03x08 - A Wild Ride

[bunniefuu]

Previously, on Hardy Boys...

- Hand me over the blueprints
for the building.

- Why would I do that?
- Because if you don't,

I'm gonna tell my father that
you've been siphoning money

off of his R&D projects for years.

- Remember when we were at Munder's house
and you said that I was your best friend?

Mm-hmm.

- I should have said something back.

- Drew, nice of you to join us.

- It's been you the whole time.

- There it is. Go!

- What are you doing with the Energy Core?

- I'm going to change the world.

I've been working on a prototype
for a few years now,

and it is finally ready to go global!

Too bad you won't be
conscious to enjoy it.

- I think we've been programmed
into a false reality.

It's not mind control, it's a simulation.

She must have powered it
with the crystal fragment

from her necklace.

- And then to take it to the next step,

she needed to fuse
the full crystal with The Core.

- Are we in the prototype?

- I mean, it's gotta be.
There's still bugs in the code.

- I hope you're right.

- Listen, Drew is still out there,

and she still has The Core.
- No, we--

She trapped us in here
to get us out of her way.

- Did you see that?

- What is it?

- You're not real.

- The future is here.

Okay, just take it easy!
Just sit down and shut up, Bob.

- Hey, Bob! You remember me?

- What do you want?

- I'll ask the questions, thanks.

You're helping Drew. Where is she?

- I have no idea what you're--
Save it!

That confused look on your face
when Drew confronted you,

it wasn't 'cause you had no idea
what she was talking about.

It's because she was improvising

and you were just trying to keep up.

That whole interaction was
theater for me and Frank.

You're in on it, Bob.

- I'm not in on anything.
- Hey, listen.

Where's Drew?

Where's The Core?

Tell us, or we tell Hurd what you did.

- No. Don't--

You don't understand.
Drew was blackmailing me.

- To do what? What's her plan?

- I don't know exactly,

but I had to help design
this underground room

for this egg thing.

- It's a Core, Bob.
- Yeah!

- Where's Drew? Where's the room?

- Edgecliff.

- Edgecliff? What's Edgecliff?

- It's the headmaster's
retreat for Rosegrave.

- Do you know where it is?

- I--
Yeah, I do.

I just hope we get there in time.

- Woo!
- Gee--

- Who do we think this is?

- It's gotta be George.

These are his clothes.

- This must be where he
downloaded himself into the Crystal.

- Which is where, exactly?

- Who cares?

Can we just get outta here, please?
Before Drew comes back.

- How we doing?

- On schedule. Locked down and fortified.

No one inside these walls
will be touched by the Sim.

Everyone outside... different story.

- Olivia,

thank you

for believing in my vision.

- But this is as far as we go together.

- What are you doing?

- Hmm.

You could've stopped Hurd
from sending William away.

- He was just a chauffeur, Drew.

- No, he cared about me...
more than Hurd ever did.

More than you did.

- Put the g*n down!

- You know, Hurd always did like you best.

You had his ear,

you knew how much William meant to me,

and you still let Hurd
get rid of him anyway.

And then you let him do
the same exact thing to me

when he sent me to boarding school.

- You came back.

We did this together.

Drew... your driver's just some guy.

I'm your sister.

- I know.

But you don't deserve
the world I've created.

- No, that's locked.

- Maybe we can use great-grandpa's bones
to jimmy it open.

- It's electronic. The only way we are
getting out of this room is if someone--

Opens it.

- Tunnels. Where do you think they lead?

- Nowhere good.

- Well, we'll be okay
as long as we stick together,

boys.

- Or... we split up.

- Okay. Joe, you're with me.

- I'm gonna go with Frank.

Huh?
- It's just you're always getting
ambushed and knocked out.

- Not always.

- A lot, though.
- Yeah.

- Fine. Just stick together.
Be safe.

And when you find an exit,
call the police.

There's the front door.
Do you think it's unlocked?

- We have to find another way in.

