"Will you look at that fellow over there?" "I've never seen anything so disgusting in all my life." "I'll tell you something." "He's staring." "I think he's looking at us." "I think we're being picked up." "Oh, it's too awful." "Can you believe it?" "They can let creatures like that in here." "I mean, really." "It's..." "Anne, what's the matter, huh?" "Anne?" "Oh!" "Oh, help someone, please." "Oh!" "Please, help." "Damn it!" "You're 35 years old, Mr. Vale." "Why are you such a derelict?" "Such a piece of human junk?" "The answer's simple." "You're a scanner, but you don't realize it, and that has been the source of all your agony." "But I will show you now that it can be a source of great power." "Let them in." "Not much of a place, is it?" "Still, didn't pay for it, so..." "Hurry up." "Hurry up!" "We can talk now." "I would like to scan all of you in this room one at a time." "I, I must remind you that the, uh, scanning experience is usually a painful one, sometimes resulting in nosebleeds, earaches, stomach cramps, nausea." "Sometimes other symptoms of a similar nature." "There's a doctor present Dr. Gatineau." "I know that you've all been prepared for this, but I thought I'd just remind you just the same." "Uh, there is one other thing." "No one is to leave this room once the demonstration has begun." "At this point I'd like to call for volunteers." "Anyone." "It doesn't matter." "Fine." "Just, uh..." "Sit right here, please." "Now, I'd, I'd like you to think of something specific." "Something that will not breach the security of you organization." "And that you will not object to having disclosed to this group." " Something, uh, personal, perhaps." " All right." "Yes, I have something." " Do I have to close my eyes?" " It doesn't matter." "All right." "Yes, I have something." "All right." "Move everybody out!" "Now!" "Call consec leader!" "I want you to come with me." "I didn't do anything." "I said I want you to come with me." "Come on." "Gatineau, come with us." "Down there." "Quick!" "Move it!" "Get down!" "Give him a shot of ephemeral." "Come on!" "OK." "Take it easy." "All we need is to get stopped by a cop." "Ah, it'd serve'em right." "Why the hell did they have to send us to the old factory?" "If this guy's a scanner they don't want him down at central." "They're afraid of him." "He's a scanner." "Hey, where's security 2?" " He's moving up fast on the left." " Hey, man, what's happening?" "Ray, what the hell's the matter with you?" "You gotta pull back behind them, man." "Come on!" "Ray, I'm gonna kill you if you don't do it." "Ray!" "Oh, my god." "Don't stop!" "Move it!" "No, we got to get'em out of there!" "We've got to get in there." "They're charred, man!" "You can see them burning." "Let go of me!" "Those people are dead!" "Get up." "Let's get out of here, man!" "Come on!" "You want to get us killed?" "All right." "All right." "Pipe down!" "Last night..." "We at consec chose to reveal to the outside world our work with those..." "Telepathic curiosities known as scanners." "The result 6 corpses..." "And a substantial loss in credibility for our organization." "So, this morning we have a new director of internal security," " Mr. Braedon Keller." " Thank you." "Mr. Trevellyan." "Gentlemen, we're in the business of international security." "We deal in weaponry and private armories." "We do not trade in fantasy and pipe dreams." "Let us leave the development of dolphins and freaks as weapons of espionage to others." "Now, with all due respect to Dr. Paul Ruth," "I recommend that we drop our scanner program immediately, sir." "Dr. Ruth, what's your response?" "Mr. Keller, who composed our audience last night?" "We had 25 financial and political V. I.P. S from all over north america." "Were these V. I.P. S carefully screened?" "The screening process used was very sophisticated, yes." "And yet an assassin managed to infiltrate this group." "Yes." "And killed 6 of our people." "Yes." "How did he kill them?" "We have reason to believe he... used scanning techniques." "Then do you suggest, Mr. Keller, that this highly-skilled assassin- very deadly who embarrassed us all in front of the community we were trying to impress, was himself a scanner?" "We believe so, yes." "That, gentlemen, is my response." "The weapons capability of these, uh, telepathic... curiosities." "Is obvious." "If I may, doctor, your program is based on a list of 236 known scanners," " is it now?" " It is." "Of that number," "Of that number, how many are now working with us?" "As of last night, none." "Well, then." "We don't even have a program to drop, do we?" "It shouldn't be very painful for anyone." "Consec surveillance has gradually lost contact with all the names on our list, and I submit that this..." "this is not an accident." "I think we've lost them to a program far in advance of ours." "What?" "I can't believe it." "I think you might elaborate, Dr. Ruth." "In my study of the situation I've come to the conclusion" "That there is a scanner underground" "Developed in north america." "It has an organization that's well-motivated, and it has a leader." "Now, that's ridiculous, doctor." "You can't get 2 of them to sit in the same room together without going berserk." "You're making a very provocative allegation, Dr. Ruth." "Who controls this group?" "If you study the descriptions in this report," "You will find that you probably met him last night." "His name is Darryl Revok, and he was on our list." "This is total fiction." "Mr. Trevellyan, I..." "A moment, Mr. Keller." "What do you suggest, doctor?" "Eliminate the competition." "How?" "Contact a scanner who is as yet unknown to the underground, convert him to out cause and then send him out to infiltrate the underground." "Convert him, doctor?" "How?" "They're all pathetic social misfits." "Unstable." "Unreliable." "That is because their unique gifts are not understood, Mr. Keller." "There is one point about which there is no doubt at all, and that is that consec was attacked." "For our own peace of mind, we have to retaliate in some way, and I think Dr. Ruth's suggestion is a very interesting one." "Except that..." "We don't have ant scanners left to send into the field." "As a matter of fact," "I do have one, still unaffiliated." "Very special one." "I don't suppose you speak much." "No." "It's not surprising." "With all those other voices in your head how can your hear your own voice?" "How can you develop a self personality?" "How do you feel?" "I feel... crystal clear." "How do you like... clarity?" "I'm not sure." " I think I'm a bit afraid." " Why?" "I feel so exposed." "I can hear myself." "You hear your own voice?" " Yes." " Good." "You called me a scanner." "What is that?" "Freak of nature..." "Born with a certain form of E.S.P., a derangement of the synapses which we call telepathy." "Could be a disease, possibly, or a result of radiation." "We don't really know why." "Who are you?" "My name is Dr. Paul Ruth." "I'm a psychopharmacist by trade, specializing in the phenomenon of scanners." "The woman in the shopping mall." "What were you doing to her?" "I wasn't doing anything to her." "It was her." "She was... forcing me..." "To what?" "To think about her." "The 50 people that were in this room they appeared to disturb you." "Why was that?" "They talked too loud." "They talked, and they talked." "Really?" "I didn't see their lips