.
-Me, too! -Yes, yes, yes!
I loved the sloth backpack. Loved it!
Oh, yes, yes, yes.
And the dolphin was so adorable and articulate.
Please! That was obviously a puppet.
They should have used a more producible animal.
Well, yeah.
-You're the wedding lady, right? -Yes.
-Oh, yeah, that's right!
Hi! I'm Janice. Nice to meet you all.
I think it's really cool that you made it all the way to the end.
Yes. Cool. I'm cool.
My grandma can't make it through Wheel of Fortune
without falling asleep.
Good for you, Janice.
So, anyway, I agreed with most of the thematic commentary,
but at the same time, I deeply resent--
So, I have so loved this conversation.
Just loved it. But I've got to go.
My friends are probably looking for me.
So, enjoy the rest of your evening.
I've loved talking to you.
-See you around! Bye! -Bye.
So, by "friends," can I assume you mean
the other young people randomly assigned to tolerate you?
Stop it. They're my friends.
Right. Sorry.
So, where are they?
You know, since you're such good friends.
Honestly, my agent had reservations,
but I said, "Stu, this is the role of a lifetime!"
So, are you the one that played Octavio or Commander 14?
Do you mind?
We have business to discuss.
Sorry.
Thank you.
Truthfully, we switched back and forth.
But between you, me,
and the six other people I've said this to so far, my Octavio...
just had a touch more gravitas.
I like to think of him as Octavio Prime.
I'm Chucks Dorp.
-Chucks? -Correct.
My brother and I are both called Chuck,
so professionally, we go by the plural "Chucks."
Are you just an actor, or are you involved in--
Just an actor?
Hardly! I'm in a lot of areas, a lot of zones.
No, I mean in the game.
Were you part of the design and concept? I have some questions.
One, were we the only team to discover the murder track?
And if not, how many other teams reached that level of gameplay?
And two, for what purposes was our data mined?
And as a follow-up,
to whom should my attorney address all lawsuits and injunctions
regarding collected data?
-Three-- -Whoa, partner!
-Are you OK? -Yes.
I was wrong, which very rarely happens,
so when it does, the only way that I'm able to move on
is I have to know exactly what I got wrong, when, and why.
Sounds like you should talk to The Architect.
They came up with this whole deal.
Who is this Architect? Where are they?
Don't know. Don't know anybody who does.
If I knew who they were, I would have said,
"You should just talk to Pam or Steve or whoever."
Now, let me ask you a question. Know where I can get some nitrous?
Running off.
Scotch.
Look, Elegant 'Squatch gets
that he was on your team and all, but...
I am serious. I think what Peter did was, like, really brave.
Dude straight-up ruined the big Clara number then basically started crying.
Admit it, that guy sucks.
OK, for your information, he opposite of sucks.
He blows.
OK, well, I walked right into that one.
But, no, Peter...
Peter's awesome.
He's funny...
and thoughtful and kind,
and he really listens to people when they talk,
which, if I'm honest, is unnerving at first,
but then it's just nice.
And it makes you realize how few people actually do that, you know?
And he's gentle.
Like, when he leans on something, he does it all careful-like,
like he wants to be sure he's not gonna break it.
Geez. Why don't you just go marry the guy already?
What?
-No, it's not like that. I mean-- -Come on.
-No, no, no. It's-- -You're obviously into him.
Clearly, this isn't gonna happen.
So, if it's all the same to you,
Elegant 'Squatch is gonna circulate.
Wait. Excuse me. Excuse me.
Hi. First of all, this not happening has nothing to do with Peter.
I mean, look, was there, like, a split second
where maybe, possibly,
something could have happened between Peter and I?
Yeah. OK, fine. Maybe.
But it doesn't matter because I told him I just wanted to be friends.
And Peter is very literal.
Besides, he probably just got, like...
caught up in the moment or something.
You know, that happens. Moments happen.
Doesn't mean they mean something.
I guess what I'm trying to say is it's complicated.
You dig him.
He digs you.
Seems pretty simple to Elegant 'Squatch.
Fredwynn! Fredwynn! Oh, Fredwynn!
Hi.
Does "The Architect" mean anything to you?
-No. -OK.
Wait, wait, wait. Where are you going?
The creator, wizard behind the curtain,
I need to speak to them, I have to understand.
And they're here. I know they're here. They have to be.
Did you know that you can predict 99% of all human behavior
if you ask one single question?
-What's that? -"What would a serial killer do?"
And in this case, they would lurk.
They would lurk around to admire their handiwork.
-I see. -So, they are here.
Fredwynn, no.
Look, I know we've had our differences in the past,
but maybe we could go together to find this Architect person.
If we split up, we may cover more ground.
So why don't we just reconvene in an hour?
Yeah.
Great.
What's up, P?
You got a hot sec to chat?