- What do we do about those g*ons?

- I'll lure 'em away.

- Nope. Not alone, you won't.

- Okay, come on.
- Okay.

- Let's go.
- Okay.

- Olivia? Olivia!

- Just hang on. I'll get help. Okay?

- No. just get me outside.
Bring me outside. I--

I need to see it for myself.

Fenton, please!

- Whoa!

Ah, not much time.

What? Uh, mash buttons,
like we did in the prototype?

- Seems a little risky.

- Okay, then what do we do?

Nothing!

The Sim is about to go live,

and there is nothing
that you can do to stop it.

Pretty soon, all reality will be virtual.

- How is that even possible?

- Long story short, I'm a genius.

The Relics interact with
energy all around us.

George Estabrook knew it.

This room is sitting on a Ley Line hub,
just like The Sleep Room and The Chamber.

Connecting The Core to this hub means that

my Sim will surge through the entire world
for everyone to enjoy,

forever.

- You can't strap everybody
on the planet into a headset.

- I don't need to strap anyone in, Joe.

No helmets, no wires.

Seamless integration.

When we get to zero,

the Ley Lines will cascade my Sim
out into the world,

and everyone outside of this room

will be pulled into an... altered reality.

The best part is... they won't even know.

- But the Sim has to have limitations.

You can't program an entire world.

- Hm. And I don't have to.

What's expected to be there will be there.

It's driven by collective consciousness,
knowledge, emotion, desire.

And with the infinite power of The Core,

it's constantly building
upon itself and expanding.

- Yeah, we get it.
- Do you, though?

Your dad wanted your mom to be alive,
so she showed up.

That didn't make sense logically,

so your dad had to find someone
to blame for faking her death.

In your dad's little detective brain,
his best buddy Sam betrayed him,

and my sister was a government agent.

I'm not gonna lie,
I didn't see that one coming,

but... sure did come in very handy.

Isn't it wild how the brain works?

I mean, look at you, Joe.

You saw JB alive and well
in the Sim, inconceivably!

Like... what?!

- Watch it.

- Aw! You really did think
that he was still alive, didn't you?

It must have been such a bummer
losing him all over again.

But it proves my point.

People will convince
themselves of anything,

even if it doesn't make a lick of sense.

People will choose digital perfection
over flawed reality every single time.

- Joe and I didn't.

- We saw right through your Sim.
We knew it was fake.

- Only because the
Power of the Eye was still in you.

It's kind of an unfair advantage,
if you ask me.

- That's, that's your whole master plan?

Just enslave everybody in the world as
some kinda wish fulfillment video game.

- Oh, "enslaved"? It's kind of
a strong word, don't you think?

I think "upgrade" is more accurate.

And it won't be long now.

Why don't you step up
to the big board with me,

and we'll take a closer look
at what's going on up there.

- I guess Drew ran out of
virtual reality headsets, huh?

- What? Who?

- That's Olivia Kowalski's
psychotic little sister.

But I'll explain later.
Let's get you guys outta here!

- Whoops. Your dad walked into
the worst room in the house.

- Oh! No! No! No! No! No! No! No!

- Tunnels must be this way.

Um... Ready?

- Uh-oh, Callie, Biff, and Phil
won't make it in time.

- And Chet and Belinda
can't run from what's coming.

- Ready?

- Two--
- Two, three!

- Ah!
Let go!

- Guys!

Chet! Come on!
- Get in the hatch!

- Now! Go!

Belinda, hurry!

No, no, no, no!

- Come on, Chet! Come on! Hurry up!

Hurry!
- Belinda, let go!

- Close the hatch!
Close the--

- What have you done?

- You should be thanking me.

- For k*lling everyone!

- Whoa! They're not dead, Joe.

I mean, without my Sim,
they would be soon enough.

Did you know that we only have one planet?

And it is deteriorating fast.

w*r, famine, plagues,
and there is acid in rain.

Acid... in rain!
I mean, are you kidding me?