move, did you?" "No, it was the other voices." "The ones without lips." "They were drowning me." "I couldn't stop them." "The injection I gave you, the needle." "What happened to the voices?" "They stopped." "The drug is called ephemeral." "It's a scan suppressant." "It does nothing when it's given to ordinary human being." "When given to a scanner, it prevents the flow of telepathy." "It stops the voices." "It can help you." "How do you know these things?" "It's my profession." "This is Mr. Keller." "Will my car be ready this evening?" "Tell us what you did, please, Darryl." "I drilled a hole in my head." " Where?" " Kind of obvious, isn't it?" "Right here." "Why did you do it, Darryl?" "Why did you drill the hole?" "Too much pressure." "Had to release some pressure." "You wanted to let the pressure out?" "You wanted to let something out of your head?" "Maybe I'm so smart I can't contain the thoughts in my head." "You wanted to let something out of your head?" "What?" "People." "There are people in my head." "Not enough room for Darryl." "You mean voices?" "No." "Whole people." "Arms, legs, hands." "What's that you've put over the hole?" "It's a door." "Put an eye on the door so they won't know it's a door and they can't get back in 'cause this is the eye you know?" "Do you think that will fool them?" "Sure." "Sure it will." " I mean..." " I mean, sure it will, you know?" "I mean, is that the only way to..." "No!" "What do you know?" "You don't know nothing do you?" "What's it like in there eh, lady?" "You want to see how to get in?" "Ok?" "Come with me, Darryl." "Get your hands off me." "Get your hands..." "Get your hands off me!" "Get your hands off me!" "That's me, isn't it?" "As you were..." "Without ephemeral without guidance." "Is he still like that?" "Worse." "How could he be?" "At the age of 22 he was extremely self-destructive." "Now, at the age of 35, he is simply destructive." "In many ways, Cameron, he is your enemy." "And mine." "But I don't even know him." "He... knows you." "Somehow he was able to gather a master list of all the scanners who were ever born." "He has sought them out one by one, asked them to join him in an insane crusade to destroy the society that created him." "And me?" "He was looking for you but I found you first." "That's why you can help me." "I don't understand." "All the scanners who didn't agree to join him were murdered." "These murders represent a loss to mankind of the most spectacular human beings that ever walked the face of this planet." "Now, you, Cameron, and your brothers and sisters, can bring a, a glory and a brilliance to our society that has never been seen before." "We must stop Revok now." "Consec are not ready to give up their program." "Paul Ruth came up with a secret weapon." "What?" "Someone you've been looking for, I think." "A scanner." "Calls himself Cameron Vale." "I've seen him." "And Ruth knew exactly where to find him." "He's in indoctrination right now." "Can he do anything?" "What kind of shape is he in?" "He seems to function..." "But he's nothing to worry about." "He's weak." "Very weak." "Welcome to our little psychic gymnasium." "Cameron Vale..." "You'll please meet..." "Yoga master Dieter Tautz." "Mr. Tautz has kindly consented to be your psychic sparring partner." "He has publicly demonstrated on many occasions that by the power of his will." "He can control his heart rate, his alpha-wave rhythm, and many other supposedly uncontrollable functions of the human body." "Are we ready?" "Just about." "Proceed." "If you would be kind enough to sit facing this gentleman here." "I want you..." "I want you to... slowly release your scan." "Slowly, with focus." "I want it to touch his heart but not his brain." "You understand?" "Telepathy is not mind reading." "It is the direct linking of 2 nervous systems separated by space." "I want you to make a link... from your brain... to his heart." "I want your brain to make his heart... beat fast." "Now, if his heart beats too quickly... then he will take over control of his heart... and slow it down." "Don't worry about it." "All you have to do... is make his heart... beat... fast." "Fast." "Fast." "Now." "Fast." "Faster." "Fast." "Fast." "Fast!" "Fast!" "End your scan." "End it!" "Stop!" "Stop him!" "End it!" "End it!" "You were right, Dr. Ruth." "It was easy." "This man's name is..." "Benjamin Pierce." "And these photographs were taken in a prison for the criminally insane." "Here's another one." "This is a plaster cast of him at present on display at the crostic art galley." "He's our only lead, a known scanner who may or may not be part of Revok's underground." "Why was he in prison?" "He tried to kill his entire family." "His father, sister, mother..." "At the age of 10." "It was in 1958." "A few years later, he was released." "What do they say here?" "'Rehabilitation through art.'" "The man has incredible power, doesn't he?" "Power?" "Yes, he does." "I am Arno Crostic." "I'm pleased you came to my gallery." "Are you an aficionado of Benjamin Pierce?" "I'm interested in buying this piece for my apartment in paris." "Yes?" "But I don't think it'll work out unless I can get to meet the artist first." "I'm afraid no." "I hope it won't prejudice you against acquiring this piece, but I would lose Benjamin Pierce for good if I even approached him with the idea." "You see, it's pair of our agreement." "He will not meet his public." "Maybe you could just tell me where he lives." "Then I could approach him myself, and you wouldn't be involved." "I'm afraid I can't." "Then maybe you could just... think about... where he lives." "Excuse me." "I'm suddenly... feeling ill." "Arno, what's the matter?" " Are you all right?" " I will be all right." "Come on, Arno." "Let me take you back to your office." "You've got to lie down." "That's it." "Take me arm." "Benjamin Pierce?" "Why don't you leave me alone?" "I need some help." "You're the only one that can give it to me." "Is that right?" "Me?" "Yes." "Then I think you're in big trouble, chum." "I've heard you know a man named Darry Revok." "Who are you?" "I was told you were coming to pay me a visit, Mr. Vale." "How did you know that?" "Well..." "I have friends." "I don't want them... but I have them." "Scanner friends?" "What do you mean by that?" "I am one of you." " You're one of me." " Yes." "You know what I think?" "I think you better tell me what you really want." "It's the voices in my head." "They're driving me crazy." "How do you stop them?" "Your voices." "My art." "My art keeps me sane." "My art." "Sane." "I don't have anything like this." "That's why I have to find Darryl Revok." "You... my friend... are a liar." "Get out." "Look, I'm not leaving here until you tell me where I can find Darryl Revok." "No?" "All right." "Well, then I'll get out." "No!" "Find Revok." "Find Revok." "These are his robots... killers." "He'll turn you into a zombie, a robot, a killer." "No, don't you let him." "There are others." "Other scanners." "Kim Obrist." "Kim Obrist." "Kim Obrist." "Good evening, sir." "Can I help you?" "Are there any messages for me?" "Your name, sir?" "Cameron Vale." "Your room number?" "802." "Yes, this package is for you, sir." "My name is Cameron Vale." "I've got to talk to Kim Obrist." "Come on in." "Oh, God." "They killed Ben Pierce." "Yes." "Come on upstairs." "Just wait here a sec." "Kim, Revoc got to Ben