01x03 - Human Resources

[bunniefuu]

Previously on "Incorporated"...

Take this.

Bye, Aaron.

I'll find you.

My sister, she's a sex sl*ve.

Where is she?

Arcadia.

Can you get in here?

Access is restricted to senior execs.

What was that?

Tell me you got a plan.

Position's about to open up on the 40th.

[alarm blaring]

Chad got fired today.

Then we revoke his security clearance, execute his nondisclosure agreement.

No one gets to senior management without the company learning everything.

We got the permit.

We're gonna get pregnant.

Micronesian nationalists k*lled a dozen of our guys today.

Word is, it was Inazagi agents.

Inazagi? You think they'd dare to?

I mean, we both want that promotion, right?

I may have underestimated you, Ben Larson.

Sometimes I even surprise myself.

♪

[lighthearted music]

[garbled speech]

[gasps] Oh, no.

What's wrong, Jaimie?

I think my mom might've said a bad thing, Officer Bucky.

Like a bad word?

No. Much worse than a bad word.

Uh, but I don't know if I should tell anybody.

Was it about the company, Jaimie?

Mm-hmm.

I don't want to get my mom in trouble.

Of course you don't.

You love your mom, don't you?

But you also love your dad and your sister and your friends.

And you love me, too, don't you, Jaimie?

Well, sure.

You see, Jaimie, the company is made up of all kinds of parts.

Just like your machine here.

All the parts need to work together.

And if one is broken or defective or weak...

[children giggling]

We wouldn't want anything like that to happen to the company, would we?

I think I'm ready to tell you what my mom said.

[exaggerated whispering]

Good job, Jaimie.

You did the right thing... for your family and for the company.

Now you're a real company deputy.

Just like me!

Thanks, Officer Bucky!

both: If you hear something yucky, tell Officer Bucky.

[children chanting] If you hear something yucky, tell Officer Bucky.

If you hear something yucky, tell Officer Bucky.

If you hear something yucky, tell Officer Bucky.

If you hear something yucky, tell Officer Bucky.

[dramatic music]

♪

What about Thursday afternoon?

Uh, we have Everclear test trials all day.

Um, I could also do Friday lunch time.

I'll be working on the presentation of the results.

I'll probably have to eat at my desk.

You know, they're just gonna remove the IUD.

You don't need to be there for that.

I told you, I want to be there every step of the way.

It's just this promotion.

You know, they need to see I really want it.

You don't have to want it.

You know that, right?

Think we're doing pretty well for ourselves.

[doorbell rings]

[chuckles] Who is this adorable little munchkin?

Hi, my name is Hazel.

I'm a Spiga Scout Leader, and I have a question for you today.

Do you like chocolate?

Well, yes, I do.

I have great news for you then, ma'am.

This week, we have a two-for-one special on our best-selling cookies.

The Triple Chocolate Fudge b*mb.

Name trademarked.

That is quite a sales pitch, young lady.

Please come in and show me your selection.

We take e-payment in any major currencies... dollars, yuans, blackcoin.

Great. Come on in here.

So this is life on the 35th floor, huh?

You got a pool back there?

That's 40th and up and you know it.

Yeah, sure, even water's a perk these days.

Hmm.

Show me the cookies.

What are you doing here?

♪

You asked me to keep track of the five new girls in Arcadia.

Well, last night, I got an I-92.

Let's make it fun.

Okay...

That's a...

Termination of contract form.

One of them tried to escape, stole a w*apon, she got sh*t by a guard.

Was it Elena?

We don't get names in H.R., just their codes.

You'll have to use your keyhole to find out for yourself.

I can't, I lost it.

You lost it?

Someone took it.

sh*t.

Can they trace it back to you?

No, it has a self-destruct protocol.

If someone tried to access it, it'll burn itself out.

Protocols can be overwritten.

Do yourself a favor, will you?

Forget about Elena.

Have some kids, sell some cookies.

Now tell me, what are these badges?

Well... this one is my dream-catcher badge.

Oh, my gosh.

I can't.

If she's alive, I need to find out.

There's no way.

Not unless you could get a look at the body, and we both know that's impossible.

♪

Honey, time to go.

