I want you out.
- Did I miss the announcement? - I got one of the spots.
- And I didn't? - Well...
- I got it. Oh my God. We're both going to the Portland Game Expo.
- We have to build from the ground level.
- I love it. What's the budget?
- It's right There. - Denied. Design a program
- for the entire state. Deal? - I think something's going on
- with you lately. - You know someone sent me a
video this morning. You can't be kind to dangerous
- people, mom. It hurts me. - I know it's scary, but try
- not to be too... - Schizophrenic?
I know you're thinking I'm just like uncle Ike.
- Hello? - She said yes.
- Congratulations. - I wanted to ask...
- Go ahead. - There is something connecting
us to something way stranger and deeper than anything we can
- possibly imagine. - Honey, you are taking your
medication, right?
I'm quitting this fucking game.
No. You can't quit the game.
The Expo is a huge professional opportunity.
But the idea of spending the next 24 hours
crunching down for glitches and bugs...
while I'm still so fucking numb with what happened with Henry...
not to mention sometimes I see shit
that's not really there.
Fuck. Am I ever gonna feel okay again?
You will be okay, Ramon.
You are okay.
I believe in you.
I want you to think of your game,
specifically the artistry of your game,
as part of your healing process.
It's filled with such rich imagery
that I believe is very meaningful.
For example, the men with the slashed-up backs.
The meat mooks.
That's just what I call 'em.
What's weird is I found these drawings I made when I was a kid.
The meat mooks, 11:11.
Why was I drawing that shit when I was six years old?
The meat mooks.
Are they based on any historical or cultural precedent?
Not really, no. They're just...
I mean, their bloodied backs makes them look threatening, yeah, but...
they're facing away from us...
as if they were ashamed that we can see their wounds,
but they all have them.
- Are they self-inflicted? - No, no, no, no.
I always thought it was where their wings
were before they were taken away.
Oh, so they're angels.
No. No, no, no, they're just...
They're just guys who used to have wings.
They want them back, though. I know that.
And the butterfly on the wall?
Which one? There's a hundred of them.
The one that's unique.
Why did you choose that particular breed?
Because I thought it was cool.
You didn't choose it because of the 11:11 markings on its wings?
The...?
Fuck me.
Oh my god. That's... that's exactly what it is. That... that's what it is.
Are you aware that the other butterflies are in nine groups of 11 each?
Yeah, yeah, but I designed that part of the game
way before I even saw that fucking number.
Are you aware...
that the street number to this building is 11 squared
and the number to this suite is 22 times 100?
I'm 22.
There are 100 butterflies in your game, Ramon.
Wait. Where are you going?
- We still have 15 minutes left. - Yeah,
and I got less than 24 hours before PGX,
and there's still a lot of work to do.
I will see you later, Fred.
Be careful.
"My soul is bereft of peace.
"I tell myself that my future is lost,
"as is all that I hoped from the Lord.
"As I remember my affliction and my wanderings,
"the wormwood and the gall!
"As I dwell on these sufferings over and over...
"my soul is downcast...
within me."
This is the word of the Lord.
Praise be to God.
Hi.
Hey.
You're Michael's fiancée...
Emma.
Professor Boatwright.
I hope you know how much Michael loved you.
I know.
You must be devastated.
I'm so relieved I don't have to go through with the wedding.
Michael was a different person at home,
like total rageaholic
binge drinker...
major demons.
In and out of rehab. That's where he found your book.
Some meth addict gave it to him.
The only reason I came to this fucking funeral
is because Michael's poor mom begged me to.
But...
if you felt this way
about Michael, why did... you say yes?
I had to.
Because I'm Catholic, and with the pregnancy scare...
- You're pregnant? - No. No, I thought I was,
but it was a false positive.
Thank God. Michael would've been a horrible father.
I mean, you'd know. You're a dad.
Parenting shit's hard, right?
Hey, babe, coach wants me to run conditioning,
so you're gonna have to pick up Hailey from Jamila's.
And, uh, oh, don't forget,
tomorrow I'm biking with Duc and the boys.
Uh-huh. Sure.
Hey, this is the Bro-lympics. I really can't cancel.