We are doomed!

Pretty soon, my simulated reality

will be the only way
the human race survives.

I'm saving the world...
and everyone in it.

- Oh, I get it. You're crazy.

- I'm a visionary.

God, weren't you happier
when your mom was back?

You still have a chance
to be a part of my vision.

That's why I let you out of the bunker.

So, you can make your choice.

You can either go outside
and get husked with your friends,

or... I can just k*ll you now.

- Neither.

- Don't be like that, Frank.

- We're gonna shut all this down.

- No.
- Yes, we are.

- No.
- Yeah.

- No.
- Yes.

- No.
- Yes!

- No!
- Yes.

- No!
- Yes!

- No! God-- Okay. Are we seriously
gonna do this right now?

You are done, boys.

The only k*ll switch is in my head
and I will never give that up.

So... last chance.

- Come on, Drew. If you were
gonna sh**t us, you would've done--

- Hey!

- What? No.

- Hey, Roomie.

Neither.

Don't be like that, Frank.

We're gonna shut all this down.

No.
Yes, we are.

No.
Yes.

No!
- Yes!

No!
Yes!

- Oh my God. Are we really
doing this right now?

You are done, boys.

The only k*ll switch is in my head
and I will never give that up.

So,

last chance.

- Took you long enough.

- Okay. If everything you said is true,

Drew should slip seamlessly
into her prototype Sim.

Okay, great. She'll be distracted.

We can shut down the Energy Core.

- Wait, how? She said the only
k*ll code was in her head.

Works for me.

That's why I'm going in to get it.
- Callie, no!

- No!

- Hey, Roomie.

Sorry to just drop in on you like this.

- Callie!

- What are you doing here?

- I'd ask you the same thing,
but I think I've got a pretty good idea.

- Over here!
Callie, open up the door!

- You must think you're
pretty clever, huh?

- Open!

- Using my Sim against me.

- Uh, just a sec. Hey, Chet! Chet!

Callie!
- Yeah, it's me. Um--

You gotta stop banging on
the window for a second.

- Are you okay?
Is Belinda okay?

- Yeah, yeah, yeah. We're all good.
Just gimme a minute to handle this.

Go try the hatch.
- What?

- Go try the hatch!
Try the hatch! The hatch!

- I can't hear you! But, I--
I'm gonna go check the hatch, okay?

- Great. Okay. Uh... where was I?

I am here for the k*ll code.

- There is no k*ll code.

- You told Frank and Joe
that it was in your head.

- Well, yeah. I'm a liar, Callie.

You should really know that by now.
- Yeah.

I just didn't think
you had to lie, you know?

Your real life was sad enough.

- Excuse me?

- Your family was awful.

Your childhood was sad.
Your genius was ignored.

And the only person who ever
made you feel like you were good enough,

your father sent away.

And then William forgot about you too.

And that's the truth, Drew.
It's a very sad truth.

I would've been your friend.

We could have all been friends.

- I don't need friends, Callie.

- Yeah, but I don't buy it.

Why hang out with us?
Why mess with us the way you did?

You didn't need to do that.

Which makes me think that you wanted to.

Hm?

- You know, if you are trying to...
get under my skin,

make me slip up,

guess what?
It's not gonna work. Okay?

There is no way to shut down The Core.

- I think there is
and you're gonna give it to me,

or you're never getting out of here!

- There is no k*ll code!

There is no way to turn it off.

Energy-- Energy, guess what?

It can't be created
and it can't be destroyed.

- No! It can only be
redirected or changed.

And there must be a way to do that!

- You have failed! It's done! Give it up!

- I've never been much of a quitter.

The way to change
the flow of The Core's energy

is in this drawer.

- There's junk in that drawer, dummy.

- Are you sure about that?

What if my desire outweighs yours?

What if the key to
stopping you for good is in there?

And it's k*lling you, isn't it?

Like, how badly do you wanna
open that drawer right now?