[overlapping indistinct chatter]

[horn honks]

Watch it!

[overlapping indistinct chatter]

[bell dings]

What can I get ya?

Water.

$5.92.

Anything else?

Some ice, maybe?

Try the Four Seasons.

Okay, what about your contact?

Nice segue.

Real smooth.

Does it ever work?

Well, different girls, different approaches.

You strike me as the type who doesn't have time for bullshit.

You're direct.

Really?

What else do you see in your crystal ball?

You work hard.

You're tough as nails.

And your father would cut my balls off if he saw me talking to his little girl.

Mm, I'm sure he wouldn't be the first to try.

See, you know me, too.

I don't.

And you don't know me, either.

Oh, but I do.

♪

Aaron?

Told you I'd find you.

Oh! [laughs]

♪

I can't believe it!

I told you to sell this.

I had to.

A couple times, actually, but...

I always made sure to get it back.

♪

Last night?

Yeah.

Dumb skint made a run for it.

I mean, you'd think they'd be grateful.

They get to eat better than we do.

I don't know, I've heard she was servicing Holmes.

The way the guy runs the Hydroponics Department, I'm sure he likes to make them bleed.

Oh! [laughs]

[door chimes]

[device chimes] _

Run diagnostics.

[device chiming and beeping]

♪

_

What the... abort diagnostics.

Disengage device.

Shut power down now!

♪

The Inazagi delegation's on its way, sir.

ETA, 1100 hours.

Good.

It's time to bring these negotiations to a close, Elizabeth.

I'm confident we can reach an agreement.

Close the deal.

But don't settle, get the agricultural rights north of the Loire.

Inazagi can keep the rest, all the way down to Gibraltar, for all we care.

That won't be a problem.

One last thing.

Fellow members of the board have been questioning your ability to handle these talks.

Especially under your own roof.

If this is because of the Peterson security breach, I guarantee his file has been permanently closed.

Is that so, Julian?

♪

Absolutely, sir.

Mr. Peterson was acting alone.

The file's closed.

♪

For your own sake, Elizabeth, keep your house in order.

And remember: the markets are watching closely.

♪

[door chimes]

♪

Elizabeth.

It's been a long time, EVP Mason.

It's a pleasure to meet you, SVP Walters.

I hope we can wrap this up today.

The pleasure's mine, Ms. Krauss.

But I'm afraid we have miles to go before we sleep.

♪

Diana Walters, 43 years old.

Senior Vice President of Global Resources.

Recruited by Inazagi in '54, right out of college.

Married, no children.

♪

I have miles to go before I sleep.

We have a defector on our hands.

We can't be sure.

What, you think she's a Robert Frost fan?

Come on, Julian.

We've both heard that quote before.

An executive at her level?

I want to hear what she has to offer.

Even if you're right, even if she's asking for a job interview, a defection takes time, planning, groundwork.

We mess it up, the diplomatic shitstorm will be unprecedented.

That's why I had the counterintelligence tech division sent in.

You want Peterson's position? Show me what you got.

If you need a private space to talk, we can set up a velvet curtain in no time.

And then what?

How are we supposed to extract her in front of the entire Inazagi delegation?

I heard there's a dead girl in Arcadia.

♪

If it's true, we could use her body to make a switch.

♪

Even if it were true, how would you know about it?

Rumors spread quickly.

There aren't supposed to be any.

Well, that's your department's job, right, Julian?

So, Ben... what's the plan?

Well, Inazagi needs to take a body home.

It doesn't need to be alive, though.

And they just need to believe it's Diana Walters.

♪

[classical piano music]

♪

No, no, no!

Let go!

Stop.

[grunts]

Ah!

Stop! Pull over!

[groans] Please! Ow! No, please!

Hey!

[cries]

Hey! What's going on here?

This woman works for you, ma'am?

She does. Why?

I'm very sorry, Miss...

Larson.

But I'm afraid we've caught her leaving with stolen goods.

Stolen goods?

You recognize this?

It's real bacon.

I'd say $600 worth.

Yes, that's mine.

It's was a... present for her.

A present?

Yes. For her years of service.

She's been quite good to us.

It's a very expensive present, ma'am.

You have to provide your maid with a signed authorization for things like this.