Seriously? Are you still mad at me?
Nope, but I really gotta work. Okay? Bye.
What...
the fuck?
Various mass-extinction theories account
for the end of the Permian period,
including flood basalt eruptions,
catastrophic methane release...
Make it bigger than that.
- Hey, what the fuck are you doing? - Oh my god, run.
What the fuck? Say a word and this pic goes viral.
Fuck you.
Pig ugly bitch.
There. You see that, right?
Dex, I didn't ask you to come here for nothing.
What the fuck is that?
So it was real?
Optically, the pixels existed, yes.
Dex, I... I didn't program that.
You probably just texture-mapped a fire particle on of your wind effects.
No, that's impossible, because the code bases are independent.
Mmm.
Well, it's gone now.
It's freaking me out, Dex.
Dude.
The probability of those pixels
being your code self-modifying
versus human error is about infinity to one.
Recompile your assets. Don't freak.
Hey.
Maybe they still think the swastika is the Sanskrit symbol for "well-being"?
I'm pretty sure that the girl who moves her mouth while reading street signs
is not familiar with Sanskrit.
We have to destroy Madison and her fucktard she-goblins.
Slippery slope.
They're all slippery, Navid.
That's why they're called slopes.
Don't take the high road.
_
I set up a call with you, me, and the governor later today.
Eric and I go way back.
Eric Baugher's a fascist.
Oh. Okay. That's one opinion,
but he's the governor, and we need him.
Some notes for your pitch.
What's this?
Chicken scratch.
I have no idea what that says.
Something like, "Invent your axslayer"?
No, "Invest in your taxpayer."
"Children... with no cakes"?
- "Cost to the state." - Okay.
Okay.
Really, if you don't like it, we don't...
I like it.
Good.
Of course I am appalled.
Wanna know the real reason why we're all here today?
American imperialism.
The Shah was all your doing.
And by "you" I don't mean you,
- specifically. - Farid.
I mean the American-you,
which stands to reason you are a part of, Principal Schneider.
The institutional-you or, contextually,
the school-you, responsible for aiding and abetting white supremacy.
Excuse me.
You came to our son's school high?
I didn't come here high on purpose.
I was high when I got the call.
- Hey. - Hey.
- Can I...? - Come in.
Oh. You rearranged.
- Last year. - Looks nice.
Thanks.
So, is everything okay with the foreword?
You didn't say... No, no, it's fine.
If you want to make revisions, we...
Nah, I sent it to the publisher.
Well, okay. Great.
I was just at a funeral nearby.
One of my students.
Michael.
You met him...
at the gym.
He died.
Ah.
I sort of...
saw myself in that kid.
Thought I knew him. I really thought I knew him, but...
then...
bam, he's gone, and I find out that...
he's...
Yeah.
Well, he certainly...
wasn't who I thought he was.
I guess you never really...
can truly know... another person.
Yeah.
People are disappointing.
You okay?
Stomachache.
Are you upset with me about anything?
Hmm.
Well... I must be out of sorts.
Yeah.
- That sucks. - Yeah.
Yeah, I just stopped by Duc's.
He seems really off.
Anyway, regarding you and me, I just wanna say
I'll never be able to apologize enough.
When you get this message, give me a call...
if you want. I'd like that.
- What are you doing? - Uh, just cleaning out my desk.
That's Michael's desk.
Oh, I'm Bethany. I'm your new TA.
Since when?
Since they sent an email.
Might wanna pick up your phone before you step on it.
I'll clean the desk!
Okay.
Jesus.
Thank you, Governor, for taking the time to speak with us.
Always glad to talk.
I'm on a bit of a schedule today.
Kelly has me double-booked.
I gave the governor 100 grand during the race.
So, that said, dazzle me, Ms. Bayer.
Take your time.
Governor, last year our state garnered unwanted national attention
over a brutal playground gun incident.
Yeah. Steven, you know my position on that.
- "Guns don't kill people." - People kill people,
but unfortunately, Governor, the people killing people
are getting younger and younger.
Our kids today need to learn a new vocabulary
conflict resolution, anger management, and empathy skills.
Eric, did we lose you?
No, no, keep going.
