How i Died S4 E10: No Greater Reason

Transcript: How i Died S4 E10: No Greater Reason

This transcript is adapted from the episode’s original script, so the final audio may differ slightly.

INT. FACILITY, JON'S ROOM – DAY

Jon: …I am not a experiment, doctor Lewis.

Iris: I understand, but–

Jon: I don't think you do. I was already held here against my will, not allowed to leave. And now that guy says I'm under observation?

Iris: Alex, can you excuse us?

Alex: Uh, of course.

Jon: Well?

Iris: Thing still need to be discussed, but…

Jon: With who?

Iris: People above my paygrade.

Jon: Whoever the hell that was.

Iris: That was my father, Springfield CEO.

Jon: His name's Royce or something. He was younger than you…

Iris: We're in a very unique position here, doctor Spacer.

Jon: You gotta be kidding me.

Iris: You've been injected with an untested serum. Surely you can't expect to leave.

Jon: I'm not letting you study me.

Iris: You are right now. The fact that you're not dead… Or purple yet.

Jon: Yet?!

Iris: We don't know what's going to happen to you now, doctor Spacer. (sighs) Doctors Mitz and Lamb are in the lab now that Amelia's been cleared out. They'd like to talk to you. No studying other than monitoring your vitals if need be. Is that fair?

Jon: Do I have a choice?

Iris: Of course you do. Stay in here without people keeping an eye on you, or get back to work nearby professionals who may be able to help you should you experience a medical emergency. (beat) What's it going to be?

INT. FACILITY, LAB – DAY

[BEEPING of machines in an otherwise empty room. Two people rush around Jon, examining, poking and prodding him, Doctors Mitz and Lamb.]

Mitz: And how do you feel?

Jon: Fine.

Lamb: Just fine?

Jon: Maybe Alex wasn't so crazy talking about Deja Vu after all.

Lamb: What did you say?

Jon: Nothing. I'm okay. My chest hurts from where I got stabbed, maybe a headache, but other than that–

Lamb: Has the headache been getting worse?

Jon: Since I woke up and was told that I couldn't leave, then got shoved in here to be monitored? Yeah, I'd say the headache has gotten worse.

Mitz: We're just trying to monitor your health, doctor Spacer. Let us do our job.

[They get back to work.]

Jon: Do you guys know who you're working for?

Lamb: Doctor Lewis.

Jon: I meant this place, this… corporation.

Lamb: What do you mean?

Mitz: Lamb. He clearly knows.

Lamb: Hmph.

Jon: Springfield Corp.

Mitz: You say that with such vitriol.

Jon: Shouldn't I?

Mitz: Why did you get into medicine, doctor Spacer? And please don't say "to help people."

Jon: What other reason is there?

Lamb: The money, the scientific exploration, the potential to play god with other people's lives. Not me, or you really, just… those are some reasons people do it.

Mitz: Right… so what was yours?

Jon: Yeah, I get it — You can save the whole speech. You're not gonna convince me that your reason for working at a place like this is deep down altruistic.

Mitz: I'm just saying. We're working on a cure for what's already been done. There's no need to dwell on the past.

Jon: Hundreds if not thousands of people were killed because of this company.

Lamb: So?

Jon: God.

Lamb: I mean, I didn't do it. I didn't even work here when they did those tests. But you're saying we shouldn't move forward because of it? What if we develop a cure?

Lamb: What if we can stop the effects of the geomagnetic storms from every impacting humanity again? Should we give up on that because the company's done some sketchy things in the past?

Jon: Yes! Absolutely.

Lamb: Then dissolve it and rename it something else. It's all the same.

Mitz: I think what my colleague here is trying to say is that there will always be these big corporations pushing for the advancement of scientific exploration. If we can make a difference for the future…

Jon: Then it's worth it? That sounds a whole hell of a lot like "to help people."

Lamb: You don't get how any of this works. Do you have the millions of dollars in funding to pay for all of this? Lab equipment, staff, a facility to actually develop something? No? Me neither. So somebody's gotta fund it.

[Jon's heartrate monitor starts beeping erratically.]

Mitz: Are you okay?

Jon: Yeah, just– Chest pain. A little frustrated.

Lamb: Don't get all bothered on my account.

Mitz: Doctor Lamb. (beat) Jon, do you have a history of anxiety attacks?

Jon: No. Why?

