01x08 - Thanatos

[bunniefuu]

STEPHEN: My name is Stephen Jameson.

I'm one of the Tomorrow People.

They call our powers the three T's.

Telepathy...

CARA: Stephen?

STEPHEN: Telekinesis...

And teleportation.

There is a shadow w*r going on between us and Ultra...

No!

... the secret organization that hunts us.

The only way to keep my species from going extinct is to find my father.

And the only way to do that is by working for the enemy.

CARA: Previously on The Tomorrow People...

You know, you never talk about your time at Ultra.

Jedikiah took me in from less than nothing.

Gave me plenty to eat, a roof. That was all new to me.

He's the closest thing I've ever had to a father.

John, you can't k*ll, he can. He'll always have the advantage.

(sh*ts f*ring)

Why didn't you just tell me the truth?

That I'm a k*ller?

JEDIKIAH: Your new friends want you to believe that your father is still alive.

They lied to you.

Dad.

Save yourself.

How?

Thanatos.

My dad. He's alive. I saw him.

We're gonna figure out how to find him.

___

JEDIKIAH: Give me a moment alone with the subject, please.

You don't have to do this.

I volunteered. Remember?

And what makes you think you're gonna be the first successful test subject?

Someone's gotta be first.

You said I'd make an ideal candidate.

I know what I said.

Wait. You're not scared you're gonna lose me, are you?

Because you're my best agent.

Don't get all sentimental, Jedikiah.

Clearly, the sedative they've given you is making you loopy.

I am simply reminding you of the risks.

It's worth it.

When I come out of here, your best agent is gonna be even better.

You'll see. I'll make you proud.

Everyone ready? Let's begin...

No. I'll do it.

Core body temperature is dropping. 95... 90... 85... 75...

Heart-rate is on target. 60... 50...

Prepare to administer the solution on my mark.

Three, two, one... mark.

(ALARM BLARING)

Twenty milliliters of adrenaline,

9% solution. Three milliliters of atropine...

DOCTOR: Anything?

Same doses again.

Those levels are lethal.

I said hit him again!

(PANTING)

You wanna tell me what's on your mind?

I've just got a lot going on at work and I'm having a hard time turning it off, that's all.

You could tell me about it.

You know I can't do that, Morgan.

Do you remember how we met?

(CHUCKLES)

(GIGGLES)

Hmm?

Coney Island.

Mmm-hmm.

You were posing as a psychic, using telepathy to tell poor saps what they wanted to hear.

And then I made the mistake of letting you read me.

And in that instant you took my hand, you knew more about me than anyone, and you weren't repulsed or scared.

I'd never met someone like you, Of any species.

So passionate.

So intelligent.

So vulnerable.

You, my darling, are a web of contradictions.

You need me inside that tangled head of yours.

Why don't you come back to bed with me?

Thank you.

But I shouldn't have stayed the night.

It's not safe for either of us.

(DEEP BREATH)

Thanatos? That's all you got?

Some secret code word your dad said to you in a dream?

It wasn't a dream. It was him.

You were drowning, Stephen.

Yeah. Okay, I know that it's not a lot to go on, that's why I did some digging.

At Ultra? What'd you come up with?

A bunch of redacted files and empty folders.

I think that Thanatos was some sort of secret research program that my dad was a part of. And it must have been important.

Why else would my uncle have buried the entire project?

Maybe it's something you heard as a kid, buried in your subconscious...

Maybe it's the key to finding him.

Don't you of all people want to know where this leads?

I could find out what he knows.

(CHUCKLING) You want to get inside his head? How?

When he's in a telepathically secure office?

Or when he's at home, asleep.

You can't just teleport into his building. He has cameras everywhere.

Ultra agents standing by.

I'm like a one-man Ocean's Eleven.

Dude won't even know he's been hit.

And I can be in and out of his head before he ever realizes.

What about you, Stephen?

I assume you're taking her side in this?