Pierce." "He's dead." "This guy's name is Cameron Vale." "I scanned him." "He's for real." "He was there when it happened." "Sit down." "I know you." "You were at the gallery." "You were looking for Pierce." "I need help." "Scan together." "Scan together and our minds will begin to flow into each other until they become one." "One nervous system." "One soul." "One experience." "Beautiful." "Beautiful." "And frightening." "So frightening to lose yourself." "So frightening to lose yourself." "To lose your will to the group will." "To lose yourself to the group self." "...to the group self." "No!" "The power." "The power we can generate we wheb focus our scans together is fantastic." "Fantastic." "Terrifying." "Terrifying." "Exhilarating." "No!" "Aroud the side!" "Quick!" "Hurry!" "Get in!" "Let's go!" "Come on!" "Kim?" "Kim?" "Kim, come on." "Kim!" "Now, I know..." "What if feels like to die." "Everywhere you go, somebody dies." "Who are you?" "Who sent you?" " I'm a scanner." " Who sent you?" "I was found by consec." "Consec?" "They wanted me to find Revok." "I think they want to kill him, but they never told me about you." "Tony!" "Tony!" "Tony." "Oh, no." "Come on." "We got to get out of here." "Come on." "What happened?" "Excuse me." "Excuse me." "Sir, outside, please." "There's nothing here to see." "Go back to the street." "Back out." "Back out." "Oh, it's on fire!" "Let's get out of here." "Let's get out of here, like, right now." "We'll be all right here for a while." "It doesn't matter." "It's finished." "And nothing can stop Revok now." "We were the dream." "And he's the nightmare." "There's still us." "I can help you." "We can destroy Revok together." "You?" "You're barely human." "I'm sorry." "I'm sorry, but you don't understand." "You don't know Revok." "You don't know how evil he is, how powerful he is." "You don't know anything." "What are you doing?" "He must have something that will lead us to Revok." "Us?" "No, not me." "There it is." "That's it." "That's it." "Dr. Ruth, telephone call, sir." "Take it right here." "Yes." "It's Cameron Vale." "I missed you." "I made a breakthrough to Revok." "I want to come in." "I want to bring you an informant from Revok's group." "That's excellent." "I'll arrange for you to be brought in." "Can you call me back in about 10 minutes?" "Ok." "Good-bye, Dr. Ruth." "All set?" "10 minutes." "We may have developed a serious problem." "Vale's coming in." "He says he has an imformant from your crew." "Now, is that possible?" "No, he's lying." "Then why is he coming in?" "Maybe he's homesick." "Look, Vale must know something or his informant does." "It could be about me and you." "Then you'd better be the one to interrogate the informant." "And Ruth will talk to Vale." "I won't be able to prevent that." "If Ruth finds out anything, anything at all..." "Kill him." "Really?" " I thought you didn't want..." " Kill him." "Really." "Contact central, this is contact two-niner." "Contact two-niner, this is contact central." "Security is in place and you are clear to land." "Repeat, affirmative to land." "I'm afraid I'm going to have to give you both and injection of ephemerol." "Well, Braedon, no apologies, no vote of confidence, and my man brought back the goods." "Why don't we save the party util we run around with the president, doctor." "It won't take long." "I have a way with these creatures." "I know that." "So does Trevellyan." "That's why he's asked me to take the informant." "You can do what you like with Vale." "Well, that won't work." "Police state tactics simply won't work." "Sir." "Really?" "Why don't you send a letter to the board about that, doctor?" "I'm sure they'd love to hear from you." "Come in." "Welcome." "Congratulations." "It's good to have you back home." "Where's the girl?" "She should be here." "She's in another room being interrogated." "Thought it would be you." "So did I." "That's why I made sure that the needles I gave you both were harmlesss." "Don't worry." "She'll be able to protect herself if there's any problem." "Why did you do that?" "Gesture of trust to you friend." "I have my own methods." "I have nothing to hide." "Nothing at all to hide." "Not even the right program?" "The what?" "Do you know of a drug laboratory called biocarbon amalgamate?" "Yes, of course." "I founded it in 1942." "You?" "Right, I sold it to consec." "That's why I'm here." "Let's say that we have a, uh... genial working relationship." "Do you know what that lab does?" "It's been so long since I've been in touch with them." "As far as I know, they..." "They make some sort of chemical weaponry among other things." "It manufactures ephemerol for Darryl Rovok." "It may even be run by Darryl Revok." "That's impossible." "No, I was there." "I took the place of one of Revok's men." "I saw Revok in the control room." "The production of ephemrol is computerized." "It's being manufactured and sent out in huge tankers." "Ephemerol has been sent out?" "Sent out where?" "The answer is in you own computer." "The program that controls everything is called ripe, and it's a consec program." "That means that someone here at consec is a trator and that someone is working with Revok." "I want you to access the ripe program." "I do not have consec computer clearance." "Neither do I." "But you do have a nervous system... and so does a computer." "And you can scan the computer as you would anothere human being." "Come." "Hello." "Hello." "What a pleasant surprise." "You're very attractive." "Ok, let's do it the formal way." " Your name?" " Kim Obrist." "Your name?" "Not relevant." "Now, tell me everything you know about Darryl Revok's organization." "Before I tell you anything," "I want to know how you're going to protect me." "When Revok finds out that I've come here..." "He's going to try and kill me." "Miss Obrist, you best protection... is to tell us everything we need to know." "As soon as you do," "Revok will cease to be a threat to anyone." "Not good enough." "Revok's people are everywhere." "And that scares me." "To be honest with you, Kim..." "The only one you should be afraid of is me." "Why should I be afraid of you?" "I came here of my own free will." "Because..." "I know you're not what you say you are." "I want to see someone else." "Listen to me!" "Listen to me!" "Now, I have acquaintances in Revok's group." "They tell me..." "They tell me that you have never been one of them." "Why are you here?" "Why?" "Good-bye, Kim." "It must be Kim." "Where is she?" "Where is she?" "This is more important." "No!" "No, this is more important." "The computer is more important." "Access the ripe program." "More important." "But the ripe program is the past." "Therefore, to access the ripe program is to access the past, no?" "Access the past." "Access the past." "Security!" "The scanners, find them and kill them." "Put it on the air!" "Find them and kill them." "Mustn't happen again." "It's always been there inside me..." "Lurking away." "Sucking out my joy and rotting my successes." "Cameron, oh, Cameron." "I have a way with you, Cameron." "Mustn't happen again." "Ripe... ripe, indeed." "The ripe program must be stopped!" "This isn't the same thing, you understand?" "Not the same thing at all." "It's different." "First time was an accident." "Fortunate for some... unfortunate for others." "The ripe program is cold and cruel." "Very... very cold." "Very