Possessor

Holly. Holly? Where've you been?

He's been here 20 minutes.

When we get to the lounge, I'll walk first and introduce you.

Kiss him once on each cheek then ask him...

Pull me out.

All right, take it easy.

It's OK.

Brain death in the host confirmed

and our link is cleanly severed.

We're done.

Vos?

Sorry, I don't think I'm back yet.

- It's OK. You need a break? - No, it's fine.

Let's just finish.

Go on, then.

Mm, this is my grandfather's pipe.

And he died before I was born.

Um, my father gave it to me.

Next.

This is also mine. Uh...

I killed and mounted it one summer when I was a girl,

and then I felt guilty about it.

- I still feel guilty about it. - Very good.

Next.

This isn't mine.

- Are you sure? - I've never seen it before.

Very good.

All the results are normal across the board.

No evidence of charring, no false psyche

from your time as Holly Bergman.

You look surprised. Anything you wanna flag?

Any, um, anomalies during interface?

No. No, I'm fine.

It's important not to withhold.

I said I was fine.

OK, good.

Our next contract's almost finalized, and it's a big one.

I can't have my star performer falling apart on me.

I would like to take some time, though.

Time for what?

Well, I've been talking to Michael

and I told him that I'd take some time.

Michael.

Isn't he...?

You and Michael...

are separated.

Yeah, of course we are.

But I've been talking to him.

You're not safe for them anymore, are you?

You told me yourself you'd become a danger.

Did I say that?

Hi, darling.

Hi, darl... Hi, darling!

Hi, darling!

Wha...? What have you got there? What have you got?

Hi, darling. What have you got there?

God! I'm absolutely starving.

I am absolutely starving, Michael.

Michael, I'm absolutely... I'm absolutely starving.

- Mum! - Hi, darling.

- Tas? - Hi.

- We have food. - Good, I'm absolutely starving.

Hey, get down from there.

- -

- How was your trip? - It was fine.

Yeah. Dull, extraordinarily dull.

I can't tell you how glad I am to be back in town.

How is the paper?

- How's it coming? - It's coming along.

Although Dennis tells me

the new editor's a social science historian.

What's that?

Someone who's old

and stupid - they're not gonna like what I'm writing.

- You're quite old. - Oh. You're quite charming.

'New developments in the shocking murder

'of lawyer Elio Mazza on Sunday night.

'Police have revealed the identity of the killer

'to be 23-year-old Holly Bergman.

'Bergman was working as a hostess

'at the Blue Night Sky Lounge.

'Witnesses say she turned and stabbed Mazza multiple times...'

What do pythons drink to help them sleep?

I don't know, what do they drink?

Gerbil tea.

- What have you got there? - Dad bought it for me.

- I can make him do a dance. - Yeah?

When did you get so clever?

I tell you my new Greg story?

No. Please do.

I stopped by his office and there he is

with this voluptuous, young undergraduate student,

his shirt open to the middle of his chest.

He's playing loud Indian music and he's going on about Shakti

and the feminine power principle.

Meanwhile, this girl looked traumatized cos, well,

he's 65 years old and his chest is more than slightly hairy.

I remember Greg's chest hair being fairly aggressive.

It's a war crime. No, it was literally reaching for her.

You know, I'm convinced it detaches from his body at night

and it scuttles around the halls of the girls' dormitory,

rubbing itself against warm toilet seats

and slurping at the thighs of menstruating Buddhism students.

Only the menstruating ones?

Well, it's attracted to the smell of blood.

It's got an iron deficiency, which in this case

can be deadly because it leads to hair loss.

I'm sorry.

I didn't think... I didn't think they'd stay so long.

Why don't you ask them to leave, then?

Girder, hi, it's Vos.

I just wanted to apologize for not being myself yesterday.

I think I hadn't fully shed when we tested.

Anyway, I'm ready for work now and... call me.

Yeah, please call me. Thank you.

- Who was that? - Uh... Work.

Yeah, I might have to fly out again.

I thought they were giving you a break.

Yeah.

Uh... Something's come up.

I want you to move back in with us.

I hate this.

Tas.

Tas!

'Am I losing you?'

I'm becoming old.

I barely recognize myself anymore.

I'm too old for the machine, I... I can't take the strain.

As time goes on, it's becoming increasingly important

for me to find a replacement.

I thought that would be you.

I'm not normally a bad judge of character.

I would be honored.

You have a very special nature,

one we've worked hard together to unlock and refine.

And yet,

even I can see a small thread running from your skull

to a life I thought you'd moved on from.

Sometimes, that's all it takes to lose control,

that small thought, like a tiny fracture.

I wanna show you some photographs we retained

from your work on the Holly Bergman job.

Why stab Elio Mazza?

You were provided with a pistol.

Well, maybe it just seemed more in character.

Whose character?

Do you want this?

Good.

Good.

'Consider the face of Colin Tate.

'Father deceased, mother estranged, no siblings.

Deals cocaine for a few years and then falls in love

and becomes engaged to one of his rich clients,

Ava Parse,

the daughter of John Parse, CEO of Zoothroo.

- Zoothroo? - Data mining.

Largest operation outside the US.

Head office is local.

But our deal is with Reid Parse, John's stepson.

And what's the narrative?

Um, well, imagine Colin Tate as the unstable lover

who feels diminished by his new family.

'Ava has all the power in the relationship.

'It's emasculating, he starts using more,

'behavior becoming more and more erratic.

'Ultimately, he breaks...'

killing John, kills Ava, kills himself.

With Ava out of the picture, Reid inherits everything,

becomes CEO, cry, cry, cry for the cameras.

Clean tragedy. No unanswered questions.

Pay is significant - money and shares.

But the real target,

according to corporate, is Zoothroo itself.

Hm?

Because once we own Reid, we own the company.

Right.

So, when do I start?

- You smell good. - Stop, I need to shower.

- Have you found our treats yet? - What do you want?