Everything that we've done up until now has been about finding my dad and the Refuge.

We all need this. How can we walk away just when we're getting somewhere?

For the record, this is a bad idea.

But fine.

As long as first sign of trouble...

We're off like a bra on prom night.

(MOUTHING)

How are we looking, John?

Gotta admit, we look pretty good, right? Right?

You'll look better when you're back in one piece.

You got a guard in the lobby and two agents out front so don't draw their attention by using your powers.

I'll switch the surveillance to a loop, but once you're inside, I can't see you.

All right, Tim. k*ll the power.

Murray here. Yeah, we, uh... we just lost power.

MAN: Could just be a glitch. Why don't you see if it resets?

Wait...

Yeah, lights just came on.

Guess it was a false alarm.

Hey, better safe than sorry, right? And Murray...

Keep up the good work.

TIM: I'm not sure what sort of regional accent you were trying to approximate, Stephen...

Shut up, Tim, shut your face.

Shut up.

(BEEPING)

You sure you know what you're doing?

Please. Used to do this all the time.

(LOCK CLICKS)

(WHISPERING) Is that an Eames chair?

Why do bad guys always have such great style?

Don't. Touch. Anything.

I guess he wasn't as lucky as me.

How are you feeling?

I feel good.

Funny, I thought I'd feel different.

Changed or something.

You will.

Rest up. Next phase of your training starts tomorrow.

Hello, Russell.

Yeah, I'm sorry, your powers won't work now that I've activated the alarm.

Where's Russell?

Something went wrong.

(ALARM BEEPING)

MAN: Alarm activated.

Penthouse. Agents respond.

All right, Russell. Why are you here?

Oh, you know, just in the neighborhood. Thought I'd stop by, say hi.

Bad timing, I guess...

All right, I'm going to ask that one more time. Why are you here?

Or should we take this to Ultra?

I'll tell you, Russell, in a couple seconds, my crew is going to...

(GRUNTING)

MAN: What's your status?

Alpha team moving in!

(BOTH STRUGGLING)

(PEOPLE SCREAMING)

Oh, no. No, no, no... this can't be happening.

(RUSSELL GROANS)

I can explain.

Oh, my God.

Russell...

What the hell did you do?

Whose genius idea was it to kidnap my uncle?

They were about to bust in the door.

I was trying to get away and he jumped on top of me.

He's a stowaway!

If he finds out where we are, it's over.

The longer he's here, the more dangerous he is to all of us.

We need to get him out now.

Or we could make the most of it.

I'm just saying. He's here, he's helpless, he's in possession of information we need.

We can still find out about Thanatos.

Either he fesses up about what he knows, or I go digging around his mind until I find it.

And if he finds out you still have your powers?

Exactly. Our friend here's cover is blown.

Stephen was supposed to give you the needle, remember?

Jedikiah will never know I'm in his head. I'll get what we need...

(BEEPING)

Ultra. Code blue. I gotta check in.

Keep me posted.

Thanatos? (WHISTLES)
That's what you were after?

I could have saved you the trip.

Just tell us what it means and we'll let you go.

Simple as that?

Consider this your golden ticket.

It means death. In Greek, that is.

Beyond that, I don't think I can really help you.

You're lying. And how would you know?

My nephew stripped you of your powers.

How different it must feel living down here, like some scared, paranormal rat when you really belong on the surface with the rest of our species.

I see more rats up there than I ever do here.

Yeah, well, as much as I'm enjoying this little chat of ours, I'm not gonna say another word until I speak with John.

Alone.

Anything?

Jedikiah grew up with a telepath as a brother.

Must have taught him a trick or two about not having his mind read.

I need more time.

What do you want?

To remind you that it is in both of our interest that you get me out of this dank hovel.

Why would I help you?

Because if certain information came to light, it would, uh, be rather unfortunate for all parties involved.

Surprising you even let them read my mind in the first place.

Thanks to you and your ambush, they already know I can k*ll.