cruel." "What happened?" "Keller tried to kill me." "Keller?" "Then he's the one." "Oh, my god." "Mom, what are you doing here?" "I'm sorry, mom." "Mom, I didn't..." "I..." "I didn't mean it." "I didn't mean it, mom." "Please!" "There was blood on my hand." "Secure the computer room!" "Blood on my hand." "What's going on?" "What the hell is going on?" "It's the scanners, sir." "They're out." "Is this the only way we can do it?" "If we don't plug into the computer now, they're going to reprogram it." "What does that mean?" "It means that someone has reprogrammed the computer in such a way that the ripe program is locked away inside." "Somebody not only threw away the key." "He plugged the keyhole." "Try it again." "Try it again." "That's as deep into it as we're going to get." "Hey, Lee, punch up your internal monitor." " Access is I M 863." " Why?" "What is it?" "Someone's inside this thing right now." "Getting the ripe program." "How can this happen?" "This room is max security." "We're plugged into the telephone system." "Anybody who has the proper series of access codes could get in here long distance." "You mean, someone's getting that right now?" "Yeah." "Damn!" "It's him." "It's Vale." "He's inside." " Is that possible?" " It's got to be." "It's got to be." "I want to hurt him." "How can we hurt him before he gets out?" "Hurt him?" "I don't understand." "Vale's nervous system and the computer's nervous system are joined together." "He's scanning it." "I want to cripple them both." "Or maybe kill them both." "How?" "I don't know if it's what you want, but I could override the max security self-destruct." "It's designed to blow all the circuits in case of anticipated possession of data by unauthorized and unfriendly forces." "Do it now." "But, sir that would entail a total loss of all data, all programs within the consec system." "I couldn't do that without the written authorization of consec leader." "Mister, this is your authorization." "Sit down!" "Do it now or I'll kill you." "Yes, sir I'm doing it now." "Sir, I have to finish it over there." "Sir, this is the last step." " Are you sure?" " Do it!" "There's no need for that." "It's all very quiet." "It's just internal switching." "Really?" "No one's ever switched off a scanner before." "Whoa, shit!" "See, I told you." "No fireworks!" "Hey, I'll go find the doctor." "All right." "I'll keep an eye on the door." "Excuse me." "Do you know if the receptionist is coming back soon?" "Yeah, I guess so." "Thanks." "Please, I'll be with you in a few moments." "I have to talk to you right now, doctor." "Will you please get out of here?" "It's about this drug, Dr. Frane." "I understand you've been prescribing it to some patients." "Excuse me." "I'll be back in just a moment." "Just relax." "Read a magazine." "Where did you get this?" "What do you want with me?" "Who are you?" "What happened?" "I was scanned." "The woman in the..." "in the waiting room." "She scanned you?" "No, not her..." "Her child." "Her unborn child scanned me." "That's what the ripe program is." "The doctors on the computer list are giving ephemerol to there pregnant patients." " I don't understand." " Ephemerol!" "Ephemerol is creating new scanners." " Hold still." " Oh, god!" " Hold still." " Oh, my god." "Ok, ok, come on." "Let's got out of here." "Come on, you can make it." "Come on!" " Kim!" "Kim!" " Vale." "Kim." "Sleeping beauty awakes." "Where's kim?" "The next room." "She'll be awake in a few hours." "We don't want anyone in here with us." "This is just between you and me." "Where's your partner Keller?" "He should be here." "Keller?" "Seems he died when you blew up his computer." "By the way, that was very impressive." "Keller murdered Dr. Ruth." "He deserved to die." "Shouldn't mourn the good doctor's death." "You should celebrate it with me." "Dr. Ruth was a great man." "He tried to help us." "He helped me." "'Great man.'" "There's only one person on earth who ever tried to help you and that's me." "You?" "You sent your soldiers out to kill me." "Never." "Never you." "I've spent years looking for you." "And then when Keller told me that Ruth had dressed you up and sent you out as some ridiculous amateur spy," "I tried to take care of you look after you, guide you to me." "Now why would you try to do that?" "Who's your mother?" "I don't know." "Who's your father?" "I don't know." "What was your first childhood memory?" "I don't have any." "No, you don't." "It's no accident that you don't." "You were kept on ice." "It wasn't until consec had trouble putting me away that they thawed you out." "You've been monitored every day of your life allowed to live like garbage, scum." "He knew where you were but it wasn't until he needed you that he reached down and hauled you up out of the slime." "Who?" "Your father..." "Dr. Paul Ruth." "Our father." "No." "You're my brother, Cameron... my kid brother." "No." "Sit down." "I want to show you something." "This was a test campaign used in 1947 to market a new product." "The product was a drug a tranquilizer called ephemerol." "It was aimed at pregnant women." "If it had worked it would have been marketed all over north america." "But the campaign failed and the drug failed." "Because it had a side effect on the unborn children an invisible side effect." "It created scanners." "Yes, the man who invented phemerol was very excited by this weird mutation it caused." "So was consec." "They offered to finance his experiments... so he sold them his company and himself." "And that man was Dr. Ruth?" "That was daddy." "Now I said that the side effects of ephemerol were invisible but that's not completely true." "Daddy could see them." "He could see them in us." "He had given the prototype of ephemerol to his pregnant wife, our mother 4 years before it hit the market and then again a year later." "These children turned out to be difficult till he realized that the only thing that would calm them down was his drug, ephemerol." "That's why we're older than all the others." "Not only older more powerful." "The rest of them they're nothing compared to us." "Then what did you need Keller for?" "Consec had hardware." "It had contacts." " Keller could see the future." " The future?" "You murdered the future." "That's nagative, Cam." "Defeatist." "Disappoints me to hear you talk that way." "You're starting to sound like them." "There's a whole generation of scanner soldiers just a few months away from being born." "We'll find them train them to be like us," "Not like an old person or a band of cripples." "Bring the world of normals to their knees." "Rule an empire so brilliant, so glorious we'll be the envy of the whole planet." "You sound just like him like Ruth." "No, not like him." " Like Revok, Darryl Revok!" " No, like him." "It's as though he's been reincarnated in you." "You're not listening to me." "You're not cooperating, Cam." "You're not cooperating with me at all." "I've been counting on you for years, Cam." "Tell me you're not going to betray me like all the rest." "Tell me you're not." "No!" "All right, we're going to do it the scanner way." "I'm going to suck your brain dry." "Everything you are is going to become me." "You're going to be with me Cameron, no matter what." "After all, brothers should be close." "Don't you think?" "Cameron?" "Kim." "It's me, Kim, Cameron." "I'm here." "We've won." "We've