Sounds interesting.
Governor, we...
- Hi. - Hey, come on in.
Ashley, I didn't realize she was your mother.
No, it's okay, really. Malcolm emailed and said.
- I'm sorry. - No, no, I'm glad he did.
And since then I've gone down a total Google rabbit hole.
Your mom's clearly trying to do some good in the world.
Well, "trying" being the operative word.
At least she tries.
Uh, thank you for watching Hailey.
- I'm just gonna grab... - Oh, girl, no problem.
You know what? Come on in. You need a drink.
Deserve a drink.
- Oh. - Ashley, Corey's mom, Gwendolyn.
Mom, Hailey's mom, Ashley.
A pleasure.
- How about a glass of wine? - Yes.
Okay.
- Lovely boots. - Oh, thanks.
My childhood friend, Yvette Thompson, wore boots like that.
Always said she was gonna kick up a revolution.
Oh yeah? Fashion trends do tend to circle back.
Oh yeah, they all do.
Damned if I can tell you if little Vettie ever kicked up a revolution,
but I sure loved the way she said it.
Come on. Come on back here, have a seat.
Okay.
And for that, the Steven Benjamin Foundation
will invest in your taxpayer's children
with absolutely no cost to the state.
Let me talk to the chancellor.
- Thanks, Eric. - We'll be in touch.
He's in.
Ooh! Fantastic!
Way to go! Nice spin!
- I wasn't spinning. - You weren't?
Well, sincerity is the best spin then.
We need to celebrate. Drink?
Great!
Great. Great.
Actually, can I take a rain check?
Where the fuck are you?
And what the fuck are you?
Hey.
I shouldn't have told you about Henry.
You should come to the game expo tomorrow.
I'm not mad at you.
- Want to hang out? - Nope.
We're sorry. You have reached a number
that has been disconnected or is no longer in service.
Meep!
Your dad left a message.
He said you seem off.
I'm fine.
Is it your colitis?
I'm fine.
I know you're not fine.
You're out of non-dairy soy creamer.
When you get like this, you need to open up.
- You need to talk. - I don't need to talk, Mom.
Do you need to talk?
I don't need to talk.
But clearly your intestines want to be heard.
Please tell me it's not like that time when you were little
and had that accident at school, is it?
Who makes a seven-year-old give a book report in front of the whole class?
You... you were ESL, for God's sakes.
It's not like that time, Mom.
As long as it's regular diarrhea and not explosive.
There's no blood in the stool, right?
So anyway, everybody running around,
- screaming about the haints. - Haints?
Oh, South Carolina thing.
Anyway, here I am,
six and a half years old, standing in the middle of the road,
all by myself, all windows, doors and shutters are painted blue.
Which is what they do to get rid of the haints, but it clearly didn't work.
Ashley doesn't have enough on her plate. Jamila, put some more on her plate.
Oh, I do. It's... it's delicious.
But it's just so rich.
I told you. Butter good enough for my mama is good enough for me.
All I'm saying is margarine contains good fats which help produce...
- All I'm saying is... - No.
Okay, wait, wait, wait. Back to the haints.
- First off, what are they? - Phantoms, ghosts.
The whole idea goes back to slavery times.
Really, "haints" is just a deconstruction of systematic oppression
projected onto some sort of apparitional spirit.
Someone has to deconstruct it. Might as well be God.
All I know is that I saw something, and so did the old folks.
Of course they did.
I believe you.
See? She believes me.
Thank you, Ashley.
Mommy, I like this chicken better than Daddy's.
That's between us.
Grandma, can I have dessert please?
You can.
Here, try some more.
_
I stopped by Duc's.
Something's bothering him.
And Ramon, could you...
could you go to his game thing tomorrow?
I've got work and...
he needs you.
You want this?
Fucking pathetic piece of shit.
Hey.
You should've woken me.
I could've had an early patient.
I'm not your enabler.
Are you suggesting I'm an addict?
What's going on with you?
What's going on with you? Hmm?
You're smoking pot regularly,
you think you have some sort of psychic connection to a patient.
- I do have a psychic connection to him. - Okay.
Come on, Layla.