You know it goes much deeper than that, John.

What do you think they would do if they knew the whole truth about you?

Would they still consider you their leader? Their savior?

We both know how this ends.

Even these sewer rats will abandon you.

What are we doing here?

JEDIKIAH: It's your first assignment as a newly-enhanced operative.

Welcome to Safe House 46.

This man is guilty of various banal cruelties.

as*ault. r*pe. m*rder.

You're going to carry out his punishment.

Why? To prove the experiment worked?

Oh, it worked. I gave you all the biological tools you need.

Then what's the point?

A lot of people think they can k*ll.

But there's no real way of knowing until you're confronted with the cold, hard realities.

Take it.

MAN: Don't do this. Please, I'm begging you!

You want to be the best. Like me?

The Founder and I have been very pleased with your progress so far.

Show me you can go all the way.

Show me that it wasn't a mistake to believe in you.

(BREATHING HEAVILY)

Your next assignment, you won't have the luxury of time.

Unless you don't feel like you have it in you.

MAN: No. I'm begging you!

Finish it, John.

No. No, please.

No, I'm begging you...

(g*nsh*t)

What the hell?

Congratulations.

You just passed your test with flying colors.

You not only have the ability to k*ll, you have the conviction.

Here. Your real assignment.

(CLEARS THROAT)

You can't be serious.

What was that about?

What did Jedikiah want with you alone?

Hate to disappoint. It wasn't to tell me about Thanatos.

He wanted my help getting out of here. I said no.

Why would he ask you?

Well, you know we have history.

And obviously, he's scared of what's about to happen to him.

Good.

I saw what he did to you.

When Jedikiah was asleep, he had his guard down.

I saw into his memory.

What did you see?

It's not what I saw, it's what I felt.

He loved you like... a son.

Well, he had an odd way of showing it.

(DOOR OPENS AND CLOSES)

I just got the alert. What's going on?

It's crazy in there.

Jedikiah's missing, kidnapped, teleported off by some rogue breakout.

Okay. What do we know?

There were tele-signatures all over his apartment.

We're tracking surveillance in and out of the building, but in the meantime, we got the Brain Trust working on it.

STEPHEN: Brain Trust? Telepathic specialists. Pretty nasty, huh?

Plugs directly into their brain stem in order to boost the psychic signal.

Each of our brains operate at a unique wavelength, like a radio signal.

There are millions of stations these guys have to tune in to, one by one.

Frequency's weaker in humans, but if the boss is alive, they'll find him.

Where did they come from?

I don't know his real name but people call him The Founder.

MAN: Do they?

Perhaps I should have that printed on my business card.

(CLEARS THROAT)

Hello, Stephen.

We've not had the privilege of a formal introduction.

You... you're the voice from the mansion.

In the flesh.

So they call you The Founder, as in, you founded Ultra?

Not alone, of course, yet I am one of the few survivors.

Clearly, there was your father, rest his soul, and your uncle, now unfortunately kidnapped. My...

What bad luck seems to follow your family around.

I promise, it's only a matter of time before we locate him and bring his captors to justice, and, in the end, they will beg for mercy.

What is it?

Where's John?

He's in the other room, why?

He was right about this being too dangerous.

We've gotta get my uncle the hell out of here.

Slow down, Stephen. What is going on?

Jedikiah's boss, the one who was inside my head, he is at Ultra with a team of telepaths.

They're gonna find him and all of us.

Well, then I'd better get to work.

No, Cara, did you not hear me?

I don't need much time.

I just need one more pass at Jedikiah.

No. No, just forget about Thanatos, okay?

Forget about your father?

Stephen, I need your help right now.

I need you to stall. I need you to throw them off your uncle's psychic scent.

How?

When I was inside his head, I saw something.

A woman.

He was following her, and... for some reason he wanted to keep her a secret.

I think I have a lead on Dr. Price's disappearance.

Is that so?

He was investigating a breakout on his own.

I think it might have been the one who kidnapped him.

