Yes.
Yes, wonderful.
I'll transfer you to booking.
Can I help you?
Edward Porris.
- I... I have an appointment.
- Porris.
Just have a seat.
Hannah Geist?
Excuse me?
You look like a Hannah Geist.
I'd take you for a Hannah Geist.
Oh. Yes.
Well, most people are.
I'm here for Michael Felix.
Do you know
he used to torment his lovers
by packing his foreskin with spices
before intercourse?
I'm just lucky they got to him
before the execution. I'm real lucky.
I'll take this one.
Breathtaking.
I understand your fascination with her.
I understand completely.
She's perfect somehow, isn't she?
More than perfect.
More than human.
Her eyes seem to reach...
...right beneath your skin
and touch your organs.
And touch your stomach.
Your lungs.
Gives me the shivers.
As you can see,
we have several options available.
Each was acquired
from Miss Geist directly.
If I thought your interest
was only passing,
there are any number
of low-end packages I could offer.
However you strike me as a man
whose involvement
runs a little deeper than that.
I see you... as a man of taste.
A connoisseur.
If you'll permit me
to make a recommendation.
S-558.
Expensive...
but a must-have for the truly devoted.
Miss Geist was afflicted
during her much publicised affair
with Laura Law in 2003.
We purchased it from her soon after.
- S-558?
- Yes.
A form of the herpes simplex virus.
After infection, the virus lives on
in the cells of its host
for the rest of their life.
Did you know she's deformed?
You can't tell from the magazines.
She has to have
special underwear made.
Fashion designers
make her special underwear.
I've heard that.
Do you have your credit card
with you, Mr Porris?
Which side do you want it on?
I haven't decided.
Most people want it on the left side.
If she kissed you,
it would be on the left side.
If she kissed me?
Miss Geist is infected here,
to the right of her mouth.
Now, if she kissed you,
it'd spread to your left side,
around here.
On the left, it'd be like
she gave it to you in person.
Oh, yes, I'd like the left side.
Lean back, please.
Just a little pinch.
There.
You should be showing
in a couple of weeks.
Enjoy.
Are you carrying
any infectious materials with you
or items belonging to The Lucas Clinic
Incorporated or its suppliers?
No.
Now, I thought a fungus was a plant
because it comes from vegetables, right?
I told them this gives new meaning...
Yeah, come in.
Apparently I'm no biologist. Some of our
viewers were quick to point that out.
I wanted to ask
about the alarm test tomorrow.
There's nothing I can do about it.
I don't like it either,
but it's the law.
No, I know, but...
...it's just that I'm sick right now
and I need my sleep.
Yeah. OK, so, listen,
I'll tell you what we'll do about it.
We'll start at the top floor, so
we won't even get to you until after 11.
It's the Aria Noble Ordeal.
And we'II, you know,
we'll just be in and out.
You can keep your bedroom shut.
The question on everyone's mind is
what is really going on with her?
We're talking to Mr Dorian Lucas,
founder of the Lucas
celebrity services clinic.
Mr Lucas,
how do you respond to critics
who say the disease
you're really selling is a cultural one?
That's ridiculous.
Do you not agree
that the mania surrounding celebrity
is reaching an unhealthy level?
No, I don't.
So these people are really
so deserving of our attention?
In your opinion,
does Aria Noble deserve to be famous?
Let me stop you there.
Deserve to be famous?
What does it mean
to deserve to be famous?
Anyone who's famous
deserves to be famous.
Celebrity is not an accomplishment,
not at all.
It's more like a collaboration
that we choose to take part in.
Celebrities are not people.
They're group hallucinations.
Surely it's naive to imagine
that your clients think the same way.
Really? Naive?
My clients are intelligent adults
from all walks of life, all ages,
and they find meaning
in all the stories around them.
They choose to come to me
because they wanna feel more connected
to those faces, to those people
that they see in the magazines
and on television,
and their lives are much richer for it.