I-I really don't have the time for this.

You know what?

Why don't you keep it?

So you know we appreciate your service, too.

Much appreciated, ma'am.

Have a good day.

You too.

[grunts]

If you swipe to page 23 of the attached memo, you'll see that our offer is more than generous.

After all, the arable land south of the Pyrenees is showing high levels of soil erosion, making it a less desirable site for class one high-yield corporate acquisition and cultivation.

As we'll demonstrate, independent studies from the Human Toxicity Bureau indicate the remaining soil...

♪

Clear.

Yeah.

♪

"I have miles to go before I sleep."

Glad you recognized my message.

Let's skip the pleasantries.

We have about two minutes before they check in on you.

Direct. Works for me.

I want the basic extraction package... new name, face, fingerprints, and relocation to one of your foreign offices.

I'm partial to sandy beaches and nice weather.

Anchorage, perhaps.

Let's say that can be arranged.

Why should I give it to you?

My company's developing a new line of seeds.

A design that'll wipe Spiga off the map.

I'm afraid you're gonna have to give me more than that.

Why do you think we're so ready to settle for a worthless piece of land like Spain or the south of France?

Because very soon, we'll be able to grow crops in the desert.

♪

If your people really can do that, why join the losing side?

♪

[clears throat]

♪

You're pregnant.

And I don't want my child to grow into a mindless Inazagi drone.

So the rumors of the indoctrination programs are true.

You have no idea.

[knock at door]

Ma'am, it's time.

All right, you got yourself a deal.

Not so easy.

The Kusari is a next-generation tech virus.

Not only does it monitor my position and my hormone levels, it'll terminate me if I try to escape.

sh*t, there's a k*ll switch in her blood.

Only EVP Mason can disarm it.

[knocks]

Ma'am?

I'm coming in.

Oh! Jesus, you startled me.

All right, you heard the lady.

Do we have any quick thinkers in the room?

Now is your moment to shine.

The k*ll switch and its trigger, they're connected wirelessly.

If we find the frequency, we can hack the Kusari and disarm it.

Too dangerous.

We don't know what kind of firewall it has.

It could k*ll her as soon as we try to break in.

Share your wisdom with us, then.

How do you propose we disarm it?

We don't.

We get Inazagi to do it for us.

That's quite clever.

And risky, to say the least.

Mm.

It could trigger an all-out w*r with Inazagi.

And you'd most certainly lose your job.

If they're really on the verge of such a breakthrough, there won't be a job for me to lose.

Or you.

Get everything ready.

You're dismissed.

♪

With all due respect, I think I should be present for the extraction.

It's no secret my husband was k*lled during an Inazagi rescue operation.

And he's a hero to everyone in this company.

If anything went wrong, I couldn't put Laura through something like that again.

Yeah, I understand.

But someone needs to reprogram the Kusari in a matter of seconds and fool it into accepting the girl's body as Diana Walters.

I may not be a field agent, but I'm the best coder you have.

♪

You really want this promotion, don't you?

More than anything.

♪

[overlapping indistinct chatter]

It's here.

[door buzzer]

It's me, Victor.

I've got a client for ya.

[door buzzes and opens]

[microphone feedback]

Put all of your devices inside the locker, please.

[device beeps]

[door buzzes]

So tell me... what can a lowly Red Zone cr*cker do for the cream of the crop of the almighty Spiga?

I need help bypassing a self-destruct protocol.

[chuckles]

You poor suits.

Always trying to catch up.

♪

How many kids get it, really?

I'm not just any kid, you're looking at an honor student, here.

Hey, I'm impressed, don't get me wrong.

It's just the scholarship seems like a con to me.

And they pick, what, one Red Zone brainiac out of every 10,000?

[scoffs]

Who you calling "brainiac," you petty thief?

You think I'm still hacking rations?

I'm pulling blackcoins off watches now... cyberhauls.

That sh*t's gonna get you k*lled, you know?

That sh*t kept me alive and fed till now.

Hmm. Here it is.

See you after class?

Of course.

We have five years of catching up to catch up on.

Uh, don't worry about it, it's nothing.

Today's lesson is brought to you by Kamikaze Burger.