There's nothing in the system.

That's just it. He earmarked the case for himself.

I found it in his personal folder.

Put it back on the network.

What are you insinuating?

Nothing. I was just...

Snooping through his private files?

Whatever it takes to find him.

Round up a tactical team and pursue the breakout to her last known address.

Report to me as soon as you've made contact.

Hey, can you do something about the temperature down here?

It's a little, uh... I dunno, musty, isn't it?

You tell me what I need to know, I'll have you home.

As soon as I can say Thanatos?

You're wasting your time, Cara.

I've got nowhere to be.

Well, all humility aside, I am a very important person and very powerful people are searching for me, so...

Shut up.

Such hostility.

You know, you might have made me human, but there's an upside to that, you know?

I can k*ll you now.

And the ones looking for you, they can't track the brainwaves of a dead man.

And you can't make him talk, either.

Fair enough.

(GRUNTS)

(GROANS)

Ah. (INHALES DEEPLY)

Hostility towards men.

Probably a result of your own near r*pe.

That's right. It's in your file.

Always know your enemy. (CHUCKLES)

It's... it's good.

Probably a few daddy issues thrown into your dysfunctional cocktail.

Yeah.

The man who sent you packing from your own home.

(GASPS)

Looks like you want to hit me again. You probably should, it will be therapeutic... (GRUNTS)

(GRUNTING)

Enough.

What the hell was that?

Nothing.

He's hiding something John.

And not just Thanatos.

Every time I'm inside his head, it's you I see.

At Ultra.

What are you implying?

That man in there still cares about you and he's covering something up because of it.

Whatever it is, it will come out.

Just like it did that you can k*ll.

Cara, there's...

No.

I forgave you for lying to me once.

That's all.

(JEDIKIAH COUGHING)

(GROANS)

Thank you, John.

What is this? Another test?

No, John.

I'm afraid this is real.

You want me to k*ll the man who trained me?

It pains me as well, but this comes down from on high.

I don't understand.

He's gone rogue.

He set out to destroy the organization.

He's already blown up one lab.

What's next?

Ultra exists to protect us from just this kind of danger.

He is a thr*at to you and everyone like you.

I'm sorry, I wish there was another way, but there isn't.

Why me?

You've got dozens of agents, hundreds of operatives.

Humans, who don't stand a chance against his powers and our paranormal agents can't k*ll.

You are the only one with the required skills, John.

He brought this upon himself.

Do you trust me?

Then do what needs to be done.

All right, listen up. The target is on the premises.

She should be considered hostile.

First priority is extracting Dr. Price, but bonus points for anyone who can capture the breakout, dead or alive. Any questions?

Good. You pick up anything on your Spidey-sense, I wanna hear about it.

All right, let's go.

Go, go, go. Let's move, move.

Any sign of the target outside?

Hey.

Hey.

Hey.

Okay. Okay.

No! No! Let me go!

Okay, just take it easy.

Take it easy.

It doesn't make any sense. Why would he do this to me?

How exactly do you know my uncle?

You better talk quick. There's a team of agents that's going to come around that corner any second.

I love him.

I... I thought...

I thought he felt the same.

TROY: (ON RADIO) I repeat, any sign of the target?

Jameson?

Negative. It's all clear on the street.

My uncle didn't order this.

But you still need to go.

Ah, there you are.

Uh, I assume you're here to take my dinner order.

I'm thinking a ribeye from Peter Luger's, medium-rare, and, uh... a glass of 1941 Inglenook Cab.

It's time to talk.

Sure, what do you want to talk about?

Do you want to start with current events or...

Hey, smart guy.

I got a current event for you.

(WHISPERS) We found Morgan.

I'm sorry, who?

You're sleeping with a Tomorrow Person.

You kinky old dog.

(CHUCKLES) Bumpin' naughties with the enemy.

We know who she is and where she lives.

And we're prepared to make that information accessible to all your trigger-happy colleagues.