The human face is a powerful messenger.
Our brains are tuned
to its every nuance.
The smallest shift
in its musculature
can translate itself
into complex nonverbal information,
so subtle and communicated so quickly
that we often don't even register it,
not consciously.
One could say that for human beings,
the face is a structure
with a high-information resolution.
The ReadyFace console is designed
to engage the user's
unconscious mental resources
by exploiting the brain's sensitivity
to facial patterns.
Our technician
loads a virus sample into the port,
where it's analysed by ReadyFace
and is translated into a face graphic.
This image represents
the structure of the disease.
It is in a sense the face of the virus,
dense with information.
As Mr March manipulates the graphic,
the machine manipulates the virus
in the sample container,
eventually rendering it noncontagious.
This advanced form of copy protection
affords us control
over the distribution of our products,
as the virus cannot spread
beyond the infected client.
ReadyFace fluidly incorporates
our technician's
unconscious mental resources
so that copy protecting
a sample like this one
will take hours rather than days.
Hey, thanks for coming.
Lovely to see you.
- Enjoyed it.
- Thank you.
Thanks for making the time.
Appreciate it.
No, she has to have special underwear
made because she doesn't have a vulva.
She was born without a vulva.
Her father used to make them,
which was an ordeal for her as a child,
but now she has fashion designers do it.
That's what she meant when she told
Spot Magazineshe doesn't have a face.
- Listen to what you're saying.
- You asked me, so I'm telling you.
You're telling me
you've been working here too long.
You're seriously buying into all this.
What's to buy into?
What I'm saying is factual.
Factual? Yesterday her birth defect
was a unique, nonfunctional organ
connected to her urinary system.
It's worth millions
on the celebrity meat market.
Yeah, also true.
I'm sure the kid could shed some light
on the situation.
Didn't you take a genital wart sample
from Hannah Geist once?
- That was Derek.
- Did he mention if she had a vulva?
We're doing lunch at Dainty Davis.
You coming?
I already ate.
You look like shit.
- Hi, Michelle.
- Hey, Syd. What can I get for you?
- 915?
- The new Aria Noble flu.
We got it this morning.
So we did.
Thank you.
Derek.
I understand
your fascination with her.
I understand completely. She's...
...perfect somehow, isn't she?
More than perfect.
An ideal.
Overwhelming.
With a whisper, she could have
anything she wanted.
Anyone she wanted.
I'm happy to inform you that we have
something special available today.
It just came in this morning.
S-915.
You would be the first.
A biological communion
between you and Aria.
From her body to your body.
From her cells to your cells.
In my humble opinion...
...it's not even a question.
Just a little pinch.
The fever should come on
just in time for the long weekend.
Enjoy.
Are you carrying
any infectious material with you
or items belonging to The Lucas Clinic
Incorporated or its suppliers?
No.
Next. Who's ne... OK.
Geist, OK, yeah.
OK, what are we... Like we're talking
like a roast for two people?
This is good.
Hello, sir. What can I get you?
I've been trying to reach you.
I was sick.
I think my body's
starting to turn on me, Arvid.
I don't know how much longer
I can do this.
You'll be fine.
There's an ebb and flow
to this kind of work.
Give it a month and you'll feel like
a completely different person.
I already feel like a different person.
I'm developing a cripple identity.
- I think you look great.
- Thanks.
I don't understand
how this isn't considered cannibalism.
Well, these are just muscle cells.
It all depends on whether the human
being is found in its materials.
Right now the law tends towards
something more religious,
but we'll see what happens when we go
from growing celebrity cell steaks
to growing complete celebrity bodies.
I'm looking forward to it.
And with the proper funding,
I could probably make that happen.
- Have you seen my cell garden?
- No.
Something new
I've been cooking up.
So do we have business?
Yeah.
Yeah. I, uh...
I cracked the new Aria Noble flu.
