"on Network 23." "Carter's the best known reporter we have on the air." "He satellites globally." "Where does all this stuff come from, Bryce?" "The components of Carter's mind." "M-M-Max, M-M-Max." "[Bryce] People translated as data." "It's computer-generated, whatever it is." "It looks like Edison." "Max." "Max Headroom." "Max?" "He's a computer-generated person based on you." "Two minds, but with one single memory." "[Woman] Welcome to Ovu-Vat, and the new, safe trouble-free and painless way to have babies." "For the new age of the new woman, the new childbirth." "We make beautiful babies for the busy woman about Metropolis." "There is no longer any need to suffer the inconvenience of childbearing." "Let Ovu-Vat grow your babies." "We do it perfectly no mistakes, no diseases." "We come to terms with coming to term for you." "Grow-bag your baby with Ovu-Vat." "Special terms for twins." "[footsteps]" "Time for your supper break, East?" "Oh, no, Mrs. Firth, there's 20 minutes." "Time for your supper break, East." "[Woman] You're off early, East." "[Woman over P.A.] All grow babies are in happy hour." "No unauthorized staff are permitted in baby bagging area." "All babies are synchronized to come to term between 8:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m." "Staffer requested to return to the Grow-Bag areas at that time." "No staff allowed in this area at this time." "[Woman] I must say, Edison Carter certainly has a great apartment." "[Man] Yes, you can almost taste the taste." "[people chattering]" "You know they hired a clairvoyant." "I hope it's not that man with a moustache." " Facial hair is so down-trending." " There she is." "Well, I'm glad you're enjoying the party, Ashwell." "Well, thank you, Ben." "I must say your wife has a wonderful choice of caterers." " Yes, if you must." " Oh!" "Excuse me." "[Woman] My job is my life." "My life is my career." "My career is my world, and my world is network television." "It's the ultimate occupation." "It is life." "Still top network, but ratings are a passion for me in their own way, strangely seductive for their own sake." " The ebb and flow." " [doorbell rings]" "You look ravishing." "Well, thank you, sir." " Hi, Helen." " Great you could get here." "Who's that girl in blue who just walked in?" " Helen." "Great." " You know her?" "Yeah." "We lived together for years." " Helen!" " Laura, hi." "Come and meet her." "Give me a moment with Cheviot, and I'll come and join you." "Tell her I'm a wonderful guy, though." "Oh, no." "I never tell lies." "So what do you tell her?" "You're a wonderful guy." "Perfect." " Ah, Carter." " Hello, sir." "Murray here yet?" "No, he went home to change." "I'm sure he'll be here later on." "[both chuckle]" "Good of you to let me use the place, Carter." " I wasn't aware I had a choice. - [doorbell rings]" "Network politics." "Our programming people felt that your home would be a more effective ratings puller than mine." "Well, I'm gonna need you in just a few minutes when we go live." " Hi." " Oh!" "It's really great to see you." "I'm so glad you could come." "You look great." "Oh, thank you." "Oh, and I've got such a lot to tell you." "And some really big news." "We're live, everybody." "[Man] Oh, here we go!" "[Male host] Welcome to Cocktail Club, the show that takes you to the people's parties, and lets you mingle with the famous, live." "Tonight, we're taking you to the home of Network 23's personality Edison Carter, and the man who is Network 23, our chairman, Mr. Ben Cheviot." " Good evening, Ben." " Good evening, Chuck." "Happy you could stop by." "Make yourselves at home." "Well, Ben, you better move over, there's 114 million of us." "[Female host] Thank you, Chuck." "Let's leave Mr. Cheviot and his niece to enjoy the party." "And there's Edison Carter." "This party at the home of the world's most famous video journalist is indeed a glittering all-star occasion." "And what a rare privilege it is to see the decision makers, television's top people-- accountants, statisticians, and lawyers, and there may be a producer here somewhere." "[laughter]" "I hate these corporate dos." "I'm sure you don't-- you're on screen half your life." "The other half I like to reserve for