Haven't you always wanted me to be open to the unexplainable?
People are painting swastikas on our son's locker...
and this is what you're focusing on.
Farid, I don't know.
It's all just starting to look a little manic.
This is not mania.
This is bigger than me, or Ramon, or anyone else.
Attention, exhibitors.
The floor will be open to the public in half an hour.
Exhibitors, please have your booths ready for game time.
Did you get the ghost out of your machine?
Did the professor really say that Maztastic Studios wants a demo from us?
That is what I'm talking about.
We got this, girl.
I thought you didn't like games.
Well, I feel it's important that Ramon...
and that all you kids know that
I truly love you and support you.
And your mom.
Well, I don't think that parental love is very effective.
I mean, the Earth is currently experiencing
major species die-offs.
We're entering the sixth mass extinction.
Nevertheless, let's try to make today a day worth living.
Oh my god, you sound like Duc.
Oh shit!
Fuck!
- Woo! Woo! - Yeah, baby, it worked.
You should've seen me Huck that jump.
Good for Phil. I knew he could do it.
Ah, Duc bonked. Hey, you know it's all you, man.
Duc Bay-Boat dialed me in. I did everything he said...
green drink, thought projection,
- not to mention I was celibate. - You were?
- He was not. - No way.
Yes way. Thanks a lot, Duc.
Congrats, and props to Malcolm.
Oh yeah, second place. It's like number-one loser.
Hey, second place
is a personal best for Malcolm.
First place, first round. You know the rules.
- That's right. - I can't believe you're first, baby.
Philip rising! Long may he reign!
Yeah! Woo!
Fucking...
Being able to pan around...
Let's find Ramon.
It's all very overwhelming for you, isn't it?
Huh.
You ask a lot of the player in this section.
Most people are gonna wanna give up.
- Like life. - Like life, yeah.
But games aren't life.
Games reward the player.
So, in this cavern, where's the reward?
Besides getting out, there's no immediate reward, but...
How about a leveling system?
There aren't points for advancement, no,
but the player will sense some sort of progression, because...
the graphic is super cool and beautiful hopefully.
In life, we accumulate wealth for work.
Realms isn't always fair.
It seems like all I'm doing is walking around,
looking at butterflies, trying to figure out
which one does anything, but they're all identical.
Are they?
So look for the different one. Well, I'm an idiot.
Hey, yo, bro.
Here we go.
Huh.
It's gorgeous.
Huh. Thanks.
You know, I'm looking
for more of a skill-based component.
Not really interested in puzzle games.
Well, Realms is a puzzle game,
but instead of reasoning and deduction,
the game uses dream logic.
You have to talk to the help desk and get a ticket.
I tried emailing them.
- And...? - It didn't go through.
- You're not on the intra-net. - Oh yes, I am.
You're on the Internet. You need to be on the intra-net.
How... how do I do that?
Log on to the portal.
You know what? I've got the perfect lamp from home.
Okay, but you're still gonna need to submit a ticket for approval.
You need approval for bulbs.
I've got my... my own bulbs. I'm not gonna...
We're grid neutral, completely solar,
which means you need approval for light bulbs,
so they're all LED.
Ralph?
Uh, yes, ma'am?
Could you please ask Steven to come down to my office?
Oh my god.
When did war become entertainment?
"The Iliad"?
But what you're doing, it's different.
Your game isn't about body count or violence.
It's more like a meditation
on humanity's struggle with the cruelty of existence...
loneliness, pain.
Right?
Am I close?
I'm proud of you.
You've done a beautiful thing here.
I mean, seriously, this place is crazy.
You are not fitting in with your outfit.
You seriously should've seen Greg Bayer-B.
He was completely floored.
Yeah, I bet. He had no idea what was going on.
- Wait, look. - Master Chief!
"H" One.
- What's the problem? - She doesn't have the forms.
Why does she need the forms?
Well, because Benjamin BioScience,
Benjamin Ventures, and the Benjamin Foundation
are all grid neutral.
Okay, I need you to get Audrey a lamp
and you to fill out the form.
- Of course. - Okay.
Hey.
I should probably learn
how to download forms myself.
That's what interns are for.
