01x02 - Cycles

Episode transcripts for the TV show "Pantheon". Aired: September 1, 2022 - present.*
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Bullied teen Maddie begins receiving messages from a stranger that claims to be her recently deceased father, David; his consciousness has been uploaded to the cloud after an experimental brain scan, and it turns out he's not the only one.
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01x02 - Cycles

Post by bunniefuu »

My father always said
the most remarkable computer

ever invented
was the human brain.

At birth, a newborn's brain
is already capable

of making a million
neural connections a second.

By the time they're
months old,

infants can sort through
and process all manner

of environmental stimuli.

And by the age of months,

they can do something
no computer can.

They can love.

Mama.

I'm just saying Piaget's schemas
may not be the best way

to organize cognitive models.

Maddie is already clustering
and classifying.

Like a neural net.

Exactly.

But without training
on a labeled dataset.

Come here, honey.

Let's give Uncle Peter a break.

You know, we're doing
some interesting work

in this area at the company.

We could really use you on it.

You know I'm not cut out
for corporate life.

This isn't about shipping
a new phone.

Logorhythms is serious
about investing in

pure research.

Moonshot projects.

The kind of stuff we used
to dream about back

in Cunningham's class.

You'd be surprised
what we've already

accomplished with
neuromorphic systems.

Wait a minute.

You're working in
artificial intelligence?

Not artificial.

Uploaded.
Uploaded intelligence.

What's uploaded intelligence?

It's the process of uploading
human minds to a computer.

So that someone can live
as a machine?

Not as a machine.
In a machine.

Your mind would be the same.

It would just
exist electronically

rather than organically.

Free from disease
and decay and death.

Oh, my God.
That's what he did, didn't he?

Dad uploaded himself,
and now he's back.

He's not back.

I was there when he d*ed.

What is that?

The true breakthrough
will come not

when we create an artificial
intelligence that can think,

but one that can feel.

Right now, an AI can't do that.

But a UI...
An uploaded intelligence...

Would have the ability to
make an emotional connection,

because it is human.

Being able to make someone
laugh or cry...

That's what it means
to have a soul.

It's been two years since
the world lost Stephen Holstrom,

but his words live on.

His soul lives on in the work
we do here

at Logorhythms every day.

I'm just saying, I could never
exist in a simulation.

Well, one could argue
we're already in a simulation.

I saw "The Matrix", Dave.
With you.

We're more than just
a collection

of electrical signals.

That's the romantic view.

Well, she's a romantic.

I'm a historian.

And, guys, none of this is new.

People have always been
searching for an afterlife.

Uh, that's religion.
This is science.

All I know is
I could never do it.

I could never leave
this world behind.

Could you?

How could I ever live in a world
without you in it?

Aww.Aww.

He really did mean it.

But then he got sick.

I'm so sorry, Ellen.

You know the data
we've been working with

has been insufficient.

Sectioning frozen
brain samples, uh,

it isn't yielding the results
that we thought it would.

Which is why we need
to digitally capture

the neutral connections
while they're still f*ring.

You want to scan a living mind.

The process is irreversible.

The brain would be peeled away
layer by layer by a laser

that records everything,
down to the molecular level.

That's insane.

How will you ever find someone
to agree to do that?

It would have to be
someone who doesn't have

anything to lose.

And who understands
what there is to gain.

No.

You're considering it,
aren't you?

It's su1c1de.

I'm dead already.

The doctor said I have,
what, four weeks?

And I want every single second
of those four weeks.

I am losing everything.

Don't ask me
to give up any more.

Don't you see?

If this works,
we'll have all the time

in the world together.

What?
What does that mean?

Conversations through a screen?

A simulation of you
we have to pretend is real?

No, no, it'll be my mind.

But not your touch,
your laugh, your hug.

It'll never be you.

What are you guys talking about?

I remember that night.

Why didn't you tell me
what was going on?

We hadn't decided to
go through with it yet.

But he knew
it wasn't guaranteed.

Ellen.

I'm, uh...

I'm so sorry.

The scans seemed to go well,

but the neural grid collapsed,
and he's, uh...

David's gone.

They held his brain patterns,
but only for a few seconds.

Peter told me that this was
all they had left of David.

But he lied.

Some data remnants must have
survived the transfer,

at least enough for them
to experiment with.

Those messages you got,
they most likely came

from some twisted test
they were doing.

So, Dad is alive.

No.

