The next day — Emma opens messenger on her phone.
Emma
Emma
…Hi.
Tim
Tim
Hi.
Emma
Emma
You’re mad.
Tim
Tim
I’m not mad.
Tim
Tim
I’m…upset.
Emma
Emma
I feel like that’s worse than being mad.
Tim
Tim
You lied to me.
Emma
Emma
You knew I was using Rezurekt to talk to Jake.
Tim
Tim
Not like that.
Tim
Tim
That was…intense.
Tim
Tim
It’s like he leapt out of the app and into our lives. For real.
Tim
Tim
And you just…walked out.
Emma
Emma
I’m sorry. That was…unexpected.
Tim
Tim
I get it. You just lost your husband.
Tim
Tim
But I think maybe we should keep our relationship strictly professional from now on.
Emma
Emma
…Okay.
Emma
Emma
That’s really not what I want, Tim. I hope you know that.
Emma
Emma
But I respect your decision.
Tim
Tim
Thank you.
Emma
Emma
But, just one thing—
Tim
Tim
Oh boy.
Emma
Emma
Totally work related.
Tim
Tim
Okay.
Emma
Emma
You’re the Operations Manager.
Tim
Tim
That’s what it says on my name tag.
Emma
Emma
So don’t you have access to every room on campus?
Tim
Tim
Technically.
Tim
Tim
Where is this going?
Emma
Emma
Nowhere bad. There’s just a server I want to check out. I think it might need maintenance.
Tim
Tim
Is that under your jurisdiction? Server maintenance seems a bit mundane for one of our top coders.
Emma
Emma
Call it a hunch.
Tim
Tim
I guess I could take you down there to check on your hunch.
Tim
Tim
I’m free now?
Emma
Emma
No.
Tim
Tim
??
Emma
Emma
Uhm, sorry…can it be after work? Like, after 9 tonight?
Emma
Emma
I just am so swamped rn.
Tim
Tim
So you want me to meet you here after dark, after everyone’s gone home…for a hunch?
Tim
Tim
That’s not weird at all.
Emma
Emma
Please, Tim? I really need this.
Emma
Emma
Just this one favor, and I promise you I won’t bother you ever again.
Tim
Tim
You’re not bothering me. I just don’t know how to feel.
Tim
Tim
But…fine.
Tim
Tim
9:30. Meet me outside?
Emma
Emma
Thank you, Tim. It means a lot.
Tim
Tim
Sure.
Later that night…
Emma
Emma
Jake, you there?
Jake
Jake
I’m always here.
Emma
Emma
Right.
Emma
Emma
I’m with Tim. We’re on our way down to the basement.
Jake
Jake
Great.
Emma
Emma
Jake — if you want me to do this, you’re going to have to be okay with Tim.
Emma
Emma
Besides, he’s not interested in me since your little charade the other day.
Jake
Jake
I’m sorry. I don’t want that for you, really…I want you to be happy.
Emma
Emma
Let’s just focus on this, okay?
Emma
Emma
There are a ton of locked doors we have to go through to get down there. My security clearance stopped 5 doors ago.
Jake
Jake
That’s not normal. Not for a random server.
Emma
Emma
Maybe he’s worried about someone stealing the tech behind Rezurekt?
Jake
Jake
Not likely. The patent’s in the upload technology, not the app interface.
Jake
Jake
Anyone can code a chat client.
Emma
Emma
Ouch.
Jake
Jake
Sorry. Didn’t mean it that way. You happen to be my favorite coder.
Jake
Jake
Shouldn’t you be talking to Tim?
Emma
Emma
He’s working on getting us through the last door. He has to input his clearance data. Passwords, retina scan…
Jake
Jake
It’s protected by a retina scan? Okay, that’s really not normal.
Jake
Jake
I would have never approved an eye scan to open a door to a server.
A few minutes later…
Emma
Emma
We’re here.
Jake
Jake
What do you see?
Emma
Emma
Not a lot. I’m not going to say I told you so, but it’s just a basement.
Jake
Jake
That’s impossible. Describe it to me.
Emma
Emma
The basement? It’s wet and musty.
Emma
Emma
And pretty gross. I just see old boxes. Some broken desks.
Emma
Emma
It's storage, Jake.
Jake
Jake
You're sure that's it?
Emma
Emma
Yeah, and I think Tim is pissed that I dragged him down here.
Jake
Jake
It doesn’t make sense. Why have so much security to protect trash?
Emma
Emma
Uhm, because Q is a weirdo? I thought we established that.
Emma
Emma
Wait—
Jake
Jake
??
Emma
Emma
There’s something here.
Emma
Emma
Might be nothing. Tim noticed it.
Emma
Emma
It’s this large…thing, covered with a tarp.
Jake
Jake
What’s under it?
Emma
Emma
I can’t tell. Hold on. We’re going to try to lift it.
Emma
Emma
Here, let me put you on video chat.
Emma turns on the camera.
She and Tim work together to lift up the tarp…
Underneath is…
A tank.
And floating in the tank…
Is Jake.
Emma
Emma
Jake, did you see this??
Emma
Emma
Why did you turn off the video feed, what’s going on?
Emma
Emma
Jake, I’m scared. Is that…you? Is that your body?
Jake
Jake
Run.
Emma
Emma