Home of the Double Whammy... now with 10% real beef.

Chemistry lesson will start in three, two, one.

[rapid overlapping chatter]

[all rapidly whispering indistinctly]

[tense music]

♪

[rapid indistinct whispering continues]

♪

[rapid overlapping chatter]

♪

Elena!

Hey, wake up! Come on!

♪

[gasping]

♪

Hey! Okay.

♪

Elena?

Okay. All right.

It's okay. Elena.

[gasping breaths]

Yeah.

[breathing normalizes]

♪

Aaron?

Hey there, brainiac.

Let's go.

[grunts]

Where are we going?

Out of here.

♪

We've kept her "on ice," if you will, for the last few days.

Sometimes we get guests with very specialized tastes that we can't always cater to, which is a shame.

So when she got sh*t, I thought, "Well, lemonade, right?"

[chuckles]

Over at Arcadia, we always strive...

You are aware that this is someone's daughter you're talking about?

[dramatic music]

♪

You okay?

Yeah, just... surprised... I thought the procedure was going to be done here.

Well, had to move it up.

I sent the surgical team to Arcadia to change the companion's face.

Couldn't risk them being spotted on site.

Smart.

Mm.

Let's get set up.

Who was she?

Her?

Someone desperate.

People out there... life pushes them hard enough, they'll sign anything.

Someone like you wouldn't understand.

♪

A keyhole.

This allows you to snoop into any system without leaving footprints.

Not exactly corporate tech.

What kind of trouble you in?

No trouble at all.

You sure?

A climber like you gets caught with something like this, he's gonna get spanked.

Or worse.

I hear that Spiga security can be very inventive with a cattle prod.

Let's talk business.

If I wanted to listen to an old hag talk dirty, I'd give my mom a call.

Your mother's dead.

Like hell she is.

Lung cancer in '69.

Right before you joined Spiga.

That's too bad.

She would've been so proud of you.

♪

It's what I do, son.

Enough with the chitchat. How do I cr*ck it?

I could encode a skeleton key for you.

That would bypass the self-destruct protocol.

Good.

♪

Just say when so I can get the hell out of this sh*thole.

♪

When was the last time you were out here?

Out here?

Outside the wall.

Rubbing elbows with the skints.

Oh, last Friday, why?

[chuckles]

Let me guess. Scored a little blur, some eye candy, maybe took in the conjoined-twins freak show down on Fifth.

What do you want?

The same thing you do.

Entertainment.

♪

You see her?

See what?

Beady eyes, pair of whiskers, long tail.

[rat squeaks]

The rat?

I want you to catch it.

[chuckles]

You're kidding.

Dead or alive, your call.

You're a f*cking cu...

Eh, eh, eh.

You kiss your dead mom with that mouth?

Forget it.

I'll find someone else.

You won't.

No one's gonna give you a skeleton key if I tell 'em not to.

♪

I'll give you one, though.

All you got to do is catch a little animal with a brain the size of a peanut.

How hard can that be?

♪

[rat squeaking]

♪

[rat squeaks]

[grunts]

[chuckles]

Ugh, motherfuck!

Now that's entertainment.

[rat squeaking]

[grunts]

[laughs]

Upset, betrayed... I mean, I-I-I don't know how else to put it.

We've been good to you.

That you would do this to us is...

I didn't do it for me.

The people in my building, we... we have a fund.

We all contribute.

$50 a month, every family.

If there's an emergency, you can access the money.

My neighbor, Rosa, she missed a payment.

You have to understand... you don't miss a payment.

You miss a payment and you're out.

Your neighbor, what did she need the money for?

A doctor. Her daughter, there... there's something wrong with her belly.

I've been hearing her scream through the night, so...

Excuse me if I hurt your feelings.

Is the pain on her right side?

I'm not sure.

Well, it could be appendicitis.

Yeah, well, I'll make sure they include that in her obituary.

Now, if you don't mind, I assume I'm out of a job.

[somber music]

Bring her in.

♪

Excuse me?

Your friend's daughter.

Bring her tonight, I'll examine her.

♪

The kid's not authorized to enter.

♪

I'll sign her in.

You bring her to the gate and I'll sign her in.

♪

Don't worry.