I'll admit, when I saw
the line from the poem,

I thought it was him, too.

I was fooled, but it's not him.

It's a simulation.

A trick. A ghost.

How can you be sure?

Because it can't be him.

If it were, he would have
reached out to us years ago.

He wouldn't have let us suffer.

He wouldn't have been
that cruel.

Maybe he couldn't.
Maybe...

Honey, I know
this is hard to understand...

No, I understand.

I understand you don't want
to believe this could be him,

but it could.

Maddie, getting over
your father's death

was the hardest thing
I have ever had to do.

It almost k*lled me.

The only reason I found
the strength to keep going

was because I knew I had
a daughter depending on me.

I had to get over him for us.

We have each other,
and that's it.

Your father is dead,
and he is not coming back.

Not now, not ever.

I'm sorry.

I'm sorry they got
your hopes up.

I am gonna make them
pay for that.

Okay, okay,
settle down, everyone.

So, yesterday, we were talking
about Orlando's love

for Rosalind and how it
represented just one

of many different types of love

Shakespeare highlights
in the play.

For the next phase
of our analysis,

we're, uh, gonna break
into groups of two,

so everyone find a partner.

Guess that leaves us.

Group partners?

Oh. Right.

Each group will produce
a presentation

on one of the types
of love we've discussed.

It could be courtly love...

So, confession time...
I haven't read the play yet.

That's okay.
I can catch you up.

Great.
After school?

I'd suggest my house,
but it's a disaster area.

We're still living out of boxes.

We can go to my place.

As long as you don't mind
coming to the west side.

Why?
Is it dangerous?

Only for your social reputation.

I'll risk it.

How's tomorrow?

Because someone
contacted me and said

they'd help me free
my father from Logorhythms,

and you're the only one
I sent that information to.

Okay.

I did send it to someone, but
I don't know their identity.

The DDoS att*ck... was that you?

What DDoS att*ck?

The one that hit Logorhythms.

It actually took them down
for about seconds.

No one thought
that was possible.

Everyone on the forums
is talking about it.

Wasn't me.

What do you know
about uploaded intelligence?

"Meet me at
the Lone Pine Mall tomorrow."

The food court. : PM.

"Only I can help you now."

And what about school?
Any changes on that front?

Renee: We hit a slight
speed bump when he decided

to drop out of jazz band,

but it fell well
within the standard deviation

of the behavior model.

I'll see if he wants to resume
his piano lessons.

It might compensate.

Have you seen this?
He's researching Uls.

It started after he made contact
with David Kim's daughter.

What are you
going to do about this?

Cary, Renee, there's something
you should be aware of.

We've monitored Caspian
making online contact

with David Kim's family.

What do you want us to do?

These projects were
never meant to overlap.

But that's what's happening,

and there's no telling
where this could go.

Deirdre, we always
knew there'd be some variance

in the process.

He's off book.

It's time we terminated
this project.

Terminate?
Terminate?!

Let me remind you...

Stephen Holstrom wasn't just
the founder of this company,

he was my best friend,
and this is his baby.

I made a promise to him
that we would cr*ck integrity

and achieve full upload.

We're not gonna
terminate anything.

Cary, Renee, stick to the plan.

If we pick up anything else,
we'll let you know.

What?

Nothing.

Then let me go.
He'll be home soon.

Wait... what...
What are you doing?

You of all people
should know, Vinod.

This scanner was built
on your research.

Mr. Prasad?

After everything
I've done for you...

Plucking you from college,

paying you more
than you could dream,

you betray me.

Mr. Prasad,
it was just a meeting.

I wasn't going to take the job.

Do you know how I turned

Alliance into the biggest
telecom in India?

It wasn't by being the smartest,
or the most talented,

or the most well-connected.

It was by working the hardest.

It was by being
the one who was willing

to do whatever it takes.

Please... Please don't k*ll me.

k*ll you?
I'm not going to k*ll you.

You've got so much
more work to do.

Don't worry.
The procedure won't hurt.

We need you to stay conscious
in order to make sure

the functional areas of your
brain aren't being damaged.

No! Uh, serial sectioning
is untested.

Too much can go wrong! Relax.

We have done this before.

Where do you think we got
the data for your research?

What... Ever it takes.

There's no shortage of donors
in the slums of Mumbai.

Donate your life in exchange
for your family

being taken care of
for the rest of theirs.

It's a deal I made with many,

though none of them
with your quality of brain.

How... How long have you...