- It's already public.
- What?
Since Saturday. You're behind the times.
- The clinic just got it last week.
- Well, somebody beat you to the punch.
- Who?
- One of my other guys.
Arvid.
Look, I'm not
some bug-collecting hobbyist.
You wanna get paid for your work,
talk to me
when you stop getting scooped.
What's going on?
They arrested Derek.
Villainy in our own house, Syd. I simply
cannot work under these conditions.
Like anyone would take you.
I hear Vole & Tesser are hiring.
Topp didn't even know about Sara
Holden's skin flap until I told him.
I'm sure the kid doesn't know about
Sara Holden's skin flap right now.
You're too good for skin flaps,
aren't you, Syd?
Skin flaps are beneath you.
Is there anything else you need? No?
Did you know that healthy tulips
have solid-coloured petals?
The stripes on this flower
are caused by a viral infection.
I had heard that, yes.
Mm.
OK.
It's a weird business, Syd.
Do you know Derek Lessing?
Not well.
Well, the police found
an unlicensed ReadyFace console
in his apartment today.
An older model, a 35-50.
They think he was undoing the copy
protection on some of our samples
and then selling the contagious viruses
to a piracy group.
- Jesus.
- That machine is registered to us.
I guess he must have smuggled it
out of the store room or something.
So I had Michelle run an inventory
and she discovered that there was
a second machine that's gone missing.
Will you let me know
if you hear anything at all?
Of course.
I'm gonna send you
on a house call today.
You're going to see Hannah Geist.
She's sick, she's at the Mayerson
and she's eager to sell.
Now, normally
I'd be sending Derek on this,
so be tactful if the subject comes up.
Yes, sir.
ID.
Wait inside.
They'll call you when they're ready.
I didn't know Vole & Tesser was here.
You do know the Hannah Geist line
is exclusive to Lucas?
Sure. She's all you have going for you.
I hear she's worth more
than your entire catalogue.
I've never really cared for her.
Why are you here?
Gregory Vern.
Terminal illness?
It's for Mr Vole's personal collection.
He has a licence.
Lucas Clinic.
Where's Derek?
He called in sick. My name is Syd March.
Shh.
Tell Dorian we'll be in touch.
She's perfect somehow,
isn't she?
More than perfect.
More than human.
Her eyes.
Are... Are you OK?
Sorry. Excuse me for a moment.
Whoa, hey.
Whoa. What is wrong with you?
I need to go.
Can you finish? Please?
Shit.
We tracked down
The Future of Smiles,
an office where we spoke to the
principal coordinator, Gregory Hurek.
Mr Hurek refused to appear on...
Oh, hey. A couple of guys
were here looking for you.
Portland somebody?
I didn't get the other guy's name.
But, look, he left you a number.
Here.
Has anyone been in the apartment?
You know, they wanted me to let them in,
but it's against the law.
So where were you?
Um...
- I was... asleep.
- Yeah, that's what I figured.
I know you've been sick.
Wow, I'll tell you,
it's pretty shocking.
And now they're saying it's a virus
that she picked up in China.
But her family
will not let them autopsy the body
until they fly over a specialist
from Munich.
Autopsy?
Well, they want their own doctor.
They're German.
Hey!
- You get in line.
- Everyone listen carefully!
We're cutting our last tray
of Hannah Geist for the day.
If you get a ticket,
you can buy one three-ounce steak.
If you don't get a ticket,
you have to come back tomorrow.
- Is Arvid around?
- Yeah, he's in the back.
Are you aware
they're still growing the cancer cells
of a woman who died in the 1950s,
Henrietta Lacks?
Yeah, they use them for research.
So these cells of hers are alive
and multiplying all over the world.
The afterlife is getting
extremely perverse.
What happened to Hannah Geist?
You don't know?
I think I was asleep.
She was sick for about a week.
Nothing serious.
Then this morning
one of her aides found her dead.