Is that rain check still available?
Ew! Nice ride, bitches!
Neanderthal behavior must be a byproduct of celibacy.
So, your bed's been cold for over two weeks now?
How's that been for you?
It sucks.
- It's your fault. - Oh, it's my fault.
Blow me.
Mmm.
Sorry, Wen. I can't.
Phil's one of my best friends.
Hi. You rocked it.
Is it okay if I take off?
Of course.
Thanks for coming.
Where's Dad?
I don't know.
Whoa!
Oh!
Whoa!
Yeah!
Me? Oh, I love being divorced.
Yes! Every day is Christmas.
No regrets?
No!
Well, maybe at first, sure,
but then... I came to my senses.
Well then...
Okay, what about you and Greg?
Still perfect in paradise?
Uh, well... having four kids,
that can put a lot of stress on your relationship.
You keep up with anyone from Berkeley?
Not even Barbara Yueling?
Barb died last year.
Stomach cancer.
Barb's younger than us.
Wasn't it Barb's idea to go to the No Nukes march in New York,
and then she totally bailed and got that job at Pepsi?
Jeez. Sellout.
You sort of had a thing for Barb.
I did not have a thing for Barb.
- She had a thing for you. - Mmm, maybe.
Do you remember that night
you and I went for beers over on Telegraph,
just the two of us?
I could've gone home with you that night, couldn't I?
- You weren't really into me. - Oh ho ho, I was into you.
You... were a player.
Changed girlfriends like you changed the channel.
Oh. I... all right, maybe I was sort of a player,
but I... I was very busy.
- With what? - Fighting the man.
And also, you... you never laughed at my jokes.
'Cause jokes are supposed to be funny.
I was into you.
Okay, but all I'm saying is that a definite advantage to being a guy
is not having
to deal with public restrooms
on your lady days.
And also not having your Mom throw you a red moon party.
- No! - Yeah, she did.
That's so... lame, it... it's cool.
Okay, don't endorse the crazy.
Yeah, I'd be cool with celebrating womanhood.
Like a Bat Mitzvah, a quinceañera, or some sort of...
rite of passage.
I just don't wanna be a culture vulture.
Close your eyes.
You know, in the '80s,
people used to say rap wasn't real music,
because it stole parts from other people's songs.
But now, sampling someone, that's... reverence.
Can I open my eyes?
Yeah.
Okay.
I just wanna create my own thing...
like an alt-mitzvah.
But not like "alt" as in "alt-left" and "alt-right."
"Alt" as in...
free will.
Power to choose.
Like an alterna-mitzvah.
Exactly.
All right. Another round you fucking idiots?
No, it's Duc's turn to get the beers.
Bring some spring rolls while you're at it.
Jesus Christ.
I got it.
That's good.
Who's the "Last Samurai" now, huh?
Yo, we're just giving each other shit, right?
It's all good.
- Hey, Phil. - Mmm?
You might wanna lay off the celibacy thing.
I had to blue-ball your girl in the bathroom line.
Oh shit!
- Yo, Duc! - Hey, Duc!
Duc!
Stop! Stop it!
Come on, man, stop it!
Duc! Come on, man! Stop!
Oh jeez. Jesus. Not cool, man. So not cool.
For clarification, I'm not Japanese or Chinese.
I'm Vietnamese, you fucking idiot.
Fuck you, Duc. Get the fuck outta here, man.
- Shut the fuck up! - Fuck you, Malcolm!
- Fuck off, - Phil! No.
- What the fuck? - Fuck, man.
My fucking nose.
Hi, Jamila, it's Ashley.
I was... I was just calling to... to thank you
for that amazing dinner last night. I...
The hospital?
Oh my god, I'm so sorry.
Y... well, please...
please give Gwendolyn my best. I... yes, we'll talk later. Okay.
What engine did you say you're using?
It's a hybrid. Part Unity, part I built on my own.
- Built on your own? - Yeah.
And does it get too buggy?
- No. - Well, it's running pretty smooth.
If we up the OS to 64-bit, integrate DirectX 10 sound,
and run it on the RX580, it could exist in AAA space.
So, what do you say? Want to stop by the office?