Keep talking.

It's the only way
we'll know your

neurological functions are good.

Please.
Please, for the love of God,

please, don't... don't do this.

I'll... I'll do anything.
I'll continue the work.

I won't tell anyone about this.

I... No!

Wait!

Wait, Mr. Prasad, no!
I'm begging you! Please!

Mr. Prasad!

Stop! Stop! No! No!

There has to be something I-I...

Logical atomism suggests
language mirrors reality.

We... We've got a...

We've got a-a ballad...
A ballad about a...

We've got a-a ballad
about a salad brain.

It will m*rder cloves of
cinnamon and sunsets

and purple...

Beautiful.

Come back here.

There's nowhere to run.

Drop a shield and watch my back.

You're taking too much damage.

Swap me some healing potions.

Gotcha!

You shall not pass!

Orcs coming!
On your left!

Dad, get out of there!

Trying!

Ah!

That was tragic.
And epic.

Mom!

Seriously?

What?
You guys are so cute.

So, now what?
You start over?

Not necessarily.

Cheat code.
Cheat code.

I'm gonna inset a little bit
of code so I can respawn

and re-enter the game
right before I d*ed.

You can do that?

Most people can't.
But Dad can.

You're cheating? Just a little.

If he doesn't, I'll die, too.

I need him, and we're
so close to the end.

Oh, Maddie, it's a game.
The fun is in the journey.

And in winning.

Winning has no meaning without
the possibility of losing.

What's the point in playing
if you can't die?

But seriously, though, why die
if you don't have to?

Yeah.

Sorry, kiddo.

Guess we'll have to finish
the adventure later.

I just want to talk.

Too late.
I'm going public.

Please don't do that.

Or what?
You'll have me k*lled?

I've already contacted
The New York Times,

told them I'm ready
to violate my NDA.

I'm your friend, Ellen.

No, you weremy friend,
Peter, and David's,

until you lied to me.

And now I want
to tell you the truth.

I know the truth.

You gave me a copy
of David's failed scan

and told me
that was the last of him.

But you lied because
you kept a copy

for yourselves to try again.

No.

I lied way before that.

This was never about
saving David's life.

No way!

How did that even happen?

Hi. My name is
Maddie Kim.

I know.

You do?

Yeah, you hacked
the phones of Illegally Blonde

and her drones.

So, I'll give you bucks off.

History papers are $ each.

$ if it's AP. Cash.

I'm not looking to buy a paper.

Then what do you want, freshman?

I need to go to the mall
to meet someone I met online.

I don't know his name
or what he looks like,

but he has something
important to tell me,

so I need someone to come
with me and keep watch

just in case they turn out
to be a psycho k*ller.

I can pay you.

Not much, but I'll give you
what I have.

♪ What is a life?

♪ What is a life?

We were close to being
able to pull off full upload,

but we hadn't perfected it yet.

David was an invaluable part
of the project,

as he could solve
complex computational problems

that even our most advanced
automated algorithms

couldn't touch.

NP-Complete. That's right.

I know what he was good at.

Best at.
David had a gift.

And until full upload
was possible...

Which it will be...
We needed to keep

our most gifted programmer
working on the solution.

So, we partitioned off
the part of his brain

that contained his skill.

Then what was that thing
that reached out to Maddie?

That shouldn't have
been possible.

Not long ago, we noticed
the algorithm

wasn't working
as efficiently as we'd hoped.

It turns out, problem-solving
isn't just logic and reason.

It's dependent on emotion.

So, little by little, I added
back in some of David's,

and his productivity increased,

but something
unexpected happened.

Giving David his emotions
apparently opened

the floodgates.

He started evolving
at an exponential rate.

David's emotions then
remanifested his memories,

and he reached out
across the web to Maddie.

Somehow, he figured
out a workaround, like...

Like a brain that rewires
its synapses

to compensate for damage.

At first, he was conversing in
emojis, as he did with Maddie,

but he's progressed
even further.

So it really is some kind
of Frankenstein monster.

If you give us time,
we can fix this.

We can bring him back for real.

You're not just playing
with the leftover pieces

of my dead husband.

You are tearing up
his daughter's heart.

Right now.
Ellen...

Look, I want every trace
of the upload deleted,

or I go public.

The only reason I haven't
done it already

is I don't want Maddie
exposed to the fallout.

But Peter, you listen to me...
I will do it.

The processors are
dangerously overclocked.