Mitz: Heavy breathing, dizziness, unprompted anger, anything like that? I'm just trying to gauge if this is a chronic condition or a new symptom of the vaccine.

Jon: I don't have anxiety attacks.

Lamb: Yeah, doctor Mitz. He's just idealistic and naïve. And I'm stressing him out.

Mitz: Doctor Lamb–

Lamb: No, I'm sick of this. I'm sick of these weirdos come in here and thinking they can tell us how terrible we are for doing our job. First Alex, now you and that batshit doctor Gatz. None of you should be here and I'm gonna make sure you won't be.

Jon: Trust me, I wish I wasn't here.

Lamb: Yeah well maybe they'll ship you back to prison like Gatz.

Mitz: Please excuse yourself, doctor Lamb.

[Lamb grunts and walks out.]

Jon: Was he for real or was he trying to get my heart rate up?

Mitz: Probably both.

Jon: Why does everyone here manipulate and lie to get results rather than just being straightforward?

Mitz: If he'd asked you to get your heart rate up, could you raise it just by willing it?

Jon: It's not funny.

Mitz: The good news is that your heart seems stable. The bad news is that you are definitely experiencing some kind of–

Jon: It's nothing.

Mitz: So this has happened before? That's the only reason you wouldn't be alarmed by this. What if we introduce a mild sedative–

Jon: When can I go?

Mitz: You need a bathroom break?

Jon: No.

[Mitz works for a moment in silence, then–]

Mitz: Doctor Lamb–

Jon: You don't have to apologize for him.

Mitz: I wasn't going to. He was right.

Jon: Oh.

[Mitz keeps working as he talks.]

Mitz: Did you know the 2013 storm shut down the power for an entire metropolitan city for over a day?

Jon: I heard about a power outage. But wasn't the 2013 storm supposed to be a false alarm?

Mitz: Who knows what they're telling people these days. I can't keep track of the media spin.

Jon: More like a media blackout.

Mitz: It happened in Toronto. I'm not sure how much you know about the data behind it all.

Jon: Only what I could find out online. So… not much.

Mitz: Earth's been getting these geomagnetic storms for thousands of years. It's just a simple sunspot burst that send out a little too much energy.

Jon: Sounds simple.

Mitz: The problem is the technology. When the biggest storm happened, it was 1859. They called it The Carrington Event. Internally it's how we refer to them. Not just any of the storms. The major testing sites.

Jon: Why are you telling me this?

Mitz: As you can imagine, tech in 1859 wasn't nearly as advanced. The solar flare ended up frying all the telegraph machines across Europe and North America.

Mitz: Some of the electricity even traveled through the machines and shocked the operators. Even though the power was out nearly across the country, there were reports of telegraphs still being sent from Boston to Portland. The machines were still operational.

Jon: Did anyone die?

Mitz: You're missing the important thing: Technology was working without manmade electricity. For two hours, across the country. Then it shut off for forty-eight hours.

Jon: I'd think people's lives were the important thing.

Mitz: Do you have any kids, doctor Spacer?

Jon: I don't.

Mitz: Well I do. A little boy, Elliot. He's three now. Even before he was born, when my wife was pregnant, it's when I realized I needed to do something. I'm not an engineer or a physicist. But I am a biochemist. So I signed on here. (beat) I don't care about anyone else. I don't care about helping people on an individual level. But imagining a global blackout, with our reliance on technology these days… I'm talking a storm of greater magnitude, and mind you they've been getting more intense over time — that could wipe out the grid. No stock exchange, no communication, no sewage, ventilators, pace-makers, no internet. (beat)

Mitz: It sounds silly to say no internet, but our society wouldn't function with a global or even just national blackout. Hundreds of thousands of people or more would be dead in a week's time. What if it lasted longer? If we don't figure out a way to harness these flares or even stop them… I don't want my son to be one of those hundred thousand, and I certainly don't want him to turn into one of those.

[One of the creatures howls in the distance.]

Jon: And you think Amelia can help with that?

Mitz: Unlike doctor Lamb, I think we could use all the help we can get before the next storm.

Jon: You know what… I will take that bathroom break now.

[Mid-roll music out and in]

INT. FACILITY, HALL – DAY

[A door opens, Jon sneaks in and takes a few steps. Then a voice from nearby–]

Squires: Spacer.

Jon: Jesus you scared me.

Squires: Sneaking around again? There's no need.