won." "Will you look at that fellow over there?" "I've never seen anything so disgusting in all my life." "I'll tell you something." "He's staring." "I think he's looking at us." "I think we're being picked up." "Oh, it's too awful." "Can you believe it?" "They can let creatures like that in here." "I mean, really." "It's..." "Anne, what's the matter, huh?" "Anne?" "Oh!" "Oh, help someone, please." "Oh!" "Please, help." "Damn it!" "You're 35 years old, Mr. Vale." "Why are you such a derelict?" "Such a piece of human junk?" "The answer's simple." "You're a scanner, but you don't realize it, and that has been the source of all your agony." "But I will show you now that it can be a source of great power." "Let them in." "Not much of a place, is it?" "Still, didn't pay for it, so..." "Hurry up." "Hurry up!" "We can talk now." "I would like to scan all of you in this room one at a time." "I, I must remind you that the, uh, scanning experience is usually a painful one, sometimes resulting in nosebleeds, earaches, stomach cramps, nausea." "Sometimes other symptoms of a similar nature." "There's a doctor present Dr. Gatineau." "I know that you've all been prepared for this, but I thought I'd just remind you just the same." "Uh, there is one other thing." "No one is to leave this room once the demonstration has begun." "At this point I'd like to call for volunteers." "Anyone." "It doesn't matter." "Fine." "Just, uh..." "Sit right here, please." "Now, I'd, I'd like you to think of something specific." "Something that will not breach the security of you organization." "And that you will not object to having disclosed to this group." " Something, uh, personal, perhaps." " All right." "Yes, I have something." " Do I have to close my eyes?" " It doesn't matter." "All right." "Yes, I have something." "All right." "Move everybody out!" "Now!" "Call consec leader!" "I want you to come with me." "I didn't do anything." "I said I want you to come with me." "Come on." "Gatineau, come with us." "Down there." "Quick!" "Move it!" "Get down!" "Give him a shot of ephemeral." "Come on!" "OK." "Take it easy." "All we need is to get stopped by a cop." "Ah, it'd serve'em right." "Why the hell did they have to send us to the old factory?" "If this guy's a scanner they don't want him down at central." "They're afraid of him." "He's a scanner." "Hey, where's security 2?" " He's moving up fast on the left." " Hey, man, what's happening?" "Ray, what the hell's the matter with you?" "You gotta pull back behind them, man." "Come on!" "Ray, I'm gonna kill you if you don't do it." "Ray!" "Oh, my god." "Don't stop!" "Move it!" "No, we got to get'em out of there!" "We've got to get in there." "They're charred, man!" "You can see them burning." "Let go of me!" "Those people are dead!" "Get up." "Let's get out of here, man!" "Come on!" "You want to get us killed?" "All right." "All right." "Pipe down!" "Last night..." "We at consec chose to reveal to the outside world our work with those..." "Telepathic curiosities known as scanners." "The result 6 corpses..." "And a substantial loss in credibility for our organization." "So, this morning we have a new director of internal security," " Mr. Braedon Keller." " Thank you." "Mr. Trevellyan." "Gentlemen, we're in the business of international security." "We deal in weaponry and private armories." "We do not trade in fantasy and pipe dreams." "Let us leave the development of dolphins and freaks as weapons of espionage to others." "Now, with all due respect to Dr. Paul Ruth," "I recommend that we drop our scanner program immediately, sir." "Dr. Ruth, what's your response?" "Mr. Keller, who composed our audience last night?" "We had 25 financial and political V. I.P. S from all over north america." "Were these V. I.P. S carefully screened?" "The screening process used was very sophisticated, yes." "And yet an assassin managed to infiltrate this group." "Yes." "And killed 6 of our people." "Yes." "How did he kill them?" "We have reason to believe he... used scanning techniques." "Then do you suggest, Mr. Keller, that this highly-skilled assassin- very deadly who embarrassed us all in front of the community we were trying to impress, was himself a scanner?" "We believe so, yes." "That, gentlemen, is my response." "The weapons capability of these, uh, telepathic... curiosities." "Is obvious." "If I may, doctor, your program is based on a list of 236 known scanners," " is it now?" " It is." "Of that number," "Of that number, how many are now working with us?" "As of last night, none." "Well, then." "We don't even have a program to drop, do we?" "It shouldn't be very painful for anyone." "Consec surveillance has gradually lost contact with all the names on our list, and I submit that this..." "this is not an accident." "I think we've lost them to a program far in advance of ours." "What?" "I can't believe it." "I think you might elaborate, Dr. Ruth." "In my study of the situation I've come to the conclusion" "That there is a scanner underground" "Developed in north america." "It has an organization that's well-motivated, and it has a leader." "Now, that's ridiculous, doctor." "You can't get 2 of them to sit in the same room together without going berserk." "You're making a very provocative allegation, Dr. Ruth." "Who controls this group?" "If you study the descriptions in this report," "You will find that you probably met him last night." "His name is Darryl Revok, and he was on our list." "This is total fiction." "Mr. Trevellyan, I..." "A moment, Mr. Keller." "What do you suggest, doctor?" "Eliminate the competition." "How?" "Contact a scanner who is as yet unknown to the underground, convert him to out cause and then send him out to infiltrate the underground." "Convert him, doctor?" "How?" "They're all pathetic social misfits." "Unstable." "Unreliable." "That is because their unique gifts are not understood, Mr. Keller." "There is one point about which there is no doubt at all, and that is that consec was attacked." "For our own peace of mind, we have to retaliate in some way, and I think Dr. Ruth's suggestion is a very interesting one." "Except that..." "We don't have ant scanners left to send into the field." "As a matter of fact," "I do have one, still unaffiliated." "Very special one." "I don't suppose you speak much." "No." "It's not surprising." "With all those other voices in your head how can your hear your own voice?" "How can you develop a self personality?" "How do you feel?" "I feel... crystal clear." "How do you like... clarity?" "I'm not sure." " I think I'm a bit afraid." " Why?" "I feel so exposed." "I can hear myself." "You hear your own voice?" " Yes." " Good." "You called me a scanner." "What is that?" "Freak of nature..." "Born with a certain form of E.S.P., a derangement of the synapses which we call telepathy." "Could be a disease, possibly, or a result of radiation." "We don't really know why." "Who are you?" "My name is Dr. Paul Ruth." "I'm a psychopharmacist by trade, specializing in the phenomenon of scanners." "The woman in the shopping mall." "What were you doing to her?" "I wasn't doing anything to her." "It was her." "She was... forcing me..." "To what?" "To think about her." "The 50 people that were in this room they appeared to disturb you." "Why was that?" "They talked too loud." "They talked, and they talked." "Really?" "I didn't see their lips