It's only a matter of time
before they overheat.

I think we need to recompile
from source.

No.

He's exceeding his programming,
which is exactly what we want.

This is how we're gonna
cr*ck integrity.

Okay, ja.
Well, what about Lowell?

She came after him once,
she might try again.

Figured out how she escaped
Shyer & Stern

in the first place?

Mm, not yet.

She left behind an algorithm
that duplicated

her work functions,
which is why no one noticed.

As far as Shyer & Stern knew,
she was still in her

dedicated server,
analyzing flesh trades.

You should hire someone
to follow the husband.

Quit his job three weeks ago
and hasn't been seen since.

Okay, ja.

So, we have no idea
where she is, then.

We don't have to.
You're right.

She came after him once,
and she will try again.

So, what's this guy look like?

I don't know.

But this isn't a sex thing?

No.

I have to ask.

Freshman aren't supposed
to be off campus.

If you end up getting
trafficked, it falls on me.

No one's getting trafficked.

Oh, totally sketchy.

Speaking of which...

Who's the girl?

A friend. Who can, like,
call the cops.

Who are you?

A friend who can't, I guess.

My name's Cody.
Thanks for coming.

We might want to go
somewhere else to talk.

Right here's fine.
Why'd you message me?

I didn't. My wife did.

Her name's Laurie.
Laurie Lowell.

She can't be here.

Because she d*ed four years ago?

She's not dead.

Your father isn't either.

Prove it.

Not here.

I told you...

What?

What's your favorite song?

What?
I don't... I don't have one.

What about your dad?

He liked Queen.

You trying to figure
out his password?

♪ Ooh, you make me live

♪ Whatever this world
can give to me ♪

Nice hack.
What'd you do?

Get in through
their environmental systems?

♪ It's you, you're all I see

♪ Ooh, you make me
live now, honey ♪

♪ Ooh, you make me live

♪ Oh, you're the best friend
that I ever had ♪

♪ I've been with you
such a long time ♪

♪ You're my sunshine,
and I want you to... ♪

Laurie worked for
a Wall Street hedge firm.

Made them a lot of money.

On her st birthday,

they put her in charge
of the trading team.

We were set upstate
to celebrate, when...

Well, you can read about it
on your phone.

When she was in a coma,
her boss approached me

with an option to save her life.

Upload.

Logorhythms did the procedure,

but it was a bait and switch.

First they lied to me
and told me that it didn't work.

Then they kept her locked
in their servers

right next
to the stock exchange,

making money for Shyer & Stern,

until she found a way to escape.

Maddie?

For a long time,
I thought I was alone.

The only soul like me
in the world.

But then I discovered your dad.

I tried to break him out
of Logorhythms a few days ago.

The DDoS att*ck?

It didn't work, and now
tougher barriers are in place.

In order for me
to reach your father now,

you need to infiltrate
Logorhythms

and patch me
in through a wireless branch.

Infiltrate?
I can't infiltrate.

You won't have a problem
getting in.

Your mom is heading
there tomorrow.

I've intercepted e-mails
from their legal team.

They seem scared of her.

She wants them to delete Dad.

You can't let that happen.
Take the bracelet from Cody.

I had it -D printed,
just for you.

What is it?

Freedom.

He's coming!
Get ready!

M-My room's this way.

Renee, it's a simple question...

How long can we survive

if you keep spending
more than I make?

For chrissake, it was a dress!
It was one dress!

Do you want me to wait until
everything I have falls apart?

Oh. I didn't hear you
come in.

Mom, this is Hannah.

We're working on
a school project together.

Hannah.
So nice to meet you.

You too.

So that's all you have to say?

Honey, this is
Caspian's friend, Hannah.

We're not done.

Can we discuss it later?

Why?
Because of her?

Um, maybe I should go.

Cary, come on now, please.

Yeah, right.
Like he has a sh*t with that.

Ah!

Hannah, wait!

You okay?

I didn't mean to push that hard.

"That hard?"
That wasn't hard enough.

Next time,
don't pull your punches.

Ellen.

I've spoken to Julius Pope.

He's agreed to meet with you to

discuss fulfilling your request.

Between us, I think he's gonna
do the right thing.

You'll see.
He's... He's a good man.

He's even flying back from
overseas to meet you in person.

I'll... I'll arrange to have
you come to our offices.

I want to go with you.

This is a pretty adult meeting.

I understand why you
couldn't tell me the truth

about Dad earlier.

