The Lazarus Effect

It's still alive!

- Good morning, Dr. McConnell. - Good morning, James. She's with me.

Um, we're operating under a grant from Werner-Goss Biotechnical,

so you're gonna need to sign a confidentiality agreement.

Uh, Niko, this is Eva.

- She's gonna be working with us. - Hi. Nice to meet you.

- This is Clay. - Hey.

OK.

We are... rolling.

Hi, I am Dr. Frank Walton.

And I am Dr. Zoe McConnell.

- What? No, what? - Sorry.

You're like Kelly Ripa. You're like...

- OK. - We are still rolling.

Hi, I'm Dr. Frank Walton.

I am the head researcher at the Lazarus Project.

- And I am Dr. Zoe McConnell. - And welcome to our laboratory.

- Welcome to our laboratory. - You were so late!

- I can do that better. - So late.

- How we doing? - Was that OK?

This whole process started with Zoe's big breakthrough.

She bonded fast-growth B-cell tumors, which sped up the nerve fiber regrowth.

That created the Lazarus serum.

Over here, we have Niko to thank for this Millennium Falcon-looking thing.

This is called the pulse array.

The pulse array then uses timed electrical charges

to activate the serum.

Then we jump-start the neural reactions

by stimulating different parts of the brain with electrical charges.

This is an articulated arm we developed as an extension of the pulse array.

This goes into the temporal lobe of the brain,

the serum flows into the brain,

we pull that switch right over there, and then we hope for the best.

The goal here is simple:

To give health care professionals more time to do their jobs.

To prolong that period where you can safely bring someone back,

with no cognitive loss, no long-term effects.

It's about giving everyone that second chance they deserve.

You're such a dick.

I am the Lord of Catan, and I deserve your respect!

That is a dick move because I have no cards...

Hey, guys, I don't have any cell service.

Um, we don't get much service in the sub-basement,

but there's a landline on the wall if you need it.

Oh, no. I'm good, thanks.

Documentary girl, man, she is so hot.

- Her name's Eva. - I don't care what her name is.

I'd tap that. You wouldn't tap that?

She's all right.

You're ridiculous.

OK, so, um... most of this stuff is...

Basically run by me, and I do everything.

- What do you think? - I mean, does it matter?

It's not like we can send her home now.

Come on. This could be a really good thing.

- I say we give her a chance. - She's cute.

Yeah, she's gorgeous. Super sexy with her red hair...

Get out. You're fired.

- I love you. - Aw...

I'm so sorry. Not funny. I shouldn't have done that. I'm sorry.

- No. I didn't... - I'm sorry.

I didn't mean to scream.

A dental dam sounds like something a dentist would use, does it not?

No, it doesn't. You should've known what it was.

I wasn't getting as much action as you think I was.

We were 22. You should've known by then that that's what that's for.

It's not like an orthodontic thing.

So, um... how are you doing?

You know, with everything?

Frank?

You know, good.

It's just, when we got the grant,

we decided the wedding and... everything else would just be put off.

You know? This is more important.

But that was... three years ago?

You look at him, it's like he doesn't even remember a time before.

It's just all about the work.

Yeah, well... maybe it's the universe trying to tell you something.

Yeah. Finish the damn project, right?

- Yeah. - Anyway, thank you for the sushi.

- No problem. - Better get back to work.

Hey, lady.

Same dream?

I'm sorry.

Take your time. I'll be in the bed when you're ready, OK?

- Thank you. - Snuggle you up.

- Wait for it. - OK, that all looks right.

Yeah, just wait. Right... there.

See, something's degrading the lipid bi-layer, and it all falls apart.

Could be the diffusion barrier.

Clay, what did I say about smoking in here?

Uh, that it's awesome?

- You're a jerk. - Guys, let's not be children.

- What's the membrane voltage? - Minus 60. Maybe less.

OK, so we just increase the depolarization.

Then that fries our ion channels.

Not if you introduce a potassium-selective insulator

into the serum and limit pulse durations to about 30 milliseconds.

Give the pH and oxygen tension time to snap back.