I'll wait till the very last second before I activate the venom.

And then how much time do we have?

The moment it hits her, five minutes to bring her back.

Longer than that, and we'll lose the baby.

Tell me this isn't the craziest thing we've ever done.

Now you want me to lie to you?

A fruitful negotiation calls for a celebration.

A celebration... of kinship and unity.

We are, after all, but simple cells in the body corporate.

Our bodies are temples.

Unsullied.

Pure.

This man's body is a dump.

But we thank him for his sacrifice.

To the infinite glory of the corporate mother.

[tense music]

♪

[gasps]

[all inhale deeply]

[devices whirring]

♪

[gulping and retching]

♪

[liquid splashes on floor]

[device beeping]

[gasping softly]

♪

What's wrong with her?

I don't know. She was linked.

She was in the group... must be some sort of reaction to the neural connect...

Where is the doctor?

Can I get the doctor in here immediately, please?

He's on his way!

Jesus, she has no pulse.

She's gonna be fine, Richard.

We're gonna bring her back.

Step aside, please.

♪

She's gone into cardiac arrest.

♪

Stand back. 400 joules.

Wait! Stop.

What is it?

There's something in her blood, a tech virus.

The electrical shock will set it off.

If you zap her, she dies.

I don't zap her, she dies.

sh*t.

Can you disarm it?

I...

Sir, if you can, you have to disarm it right now.

I'm not...

Right now!

Authorized.

We're losing her.

♪

[beeping]

Go, go.

400 joules.

[device whirring]

♪

500 joules.

[device whirring]

Okay, we need to get her in an ambulance.

♪

Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey.

Get out! I'm not authorized to leave her alone.

I'm trying to save her life, do you really want to take my place?

♪

We'll meet you downstairs.

♪

How long have we got?

17 seconds.

♪

Bring her back.

Not until you cr*ck the Kusari.

We have to give them a body.

♪

Come on, we're gonna lose her.

Working on it.

We're almost there.

It's uploading.

♪

[gasps]

[shushes]

She's gone.

I'm sorry.

[muffled whimper]

[shushes]

Take SVP Walters's body away.

[chuckles]

You must really want this thing.

You sure you're not in trouble?

Look, I've done what you asked.

Which makes me wonder.

Your dad is George Caplan, CEO of one of Spiga's biggest suppliers.

What's George Caplan's son doing chasing a skeleton key in the Red Zone?

What kind of a f*ck-up are you?

I'm not a f...

Didn't you get a girl k*lled once, messing around with your dad's car autodrive?

Yeah, well, you seem to know a lot about me.

Why don't you tell me a little something about yourself?

Well, there's not that much to tell.

I got here with the first wave of climate refugees.

Chased up north by the sand storms.

Government rations were never enough.

You were probably sucking on your gestator's tit while my brother and I had to scramble for enough protein.

Sometimes there was only one source of it.

Although it was everywhere, really.

♪

I'd tell you it tastes like chicken, but I don't really remember what chicken tastes like.

♪

Why don't you tell me if it tastes like chicken?

♪

You want me to...

Eat it.

I want George Caplan's f*ck-up of a son to eat it.

You're sick.

I'm also the only person that can get you that skeleton key.

Now, how bad do you want it?

♪

I'm here to sign in two workers.

She's here.

There's a problem, ma'am.

There were two names on the log.

Right.

Two servers to help with the dinner party.

Well, take a look.

[buzzer blares]

Hands off the gate.

[indistinct chatter]

Rachel?

Rachel!

Ms. Larson.

Who are all these people?

I don't know what happened.

They heard and word spread we were coming.

Are they sick?

Yeah.

Ma'am, this is a breach hazard.

I know.

These people aren't authorized to be in the perimeter.

They are, they're on the log.

Let them in.

♪

These two.

These two only!

[crowd exclaiming]

Back off!

[crowd clamoring]

Can you Le...

I said back off!

Open the gate!

Okay, f*ck this!

Engage!

[zapping]

[yells]

♪

[device beeps and whirs]

Let me in!

Can you grab my hand?

Aah!

[crowd clamoring]

♪

Here, come on. Oh!