She was in China looking at orphans,
but none of her entourage
are having any problems,
so they don't know what it is she had
or how it was communicated.
It's quite an ordeal for the family.
This all must feel
a bit personal to you.
How so?
Well, you were one of the last people
to see her alive.
- Where'd you hear that?
- I have big ears.
I was hoping
that's why you came to see me.
Sorry to disappoint.
That's too bad,
because that virus would be
the holy grail while this heat lasts.
Is there any chance
you can get me a taste?
I wish. We can't hold deadly pathogens.
I'm sure the health board
already took everything.
Yeah? What about you? You look sick.
I am sick.
Listen, my console's down.
You know anybody with parts to spare?
Maybe.
The antipiracy lobby is fairly insane
right now, so everyone's paranoid.
- I need a new 80-box.
- I'll see what I can do.
Hey. Hey, hey.
Is it true they arrested Derek Lessing?
Yeah.
That's too bad.
He did some really good work for me.
Here, have some Hannah.
On the house.
There is less light
in the world now.
That much is certain.
A ray of light has been lost.
Hannah was a friend of this clinic,
and I'm proud to say
I knew her personally.
She was truly
a sweet and a humble soul.
Our prayers here at Lucas
are with her family and loved ones.
- So what's your professional opinion?
- What?
Well, you must have had
a good look at her.
We've got a pre-autopsy pool
going with the guys in accounting.
Mercer's playing it safe
and going with flu virus.
I'm thinking of taking a flyer
and going with food poisoning.
Do you think
it might have been food poisoning?
I don't know.
Of course, no one's saying drugs.
They'll never admit it if it is drugs.
- She didn't do drugs.
- Oh, you knew her well?
She was a Buddhist from birth.
She couldn't even take painkillers
or she would have been beaten.
I hear we'll be selling ringworm
from her dog Brom to fans with dogs.
Brom's getting a following.
Hey, Dorian turned your sample over
to the board this morning.
That's a bit exciting, our little shop
on the fringes of a media frenzy.
Can I have a 900 pack?
What's a 900 pack?
Hannah Geist variety pack.
Everybody's guzzling Geist today.
Everyone's talking about her...
Oh, my gosh.
I don't even know if I can say it.
Her anus. You heard that right.
Rumours of the young star's situation
have been spreading like a rash,
with news outlets as far as Japan,
Australia and even the Middle East
scrambling to get the poop
on recent documents
leaked by the office
of Aria's specialist.
Swedish media network SM has even offered a bounty
for photographic evidence
of the unusual condition.
Sources close to her say
the normally hard-partying celeb
hasn't been seen in public since.
Well, that settles it.
I'm getting a camera.
- You would do that.
- The hunt is on.
Meanwhile, Hannah Geist's
former dog walker has opened up
in a recent interview
with our sister station.
51-year-old Helen Pinto was employed
full time at the now-shuttered estate
and caused quite a stir earlier today
when she claimed to be holding
one of the star's used panty liners.
Pinto said she retrieved the liner
towards the end of Hannah's illness
and was in the process
of having it analysed...
- What's with the cane?
- I've been having a little trouble.
I've gotta make a quick stop
before we get your part.
It must have happened overnight.
We found them like this in the morning.
I've never seen anything
like this before.
I mean, they were fine
when we shipped them.
Obviously they weren't fine.
You sold me bad meat.
Well, are your trays clean?
Don't fuck with me, Arvid.
Don't you even fuck with me.
- OK. I'm sorry, Luc.
- I can't serve this.
They think they're getting Hannah Geist
and I'm feeding them Ron Deggy.
OK. I'm gonna find out
what happened and I'm gonna fix it.
So do I get to know what's killing you?
An antique Michael Felix bug
I sold the other day.
It was a mistake.
Apparently the copy protection on some
of those old samples got a little weird,
but I didn't think
I'd get another chance.
Sounds reckless.