Yo, Petri Dish, remember when you said that you saw me
and you heard music and I said that I couldn't handle that? Well...
psych!
OK.
I can do this.
It's OK. I can do this.
What?
I am a boundary-busting woman making her way in the world.
I'm sure you are.
OK.
It's now or never.
Hey.
-Petes. -Hey. Hey.
-Hey. -Do you have a second to...
dance?
OK.
Come on!
Come on! I know you got moves. Let's see them.
I have one move. This is... This is my move.
Chardonnay but nothing oaky.
How exactly did you come to be here?
My mom is out of her depth as my business manager,
and we're having liquidity problems.
Plus, they guaranteed me two solo numbers.
That isn't what I meant. Who hired you?
I don't know. You'd have to ask Jill.
Who's Jill?
My mom. She's not here.
She's visiting my little brother in rehab.
How does a serial killer murder and leave no trace?
Easy. Talk them into killing themselves.
Not applicable but interesting.
-Why aren't you with your friends? -I don't have any friends.
People are too jealous of my talents.
In my case, people are intimidated by my superior intellect.
Look, the way I see it,
if people can't handle this, that's their problem.
So what if I'm challenging?
"So what if I'm challenging?"
So what?
"So what if I'm challenging?"
We have ten minutes left.
Make sure you use your time wisely.
Double-check your work.
When you're done...
...and set them on my desk.
Yes. Yes, Comman-- I was just joking. I got you.
Stop playing games!
Can we agree that I'm right? I take that as a yes. Let's go.
Show me where! Where? Where?
You know what fun is, don't you, Fredwynn?
If people can't handle this, that's their problem.
What if it's not?
What if it's our problem, too?
Excuse me. I have to go find someone.
Simone.
I know what you're trying to do.
And it just doesn't make me feel good.
OK.
So... you think it's over between you two?
Over over?
Because if you're not gonna hit that,
Elegant 'Squatch is all about the rebound.
She was taking pity on me.
She was just trying to make me feel better.
Simone and I are just...
-Just friends? -Yes.
Jesus Christ. What is it with you two?
It's like some kind of psychosexual Gift of the Magi
but, like, even sadder.
Newsflash, buddy: She's into you.
Wait, so, she...
-And then I-- -Yeah, pretty much.
What do I do?
-What do I do? -I don't know, man.
That was some stone-cold rejection right there.
It's gonna take a hell of a move to make up for something like that.
And now I'm all alone again
Nowhere to turn, no one to go to
Without a home, without a friend
Without a face to say hello to
But now the night is near
And I can make-believe he's here
Sometimes I walk alone at night When everybody else is sleeping
I think of him, and then I'm happy With the company I'm keep--
Oh, not you again!
I need this.
You're gonna have to pry it out of my adorable little hands in front of--
Sorry.
Hi.
On my own
Pretending she's beside me
All alone
I walk with her till morning
Without her I feel her arms around me
And when I lose my way
I close my eyes
She has found me
In the rain
The pavement shines like silver
All the lights
Are misty in the river
In the darkness
The trees are full of starlight
And all I see is her and me Forever and forever
And I know
It's only in my mind
That I'm talking to myself
And not to her
And although I know
That she is blind
Still I say
Say, say, say
There's a way for us
I love her
But when the night is over
She is gone
The river's just a river
Without her
The world around me changes
The trees are bare and everywhere The streets are full of strangers
I love her
And every day I'm learning
All my life
I've only been pretending
Without her This world would go on turning
A world that's full of happiness
That I have never known
I love her
But only
On my
Own
I'm really sorry about before. I thought you were trying to--
Shut up, Peter.
Have you seen Janice?
Actually, I know you haven't because she's not here. I looked.
In conclusion, Janice is missing.
Maybe she just left without saying goodbye.
No way. Janice wouldn't ghost.
So, we're gonna go find her, right?
We're friends. That would be a friend thing to do.
Definitely.
And a friend would do it quickly.
OK.
Driver, are you getting closer or further away?
Hi.
Hey. Hey, sorry.
Have you seen my friend Janice?
Hey. Sorry to interrupt. I'm Peter. I'm the guy who sang.
Have you guys seen my friend Janice?
-Have you seen the old lady? -You all look old to me.
-No. -No.
Hello.
Hello!
Hello! Hey!
Hey, hello!
Hello, Janice.
Hi.
It's you, isn't it?
You're The Architect.
How did you know?
I don't know how I know.
I just know.
-I'm sorry we ruined your game. -What is it you want, Janice?
I guess I just want to find Clara
and her friends and Elsewhere.
I know. I know.
They were all just a part of the game, but...
Clara Torres was real, wasn't she?
I guess I just wanted the... the truth.
I suppose you deserve that much, at least.
The truth is that Clara is dead, and it's all my fault.