Jon: I was headed to Amelia's room. I'm guessing Alex is in there, which is why you're posted up out here, huh?

Squires: Alex insisted she's a non-threat. She's restrained.

Jon: And you're stopping me, because you still think I am a threat?

Squires: Wrong. You're now a non-threat.

Jon: Great. Wait. Why?

Squires: That upsets you?

Jon: I just figured you'd be antagonistic the whole time we were here. What changed your mind?

Squires: I spoke with that cop friend of yours, Eric Mendez. Turns out he's Alex' brother. Since you care about Mendez, I only see about a ten percent chance you'd hurt Alex.

Jon: …Thanks?

Squires: I'd heard you enjoy sneaking into places you're not supposed to go, and I have to admit, you did seem like you'd be a lot more of a threat on paper. There are now more likely candidates.

Jon: Like who? Look, were both brought here to do the same thing, so–

Squires: Wrong again.

Jon: How? How is that possibly wrong?

Squires: You're here to figure out who killed Alex. I'm here to prevent it from happening.

Jon: So you weren't hired by Iris or Alex then? They both think it's inevitable.

Squires: You were pretty good at solving stuff before you let yourself get blackmailed. I stopped you to offer you a job. (beat) If you ever decide you want to stop sneaking around, our team could use someone like you.

Jon: What agency did you say you're with again?

Squires: FBI.

Jon: The FBI only hires American citizens.

Squires: Pick another agency then.

Jon: Great. Can you just let me in now?

[Squires steps aside.]

Squires: Transport for Gatz will arrive in about thirty minutes. But if you ask me, the crazy bitch deserves a bullet to the head.

Jon: Good thing nobody asked you.

[Jon enters Amelia's room.]

INT. FACILITY, AMELIA'S ROOM – DAY

[Jon enters as Amelia's handcuffs jingle. Alex turns around.]

Alex: Jon.

Amelia: Johnny boy.

Jon: Sorry to interrupt.

Amelia: Were your ears burning?

Jon: Alex, I wanted to talk to you. And maybe doctor Lewis. Amelia… she didn't mean to inject me. It was accident.

Amelia: Whoa, don't go accusing me of something like that.

Jon: –If she's doing good work here, I don't think she should be kicked out for what happened.

Alex: Jon, brzzzt, we know it was an accident.

Jon: You do?

Alex: There's surveillance everywhere. I mean, I haven't seen the tapes myself, brzzt, but I'm told we saw everything. Even if she didn't mean to stab you, she still stole the vaccine and attempted to release one of the monsters. Iris won't let her stay. You know how strict she is.

Amelia: It was either get shipped back to prison or get fed to one of those creatures. Hard choice.

Alex: She's kidding.

Amelia: I'm not, it really was a hard choice.

Alex: She–

Jon: I know. But I was talking to the doctors in the lab and Mitz really thinks she can help–

Amelia: Jesus fucking Christ, Jon.

Jon: What?

Amelia: How are you this stupid? You could've died. I killed your friend. Are you just so devoid of emotional truth that your opinion gets swayed back and forth by whoever you're talking to at the time? (super sarcastic) I really like you, Johnny, we should be best friends. Help me escape.

Alex: Maybe it's best if you left, Jon.

Jon: You're scared.

Amelia: No, you!

Jon: It's why everything is a joke to you, right? It's why you push people away; that's why you were looking for the cure. Because despite being so surrounded by death, the one thing you're really afraid of is that unknown. Of dying. We all are.

[There's a long, uncomfortable silence.]

Amelia: Bahahahaha. (absolutely cracking up) I see all that time with, ahaha, with doctor Kim really helped iron out the psychobabble.

Amelia: Do you believe this, other Mendez? Crazy. (her chains clang loud) No, you know why I did it? Because I fucking liked it, Jon. I liked watching them die, of feeling the blackness of my pupils grow til the color was gone. I'm good at it. But you know what it's like to be good at something. So why can't you just admit it? We all just do the things we do because we like it. No greater reason, nothing altruistic or for someone else. You felt it when you stood over Curtis, when you solved a case — We do it because it feels so fucking good to us. And my god, did finally… finally, feeling like I won… (relishing) Indescribable.

[There's another long pause. Jon's in shock. Alex stands.]

Alex: Let's go, Jon–

[But before he can, there's a LOUD SHAKE OF CHAINS as Amelia reaches behind Alex and WRAPS HER CHAINS AROUND HIS NECK.]