It's not!

The joke's on you.

The real relic is at the DSA,

and everybody's probably drooling
on their paperwork right now.

- Frank and Joe may still have
a remnant of the power in them.

- Yeah? And what are they gonna do?

What? They're gonna
beam it up into The Core?

Give everybody in the world their power?

- That's exactly what we're gonna do.

See? You're not a total liar.
The answer was in your head.

- No, no, no. Okay, look!

The energy transfer,
it will k*ll them, Callie.

Your Hardy Boys,
they're not gonna make it.

Your Hardy Boys are going to turn into

little Hardy Bits! No! Don't--
- Frank! Frank, get me out of here!

- Are you okay?

- Did you get all that?

- Yeah, but I don't really love the idea
of turning into a "Hardy Bit."

- Neither do I.

We need the full power of The Eye.
We need The Relic.

- We have it.

Chet has it on him. Outside.

- Great. We still have a chance.

Let's go!

- No! No!

- So, so you're gonna go outside
and get the Relic from Chet,

then bring it back in here?

- Ideally, we bring Chet back too.

- But how are you going to do that
without slipping into the Sim?

- There was a remnant
of The Eye left in us,

it protected us from the prototype. So--

- If it hasn't faded,
it might protect us out there, too.

- "If" it hasn't faded,
it "might" protect you?

- What other choice do we have, guys?

- What if you don't come back?

- Then we'll go out trying to
save a friend... and the world.

- You all need to secure yourself
back in the control room.

If we don't come back, you should
seriously consider joining the Sim.

- Could be fun. We'll all be there.

- Oh!

- You guys bring him back, okay?

- What are you waiting for?

Age before beauty.

Do you think we're in the Sim?

- It's hard to say.

- I don't think Chet would
still be laying here if we were.

Chet!

Hey. Ch-- Hey, come on!

Hey, wake up, man!
- Chet!

Chet!

Joe, The Eye.

I'll k*ll you!

- No! No, no, no, no, no, no.

Hey, it's okay.

It's okay. We've got you.

It's okay.

- That wasn't real, was it?

- Sure felt real.

- Is, is this real?

- Yes, this is real!

- Yes.

Okay.
- Good.

Very good.
- Okay.

We gotta go.

- Hey, where's Belinda?
- This way. Come on.

- This way? Okay.
Yeah!

- Nice punch.

- Belinda. Hey.

- Chet!

I thought you got yourself k*lled.

No, but are you okay?

- Yeah, I'm okay.
- Yeah?

- I'm okay. I promise. I'm okay.

Oh, my God.
- Okay? I'm okay.

- So we shutting this thing down or what?

- Well, technically we're overloading it.

The Core's energy
will amplify The Eye's power

and the Ley Lines
will distribute it all over.

- Do we really wanna unleash
the Power of The Eye on the world?

- We have to.

- I don't think The Eye and The Core
like each other.

- So, what now?

We need to transfer the energy.

I'll absorb the power
and share with it The Core.

- What?

- How do you know the
same thing won't happen to you?

- I don't.

And I don't love the idea
of you being smashed into a wall.

If things go sideways,
I trust you guys.

Ah!

So far, so good.

Frank!

- No!

Frank!

Frank! Hold on!

Callie, no!

- Phil! Touch The Eye!

Oh!
Let's not do that again.

- It couldn't just let us down slowly?

Here you go. Okay?
There you go. We're good.

- Phil?
You good, Frank?

- Phil? Phil!

Phil!

Phil, get up!

Phil! Come on, wake up! Phil!

Phil, wake up, please! Get up!

No, no, no, Phil! Phil!

You're my best friend! Phil, please!

You're my best friend!

- I knew it.

- Phil--
- Phil!

- This guy... geesh!
- Oh, my gosh!

Did we do it?

- Yeah, we did it.

- Yes, Phil. We did it.

- Okay! Thanks for waiting.

I was just finishing up
a briefing about this briefing,

which is... anyway.