Boom!

What? Got shit on my face?

I think that might work.

- Clay, you're all grown up! - Yeah! All right!

Holy shit. Look at this guy.

- I can smoke in here now. - He can smoke in here now.

- No, no, no. Give me... - Let's do this, come on.

Cataracts in both eyes. Probably why they put him down.

All inputs within range.

Blood oxygen looks good. Serum level optimal.

OK. Let's do this. Start the tone.

Event one, five kilovolts. Pulse in three, two, one.

No effect.

Reset the array, 11 kilovolts.

11 kilovolts. Stand by.

OK, event two. Pulse in three, two, one.

- Clay? - Nothing.

- Jesus Christ... What? - Oh!

- It moved. I-I think it just moved. - It moved, or you think it moved?

I don't know. It did like a twitching thing or...

I'm telling you, I'm flat across the board.

Yeah, it's probably just reflex muscle stimulation.

No, I saw it. It actually moved.

Yeah, that's what muscle stimulation is.

I don't know, maybe if we up the dosage next time...

Pulse! Clay! Pulse?

Hey, hey, hey. You're OK.

Oh, my God.

We're six minutes in and he is golden.

- That's weird. - What's up?

- His cataracts are gone. - What are you talking about?

He has mature stage five cataracts in both eyes.

- Yes, I know. Look. - Hm.

- Could it be the serum? - Or... we just cured blindness.

Look, guys, it brings up a good point.

I don't want anybody talking about anything

until we know exactly what we have here.

Understood?

- Clay? - Bible.

We're gonna take Rocky home with us and we'll look after him.

- If that's OK. - Sure.

Hey!

Um, Eva, put the camera down. Put it down.

I really don't want this to be filmed.

All right.

Cheers.

Here you go.

He has no interest.

- What's his name again? - Rocky.

- Rocky. - The ultimate underdog.

Back from the dead, Rocky.

It's not just me, right? He's a little weird.

Yeah, I think he's in shock right now, you know?

It's gonna take him a few days to sort of re-stitch those neural pathways,

and he'll be good to go.

Yeah.

You don't... You don't seem convinced. What's going on?

I don't know. I mean...

what if we ripped him out of doggie heaven or something?

You know what I mean. What if...

We don't know if he wanted to come back. We just took him.

What is it with you? I get two glasses of red wine in you

and the Catholic girl comes out and...

I'm just saying, if we're gonna be asking big questions,

we have to be ready for the answers.

Come here. Come here.

Look...

I know this is... strange, you know?

And what we're doing here could be... considered questionable.

Yeah.

But we're gonna help a lot of people with this work.

It's gonna be worth it, OK?

OK.

Rocky! Get the ball.

Hey, guys, do you think he remembers? Dying?

Mm... Dogs don't have memories, so, no.

- Dogs definitely have memories. - Dogs form associations.

Leash means walk. Keys mean car ride. It's not the same thing, bro.

That's what a memory is, man. It's like... No, we're settling this.

- Settle it. Let's look it up, bitch. - I don't wanna hear your shit.

OK. I'm cool with that.

Hey, Rocky, what do you think? Did you see a big white light? Huh?

You know, that part's actually true.

- You know what the pineal gland is? - No.

It produces DMT, which is the base compound for our serum.

Basically, nobody knows why, but the moment you die,

right then, your brain just floods your system with this massive blast of DMT,

which is the most potent psychedelic on the planet.

And when you think you're seeing the light at the end of the tunnel,

or the blessed Virgin Mary, um...

- Did I do that the wrong way? - Mm-mm.

Anyway, it's just a big trip that you're having, really, it's all it is.

- I disagree. I do. - Oh, you disagree, really?

- We've had this discussion before. - Yeah, I just think you can't discount

every near-death experience based on one theory.

Of course. But if you're going to make a bet,

why not bet on a scientific theory

as opposed to, you know, St. Peter and the pearly white gates?

- Why? - Because one is empirical and one is,

you know, it's a cute story, but it's...

No, it's not. I mean, whatever you wanna call it, the soul, consciousness,