Alex: Ack!

Amelia: I wasn't finished.

Jon: Alex!

Alex: (choking) Get… out.

Amelia: Question for you. Give me a tap on the hand for yes, two for no. I don't wanna hear a word. (Alex chokes) Good. Is this Springfield Corp?

Jon: Amelia–

Amelia: Shut up. Is it? (Alex taps) And are you guys, this secret fucking organization, actually responsible for the storm? (beat) Answer me!

Jon: Amelia, he's not involved!

Amelia: What are you looking at, Jon? What's down there?

[The handcuffs rattle again as Amelia looks down– Alex moves his jacket.]

Amelia: You've got a gun, other Mendez? And here I thought I could trust you. Unclip it and pass it up to my hands, barrel down.

[Alex does–]

Alex: Jon, go.

[Amelia chokes harder–]

Amelia: No talking! Is this place still active?

Jon: What?

Amelia: You've seen all these scientists coming and going. What are they working on?

Jon: They're working on cures.

Amelia: Mister Mendez, I'm waiting. Is there another storm coming?

Jon: Amelia, please–

[Alex taps.]

Jon: Wait… What?

Amelia: That was a yes. Well guess you're busting me out of here, Mendez. Let's move!

Jon: Amelia just let him go–

[Amelia grabs the gun and cocks it.]

Amelia: Out of the way, Jon.

Alex: (still choking) It's okay, she– brrzt, she won't kill me.

Amelia: Sure I will.

Alex: It's too early.

Jon: Alex, you can't–

Amelia: Open the door, Jon.

Alex: Do it.

[Jon opens the door.]

Amelia: Now step back.

[Jon falls back, out of the way as Amelia shuffles by him. She exits into the hallway.]

Amelia (O.S.): Hands up, bodyguard, or I make your job redundant.

[Jon follows them out into the hall–]

INT. FACILITY, HALL – DAY

[Amelia shuffles with Alex down the hall.]

Squires: How the fuck–

Amelia: Move!

Squires: Who gave her the gun?!

Amelia: Jon did.

[Squires shoots him a look–]

Jon: Just let her go. She's got no reason to hurt him. If she does, she won't get out.

Amelia: Stay where you guys are.

Squires: We're following you. Nice and calm.

Amelia: I suppose I don't have a way to get you to back up–

[She SHOOTS Squires in the leg; he crumbles.]

Squires: Ah!

Amelia: That'll work–

Alex: Eugene!

[Jon kneels down–]

Jon: Squires.

Squires: That was my good leg, you ass.

[An ALARM SOUNDS overhead.]

Amelia: Hmmm…

[People are RUSHING down the hall from the other way.]

Jon: Amelia, just let him go. You're going back to prison. There's nothing else you can do.

[Iris and guards walk slowly toward her from the end of the hall.]

Iris (O.S.): Doctor Gatz, let him go!

Amelia: You let me go first.

Iris: I'm going to approach. You won't hurt him.

Amelia: I absolutely will.

Jon: Please–

[It's super tense.]

Amelia: Back the fuck up or I shoot. Back up! Somebody unlock the doors and let me go. I want a helicopter waiting, and–

[BANG! Another shot rings out, this one from NEARBY Jon. Jon ducks and cowers as his ears start ringing.]

[A body falls and people rush by.]

Jon: Jesus!

Squires: (in pain) Fucking crazy bitch.

Guard: She's down!

[Alex walks away.]

Alex: You shot her?

[Squires painfully stands up.]

Squires: Damn right, I did.

Iris: I've got no pulse.

Squires: A bullet in the forehead will do that.

Jon: What the fuck–

Iris: God damn it.

Guard: This is fucked.

Alex: I'm sorry.

Jon: Guys?

Iris: What happened?

Alex: She got my gun.

Iris: I see that. But how–

Jon: Guys! ALEX, IRIS AND SQUIRES WHAT?!

[Jon steps toward Amelia…]

Jon: Is she… she's dead?

Squires: This place is fucking nuts.

Iris: Yes. She's dead.

Alex: I'm sorry, Jon.

Jon: That can't be. She can't be dead.

Squires: Super dead.

Jon: No, I mean. She ISN'T dead.

Iris: What? Why not?

Jon: I can't– Because she can't be. There's… (beat) There's no ghost…