meeting very beautiful friends of Theora's." " Yes." " Oh, thank you." "Edison, this is Helen." "Helen, this is Edison." " Hello." " Hello." "Um, drinks, what'll it be?" " Soda water for me, please." " Champagne, please." "What do you think this is?" "[Ben] There's somebody I want you to meet." "Edison Carter, my wife Barbara." "How do you do, Barbara?" "I've heard a lot about you." " Not too much I hope." " No, sir." "[Helen] So what's he like to work with?" "Provoking, demanding, great fun." "I love the job." "But tell me about your news." "Um, well, I'm going to be a mother." "Oh, Helen, that's marvelous!" " When?" " Tomorrow." "Tomorrow?" "Wh-what?" "No, Christopher and I went for baby bagging, darling." "Oh." "Ah, so you don't approve." "Look, it's the most sensible thing for us to do." "I mean, Christopher's in orbit weeks at a time, and, well, I'm at the studio, so when am I gonna find the time to be pregnant?" "I suppose so." "It just seems so impersonal." "No, it's not." "We both went and became donors." "The baby's ours." "It's just that I don't have to turn into a pumpkin to do it." "Who's turning into a pumpkin at midnight?" "[Boy] ...is the correct answer!" "Our ratings!" "They're all watching Prodigies!" "What the hell are you doing?" "Where's our show gone?" "Ben, look at the ratings." "Nobody's watching The Cocktail Club." "What is the square root of 1,744?" "Move on to Max Headroom." "I want him to take on Prodigies." "He can take over 23 whenever Prodigies is on, with no holds barred." "This is war, gentlemen." "[Man] He's setting Max Headroom against Prodigies." "Now, let's regroup our forces and get on with the party." "This is your captain speaking." "Dive, dive, dive!" "Hold that order!" "I hope that vessel is under command, Bryce." "What?" "Whoa!" "Mission accomplished." "One sub returned to base!" "What do you want?" "Bringing news from HQ, Bryce, my little admiral." "I-I too have a mission, to take on the mi-mi-might of Network 66." "My mission is to sink the Prodigies show." " [Max gasping] - [static] [phone beeping]" "[Woman's voice] Network 66 vidiphone control." "Get me Grossberg." "Good evening, Bryce." "Interesting headgear." "I've been thinking about your offer." "I want to come and talk." "Shall we say 8:00 tomorrow morning?" "Baby bagging sounds wonderful, Helen." "I had no idea it was so popular already." "It isn't." "We're in the first batch." "It's really exciting." "I suppose it must be clinically safe, but isn't there something missing?" "Yes-- pain, exposure to disease, and damage." "Oh, and chance." "We're actually able to select the sex." "No more sweet mystery, huh?" "Oh, Mr. Carter, you're a romantic." "Would you mind if I came with you tomorrow?" "I think I can persuade Cheviot to let me do a piece on the new childbirth." "Oh, actually, I'd appreciate it." "I could do with the support." "How about you, Theora?" "I'd love to, if can get it past Murray." "[Max] Parents, parents, you can't p-p-push your children too hard." "It's not exploy-ploy-ploytation." "Breed a ch-champion." "10-year-old girls just love-love-love to have no friends." "Go to bed at 8:00, live on vitamins, and pound-pound-pound around a tennis court all day." "And why?" "Well, to make them happy, of course." " Good morning." " Morning." "Why weren't you at the party last night?" " Oh, you know what happened?" " What?" "The power went out at my complex last night." "I had to have Utililac over." "No, you don't like going to parties, Murray." "Of course I like parties." "Now, who says I don't like parties?" "[Edison] I don't like parties." "Excuse me." "But..." "I suffer them like a saint." "You just haven't perfected the art of the excuse." "You don't fool Cheviot, you know." "He asked me where you were, and then he gave me one of his knowing looks, you know the ones that he does the...?" "Also, I ran a story idea past him, and he likes it." "Baby bagging, the new childbirth." "What's new about childbirth?" "I mean, I'm the product of childbirth." "Yeah, I know, but not like this." "Parents donate egg and sperm, and they pop it in a bag, and then nine months later, unzip a kid-- no pain, no fuss." "And you can specify what it's like." "Specify?" "It is a