So, here's how it's gonna go.

Officially, none of anything
that happened ever happened.

Pretty much goes without saying.

No big surprises there.

Unofficially, however, uh... same thing.

Any questions?
- Seriously?

- Yes. Any other questions?

- What's gonna happen to Drew?

- She's in a better place now.

- She d*ed?!

- Oh, no! Sorry, that-that came out wrong.

No. We found her in
the bunker at Edgecliff,

and extracted her from
the simulation prototype.

But there was a--
well, let's call it a glitch,

and she's non-responsive.

We think her brain is caught
somewhere between the Sim and reality,

and she's now being held
at a psychiatric facility

for the criminally insane.

- How's that a better place?

- Well, it's better than dead.

Better for us to keep an eye on her.

Now, if you'll all just sign these.

- Take one, pass it down.
You know the drill.

- What is this?

It's a non-disclosure agreement.

From what I understand, the transition
in and out of the simulation

was pretty seamless worldwide.
No one really remembers anything.

But, best not to go
jogging anyone's memory.

If you talk about this
publicly or privately,

the DSA will sue you for a lot of money,

or hold you in
a secret prison without trial.

So listen, it sounds extreme, I know,

but my bosses here
are very excited about it.

- But we're kids.

- No excuses. Okay?

Whatever you kids did is
a major problem for the people upstairs.

The... Eye and the Ley Lines and The Core

put us on the brink of the biggest
technology boom in modern history.

I mean, everything's connected now.

It's like all the computers just woke up
and started talking to each other.

It's either gonna be
the greatest thing in the world,

or the thing that brings us
all to our knees.

- So no, "thank you," then?

- I asked about that, and, uh, no.

No. We can't thank you for
something that "didn't happen."

Honestly, you'll be lucky
if we validate your parking.

Sign, please.

- Where'd you get those
new Sparewell laptops?

- Oh, those?

Oh, those were a gift from Hurd Sparewell.

But we can't accept gifts,
so they're gonna be thrown out.

Unless, of course,
they mysteriously vaporize.

- Are you saying we can
have them if we sign the NDA?

- I didn't say that.

- Say no more.

- I'm going nuclear.

- I'm leaking all the information
we have about Rosegrave,

the Circle of The Eye,
the Sleep Room, and Project Midnight.

All of it.

- Wait. To, to the media?

- No! To a computer server.

- But, does that not immediately
break the terms of your NDA?

- It does. Which is why I'm not
the one leaking it. Drew is.

- She didn't sign an NDA.

- Once I upload it,
the truth will be there,

for whoever wants it.

- So, how will people find it?

- Guys, the world is changing fast.
Technology is changing even faster.

And people need to be
more informed than ever.

Now that everything's connected,

I don't even need to be at Rosegrave
to access Drew's account.

All I need is a phone line.

- Are you sure about this?

- Drew was wrong
about so many things,

but she was right about information.

It's a w*apon,

and we all need to
be armed with the truth.

- Is it supposed to be doing that?
- I don't--

- It's loud--
- Callie--

- Can we turn it down?
- Can we turn the volume down?

- Callie, does the volume go down?

- Why are you smiling? This is--

- They'll take good care of you.

- Can't believe I'm moving out.

- Cold feet?

- Not even a little bit.

But I am worried about Fenton
and the boys being here all alone.

- They'll be fine.

- No, I mean... like, the house.

I'm worried they're gonna
break something, or everything.

- Just tack it onto their rent.

Do you guys need any help?

That's okay. We're just about done.

Thanks, though.

- Kinda sad it's over.

- Are you kidding me?
I thought it'd never end.

- So what do you wanna do now?

- I don't know.
Watch TV or play video games?

- No. I mean like--

Do you really wanna keep
doing this detective thing?

- Who are you and what have
you done to my little brother?

- I'm serious!

I don't know. Maybe it's time to just...
go to school,

be normal.

- We were never very good at that.

