The Assessment

(haunting solo female voice sings single note)

- (female voice sings) - (heavy breathing)

- (female voice sings) - (heavy breathing)

Woman: Mia?

Mia! Mia, come back!

- (ominous music playing) - (breathes heavily)

Woman: Mia? Mia, come back!

Come back!

Mummy!

- (rumbling) - (dark music playing)

Synthetic female voice: Atmospheric dome disturbances

within normal range.

Synthetic voice: This morning, you swam 1409 meters

- at a stroke rate of... - What's wrong with your voice?

Synthetic voice: Aaryan changed it.

Oh.

Synthetic voice: Do you like it?

Mia: I can live with it.

Synthetic voice: Suggested Senoxidine dosage, one tab.

Synthetic voice: Atmospheric pressure

within the dome, one ATM.

Radioactivity levels, within safe range.

- (she sighs) - (electricity buzzing)

- (inhales sharply) - (buzzing stops)

Aaryan: Reduce coefficient 2.04 to 2.019.

Why is your texture so fuzzy?

Why does Sjøhus sound like your mother?

Aaryan: Are you serious? I'm changing it back.

- I'm teasing. I like it. - (cat purrs)

Why don't we have something nice tonight?

I cultivated a new algae. Maybe you can use it?

Sounds good.

- (water running) - (choral music playing)

Sjøhus, how's pressure in feed pipe four?

Sjøhus: Lower than usual. Shall I run diagnostics?

No, that's all right.

Sjøhus: Pressure back to usual levels.

Hello.

You're not feeling too good?

I don't think I'm gonna get much sleep.

Me either.

You want to go to bed anyway?

Hmm.

- (grunts softly) - Is that too much?

No, that's great.

- Mm. - Yeah. It's so really much better.

Mm-hmm.

What if we're not good enough?

If we're not, who is?

It just makes me nervous. It's all so secretive.

We'll be fine.

- Hey. - Hmm.

I love you.

That's right.

- (waves lapping) - Mia!

- (choral music playing) - (electronic chirping)

- (electronic chime) - Sjøhus: It's 6:00 a.m.

Sjøhus: Your visitor has arrived.

Are you ready? Okay.

I'm Virginia. Your Assessor.

- (chuckles softly) - Your supporting material,

as previously reported,

places you in the top 0.1 percentile of citizens.

I'm therefore happy to confirm that under Article 96,

you qualify for in-person Assessment.

- Over the next seven days... - Can I just ask someth...

Virginia: There's a lot to get through.

Sorry, I just...

Virginia: Over the next seven days,

you'll undergo close observation and formal testing

to ascertain suitability for parenting.

In the event of a pass, your material

will be passed on for ex-utero gestation.

All other methods of reproduction

still remain forbidden.

In the event of a fail,

candidates will be notified immediately.

Candidates have the right to withdraw from Assessment

at any point up to and including the in-person questionnaire.

After which they waive any and all right

to future applications.

Assessor's decision is final. Clear?

- Yes. - Absolutely.

Finally, you are reminded:

Everything that takes place over the next seven days

is highly confidential.

And what are we being assessed on exactly?

It's just a little... opaque.

Opaque?

Not opaque... I just mean, not clear.

- That is what opaque means. - What Mia's trying to say is...

We couldn't find any specific criteria,

that's what I'm trying to say.

Virginia: The less you know in advance, the better.

I want to get to know the real you.

- Is that a good idea? - Virginia: Yes.

I was joking.

Hmm. (chuckles)

Good. (chuckles) Humor is important.

I'm sure that everyone says this...

but I...

We would be really great parents.

Everyone does say that.

So, who's first?

On a scale of one to ten,

how would you rate your current levels

of satisfaction with the relationship?

Nine, at least.

Describe Mia with three words.

Funny. Smart.

Sharp. She can be a little sharp.

But I like that. Keeps me on my toes.

We were in a lab

and he was absorbed in some code.

And I don't know why I took this moment to tell him,

but I said "I love you", it just popped out and he said,

"That's right.” (chuckles)

How often do you have sex?

- Once or twice a week. - How are we defining sex?

Virginia: Oral, manual, anal or full.

Do you achieve regular climax?

Yes.

Virginia: Every time?

Would you like some water?

Is that part of the test?

- No, just water. - I'm fine. Thank you.

Tell me about your mother.

She expected a lot from me, but...

it was good.

She was sent to the Old World

when my sister and I were little,

so I only have a few memories.

- She was a dissident? - Yes.

Do you have any differences with the State?

No. Does it not say this in my file?

Virginia: Why do you want a child?

We know how lucky we are. We feel...

We feel fulfilled...

...professionally and personally and we want to share that.

Every child deserves the best possible start.

That sounds a little prepared.

It's our duty to help nurture

the future of this society.

It's a big thing, so, yes, we're prepared.

Mia: I want to give a child what I never had.

And what was that?

A sense of belonging.

You don't feel you belong?

Now, yeah. No, I meant as a child.

Everything's as per the instructions.

We thought that we could use this...

Not that we're presuming, but we...

- (wind whistles) - (sighs)

Do you hear that?

Loose springs.

But there's no springs in that mattress.

Do you have somewhere else?

Yes, but there's actually no springs...

You take our room. We'll sleep in here.

Virginia: Don't go to any trouble.

- It's no trouble. - Yeah, yeah.

It's no trouble at all.

Better.

I call it Aaryan's thinking cave.

Sjøhus, open Cooper slate.

I'm working on the cat's texture.

This is all virtually generated.