baby." "It's not a barbecue pit." "I must say I feel the same way." "[Edison] Cheviot likes it." "Kids are in." "66 is doing a whole thing about brilliant babies, called Prodigies." "Now, we can poach some of their viewers." "We can go for a core audience, Murray." "Come on." " It's a friend of Theora's." " All right, all right." "You already slid it past Cheviot." "What choice do I have?" "You gotta keep your finger on the pulse, Mur, go to these power parties." "[Edison chuckles]" " Let's go." " Cover me." " Got it." " [Max] Yes, here I am on Net-Net-Network 23, to give you my own show." "Nothing big, nothing special, just a hum-hum-humble little thing modestly entitled, me, M-M-Max Headroom, the original prodigy." "[Pilot] Chopper 69 and 23, Control." "[Control] This is 2369." "I have you going down at Ovu-Vat Pad 1." "Confirm on contact." "[Pilot] Roger, 23." "Going down." "[Edison] Control, camera check, please." "I can handle it." "Come on." "It's an interview, not a crisis." "[Edison] Helen Zeno, why did you decide to use this new method of childbirth?" "Well, my husband Christopher and I are just too busy with our careers." "But more important, this system at Ovu-Vat removes the hassles of childbirth for mother and child." "So, you see, those first few months are critical, that is, when everything can go wrong." "[static]" "[Edison] Excuse me." "I have a problem, Control." " Update, please." " I don't know." "Um..." "Dung?" "Come on, Murray, she's about to get the baby." "We need the payoff, for God's sake." "What the hell's going on?" "Uh, I think it's-- I think it's coming from your end, Edison, I think." "Poor old boy's past it." "[Theora] Edison, get the spare from the chopper." "Okay, Cont-- I thought that link was a little clearer." "So how long's he gonna take?" "Only 10 minutes, maybe less if they line up quickly." "That's no good." "I can't wait, The." "But he can catch us grinning afterwards, okay?" " Okay." " Nurse?" "Is it over?" "Oh." "I wanted his autograph." "No, no, don't worry." "He's coming back." "It's just that I couldn't wait." "I want to see her now." "Of course you do." "Come on, you know the way." " Oh God, I'm so excited." " Here we are." "Oh, she's just gor" "Oh, my God." "Uh-oh, trouble." "[Man] Let's get quietly out of here." "Where's my baby?" "Don't tell me my child was never here." "I visited her two days ago." "Mrs. Zeno, I'm sure there is a simple explanation about all of this." "Look, this baby came to term at 7:00 last night." " Now, where is she?" " There's been a mix-up." "Someone else has got her." "No, no, I assure you, that can't happen." "Look, I'll get Cornelia Firth." "She'll sort this all out." "[Helen] Yes, you do that." "What the hell has gone wrong?" "Come on." "Come on, Helen." "No, I want Lydia." "I want my baby." "Helen, please." "You have seen something." "There's nothing we can do." "I want to get to Edison." "He'll know what to do." "What was going on back there, Cornelia?" "A bit of extremely bad timing." "[girl chattering] [man laughing]" "Bryce, welcome." "Come and join me." "I'm watching our fine Prodigies show." "Yeah, I was hoping we could talk." "I have news of Max Headroom." "Of course you do." "He's set opposite my Prodigies show." "How astute of your boss, Cheviot." "Or should I say ex-boss, hmm?" "Well... that's what I wanted to talk to you... about." "Well, now, boys love water, don't they?" "Even brilliant ones, I dare say." "Mr. Grossberg, we have a terrible problem." " The woman's whose baby" " Shut up." "Bryce, hop along and change, won't you?" "Now, what is it?" "[Edison] Helen, what's the matter?" "What's going on?" "Where's the baby?" "Let's get Helen home, my place." "We'll talk on the way." "It was fortunate that Edison Carter left before the incident." "Why was I not told?" "I have no idea." "Parker was supposed to have told you" "Last one to the other side of the pool's a genius." "Well, this is my proposition." "I'm about to offer you the very best job in network television." "This is a matchless opportunity, Bryce." "You are about to be amazed." "Those men knew the baby was gone." "I mean, everybody else was as shocked as we were, but those two men knew." "But knew what?" "If the child