I'm just trying to keep things
interesting for myself.
- For two?
- Is Levine around?
Sure, he's in the back.
I'll let him know you're coming.
You'll like Levine.
He's one of my best guys.
I just wanna make sure
he's comfortable with all this.
Hang out here.
Is that you?
I've done everything you've asked.
I'm not strong enough to escape.
Please say something.
Hannah.
Oh, thank God you're here.
I'm so afraid.
I'll do anything you say.
Please, please just let me go.
Do you...
Do you want me to hurt myself?
I can't say no to you.
- Hello?
- What was that?
Please repeat yourself
so I can obey your command.
Do you want me to hurt myself?
Do you wanna see my body?
Please, I'm so afraid.
Please.
Please.
- Are you still there?
- All right, let's go.
- What is this thing?
- I can't take it any more!
It's part of a new franchise.
Levine has the only location in town.
- Tell me what to do. I'll do anything.
- It's catching on, though.
- Come on.
- I'll do anything.
Please.
Please.
Levine.
Syd March.
It's always strange
to meet the competition.
So Arvid here tells me that
you actually work at The Lucas Clinic.
Yeah.
I think one of your friends
is a customer of mine.
Really? Yeah,
Vera brings me bugs sometimes.
So that's kind of cool, huh?
You're like an inside man.
I think I'd be too contemptuous
to play that game.
Oh, yeah. Levine's too classy
to profit from such trash.
I'm talking about politics.
I get that we're all rat men here,
Arvid, scavenging the bin.
But I like to think that my work
is purposefully gross at least.
Allows me to hoard
a little dignity somewhere.
No offence. I don't even think
dignity's still valid currency.
I appreciate you
helping me out like this.
Anything for a friend of Arvid's. Here.
Where'd you get this?
I built it using old parts I co-opted
from a contact at Vole & Tesser.
I've been modifying it for years.
The resolution is somewhere between
one of the new ReadyFaces and a 7-86.
You, uh... wanna run your blood
through it right here?
No, thank you.
Yeah, that's fine.
So I don't have your 80-box,
but I can get one within the week.
- Arvid said you had one.
- I thought I did.
Turns out none of my stuff
is compatible.
Levine's all right.
Hey, I'm completely trustworthy,
all right?
I already know the guy
who can dig one up for me.
As a sign of good faith, though,
I would like to get your payment
out of the way while you're here.
My what?
The sample.
What sample?
The sample. What the hell, Arvid?
I told Levine you'd give us
a bit of that Hannah Geist bug
you've been carrying around.
Arvid.
Don't be a miser.
Hey, you. You gonna faint?
I hope you're not taking this
too personally.
Well, I'll admit I was a little insulted
when I found out
you weren't gonna share with me.
Were you gonna shop it around?
Did you just want this one
all to yourself?
OK.
Listen, I understand
these are special circumstances.
You and I both recognise that.
When we're done here,
I'll find you a doctor who will keep
your situation low profile.
And then we'll get you fixed up...
and you can still work for me.
All right?
Your clock is counting down
at a maniac pace. You need a friend.
- All done?
- Almost.
I wouldn't mind grabbing
a bit of that rash for good measure.
Now, I would love to do this properly
if you would just stop freaking out.
Coffee.
Do you mind?
Hm.
Did you hear she died in her sleep while
her boyfriend was in the other room?
Then he got into bed
and slept beside her body
the whole night without knowing.
Can you imagine what an ordeal
it must have been when he found out?
I have no idea.
Every night since I heard that,
I've been touching my wife
before I go to sleep
just to make sure she's still warm.
Excuse me.
Right.
- What can I get you boys?
- I'll have the calamari.
I'm fine.
- How about you?
- I'll have the calamari.
Two calamaris.
You're looking pretty sick.
- I'll live.
- Is that true?
I think you're a lot worse
than you're letting on.
I'm sorry. We're just waiting for a car.