[thud]

[sound muffles and echoes]

[gasps]

♪

[clears throat]

Uh, Mr. Morse requested the companion's personal effects.

Yeah.

[soft dramatic music]

♪

What are we doing here?

This is what I like to call my screaming place.

Your screaming place?

Yeah.

Every time I get evicted... or shaken down by a cop or a blurhead takes a swing at me, I come here.

And I scream my guts out.

[soft dramatic music]

I wouldn't know what to scream about.

You're sh1tting me, right?

You spend 17 hours a day in that juku letting them pump you with nootropics and cognitive enhancers and...

Don't forget the amphetamines.

Sometimes I'm so wired, I just... spend the whole night staring at the ceiling.

Still hearing the lessons in my head.

Jesus, Lena.

You're the one who's gonna get k*lled.

How many of these seizures have you had already?

Oh, you don't understand.

When things are tough at home and money's short, I eat first.

Then Theo, then my dad.

And I get the best mattress, even if I can't really enjoy it.

♪

Anything so the straight-A student can keep getting straight "A" s.

So... how can I complain?

They just have so much riding on this scholarship.

On me.

What about you?

You got to come up and breathe every once in a while, you got to live.

♪

And by "live," you mean screaming at the top of your lungs?

Hey, don't knock it till you try it.

And it definitely helps you forget an empty stomach.

I promise.

♪

Come on.

Give it a sh*t.

[screams]

So how did that feel?

Not bad, huh?

[chuckles]

Yeah.

Yeah, you got some lungs on you, girl, wow.

[laughs]

I think I can do better.

Please, do your worst.

[screams]

[both screaming]

Shut the f*ck up!

[both giggling]

♪

Ben?

You did excellent work today.

I'll make sure the board takes notice.

Ms. Walters is stable.

The Kusari's being flushed out of her system as we speak.

She should be ready for debriefing in the next 24 hours.

And her child?

Unharmed.

♪

I'll deliver this to the family.

You know you don't have to.

[vomits]

Oh, I got to hand it to you, you g*dd*mn suits are ambitious.

[chuckles]

Hungry, even.

There.

You earned it.

I encoded your key in a piece of organic material, undetectable to your scanners.

That's a freebie.

[ominous music]

♪

You... you recorded it?

For my own personal collection.

♪

[yells]

[grunts]

♪

If I ever see you around here again, I'm gonna share that video with every single one of your contacts.

Go home, suit.

Don't forget to take your antibiotics.

Those little bastards carry all sorts of bugs.

[soft dramatic music]

♪

[aerosol spraying]

[door closing]

Laura?

Everything okay?

Yeah.

Just tired.

Boring day at work.

Yeah.

Mine, too.

♪

I've been thinking, and...

♪

I'm gonna clear my schedule.

♪

Ben.

Forget about the promotion.

♪

After all, we're... doing pretty well for ourselves, right?

Right.

How's Wednesday for the appointment?

It's perfect.

♪

I'm here to thank you for your daughter's service to the company.

Which was greater than you could imagine.

[sighs]

These are her personal effects.

But where is my baby?

Unfortunately, we cannot return her body to you.

[blow landing]

[both speaking native language] _

[cries]

Like I said, I-I'm sorry.

I can't imagine anything worse than losing a child.

Theo.

Jesus.

Where's Anthony?

I waited till he left.

He didn't see me.

What are you doing here?

[ominous music]

I'm sorry, Theo.

♪

Where'd you get this?

She tried to escape.

She...

I couldn't.

♪

I failed.

I didn't get to her in time.

♪

[device beeping]

Familial DNA detected.

Play recording.

Hey, Theo.

It's me, your big sis.

If you're watching this, that means Melissa's managed to escape and given you Mom's ring.

She's a good friend.

Try to help her as much as you can.

She's still alive.

She's had a tough life, but she's a survivor.

Like we are.

Um, the reason I'm recording this is there have been rumors going around.

Girls getting NDA-ed at the end of their contracts.

We've seen too much, I guess, and they... they want to wipe our minds clean.

I'm sure it was buried somewhere in the fine print.

But, um, if you see me years from now, and... and I don't recognize you... please don't hate me.

I want you to know that I love you.

And I'll always be your big sis.

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