were dead, they would've told her." "What if there's something wrong with it?" "Yeah, it could be." "But why wouldn't they tell Helen?" "They wouldn't just let her walk out like that." "Not with me outside." "I think they thought you'd already left." "My God, what if there's something terribly wrong with the baby?" "No, there's nothing wrong with her." "Oh, Helen, I'm sorry." "I was just thinking what could've happened." "Two days ago, the child was perfect." "I saw her." "She was beautiful." "That's the whole point of baby bagging." "The genes are checked at conception." "No inherited problems are possible." "Which leaves one clear possibility." "My daughter was stolen." "Control to Edison Carter." "Come in, please." "Damn, this idiotic computer." "Who set this thing up?" " [computer rings] - [Edison] Murray, is that you?" " Yes." " What are you doing?" "I'm getting crazy signals." "I'm going crazy." "Where are you?" "Where's the rest of the show?" "We're at Theora's apartment." "I'm gonna put you on the view-phone." "For what?" "What happened to the greatest show since Adam and Eve shut down Standards and Practices?" "We think the baby was stolen." "Well, why aren't you chasing it?" "That is a story." "We do stories, remember?" "A stolen baby is great." "Murray, Helen, the baby's mother is here." "[Murray] Oh, God," "I'm sorry, I had no idea." "Look, we need help." "I want you to meet me at Ovu-Vat." "Take a chopper to Pad 135846 East," " and wear a suit." " A suit?" "Theora, what do you think about being a mother?" "Um, not this morning, thanks." "Edison Carter to Control." "I'm on my way to Ovu-Vat." "Have you accessed the computer files on the building yet?" "[Control] Almost." "I hope it's what you need." "There's a maintenance tunnel which carries the computer mainframe cables." "The entrance is discreet." "Graphics upcoming now." "[Theora] Looks like Murray found a suit." "[Edison] Yeah, too bad it isn't his." "[Theora] Oh, dear, he doesn't look like a happy soldier." "[Edison] Okay, let's go." "What if they recognize her?" "Murray, they won't recognize me." "Those nurses will be off duty by now." "It's really not a problem." "Come on." "No!" "Dung has accessed the building's computer lines, and I'm gonna try and go and get their files." "Murray, you have to help Theora." "We need to find out who's running this place, exactly what's happening in there, anything to try and help find Helen's baby, all right?" " No!" " What is it, really?" " Really?" " Yeah, really." "Really?" "I'm terrified of hospitals." "Do you know what they make men do in those places?" "Why are men so infantile about biology?" "I mean, mine is much more of a nuisance than yours, and I never complained." " Come on." " Here." " What?" " Keep in touch with me on that." " What is this?" " Go on." "[Theora] Now, this won't hurt." "You'll just have to be a big boy." "Helen Zeno, I am Dung Po, a fellow controller of Theora's." "I have Mr. Zeno for you on OrbitLink." "A gesture courtesy of Network 23." "Helen, hello." "SkyRig 17 to Ground Control." "Christopher?" "Hello." "This is wonderful." "I know." "Proud father time." "Well, is it a girl or a girl?" "Um..." "Do come in." " Now, is this your first?" " [Edison] Murray, can you hear anything?" "Is your husband a little deaf, dear?" "I mean, it's often the way with the older man." "A little, but everything else is in working order." "Good." "Now, proclivities." "By the way, have we met, Mrs. Murray?" "No, I'm sure we haven't." " Now, we'd like a girl." " Right." "Sex:" "Female." "We can choose the sex?" "Oh, hormonal and sex gene isolation are very common." "I mean, none of the old guesswork." " And none of the surprise." " [Edison] Murray." "Yeah, I-I hate this." "I don't feel well." "How very male of you." "Look, it this is all too much, we do have a male counselor." "Good." "Where?" "Well, he's upstairs in Suite D, as in diaper." "Aren't men sensitive little primitives?" "Okay, Dung." "Find the next one." "Ahead, then right." "Maintenance tunnel." "The computer port outlet is 50 meters." "Got it." "[Woman on P.A.] Grow Baby 74 coming to term in four minutes." "This is a four-minute warning." "Grow Baby 74." "Edison?" "Murray." "Come