move, did you?" "No, it was the other voices." "The ones without lips." "They were drowning me." "I couldn't stop them." "The injection I gave you, the needle." "What happened to the voices?" "They stopped." "The drug is called ephemeral." "It's a scan suppressant." "It does nothing when it's given to ordinary human being." "When given to a scanner, it prevents the flow of telepathy." "It stops the voices." "It can help you." "How do you know these things?" "It's my profession." "This is Mr. Keller." "Will my car be ready this evening?" "Tell us what you did, please, Darryl." "I drilled a hole in my head." " Where?" " Kind of obvious, isn't it?" "Right here." "Why did you do it, Darryl?" "Why did you drill the hole?" "Too much pressure." "Had to release some pressure." "You wanted to let the pressure out?" "You wanted to let something out of your head?" "Maybe I'm so smart I can't contain the thoughts in my head." "You wanted to let something out of your head?" "What?" "People." "There are people in my head." "Not enough room for Darryl." "You mean voices?" "No." "Whole people." "Arms, legs, hands." "What's that you've put over the hole?" "It's a door." "Put an eye on the door so they won't know it's a door and they can't get back in 'cause this is the eye you know?" "Do you think that will fool them?" "Sure." "Sure it will." " I mean..." " I mean, sure it will, you know?" "I mean, is that the only way to..." "No!" "What do you know?" "You don't know nothing do you?" "What's it like in there eh, lady?" "You want to see how to get in?" "Ok?" "Come with me, Darryl." "Get your hands off me." "Get your hands..." "Get your hands off me!" "Get your hands off me!" "That's me, isn't it?" "As you were..." "Without ephemeral without guidance." "Is he still like that?" "Worse." "How could he be?" "At the age of 22 he was extremely self-destructive." "Now, at the age of 35, he is simply destructive." "In many ways, Cameron, he is your enemy." "And mine." "But I don't even know him." "He... knows you." "Somehow he was able to gather a master list of all the scanners who were ever born." "He has sought them out one by one, asked them to join him in an insane crusade to destroy the society that created him." "And me?" "He was looking for you but I found you first." "That's why you can help me." "I don't understand." "All the scanners who didn't agree to join him were murdered." "These murders represent a loss to mankind of the most spectacular human beings that ever walked the face of this planet." "Now, you, Cameron, and your brothers and sisters, can bring a, a glory and a brilliance to our society that has never been seen before." "We must stop Revok now." "Consec are not ready to give up their program." "Paul Ruth came up with a secret weapon." "What?" "Someone you've been looking for, I think." "A scanner." "Calls himself Cameron Vale." "I've seen him." "And Ruth knew exactly where to find him." "He's in indoctrination right now." "Can he do anything?" "What kind of shape is he in?" "He seems to function..." "But he's nothing to worry about." "He's weak." "Very weak." "Welcome to our little psychic gymnasium." "Cameron Vale..." "You'll please meet..." "Yoga master Dieter Tautz." "Mr. Tautz has kindly consented to be your psychic sparring partner." "He has publicly demonstrated on many occasions that by the power of his will." "He can control his heart rate, his alpha-wave rhythm, and many other supposedly uncontrollable functions of the human body." "Are we ready?" "Just about." "Proceed." "If you would be kind enough to sit facing this gentleman here." "I want you..." "I want you to... slowly release your scan." "Slowly, with focus." "I want it to touch his heart but not his brain." "You understand?" "Telepathy is not mind reading." "It is the direct linking of 2 nervous systems separated by space." "I want you to make a link... from your brain... to his heart." "I want your brain to make his heart... beat fast." "Now, if his heart beats too quickly... then he will take over control of his heart... and slow it down." "Don't worry about it." "All you have to do... is make his heart... beat... fast." "Fast." "Fast." "Now." "Fast." "Faster." "Fast." "Fast." "Fast!" "Fast!" "End your scan." "End it!" "Stop!" "Stop him!" "End it!" "End it!" "You were right, Dr. Ruth." "It was easy." "This man's name is..." "Benjamin Pierce." "And these photographs were taken in a prison for the criminally insane." "Here's another one." "This is a plaster cast of him at present on display at the crostic art galley." "He's our only lead, a known scanner who may or may not be part of Revok's underground." "Why was he in prison?" "He tried to kill his entire family." "His father, sister, mother..." "At the age of 10." "It was in 1958." "A few years later, he was released." "What do they say here?" "'Rehabilitation through art.'" "The man has incredible power, doesn't he?" "Power?" "Yes, he does." "I am Arno Crostic." "I'm pleased you came to my gallery." "Are you an aficionado of Benjamin Pierce?" "I'm interested in buying this piece for my apartment in paris." "Yes?" "But I don't think it'll work out unless I can get to meet the artist first." "I'm afraid no." "I hope it won't prejudice you against acquiring this piece, but I would lose Benjamin Pierce for good if I even approached him with the idea." "You see, it's pair of our agreement." "He will not meet his public." "Maybe you could just tell me where he lives." "Then I could approach him myself, and you wouldn't be involved." "I'm afraid I can't." "Then maybe you could just... think about... where he lives." "Excuse me." "I'm suddenly... feeling ill." "Arno, what's the matter?" " Are you all right?" " I will be all right." "Come on, Arno." "Let me take you back to your office." "You've got to lie down." "That's it." "Take me arm." "Benjamin Pierce?" "Why don't you leave me alone?" "I need some help." "You're the only one that can give it to me." "Is that right?" "Me?" "Yes." "Then I think you're in big trouble, chum." "I've heard you know a man named Darry Revok." "Who are you?" "I was told you were coming to pay me a visit, Mr. Vale." "How did you know that?" "Well..." "I have friends." "I don't want them... but I have them." "Scanner friends?" "What do you mean by that?" "I am one of you." " You're one of me." " Yes." "You know what I think?" "I think you better tell me what you really want." "It's the voices in my head." "They're driving me crazy." "How do you stop them?" "Your voices." "My art." "My art keeps me sane." "My art." "Sane." "I don't have anything like this." "That's why I have to find Darryl Revok." "You... my friend... are a liar." "Get out." "Look, I'm not leaving here until you tell me where I can find Darryl Revok." "No?" "All right." "Well, then I'll get out." "No!" "Find Revok." "Find Revok." "These are his robots... killers." "He'll turn you into a zombie, a robot, a killer." "No, don't you let him." "There are others." "Other scanners." "Kim Obrist." "Kim Obrist." "Kim Obrist." "Good evening, sir." "Can I help you?" "Are there any messages for me?" "Your name, sir?" "Cameron Vale." "Your room number?" "802." "Yes, this package is for you, sir." "My name is Cameron Vale." "I've got to talk to Kim Obrist." "Come on in." "Oh, God." "They killed Ben Pierce." "Yes." "Come on upstairs." "Just wait here a sec." "Kim, Revoc got to Ben