My name's Portland and this is West,
and we're taking you to meet someone.
I'd rather not.
Are you planning
on being difficult about it?
No, I guess not.
That would be for the best.
Don't look so worried.
You're a commodity.
This is it.
Shortness of breath?
No.
Nausea?
Yes.
Ringing in your ears
or auditory hallucinations?
No.
No delusions of grandeur?
You know, towards the end
of my grandmother's life,
she imagined the entire world was
operating exclusively with her in mind.
I was only a child at the time,
but I remember once I got off the toilet
and she asked me what I had intended
to communicate to her.
It was later discovered
she had a brain tumour.
I've been told that Hannah's illness
can produce florid hallucinations.
Ah, there he is.
I think that virus destroyed my console.
The virus was designed with
a security measure to prevent analysis.
It took a little effort,
but I was eventually able to bypass it.
- Designed?
- Yes.
I'm afraid you've become involved
in something sinister.
Go inside and take a seat.
Who are you?
I'm Syd March.
We met at the Mayerson.
Mm.
Yeah, Dev told me you were coming.
Have you started bleeding yet?
Bleeding?
From your mouth.
That's good.
I don't mind the sight of blood.
It just...
...collects in my throat at night
and I have suffocation dreams.
So I've mostly stopped sleeping.
It's terrifying, really,
when you think about it.
The death is a cover story,
but she is dying for real
and we still don't have a cure.
We have reason to believe that her
infection was an assassination attempt,
and we felt this was the best way
to prevent a second attack.
This is all very unlucky for you,
but I'm hoping we can help each other.
The disease wasn't built from scratch.
It's a modification of something
we sold to your clinic three years ago.
We assume someone at Lucas created this,
and if you can find out who,
it might be the first step
towards finding a cure for Hannah,
and for yourself, of course.
She looks frail.
She needs your help.
I have a burned-out ReadyFace
at my apartment.
It might be useful
if I could get it working again.
I'm sure we can find you
whatever you need.
- How do you feel?
- Tired.
That all?
I have a headache.
Last night...
Hannah had a mild psychotic episode.
For one hour she insisted that I was
her late publicist, Maynard Welsh.
This has been in some ways
an uncomfortable experience for me.
My interest in her, of course,
is more than professional.
Here. There's a company in Munich
where they make these.
They're skin grafts,
grown from celebrity skin-cell samples.
This one here, this one is Hannah.
You know, I'm not a spiritual man.
A belief in God, it's always struck me
as a sign of dangerous infantilism.
But you will forgive me if I tell you
that with each of these patches,
my world has become more charged,
that there is a power,
something in the thrall
of the collective eye
that can be consumed and appropriated.
You play the sceptic,
but I don't believe it.
Surely you could have stolen Hannah's
blood without injecting yourself.
Why did you do it?
Maybe you feel what I feel.
Or maybe you're really just another fan.
Well, now you share a death with her,
and that's a powerful bond.
I don't wanna die from this.
Of course.
Uh, here.
Two, three times daily.
What are they?
Antivirals.
They should help
slow the infection down.
You're an absolute disgrace.
Where you been, bud?
- I was sick.
- Dorian's in a rage.
You're making Mercer look good
these days.
I had to pull a favour
to keep you from getting fired.
Thank you.
I need someone nonresponsive to talk to
and you're cheaper than my therapist.
I gotta say, it doesn't look like
your little vacation did you much good.
- Hi, Michelle.
- Hey, Mercer.
Ask me if I'm looking forward to Timothy
Stanton's molluscum this afternoon.
- Timothy Stanton is impotent.
- It's on his shoulder.
You can get molluscum anywhere.
He has an infection to sell every time
he gets a divorce. It's uncanny.
He's holding a competition
throughSpot Magazine.
The winner gets to infect him
with their next cold
and they get a free sample
after he gets sick.
- Are you entering?
- No, I don't get colds.