in, please." "Cornelia's furious." "Don't interrupt." "We know babies." "This was quite unnecessary." "You should have informed them that they are" "How this will affect the in vitro project I don't know." "We'll probably have to accelerate it." "I'm having a nightmare." "And our prenatal embryonics and supernatal environments are world class, too." "What about post-natal?" "I mean, you never mix babies up, do you?" "Oh, no, of course not, dear." "No, your little genius will be very safe with us." "Now, let's find your husband, shall we?" "Edison, come in, please." "E" "So I'll see you next week, all right?" " Thank you so much." "Bye-bye." " Thank you." "Bye-bye." "I'm sorry about the delay, Mr. Bartlett, but as you saw, I had a couple of clients." " Very odd couple." " Uh, Ms. Firth" "I mean, he looked old enough to be her father." "We can go along to filing and get that deal set." "Ms. Firth!" "They weren't clients." "They work for Edison Carter." "Oh, my God." "Okay, so what now?" "I don't know." "Edison will find something, if there is anything." "I'm going back to Control." "Well, I'd like to go back to my apartment." "I think I should tell Helen what's happening personally." "Well, tell her there is nothing happening personally." "The baby's probably having its gene template quality matched or some such nonsense." "Look, Cornelia Firth runs the place, right?" "Mm-hmm." "And she was obviously not uptight, so it's all standard procedure, really." "What do you think Edison's doing?" "I have no idea." "Probably dancing with the nurses." "Come on." "They just don't understand." "23 gives me no support." "They screw up my schedule." "They change their targets." "And to cover their own incompetence, they blame me." "My checks are always wrong and late." "I can never park." "And now they're denying me my parrot on cost grounds." "Oh, they just don't understand." "They never do, Bryce." "But I have something special." "You're familiar with our Prodigies program?" "Brilliant babies." "Brilliant." " What I want you-- - [phone rings]" "Mr. Bartlett for you, sir." "[ring]" "Yes?" "What is it?" "They have just been here." "You know who they are." "We have nothing to hide, Bartlett." "What on earth is the matter with you?" "Where were we?" " Brilliant babies." " Yeah." "Paging Cornelia Firth." "Paging Cornelia Firth." "Please contact security immediately." "Someone's in the system." "Damn, it's those two from Channel 23." " [Man] Security." " Hello, security." "We have a hacker in the system." "Trace indicated Port 17." "Use the stun gun." "Zeno." "Got it." " Did she say what it was?" " A hacker." "But how could he get inside?" "There." "That's him." "Hey, you!" "We're armed!" "We're licensed to stun!" "Freeze!" "Move it, move it!" "This stun gun is charged!" "Stay where you are!" "You're about to get the shock of your life, pal." "That's Edison Carter, our friend, see?" "You caught him!" "Get him, Grimes!" "Get him!" "Get that baby out of here." "But why?" "Ms. Firth, what is going on here?" "[Dung] Edison, go right." "Go the other way-- left." "No." "Point your camera." "[Edison] Get me out of here!" "These guys mean business." "They've got a stun gun." "What the hell's going on here?" "Edison's in trouble." "He's in a tunnel with many men, and they've got stun guns." "God, there are dozens of them." "No!" "Wait." "Control." "Control." "Control, you've cut me off." "I can't hear you." "Where the hell am I?" "Theora, Edison's in trouble." "I'm punching an emergency patch through to you." "Okay, don't touch anything." "Clear the keyboard." "Murray, get off." "Okay, Edison, this is Control." "Theora, thank God." "Right, now, along the tunnel, right at the end, there's a small store room." "I want you to go up the ladder and wait there." "There's a hatch." "Stun guns wasn't part of the deal." "Yeah, I know it." "Somebody let the situation deteriorate to a disaster." "Okay, I'm accessing the isometrics of the exit." "Wait my command at the door." "You're all clear." "Go." "Uh, g-go back." "It's okay, Control." "Thanks." "Where am I?" "You're right by the file room." " Do you still need it." " Yeah." "[Helen] You're right, Theora." "So what is it they don't want me to know?" "That's exactly