Ramon?
Sure. Yeah.
That is not me.
Pretty sure this mirror doesn't have a portal
to an alternate universe, so...
it's you.
Oh my god.
Oh my god, I look like a supremacist.
- You didn't do this. - Yeah. No.
It doesn't matter if it's fucking real.
Madison hates people like me.
She's gonna make me look like a Nazi.
We have to get her back.
Yeah. Okay, we're taking the low road then.
Yeah. The low road.
Mmm.
Hi.
Hi, Gwendolyn.
How are you feeling?
Child.
Who are you?
Ashley Collins.
Hailey's mom? From dinner last night?
Oh.
Why are you here?
This isn't real.
No. This is not happening.
This is not real!
This is not happening! What?
Stop!
- Stop! - Ramon!
- Stop! - Easy.
I got you.
- Get them off of me! - I got you.
No! What do they want?
I don't know.
I got you. I got you.
I got you. I got you. I got you.
So, when's this gonna happen?
What?
This.
Ralph, I thought I told you...
Oh. Umm...
Okay.
Greg's been trying to get ahold of you.
He said it's an emergency with your son.
I just want it to stop.
I understand.
But you also need to pursue the deeper meaning
- that lies underneath... - Fuck deeper meaning.
I don't wanna see shit.
I don't wanna hear shit.
I just wanna be the person that I used to be.
Happy.
I need to tell you something, Ramon.
- Okay. - My mother...
the woman you dreamed...
used her nails to claw four gashes in her cheek.
That actually happened...
and I saw it, and I still see it.
And then there's this.
What the fuck?
You dreamed my mother, and I think I dreamt yours,
your birth mother. She called me mijo.
- Dude. - My birthday is November 11th...
11/11.
How come you never told me any of this?
'Cause I thought you might be playing an elaborate hoax.
You knew so many things about me,
things nobody knows about me.
It's no accident that I'm your psychiatrist.
Fred, this is a little weird.
I know it feels weird...
but it's the truth.
Can you go now, please?
Yes, of course.
Let's schedule our next session.
Yeah, let's not.
And I'll call you if I think I need you, which I don't.
- Ramon, this is very important for... - Oh my fucking god.
What does it take? Just get out of my room, man.
- Okay. - Well, then get the fuck out! Come on!
Get the fuck out then, dude!
- Get out! - What's going on?
For fuck's sake! Can you tell him to leave me the fuck alone?
I mean, get the fuck outta my room, Fred!
Go! Leave me the fuck alone!
What the fuck is his problem?
I'd like to increase treatment
to bi-weekly visits if possible.
It's not uncommon for a patient experiencing psychotic symptoms to...
What the fuck?
What the fuck is Fred still doing here?
He's leaving now.
I'm sorry, Doctor. You should go.
My biggest fear is that Ramon no longer feels he needs help.
He's the crazy one, Mom.
Look, I'm serious. I don't ever want to see this guy ever again, okay?
I'm the patient. It's my fucking choice.
Can we call you?
Yes.
Feel free to.
We just need to regroup...
figure out our next step.
Okay.
We'll think of something.
You always thought it didn't matter that I'm black.
Is that a crime?
I don't... I don't get it, Ashley, okay?
'Cause now it's like there's suddenly something wrong with us.
Do you think there's something wrong with us?
No, but I think you do.
Ashley, you've been black and I've been white since we met.
Yes.
It never stopped us from being great together. Never.
Till now.
So...
So I don't know.
It feels like there's something outside of me.
Something... something...
pushing me off-balance.
You mean, like...
like 'cause the whole country's a fucking mess right now?
Maybe. Maybe that's it.
Hello?
Ike?
Ike, is that you?
It's your little sister, Audrey.
Umm...
I thought you stopped calling.
Oh, no.
Ike, you're right. I missed a couple of calls.
- Sorry. - Is everything okay?
I've been thinking about the kids.
Everything's fine.
I... I had a bad day.
Why?
Stuff.
Tell me a joke.
What do you call a magic dog?
I don't... I don't know. What?
A labra-cadabra.
You're lying.
Everything is not fine.
Synced & corrected by -robtor- www.addic7ed.com