Pierce." "He's dead." "This guy's name is Cameron Vale." "I scanned him." "He's for real." "He was there when it happened." "Sit down." "I know you." "You were at the gallery." "You were looking for Pierce." "I need help." "Scan together." "Scan together and our minds will begin to flow into each other until they become one." "One nervous system." "One soul." "One experience." "Beautiful." "Beautiful." "And frightening." "So frightening to lose yourself." "So frightening to lose yourself." "To lose your will to the group will." "To lose yourself to the group self." "...to the group self." "No!" "The power." "The power we can generate we wheb focus our scans together is fantastic." "Fantastic." "Terrifying." "Terrifying." "Exhilarating." "No!" "Aroud the side!" "Quick!" "Hurry!" "Get in!" "Let's go!" "Come on!" "Kim?" "Kim?" "Kim, come on." "Kim!" "Now, I know..." "What if feels like to die." "Everywhere you go, somebody dies." "Who are you?" "Who sent you?" " I'm a scanner." " Who sent you?" "I was found by consec." "Consec?" "They wanted me to find Revok." "I think they want to kill him, but they never told me about you." "Tony!" "Tony!" "Tony." "Oh, no." "Come on." "We got to get out of here." "Come on." "What happened?" "Excuse me." "Excuse me." "Sir, outside, please." "There's nothing here to see." "Go back to the street." "Back out." "Back out." "Oh, it's on fire!" "Let's get out of here." "Let's get out of here, like, right now." "We'll be all right here for a while." "It doesn't matter." "It's finished." "And nothing can stop Revok now." "We were the dream." "And he's the nightmare." "There's still us." "I can help you." "We can destroy Revok together." "You?" "You're barely human." "I'm sorry." "I'm sorry, but you don't understand." "You don't know Revok." "You don't know how evil he is, how powerful he is." "You don't know anything." "What are you doing?" "He must have something that will lead us to Revok." "Us?" "No, not me." "There it is." "That's it." "That's it." "Dr. Ruth, telephone call, sir." "Take it right here." "Yes." "It's Cameron Vale." "I missed you." "I made a breakthrough to Revok." "I want to come in." "I want to bring you an informant from Revok's group." "That's excellent." "I'll arrange for you to be brought in." "Can you call me back in about 10 minutes?" "Ok." "Good-bye, Dr. Ruth." "All set?" "10 minutes." "We may have developed a serious problem." "Vale's coming in." "He says he has an imformant from your crew." "Now, is that possible?" "No, he's lying." "Then why is he coming in?" "Maybe he's homesick." "Look, Vale must know something or his informant does." "It could be about me and you." "Then you'd better be the one to interrogate the informant." "And Ruth will talk to Vale." "I won't be able to prevent that." "If Ruth finds out anything, anything at all..." "Kill him." "Really?" " I thought you didn't want..." " Kill him." "Really." "Contact central, this is contact two-niner." "Contact two-niner, this is contact central." "Security is in place and you are clear to land." "Repeat, affirmative to land." "I'm afraid I'm going to have to give you both and injection of ephemerol." "Well, Braedon, no apologies, no vote of confidence, and my man brought back the goods." "Why don't we save the party util we run around with the president, doctor." "It won't take long." "I have a way with these creatures." "I know that." "So does Trevellyan." "That's why he's asked me to take the informant." "You can do what you like with Vale." "Well, that won't work." "Police state tactics simply won't work." "Sir." "Really?" "Why don't you send a letter to the board about that, doctor?" "I'm sure they'd love to hear from you." "Come in." "Welcome." "Congratulations." "It's good to have you back home." "Where's the girl?" "She should be here." "She's in another room being interrogated." "Thought it would be you." "So did I." "That's why I made sure that the needles I gave you both were harmlesss." "Don't worry." "She'll be able to protect herself if there's any problem." "Why did you do that?" "Gesture of trust to you friend." "I have my own methods." "I have nothing to hide." "Nothing at all to hide." "Not even the right program?" "The what?" "Do you know of a drug laboratory called biocarbon amalgamate?" "Yes, of course." "I founded it in 1942." "You?" "Right, I sold it to consec." "That's why I'm here." "Let's say that we have a, uh... genial working relationship." "Do you know what that lab does?" "It's been so long since I've been in touch with them." "As far as I know, they..." "They make some sort of chemical weaponry among other things." "It manufactures ephemerol for Darryl Rovok." "It may even be run by Darryl Revok." "That's impossible." "No, I was there." "I took the place of one of Revok's men." "I saw Revok in the control room." "The production of ephemrol is computerized." "It's being manufactured and sent out in huge tankers." "Ephemerol has been sent out?" "Sent out where?" "The answer is in you own computer." "The program that controls everything is called ripe, and it's a consec program." "That means that someone here at consec is a trator and that someone is working with Revok." "I want you to access the ripe program." "I do not have consec computer clearance." "Neither do I." "But you do have a nervous system... and so does a computer." "And you can scan the computer as you would anothere human being." "Come." "Hello." "Hello." "What a pleasant surprise." "You're very attractive." "Ok, let's do it the formal way." " Your name?" " Kim Obrist." "Your name?" "Not relevant." "Now, tell me everything you know about Darryl Revok's organization." "Before I tell you anything," "I want to know how you're going to protect me." "When Revok finds out that I've come here..." "He's going to try and kill me." "Miss Obrist, you best protection... is to tell us everything we need to know." "As soon as you do," "Revok will cease to be a threat to anyone." "Not good enough." "Revok's people are everywhere." "And that scares me." "To be honest with you, Kim..." "The only one you should be afraid of is me." "Why should I be afraid of you?" "I came here of my own free will." "Because..." "I know you're not what you say you are." "I want to see someone else." "Listen to me!" "Listen to me!" "Now, I have acquaintances in Revok's group." "They tell me..." "They tell me that you have never been one of them." "Why are you here?" "Why?" "Good-bye, Kim." "It must be Kim." "Where is she?" "Where is she?" "This is more important." "No!" "No, this is more important." "The computer is more important." "Access the ripe program." "More important." "But the ripe program is the past." "Therefore, to access the ripe program is to access the past, no?" "Access the past." "Access the past." "Security!" "The scanners, find them and kill them." "Put it on the air!" "Find them and kill them." "Mustn't happen again." "It's always been there inside me..." "Lurking away." "Sucking out my joy and rotting my successes." "Cameron, oh, Cameron." "I have a way with you, Cameron." "Mustn't happen again." "Ripe... ripe, indeed." "The ripe program must be stopped!" "This isn't the same thing, you understand?" "Not the same thing at all." "It's different." "First time was an accident." "Fortunate for some... unfortunate for others." "The ripe program is cold and cruel." "Very... very cold." "Very