what Edison's about to find out." "Go, Edison." "As you see, Bryce, the facts speak for themselves." "It's an impressive package." "Mega-creds up from 23." "Naturally." "I want you badly." "I spared nothing to achieve this." "Now I just need a peerless mind, a top man." "You." "[Bartlett] Mr. Breugal, I have a job." "I'm listening." "Can you move a baby from Ovu-Vat?" "Yes, sir." "I can do that right away." "You must be discreet, very discreet." "This must be done with great discretion, Mr. Breugal." "Discretion is our trademark." "Theora, this is very interesting." "Helen has a huge IQ." "Oh, Christopher's is pretty impressive, too." "I'm in a special file reference." "That's what I call a special baby." "Theora, Helen's kid is brilliant." "Has an enormous IQ." "You're familiar with Prodigies." "The whole world has become fascinated by these brilliant infants." "They are a television phenomenon, Bryce." "Tiny infants with great minds." "They mesmerize even the stupid." "The show has surprise, shock, pace, and huge cash stakes." "I've accomplished the impossible, Bryce, and replaced mindless action with fascination." "And we have a hit." "Wait." "You want me to go on this show?" "No, Bryce, no." "You're too old." "No, I want you to form a team of the most brilliant minds in network television." "Oh, now, isn't that a contradiction in terms?" "It always has been, but not now." "I want 66 to develop a cutting edge in television thinking." "New technology, new shows, advanced technique." "And I want you, Bryce Lynch, to make television history." "I can get as many of these babies as I want." "They will be your team, unique and brilliant." "But wait." "What about my work in development over at 23?" "Bring it with you." "You can even bring your greatest triumph" "Max Headroom." "[Max] What I need to know is why does sex cause so much dis-dishonesty?" "Why do couples say they're go-going in for a baby?" "A baby might be the end result, but it's the last thing they think about when-- [sound off]" "Why not, Bryce?" "The time is right." "It's your next step." "Why don't you just call Mr. Cheviot and say goodbye?" "This is weird." "I don't get this." "Show me." "What do you think?" "Babies without parents?" "How can you have babies without parents?" "Seem damn good at achieving parents without babies." " How long will this take?" " Oh, minutes." "As soon as I get the file," "I'll print your specification copy, erase the file, and then the Zeno baby problem will cease to exist." "Here we go, Mr. Breugal." "Cootchie-cootchie." "He's in trouble." "Theora, in vitro-- that's another term for genetic engineering, right?" "Yes." "Reproduction in a laboratory environment." " Oh, my God." " Exactly." "They're reproducing babies from donors without their knowledge." "Good God." "This is a baby production unit." "And they're just reproducing the brilliant babies." "Ah." "Efficiency." "Already selected." "Well, come on." "Hurry." "I'm very worried." "We had no idea you were substituting these babies." "Relax." "Very soon we won't need to." "Trust me." "I really wouldn't reach for that phone because I'd have to stop you." "And believe me, after what I've just learned, it would be a pleasure." "Mr. Bartlett." "Network 66." "What are you doing here?" "Making babies, too?" "Infant prodigies, perhaps?" "66 had nothing to do with this, I swear." "Shut up." "Tell me exactly what you know about in vitro babies and exactly what's happened to the Zeno baby." "[baby cries] [laughter]" "[Grossberg] Ratings, Chuck." "Excellent." "Prodigies is a hit, a palpable hit." "Well, Bryce?" "Well, uh, it's rather trivial." "I can see its potential." "It'll need some direction." "Are those, uh, expensive to obtain?" "Yes." "Our sources charge a huge commission, and the parents are equally greedy." "But one must feed the greedy." "They appreciate it." "Have you made your decision, Bryce?" "[speeded-up voices] Zik-Zak!" "Zik-Zak!" "[Helen] I'm not sure I can take much more of this." "Look, what do you think they're doing with her?" "I don't know." "But if Network 66 is involved" "I mean, they can't do anything terrible." "They just daren't risk it, Helen." "It's okay." " [Edison] Control." " [Murray] We're