I can't imagine they'll give either one of you a free pass.

What would you like to know?

This is getting boring... Thanatos!

What is it?

It's not a what it's a who.

CARA: Okay.

Who is Thanatos?

And if you say the mythological personification of death, so help me God...

A nickname.

For Professor Aldus Crick.

Oh, yeah?

What's his deal?

TIM: Crick, Aldus. Born June 7, 1952.

Canterbury, England.

Was that?

Yeah.

(TIM DESCRIBES CRICK IN BACKGROUND)

Stolen.

Sorry.

Doesn't matter.

It's obsolete anyway.

Like the eight-track of artificial intelligence.

TIM: Oh, I'm not done. Named Department Chair, 1983.

Tenure revoked, 1994.

Which is when he came to work with me and Stephen's father.

You brought in a dude they kicked off the Princeton campus?

Crick's work had veered into unconventional territory.

They thought he was a nut.

A rare prescient few, read me, noted his genius, and with Crick guiding us, Stephen's father and I conducted research.

Experimentation.

Dangerous experimentation.

So much so that we started calling Crick "Dr. Death." Hence, Thanatos.

CARA: Where is he now?

Crick has many enemies in my organization, if I tell you where he is, he's a dead man.

RUSSELL: You got five seconds.

Or we're putting out an APB on your paranormal sidepiece, Morgan.

I knew it.

Stephen, this doesn't prove anything.

It proves I didn't just dream up Thanatos, which makes it all but certain my dad is still out there.

There's only one way to find out.

We got to look for Dr. Death.

Maine, anyone?

I'm in.

Irene, I don't think that's a good idea. You're still recovering.

I'm fine.

Besides, I don't see anyone else in this group that knows the slightest thing about physics.

I took physics.

Then you won't mind explaining why the distant universe appears h*m*, when the big-bang theory assumes larger, measurable anisotropies in the night sky.

Cosmological inflation.

I'm going.

So let me see if I understand.

Our elite, six-agent tact team failed to apprehend the lone female breakout?

She got lucky.

That's one way to characterize the situation, another is negligence.

Jameson was able to pick up a psychic signal, but she teleported away.

Where is Jameson?

I haven't seen him since the op.

My dear colleague has been unaccounted for since last night.

What is his status?

Unchanged.

As you know, there's no definitive protocol for tracking a sap.

We simply look until we locate.

I'm quite aware of our protocol and the limits thereof.

As for the individual you are tracking, the leader of your organization, it is my understanding that he considers the term "sap" a disrespectful slur.

Am I misinformed?

I thought not.

(PAINFUL GRUNTING)

(POWER SURGE)

(BEEP)

It's more comfortable than it looks.

Back to work.

Wow, 20 years ago.

Princeton.

I was in behavioral science and Jedikiah was teaching molecular biology.

He came to me one day in the cafeteria.

He swore me to secrecy and said he wanted to introduce me to somebody who would "blow my mind."

He wasn't lying.

My dad?

Yes.

Oh, sorry, I do have a coffee substitute made from pulverized mushroom...

(STAMMERING) No?

I don't blame you, it is rather, uh...

Disgusting. (CHUCKLES)

Anyway that was the beginning of Ultra.

An organization to gather and protect this new species and some day to reveal it as a great benefit to mankind.

So what exactly went wrong?

Well, he would never admit it, but, not having powers, he was always jealous of your father.

It left Jedikiah cool and easily influenced.

By whom?

The Founder?

Amongst others.

Your father didn't trust them, so he kept our work secret.

Regarding his ability to stop time, I had theorized an unknown dimensional plane...

Wait, my dad could stop time?

Jedikiah told me that I was the only one.

(CHUCKLES) Your uncle has been known to be less than truthful.

Yeah.

The notion went that by stopping time whilst teleporting, in that lag between takeoff and arrival, one would arrive in a time out of time, a place we named "limbo."

(CHUCKLES)

Well, not our most creative moment.