- Yeah.

I don't even know
what grade I'm in anymore.

Hey, Sam!

I'm here on official police business.

Uh-oh, what'd I do?

You're right where you need to be.

- Thanks.

Oh, and thank you so much for
being there for the kids, man.

I, I wish I could repay ya somehow.

- Well, it's funny you should say that.

- Ugh!
- I'm working a rare stamp heist

that seems to dead-end here in Bridgeport,

and I could really use
a local to help out.

Uh-huh.
Hmm?

- Of course, it does.

- What do you say? You up for it?

- Well, it is intriguing.

- Mm-hmm.

- But I'm retired.

- Are you sure about that?

Yes, I'm very sure.

But,

I do know a couple nosy detectives

who could probably handle it.

What do you say, boys?

Ready for your next case?

Missing stamps. That's boring.

- You never know.
They could be deadly stamps.

- Yeah, they better be.

- Not every case is gonna have
world-ending implications, guys.

- Tell that to our track record.

- Yeah, I got a box of files in the attic
that says otherwise.

Hey, uh, I wanna talk to
you guys for a second.

I don't exactly know
how to say this, but,

when your mother d*ed,

I fell apart.

And the pain pulled me away from you.

I wasn't here when I should have been.

You guys brought me back,
in more ways than one.

Thank you. You saved me.

- I think we all saved each other.

- That's very kind to say, but no, you
definitely saved me like multiple times.

- We did. You're welcome.

- And there are a lot of other people
out there who could use your help.

- Yeah. But... stamps?

- You never know where
a case is gonna lead.

Can't judge a book by its cover.

Hmm?

What are you guys doing tonight?

- Uh, everyone's coming over.

- So I'm banished to my bedroom?

- No, no! You're not banished.

You can bring us snacks whenever you want.

Guys!
Anyone home?

Hey!
Hey.

- Hi.
Hi, guys.

Who's playing?

- Nope. Not me.
I'm done with video games forever.

- Come on!
- Right, guys.

- Is this Conquest ?
You guys haven't beaten this yet?

- We've been a little busy.
- Maybe a bit.

All right.

Maybe a bit.
See what you got.

- "You've come to the River Caine.

"Your treasure awaits in the castle,

if thou art brave enough to claim it."

Have you seen this yet?

Use the boots of Hermes,

then jump the goblin,
then double jump the gorge.

- Oh no, no, no, no. You can't do that.
You can only use the boots once.

- Yeah, man. One double jump.

- Shh! You're confusing me. Stop.

Ooh.
- Hold on, hold on.

- Got it!

No way!

- Yes!

That's my girlfriend.
Right here. Right there.

- Whatever.

- Hey guys, we've got a new case
if you guys want in.

- Oh!

It depends. What is it?

- Drumroll, please.

- Missing stamps.

You got any leads?
- Oh!

- Nope!
- Suspects?

- Nope.
- Mm. Sounds like our kinda mystery.

- I say we start with Wilt.

Hmm?
Hmm?

Hmm?
- Wilt?

- As a lead or a suspect?

- I'm thinking both.

- Yeah, you're off the case, Phil.

- Wh-why is that so far-fetched?

I mean, we don't really know
anything about the guy anyway.

- It's Wilt!

- Wilt could be a total criminal.

- Oh, yeah. I can see that.

- Well, speaking of Wilt,
how about a sky-high malt, fellas?

Hmm?
- What?

- What did you just say?

Hmm?
Excuse me.

- What?
- "Fellas"?

- I always say fellas.

Since when?

- Since never.
- Hold on.

Maybe he's got a -year-old's
consciousness in his body.

- Yeah, yeah.
- Oh, yeah?

- Wait, wait, wait. My turn, my turn.

Give me the remote.
- Okay. Okay, Phil's turn.

Maybe he can do it.

- Yeah?

Yeah, it's me, Boss.

Look, someone's onto us.

We gotta move those stamps tonight.