here." "Aren't you getting a bit old for this?" "Uh, Theora says I'm still in working order." "It was a joke." "Remember those?" "Tell me one." "I just destroyed Ovu-Vat's file system." "I think that's pretty funny, given what they're doing there." "Now how are we going to handle this?" "I don't know." "Mr. Carter was very thorough." "What about the parents?" "You leave it to me." "Now we've still got time to make the switch." "Switch?" "What on earth do you mean?" "Oh, my God." "You mean that woman doesn't know." "On behalf of Network 66," "I insist on knowing what's happening." "Ms. Firth!" "[Cheviot] Grossberg?" "He's offered you a job?" "But you can't accept." "Bryce, you know he can't be trusted." "Look, I don't care what he's promised you." "I'll give you even better equipment than he will." "And I'll never lie to you in meetings again." "And you can have your parrot back." "Two parrots." "I must consider my work." "And this is a prodigious offer." "I really feel I must take it." "Goodbye, Mr." "Goodbye, Ben." "We've captured our fish." "Listen to me." "Edison Carter has just been here." "He knows about the Zeno baby." "Knows what about the baby?" "That it's going to the Prodigies show." "There has been an administrative error, but you see, Carter is building it up to make a story for Network 23." "Very well." "Very well." "I think I should let him feel very welcome." "Perhaps two birds with one stone, eh?" "Chubb, call security." "They are to allow Edison Carter to enter the network with no resistance whatsoever." "Understood?" "Yes, perfectly." "Bryce, are you hungry?" "Control, I'm at Network 66." "I have your picture, Edison." "But I can't hack into 66 securicams." "Their system's too tight." "It's okay." "They just let me walk in here." "What?" "Okay, rotate your cam 180 degrees." "I'll watch your back." "Boy, the place Grossberg's got here." "I'm almost at the boardroom." "It's very conveniently sign-posted." "But nobody's following you." "It must be a set-up." "There's no way that Grossberg would allow you in." "I know, Control." "It's too late now, though." "I'm already there." "Welcome." "I was tempted to say something like "So we meet again, Mr. Carter,"" "but I won't." "Please do come in." "I thought reptiles let their food rot before eating it." "Please, Mr. Carter, let's at least be civilized." "After all, we're here to parlay a truce." "Neither of us has waved the white flag, so let's consider this neutral territory." "And let's do behave appropriately." "Be seated." "Ready to go live and direct, Control." "[Theora] Control 23, we're ready to go live." "Where's the Zeno baby, Grossberg?" "Always so alive and so direct." "Have it your way." "Damn it, Carter, get this together!" "You are here at my request." "You'll be safe as long as I decide." "Only that" "Camera or no camera, you don't stand a prayer." "So... let's negotiate, hmm?" "Zeno baby?" "Safe and well." "Let's just pray to God that it stays that way." "I love babies." "They're so sweet, especially with pickles." "Now, the infant's future isn't in my hands, Mr. Carter." "You shall decide its fate." "[Edison] Then neither of us can afford to make a mistake." "Precisely." "Now, Bryce here has decided to accept my offer to work for me, and we have offered the parents of the brightest babies at Ovu-Vat a chance for their spectacular infants to form a team under Bryce." "66 will benefit, they will benefit, and I don't see anything wrong with it." "Stealing babies?" "Not true." "The Zeno baby incident was an error by Ovu-Vat." "And I intend to return it to its owners-- its parents-- as soon as possible." "So you see, there's no problem." "Ah." "Edison, please, everything's okay." "Mr. Grossberg has explained everything very satisfactorily." "You see, you've mistaken me." "You know, Edison, you and I could work together." "You, me, Bryce, and, of course, Max Headroom." "[Grossberg chuckles]" "What do you say?" "Quite a team, eh?" "Who knows?" "It may even revise your opinion of me." "I think I have mistaken you, Mr. Grossberg." "Ned." "Mind if I call you Ned?" "I think you're right." "I think we could make quite a team." "Should we make it official?" "[Grossberg] Excellent." "This has got to be