Catch you later.
Welcome back.
Anything else?
I was wondering
if you could look something up for me.
Yeah, sure thing.
What is the recent sales history
for Hannah Geist sample S-888?
- How recent?
- Last two months.
Uh, S-888 is the Bermuda flu
which we phased out
when we got Paris Honeymoon, so...
- Right.
- It's been taken out once since April.
- By who?
- Um... Derek Lessing.
Thank you.
- See you tomorrow.
- Yeah.
I've got more of my blood here
if you want it.
You kind of caught me off guard.
What was Derek Lessing working on?
Well, that's hard to say.
Derek was into some weird pathology.
I thought he was one of your people.
He hasn't sold me anything
for over a year.
Drop it. Drop it. Drop it. Drop it.
I wanted to keep things civil with us,
but Levine can be hard to manage.
He's starting to get out of hand.
And that blood you gave him
fried his rig.
None of those samples
lasted more than a day.
What is going on with you, man?
Whatever it is you're into,
it's attracting
a lot of dangerous attention.
So here's what.
I'm gonna give this back to you
and you're gonna stay away from me.
I refuse to be pulled into a crazy mess.
Mr Lessing?
Mr Lessing, is that you?
Hey, what, you just getting home?
I've been having some trouble at work.
Did you catch any of the funeral?
The whole thing, yeah,
it was live on 503.
- I must have missed it.
- Yeah.
It was a beautiful service.
But sad.
For someone like that to die so young.
She was an extraordinary woman.
And absolutely gorgeous.
I cried all the way through.
Oh, that man Portland,
he was here again.
He left you a package.
Thank you.
Insiders say she had the flu
for two weeks before passing away,
but they were totally unprepared
for the dramatic turn the illness took
just as it seemed she was recovering.
I spoke with the Geist family earlier
and they were absolutely devastated,
like any other family, really,
who have experienced the loss
of a daughter or a sister,
staying together and supporting
each other through this difficult time.
Well, that's really just it.
A death in the family
will affect anyone the same way,
whether you're the Geists
or the people next door.
You can see that
in the outpouring of sympathy
from her fans during the funeral.
Absolutely right, and many
feel a personal connection to Hannah,
which I think says so much.
One crying fan today told us her love
for Hannah actually saved her life.
She had all but given up on the world
after a spiral of depression
and drugs eventually...
Hello, Derek. Great to see you again.
What else are you feeling?
I can really feel it
coming on now.
It's right in my cells.
I'm tired all the time.
I can't move or think properly.
I'm only approximating myself.
I passed on your findings
to an old colleague of mine, Agna Hahn.
She's a professor
of biotechnological law in California.
Now, she discovered that Vole & Tesser
had recently patented
a genetically modified virus.
It's quite likely the source
of Hannah's and your infection.
- A patent?
- Mm. What it means, it's unclear to me.
But if they intended to kill her,
then why would they declare ownership
over the weapon?
What are you doing here?
Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey. Oh!
Hello, Syd.
How are you feeling?
I'm told you are at this moment infected
with the same virus
that killed Hannah Geist.
Is that true?
It's OK. We already know.
You have nothing to hide from us here.
This is an honest room.
You can share any thoughts or feelings
you might be having.
In fact, you are encouraged to share.
Hey!
There's no need to yell.
We can hear you clearly.
OK, I'll share first.
Right now we are attempting
to capitalise on a unique opportunity.
Since her tragic passing,
many of Hannah's admirers
have experienced what could be described
as an uncomfortable narrative gap
between her life and funeral.
How did she die really?
What did the final hours
of her life look like?
History may have denied them
these moments,
but through you
we have a window into the past.
By documenting your deterioration,
we can ease the suffering of millions,
who have, through no fault of their own,
been left in the dark.
How do you feel right now?
Cooperate.
Cooperate.
I'm sorry. I'm an innovator.
Bad dream?
