In Vitro (2024)

[bunniefuu]

Good morning.

Main barn breeding report.

Ten specimens in stasis.

Specimen 1, stable.

Specimen 2, stable.

Specimen 3, stable.

Okay, come on.

Wait.

System failure...

Jack!

System failure...

Jack?

Come on!

We got to get her out, now.

Go, get the harness.

System failure...

- System failure...

- Whoa.

System failure...

System failure...

Come on.

All right, you're good.

System crashed again.

Came out of stasis too early.

Looks like an issue

with the liver.

Yeah. Lungs too.

We shouldn't be having

these problems.

We'll have to put her down.

What do you think?

Really nice.

The satellite's

still down.

I know.

Can you fix it?

Uh... I mean, maybe.

Doesn't help with these storms.

You know how much I love

getting on the roof, though.

So, I was thinking about

painting Toby's room.

- Oh, yeah?

- yeah.

I thought blue might be nice.

What?

Nothing.

You look good.

Jack...

What?

I'm exhausted.

Hey.

Come on.

It's coming.

Layla!

- You scared me.

- Sorry.

Uh, what are you doing in here?

The mixer broke down.

Had to get a part.

Oh. Okay.

What is this?

Uh, working on some changes.

Trying them out

on the old tanks.

I think they'll fix

the problems we've been having.

Um, we've got the new

cattle driver coming later.

Do you mind fixing up

his paperwork?

Sure.

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But now, Precision Ag-tech

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is scanned,

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in as little as two weeks.

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for a growing population

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for the real thing.

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and more consistent.

Precision Ag-tech:

Biotechnology

for a changing world--

You must be Brady.

I'll, uh... I'll give you this.

It's a list of clients

and delivery schedule.

I'm not sure

how much information

the trucking company gave you.

Hell of a drive,

this place.

Guess so.

-There you go.

-Ah, thanks, Mrs. Curtis.

"Layla" is fine.

Brady.

I'll show you the cattle.

Up, up! Hoy-ya, hoy-ya!

Up!

Hey, one short!

- What?

- One short!

It's another one

already, Jack.

Can you go and help Brady?

Layla, just go.

I was thinking...

maybe I could take

a few days off.

How come?

Just to have a little break.

Break from what?

Break from me?

No.

Just a break from the work.

Give me a chance

to go visit Toby.

Maybe Brady could help out.

Seems keen for the work.

Brady?

He doesn't know the process.

We could teach him.

Well, I hardly know him.

What if I don't trust him?

Come on, you don't trust anyone.

Can we at least think about it?

Jack...

Can we just have a nice dinner?

Hey.

Sorry I snapped.

I don't know,

I guess I'm a little tired too.

Of... of course

you can go see Toby.

Thank you.

And it's okay,

I know you're stressed.

Where's your ring?

Oh. It's just

when I'm washing up.

Don't you know it's bad luck

to take it off?

sh*t.

It's okay, girl.

It'll pass. It's okay.

Jack?

Jack!

Oh, my God.

Jack!

Let me help you.

What the hell

were you doing?

The cattle.

They knocked me over.

What?

They got spooked

in the storm. I...

Let me see.

I heard g*nshots.

I had to fire to scare them off.

Could've trampled me.

I have to get something

for this.

Just... don't lie down.

Bit of a sh*t farmer, eh?

I'll be right back.

Yeah.

Flick?

Flick?

Come on, girl!

Inside!

Flick?

Flick?

Oh, you scared me.

Come on!

What were you doing under there?

Inside.

Inside.

Jack.

Something got into the shed.

Probably a fox or something.

No.

It couldn't have been a fox.

I locked the door.

You sure you locked it?

Think so.

You think so?

Are you okay?

Oh, my head.

Jack.

Jack!

Ah!

Layla?

- Oh.

- Hey.

Just getting you some water.

How long was I out?

Oh, most of the night.

Thanks.

Oh, I needed that.

Where are you going?

I need to round up the cattle

that got out.

Don't you think you should rest?

I'm fine.

What are you doing?

Nothing.

Just take it easy. Okay?

I'll be back later.

Stay back.