stopped." "On camera." "Perfect." "Ready to go live and direct, Control." "Standing by, Edison." "Now tell me what you know about the in vitro experiment at Ovu-Vat." "And how Network 66 is manufacturing babies from donors without their knowledge." "Your illegal cloning experiment, Mr. Grossberg." "What?" "In vitro cloning?" "I know nothing of this." "You must be crazy, Carter." "It's all here, Grossberg." "Ovu-Vat is about to begin the in vitro project." "Now where else would the little test tube geniuses go but here?" "to Prodigies?" "Carter, I swear to you on our ratings" "I know nothing of this, nothing." "If that's true, call them off." "Chubb, get rid of the security." "Now!" "Away!" "Well away!" "For God's sakes, Carter, you've got to believe me." "What you speak of is even beyond me." "Good God." "I believe you're telling the truth." "Murray, did you get all that?" "Yes, I did, Theora." "Okay, I'm patching back to you." "You have control." "Just don't touch anything." "Your move, I think." "I propose a deal." "If you return the Zeno baby to me," "I'll not link you to the Ovu-Vat cloning story." "I believe you knew nothing about it." "But Ovu-Vat will be ruined, as will your genius baby scheme." "You won't be needing Bryce." "Why should I trust you?" "I gave you my word." "Executives know a man's word is his bond." "More to the point, you have no choice." "Did you get all that, Control?" "[Murray] Loud and clear and recorded." "Then we have a deal." "Come on, Bryce." "Let's get you out of the fire and back into the pan." "Once upon a time, there was a company called Ovu-Vat full of very smart people." "They knew all the secrets of natal engineering." "If you wanted the best for your new baby," "Ovu-Vat was the place for you." "Ex-utero, in vitro-- they had Latinate options galore." "Their motto was "We take the guesswork out of having children."" "But the very smart people at Ovu-Vat didn't realize that after a certain point, progress becomes convenience, and that when you change the mysterious process of childbirth into just another labor-saving activity, you lose part of what makes you human." "I suppose you could design a female baby X." "I guess you could even pick one off the rack, charge it to your credit tube, and take it home." "But you can't design or sell a beautiful little girl named Lydia Zeno." "You can only love her." "Aw" " Aw." "[giggling]" "S-S-So sweet." "And" " And if you felt even slightly queasy over that-t, what's coming after the break will really make you-- thrilled." "Wait!" "Wa-Wait!" "Here they come, back-- back again for just one-one-one more meaningless little scene that's only there to keep you watching through the commercials." "New television." "Ha!" "Ha!" "This show's getting just like all the others." "Uh, we've been caught." "Orbiting linkup for Helen Zeno." "What?" "Christopher?" "Go ahead now, Commander Zeno." "You are linked." "Helen, she's perfect." "I knew you were fussing over nothing." "Listen, they've given me paternity leave." "The shuttle's on its way." "Oh, I can't wait to see you." "Isn't this great?" "[Edison] Yeah, it's great, but why is your husband in a washing machine?" "Yes" " Yes, that really added something to the story, didn't it?" "So let me just remind you of what this terr-terr- terribly complicated story was all about-- reproduc-uction." "You see, God may have made man in His own image, but woman He definitely made from a do-it-yourself kit." "All those valves, buttons, nozzles-- all that just for producing children." "And half the time, they don't work-k-k, which is why He probably created gynecologists very shortly afterwards." "There must be an easier way." "He got it right with birds." "They just lay eggs, and they're happy." "They sing-sing-sing all day." "No, there's just too many things that can go wrong with women, and that's the point-- woman was an acc-acc-acc-accident." "He was actually trying to design a c-c-car, which is why His German one turned out to be fast and efficient," "His Japanese one small and neat, and His American one big, noisy, and more temperamental than all the others." "Well, anyway, must go." "My date's arrived." "Closed-Captioned By J.R. Media Services, Inc." "Burbank, CA"