I think sexual politics
are involved also
because of cell penetration
by the virus.
The original host
takes on the role of the male
and the newly infected is the female.
And then the infected changes gender
to infect others,
sort of the way
the reef fish change gender.
It probably says something
about your customers.
Anyway, I just wanted to say I'm sorry
for the way you're being treated here.
If it had been up to me,
we would have taken better care of you.
But we gotta get this thing finished and
on the market while people still care,
otherwise there's no point.
Besides, you owe me
for what you did to my rig.
Ask us about the new
Vole & Tesser rewards programme,
now available at all
Vole & Tesser locations.
Back off!
Hello, Miss Tesser.
Please, call me Mira.
I'm sorry I'm not there
to speak with you in person.
I understand completely.
I hear you've been causing
problems for our good friend Levine.
Such a brilliant little man, isn't he?
Is there any way I can convince you
to continue your collaboration?
I'm afraid not.
That's a shame.
We could make you excitingly famous.
I'd like to tell you something
about your virus.
Oh? And what would that be?
The contract Hannah Geist
signed with Lucas
prevents you from selling her diseases,
but a... but a virus
you built and patented yourself
would remain your property
even if it passed through her body.
You could infect her, recover the sample
and then sell it
as a Vole & Tesser exclusive.
Is that true?
It's why you commissioned the virus
from Derek Lessing
and why he infected her
during a house call.
It's a great loophole, isn't it?
My idea, of course.
We stood to make a lot of money.
Unfortunately there was a problem
with your friend Derek's build.
I wanna know if it can be cured.
I think so.
However, producing a cure
would be costly,
and as you acquired the virus
on your own,
we feel no responsibility
for your condition.
I have something to barter.
She'll be here in the morning.
We're not sure, but, you know... No?
Well, this is certainly
a heartbreaking turn of events.
I mean, this really puts things
in perspective, doesn't it, you know?
Now, I would happily
do something if I could,
and the thought of a collaboration
between Miss Geist and our company
is very appealing.
Unfortunately,
my specialist here has advised me
that she's too far gone to be saved.
You'll be hearing from our lawyers.
I think you'll find
we've taken the necessary precautions.
Now, if you'll excuse me...
You know,
while I was a guest at your clinic...
...I... I had some time
to think things over.
I've been seeing
a little more clearly since then.
For example, I can see
that this is an important moment.
I can see an opportunity here...
...even in the face
of such a devastating tragedy.
We... have a chance to innovate,
and to do it in a way
that will benefit you both.
The technology already exists...
...and I know where to find it.
Allow me to take a moment of your time.
When I was a little girl,
my mother used to ask me,
"What do you wanna be
when you grow up?"
And I would tell her,
"I don't wanna grow up. "
"I wanna stay young and beautiful. "
So I guess in a way
this is my childhood dream realised.
And I couldn't be more excited
to share it with you.
Welcome, everyone, to my Afterlife,
exclusively from Vole & Tesser.
From the perspective of the virus,
the human being is irrelevant.
What matters is the system
that allows it to function.
Skin cells, nerve cells,
the right home for the right disease.
Within our Afterlife capsule,
the system that is Hannah Geist's body
has been perpetuated,
even expanded
beyond what existed during her lifetime.
Make no mistake, however,
this is not some glorified cell steak.
Everything inside this housing
is either part of the original body
or has been grown directly from it
as a result of our patented
CellGarden technology.
Our chief technician, Syd March,
is about to load the latest virus
into the system,
where it will infect Hannah's body
before being sold as part of our
Vole & Tesser Afterlife product line.
Now, this is just a sneak peek.
If you wanna know
the nature of the infection,
you'll have to wait
until it's announced officially
at our product conference
at the end of this month.
Thanks for coming by. Thank you.
Thanks so much for your time.
Thanks for coming by.
- We'll see you at the end of the month.
- Thank you.
She's perfect somehow, isn't she?