Maybe that's where he was when I saw him in this... this "in-between."

How close did you get to it in your experiments?

Nowhere.

Stopping time whilst teleporting proved to be impossible, even for your father.

No, I know that I saw him.

Okay? I must have just tried to teleport out while I was drowning, and stopped time, it makes sense.

That your brain was starved of oxygen.

A hypoxia-induced hallucination.

There is a way to get back there and see him.

I just need to find it.

No Luger's, but I managed to come up with some red meat.

That's very hospitable of you.

You're welcome. It's grade A sewer rat.

Could the hostage trouble you for a Kn*fe?

(SNICKERS) Wasn't born yesterday, pal.

You get what you get.

And you won't get upset.

Okay.

Mmm.

So... babysitting duty.

Is that your punishment for screwing up?

I wouldn't call guarding enemy number one "babysitting."

Hmm.

I'm honored.

But we are in a reinforced bunker and I am very securely tied up.

A dog could guard me, I'm just saying.

Whatever.

The truth is, John was never a very trusting delegator.

He's probably never going to trust you with anything again.

I mean, you did get your friends and yourself in quite a pickle kidnapping me.

News flash, Hannibal Lecter. You jumped onto me.

Just eat your damn meat.

Okay. (CHUCKLES)

(GAGS)

(CHOKING)

What the hell? Help!

Help!

(STRUGGLING)

(PANTING)

Well, well, well.

Looks like that needle didn't take after all.

It was reveal my powers or watch Russell get strangled.

What did you tell Jedikiah?

That we found an antidote to his serum.

He didn't exactly buy it.

So if he ever gets free, Stephen is dead.

Unless Jedikiah never gets free.

Still going at it, huh?

Guy hasn't unplugged for hours.

Check it out.

He's zeroing in.

(PINGING) (GASPS)

Jedikiah is being held underground.

Perhaps in a subway station.

Do you know which station?

Not yet. But it won't take long.

(PINGING CONTINUES)

Can I have your attention please, folks?

I'm going to have to ask you to exit the train.

We're undergoing some routine maintenance.

Thank you.

Sorry for the inconvenience.

(PINGING)

(PINGING)

They're almost here. You've gotta go, you've got to get him...

I know what I have to do.

Are we going somewhere?

Ah.

I see.

(JEDIKIAH CHUCKLES)

What a rush.

You know, I never get tired of that.

You know, when my brother, Roger, first...

Shut up.

How dare you mention his name.

(BREATHING HEAVILY)

(ENGINE SPUTTERING)

(g*n COCKING)

I can't believe my brother put you of all people up to this.

You don't have to do this, John.

Why'd you have to turn against Ultra?

Why couldn't you have just stayed hidden?

Look into my heart.

You know me.

I was protecting our kind.

Now put the g*n down.

(g*nsh*t) (GROANS)

I k*lled a man who cared for me.

Who believed in me.

Who was supposed to save our species.

You son of a bitch.

All these years, I've been leading the Tomorrow People on a search for a dead man.

You think you're a liar?

A hypocrite? A m*rder*r, John? You're not...

Shut up!

I trusted you like a father.

And you used me.

Don't you get it?

I lost everything that day.

You're just a boy looking for a family.

That's what you'll always be.

(GASPS)

(BREATHING HEAVILY)

You think that you made me.

That I'm your creation.

I'm not.

And I'm sure as hell not your son.

You don't get to decide what I am.

(TIRES SCREECHING OUTSIDE)

I am sorry, John.

But you had to know, once you had me above ground, they were gonna track me.

What's happening?

It's an Ultra safe house. They probably activated the D chips, blocking your powers.

I want him alive, you understand?

Alive.

(GRUNTING)

Okay.

Okay, enough.

I said enough!

(GROANS)

(GASPING)

I'm sorry.

It's okay.

It's okay.

Just promise me... there's others like us.

You'll protect them.

And find my son.

I will.

(PANTING)