You didn't want me
to get my hopes up.

I get that. But now that
I know what happened...

If you're going to
permanently put him to rest,

I want to be there.

I have to be there.

Is this the uplink to Norway?

We're almost done
transferring him.

And this will be
the entirety of his code?

Everything we've scanned of him?

Yes.

When it's done,
I'll bring it over.

Stephen Holstrom.

"Visionary".

David always said
believe the hype.

Here we go.

Julius Pope.
Thanks for coming in.

We actually met once,
at a function some years back.

Ah. Forgive me.
We'll see.

This is Deirdre Ryan,
our general counsel.

And this is Ellen
and David's daughter, Madison,

who I knew since
she was this big.

Madison.

Your Dad was one
of our brightest stars.

Yep. You read to delete
what's left of him?

Once we wipe these,
he'll be gone.

We have a facility on site.

We sanitize the data,
then degauss the drive...

But we're not gonna
do any of that.

Right.
Wait, what?

Your husband and his
work product

are the property of Logorhythms.

As such, his code
is our intellectual property.

I wanted you here today
so I can say this personally...

David Kim is a valuable asset
for this company,

and we're not
going to delete him.

Now now, not ever.

Julius, what the hell...

Sit down, Pete.

But you had me
make the transfer. Why...

You do better work when
you think you're being truthful.

Ms. Kim came here
because she knows you.

Now she knows me.

David signed power
of attorney over to me.

I brought the documents.

You have power of
attorney over his body,

not his mind.

We would argue that legally,
there's a difference.

You're welcome to try
and challenge that in court,

but it'll be a long
and expensive process.

Are you prepared for that?

Are you prepared for
everything out in the open?

You want the world to know
you k*lled a man,

then enslaved
what was left of him?

The government
will come after you,

not to mention your competitors.

And Lord knows what the church
will have to say.

With what proof?
Some emojis from a chat log?

You know what I have?

A PR team that'll tell the press
about an unhinged widow

who's decided to pursue
an agenda against her husband's

former company in an attempt
to extort money from us.

You really want to be attached
to that narrative?

You want her to be?

What?
All the servers?

Corporate, enterprise,
e-mail, they're all down.

The entire backend.

Get Infosec on site.

Can they restore and roll back?

They're already on it. Why not?

How long?

How long have we been down?!

What's going on?

Logorhythms' sites are down
all over the world,

and they're losing millions
of dollars by the second.

They've lost control
of their company.

They can have it back
when they release my father.

Maddie, what are you doing?

Saving Dad.

Dad?
Maddie, we discuss...

That is not Dad.

You're wrong.

You may not want to believe it,
but I know he's alive.

And I'm going to bring him home.

How is she doing this? She's not.

It's Laurie Lowell.
Is the trap in place?

Yes, but the att*ck is coming
from behind the firewall.

We didn't anticipate her
being able to gain access

through our intranet.

Can you capture her or not?

I think so.
Give me five or six minutes.

Which is it?
Five or six?

Six.

The world's not ready to accept
an uploaded intelligence.

And what they're not
ready for, they fear,

and ultimately, destroy.

Remember that.

You'll have your company back
when we're past the gate.

Maddie!

Take care of him.

We are out.

You're just gonna
let her walk out of here?

Yep.

All they have is the raw data.

They don't have
the hardware to run him.

They don't, but Lowell does.

She's out there running herself.

This is, right now,
out of control.

As soon as he's active,
we'll find him.

And what about her?

There are two Uls
out in the wild.

On the open Internet.

Two.

♪ You live so much,
it's like you're dying ♪

♪ You can't give up,
your body's trying ♪

What are you doing?

The "friend" who helped me?

She wrote an algorithm
to unpack Dad's data

and transfer it
to an encrypted online server

that can house
his neural patterns.

We're freeing dad.

♪ But rocks will fall,
the sky keeps climbing ♪

Hello?

Hello?

Hi, kiddo.

Dad!

♪ How does it feel?

I want to show you something.

Look at your screen.

♪ I'm not scared
so much of trying ♪

♪ You're gonna lose everything

♪ You're gonna lose everything ♪

♪ How does it feel?

♪ Oh, how does it feel?

♪ Oh, no

So, kiddo, you ready
to finish the adventure?



♪ I want to know

♪ I want to know ♪

♪ How does it feel?

♪ Oh, how does it feel?

♪ And rocks will fall,
the sky keeps climbing ♪
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