Where's Jack?

He's... he's gone.

But I think

he's out looking for you.

I think you were looking

for these.

Painkillers.

I don't feel right.

Your eyes.

It can, uh,

happen in the process.

Without treatment,

the sick animals

hold on for a day.

Maybe two.

I know.

Where's Toby?

He's safe. He's at school.

Oh.

You have my memories.

Why would Jack do this?

I... I don't know.

But I'm gonna help you.

We're getting you to a hospital.

Come on.

Come on.

Ah, sh*t.

What's going on?

Um...

I was just coming

to give you a hand.

Can't get it to start.

I'll have to have a look at it.

How'd you go? With the cattle?

No luck.

You know, my head is k*lling me.

Maybe we could head inside

and you could take a look.

Okay.

It's Brady.

I'll go. I'll tell him

you're not feeling well.

It's okay.

Stay here.

I... I gotta talk to him anyway.

You should rest.

I'll just go deal with him.

It's fine.

Um... I'm fine.

Jack, come on. I'll go.

I said I need to talk to him,

all right?

Just stay here.

Something's wrong

with the car.

We need to go with Brady.

It's our only way out of here.

Hey.

Just wait here for us.

You need to leave, Brady.

What are

you talking about?

What's wrong?

I don't know

how else to say it,

there just isn't

enough work for you.

Mate, I've driven

all the way out here.

I'm not going.

Um... you are, actually.

No, this...

Jack, this is bullshit.

No.

No.

What happened to Brady?

I had to let him go.

Where is she, Layla?

She's not well. She...

She needs my help.

What the hell

have you done?

I can explain everything.

You tried to k*ll her.

Uh... I what?

Don't lie to me.

-Why would I?

-I heard the g*nshots.

I found the shell in the barn.

She... she came at me.

She grabbed the r*fle.

It went off in the struggle.

She... she's...

She's confused, Layla.

She doesn't know

what she's doing.

I'm not lying to you.

She doesn't have much time.

She needs our help.

Please, Layla...

You know me.

She was never meant

to wake up.

It was just supposed

to be a test, okay?

A test for what?

Business is failing.

I had to do something.

I thought that...

If I could get this to work

with the equipment we have...

...there are people out there

that would pay a lot of money

for this kind of technology.

I never should have done it.

-Hey.

-Don't.

You did this.

Now fix it.

This should give her

the best possible chance.

Healthy stem cells,

high-dose nutrients.

What the hell is he doing back?

Give her the IV,

make sure she's okay.

What's going on?

It's okay.

What did you do?

Brady!

I thought I was pretty clear.

Hey, you can't just fire me

like that.

I need the work.

Listen, uh...

It's nothing personal.

It's just,

I did everything you said.

I did everything you said.

- I didn't talk to her.

- Uh, listen...

I didn't tell her anything.

Yeah, listen,

it's nothing like that.

Okay?

So if there's nothing else

I can help you with,

really gotta get back.

You told him where I was?

He found the note.

I... I had to tell him.

But he...

But he's gonna help you.

And you believe him?

What did he give me?

Hey, where's Layla?

Uh...

Why?

Thought she might

like to know

why you've been paying me

to come out here.

What do you think?

sh*t.

We're leaving.

I think it might be

time to go, eh?

Authorization denied.

Come on!

He's locked us in.

Do you need to check that out?

Hey.

It might be time to go.

- Okay?

- Okay, yeah. I'm going.

Layla!

Over here.

The system

crashed again.

Yeah. Don't worry about that.

I'll have a look at it later.

Open the door.

Layla... what's going on?

Door.

Come on.

What is going on?

You are not

thinking things through.

Open it.

Now!

sh**t him, Layla.

sh**t him.

Don't do anything stupid.

Layla.

sh**t him.

Hey.

Move, Jack.

Move. Now!

Hey!

Go.

To the office. Now.

In there.

Go get a key for the door.

We'll make sure

he can't follow us.

Layla, can we just talk

about this for a second?

So you were just gonna k*ll her

and cover it up?

Huh.

What do you think would happen

if people found out about her?

They'd lock me up, Layla.

They'd shut down the business.