cruel." "What happened?" "Keller tried to kill me." "Keller?" "Then he's the one." "Oh, my god." "Mom, what are you doing here?" "I'm sorry, mom." "Mom, I didn't..." "I..." "I didn't mean it." "I didn't mean it, mom." "Please!" "There was blood on my hand." "Secure the computer room!" "Blood on my hand." "What's going on?" "What the hell is going on?" "It's the scanners, sir." "They're out." "Is this the only way we can do it?" "If we don't plug into the computer now, they're going to reprogram it." "What does that mean?" "It means that someone has reprogrammed the computer in such a way that the ripe program is locked away inside." "Somebody not only threw away the key." "He plugged the keyhole." "Try it again." "Try it again." "That's as deep into it as we're going to get." "Hey, Lee, punch up your internal monitor." " Access is I M 863." " Why?" "What is it?" "Someone's inside this thing right now." "Getting the ripe program." "How can this happen?" "This room is max security." "We're plugged into the telephone system." "Anybody who has the proper series of access codes could get in here long distance." "You mean, someone's getting that right now?" "Yeah." "Damn!" "It's him." "It's Vale." "He's inside." " Is that possible?" " It's got to be." "It's got to be." "I want to hurt him." "How can we hurt him before he gets out?" "Hurt him?" "I don't understand." "Vale's nervous system and the computer's nervous system are joined together." "He's scanning it." "I want to cripple them both." "Or maybe kill them both." "How?" "I don't know if it's what you want, but I could override the max security self-destruct." "It's designed to blow all the circuits in case of anticipated possession of data by unauthorized and unfriendly forces." "Do it now." "But, sir that would entail a total loss of all data, all programs within the consec system." "I couldn't do that without the written authorization of consec leader." "Mister, this is your authorization." "Sit down!" "Do it now or I'll kill you." "Yes, sir I'm doing it now." "Sir, I have to finish it over there." "Sir, this is the last step." " Are you sure?" " Do it!" "There's no need for that." "It's all very quiet." "It's just internal switching." "Really?" "No one's ever switched off a scanner before." "Whoa, shit!" "See, I told you." "No fireworks!" "Hey, I'll go find the doctor." "All right." "I'll keep an eye on the door." "Excuse me." "Do you know if the receptionist is coming back soon?" "Yeah, I guess so." "Thanks." "Please, I'll be with you in a few moments." "I have to talk to you right now, doctor." "Will you please get out of here?" "It's about this drug, Dr. Frane." "I understand you've been prescribing it to some patients." "Excuse me." "I'll be back in just a moment." "Just relax." "Read a magazine." "Where did you get this?" "What do you want with me?" "Who are you?" "What happened?" "I was scanned." "The woman in the..." "in the waiting room." "She scanned you?" "No, not her..." "Her child." "Her unborn child scanned me." "That's what the ripe program is." "The doctors on the computer list are giving ephemerol to there pregnant patients." " I don't understand." " Ephemerol!" "Ephemerol is creating new scanners." " Hold still." " Oh, god!" " Hold still." " Oh, my god." "Ok, ok, come on." "Let's got out of here." "Come on, you can make it." "Come on!" " Kim!" "Kim!" " Vale." "Kim." "Sleeping beauty awakes." "Where's kim?" "The next room." "She'll be awake in a few hours." "We don't want anyone in here with us." "This is just between you and me." "Where's your partner Keller?" "He should be here." "Keller?" "Seems he died when you blew up his computer." "By the way, that was very impressive." "Keller murdered Dr. Ruth." "He deserved to die." "Shouldn't mourn the good doctor's death." "You should celebrate it with me." "Dr. Ruth was a great man." "He tried to help us." "He helped me." "'Great man.'" "There's only one person on earth who ever tried to help you and that's me." "You?" "You sent your soldiers out to kill me." "Never." "Never you." "I've spent years looking for you." "And then when Keller told me that Ruth had dressed you up and sent you out as some ridiculous amateur spy," "I tried to take care of you look after you, guide you to me." "Now why would you try to do that?" "Who's your mother?" "I don't know." "Who's your father?" "I don't know." "What was your first childhood memory?" "I don't have any." "No, you don't." "It's no accident that you don't." "You were kept on ice." "It wasn't until consec had trouble putting me away that they thawed you out." "You've been monitored every day of your life allowed to live like garbage, scum." "He knew where you were but it wasn't until he needed you that he reached down and hauled you up out of the slime." "Who?" "Your father..." "Dr. Paul Ruth." "Our father." "No." "You're my brother, Cameron... my kid brother." "No." "Sit down." "I want to show you something." "This was a test campaign used in 1947 to market a new product." "The product was a drug a tranquilizer called ephemerol." "It was aimed at pregnant women." "If it had worked it would have been marketed all over north america." "But the campaign failed and the drug failed." "Because it had a side effect on the unborn children an invisible side effect." "It created scanners." "Yes, the man who invented phemerol was very excited by this weird mutation it caused." "So was consec." "They offered to finance his experiments... so he sold them his company and himself." "And that man was Dr. Ruth?" "That was daddy." "Now I said that the side effects of ephemerol were invisible but that's not completely true." "Daddy could see them." "He could see them in us." "He had given the prototype of ephemerol to his pregnant wife, our mother 4 years before it hit the market and then again a year later." "These children turned out to be difficult till he realized that the only thing that would calm them down was his drug, ephemerol." "That's why we're older than all the others." "Not only older more powerful." "The rest of them they're nothing compared to us." "Then what did you need Keller for?" "Consec had hardware." "It had contacts." " Keller could see the future." " The future?" "You murdered the future." "That's nagative, Cam." "Defeatist." "Disappoints me to hear you talk that way." "You're starting to sound like them." "There's a whole generation of scanner soldiers just a few months away from being born." "We'll find them train them to be like us," "Not like an old person or a band of cripples." "Bring the world of normals to their knees." "Rule an empire so brilliant, so glorious we'll be the envy of the whole planet." "You sound just like him like Ruth." "No, not like him." " Like Revok, Darryl Revok!" " No, like him." "It's as though he's been reincarnated in you." "You're not listening to me." "You're not cooperating, Cam." "You're not cooperating with me at all." "I've been counting on you for years, Cam." "Tell me you're not going to betray me like all the rest." "Tell me you're not." "No!" "All right, we're going to do it the scanner way." "I'm going to suck your brain dry." "Everything you are is going to become me." "You're going to be with me Cameron, no matter what." "After all, brothers should be close." "Don't you think?" "Cameron?" "Kim." "It's me, Kim, Cameron." "I'm here." "We've won." "We've won."