Creep Box

No voice sounding.

No touch of human hand.

No face with blooming flesh.

No lips, nor eyes, are in that land.

I know it not a soul, nor dost thou.

All is a blank before us.

All waits undreamed of in that region,

that inaccessible land.

Twitch.

Consent.

Sunset.

Vanilla bean.

Peacock.

Meadow.

Domineer.

Twitch.

Consent.

Sunset.

Vanilla bean.

Peacock.

- Where am I now?

- And we'll be able to, uh,

speak with the, uh.

The deceased? No.

No, not exactly, Mr. Nichols.

We're not reaching into an astral plane

or into the afterlife here, no.

Our technology at HDTA allows us

to simulate human consciousness.

In this case, your wife's.

Like AI?

- AI is incapable of giving meaning

to its calculations and its predictions.

Our simulations operate using personal experiences

and memories, not, not algorithms.

- Henry, this is who you wanted to see.

I know, I know.

And this, uh, this?

We call them Whisperers.

He's good?

- Dr. Caul? Oh yes, he's our very best.

Here he is.

It's a pleasure to meet you.

Afternoon.

Doctor of what exactly?

Psychology and parapsychology.

Parapsychology?

You mean like ghosts and seances?

- Yes. I find that it compliments my doctorate

in neuroscience quite well.

Should we begin? - Mm-hmm.

Mr. Nichols, when I start,

I'll be reciting a series of primer words.

- What words? - Words of meaning

are used to primer and guide,

if you will, the simulation.

- Words serve as a sort of phase-lock.

Meadow, domineer, twitch, consent,

sunset, vanilla bean, peacock.

Peacock?

Mm-hmm.

- These words meant something to Mrs. Nichols?

Well, that's really something

that only Mr. Nichols can speak to.

- These are merely words that carry

a certain amount of trackable data.

For us these words will help us conduct a better interaction

between you and the simulation.

- Our minds create a flowing stream of thought,

but in a simulation, it's much more like a torrent.

- They help the simulation stay focused.

- Precisely. And any deviation from these words

will negatively impact the entire process.

Also, you must avoid any reference to the here and now.

Here and now?

Fellas, I thought I was just talking to my wife.

- You'll be speaking to a simulation

of your wife's consciousness.

And it may seem real, but I assure you

this is not her spirit or her soul.

It's just a feedback loop of ones and zeros.

Do you understand?

- Running through, running on the beach.

Too much sand, Henry hates sand.

I can't stand. It's like he's strutting around like a peacock.

I mean a fucking peacock- - Meadow. Domineer.

- Twitch, consent, sunset, vanilla bean, peacock.

Rachel?

- What is he doing here?

Henry?

It's me, babe.

- Henry, what are you doing here?

Faithfulness, spineless heel, sleeping around.

Yeah, that's him all right.

- I just wanted to hear your voice.

- You can hear my voice anytime.

I know. I've missed you.

Is everything okay?

I can't stand you. I can't stand you.

Everything's fine.

- I would leave but I don't even know were I would go.

Rachel, there are some things

I didn't get to say to you before you-

- I hope you know that I love you.

Sleeping around.

Of course I do.

But Henry, you're starting to worry me.

- I hope that you know that if I ever hurt you,

it was never my intention.

- Never my intention to hurt me but you did...

Henry, I don't know what this is about.

But can it wait until I get home?

We can talk then.

- Home? You can't, you're-

I'm what?

I can't feel my hands.

Corpse, death is death!

Where am I, where am I!

I don't understand what's happening to me.

Henry? Henry, where am I?

Let me out of here!

Meadow, domineer, twitch,

consent, sunset, vanilla bean, peacock.

Where is she? Where's my wife?

- Mr. Nichols, your wife is deceased.

That was my wife.

No, as we already told you,

that was nothing more than a simulation.

Your wife is gone.

Shut up!

What happens to her now?

I'm afraid that's classified.

Roger?

- Mr. Nichols, I am sorry for your loss.

Go fuck yourself. You creep.

A peacock?

- Mr. Nichols bought his wife a peacock pendant.

An apology gift for the first time he was caught

being unfaithful.

You'll be hearing from us.

Franklin.

Ellis.

Got a minute?

Sure.

It's beautiful up here.

I'd like to think that all those twinkling lights down there

are all HTDA devices.

Too much competition for that to be true though, right?

I don't like Nichols.

- All right, don't have to worry about him.

He's taking his deep pockets elsewhere.

I'm sorry.

You more than anyone knows

how important this Auburn project is.

It could fundamentally reshape the entire process

of the justice system.

But Franklin, if you need time off.

No, no.

I'm fine.

Okay.

Franklin, the DOJ is doing psych evals

on all the HTDA senior staff.

It's mandatory.

- I can't believe you're making me

call the home phone.

Answer your texts, like a normal person.

Pop, it's coming up on a year.

I know it's hard for you.

It's hard for me too.

Look, text me or just call me like a psychopath or whatever.

Just talk to me. Don't make me ambush you.

Love you.

Yes?

- Dr. Caul, we're ready for you.

All right.

You haven't been involved

in this step for a while, Dr. Caul.

No, I haven't.

- We figured this was important

if you were taking part.

- Okay, I'm gonna start with Wernicke's area.

Okay, good.

Now Broca.

Initiate synaptic transmission.

- Dr. Caul, how're we doing today?

Simulate action potential.

Why are you here?

Ellis sent me down to observe.

I'm to be observed?

- The process, observe the process, not you.

If all goes well, the DOJ will be taking a deep dive

into this process so.

- The vesicles able to bridge the cleft

to the postsynaptic neurons?

- Looks like just about all of them.

- This is the youngest person HTDA has ever simulated.

First juvenile SC.

Why the son, not the father?

- Mr. Auburn's somatosensory association area

was too badly damaged.