It would be the end for us.

I'm not gonna throw away

everything we've been

working on.

You lied to me.

I was trying to protect you.

Because I knew that you

wouldn't be able to do

what needed to be done.

Layla! The key!

Wait. Just...

My glasses.

Layla, come on,

I can't see anything. Please.

Ah!

-No.

-Don't.

Layla, move.

- Don't!

- Move!

Don't, Jack.

Layla!

- Move!

- No.

No.

Don't.

Come on.

Come on!

Okay. Okay.

You okay?

Come on. Come on!

Get in, go!

Ah! Go!

- Are you okay?

- Yeah.

He's coming.

Hurry.

Hurry, Brady.

You okay?

- You okay?

- Yeah.

-sh*t.

-What... what is it?

There's no signal

out here.

sh*t.

What about the trucking company?

When you don't show up,

won't they send someone out

to find you?

I... I don't work

for a trucking company.

Jack just paid me

to turn up

to make it look like

everything was normal.

What?

Jack got shut down years ago.

I'm sorry.

Come on.

We have to keep moving.

Could be something

to fix the truck.

You thinking about him?

It's okay.

You loved him.

It's why you suffered

for so long.

Wish I got a chance to see Toby.

He still feels like my son.

You will.

We're gonna get you

to a hospital.

Gonna tell them

you're my sister.

I'll go find you some water.

Jack?

Hey!

Come on.

Ah!

Layla. We need to go.

I can't...

Come on. Brady's here.

- Let's go.

- Wait, wait, wait.

What is that?

That's not Brady.

Come on.

I can't. I can't.

Layla?

Layla!

This isn't worth it!

Layla.

Layla. This way.

- Come on, Layla.

- I can't...

Get up.

Get up, come on. Come on.

Layla... Layla...

I can't.

You're never gonna

make it with me.

We've gotta go now. Come on.

If you don't go now,

you'll never get away from him.

Just get up, come on.

Get up!

Layla...

Just...

...go to Toby.

Make sure he's safe.

Yeah. Come on.

Please. Just get up.

Make sure Toby's safe, Layla.

Please. You can do it.

You can. You can.

You can. You can.

Please, just go. Just go.

You can.

Layla!

Layla!

Wait!

Wait. No.

Layla! Stop!

Stop! Stop!

Stop!

Just stop!

Don't do this.

Do not do this!

Don't do this to me.

Layla.

Please.

Think about our family.

Layla, no. Layla!

No, Layla! No, Layla!

Layla! No!

Pembroke College.

Hi. I'd... I'd like to speak

to my son, Toby Curtis.

It's, uh, urgent.

Is that Ms. Curtis?

Yes.

Is everything okay?

Everything's fine.

It's just that Toby

hasn't been a student here

for, uh, for a while.

Uh, you must have him

confused with someone else.

I don't think so.

Toby left here a few years ago.

Uh...

That's... that's not possible.

I thought

you moved up to Fairview.

Are you sure everything's okay,

Ms. Curtis?

Toby?

Hey.

I forgot my drink bottle.

Thought you were at night shift.

Yeah.

Yeah, I am.

Why'd you get changed?

Uh...

Yeah, I'm... I'm...

I'm gonna go in later.

Okay, well, I'll see you later.

Toby?

Yeah?

What is it, Mom?

Is everything okay?

You've grown up.

Are you okay?

I just love you, that's all.

I love you too.

I'll see you later.

...have, like, a little caravan

up there on the beach.

Did you get up

to anything?

Sorry, what did you say?

You're back.

There's nothing out there

for me.

We both know that.

Were there others... before me?

I just thought with you,

I might have finally

got things right.

Why create one more?

I could tell

you weren't happy.

I knew the signs.

I'd seen them before.

I don't know how

I'm meant to let go of you.

We're gonna pretend

none of this ever happened.

We're gonna go back

to the way things were.

I love you.

So much.

Everything's gonna be better

from now on.

I know.

We don't need to rush.

Authorization denied.

Here, girls. Good girls.

I think that's everything.

Great. Here you go.

- See you next week.

- See you.

Toby?

Dinner.