Two months later.
Susan, who has been promoted at work, is sitting in her new corner office above the lab.
Danny
Danny
You really should’ve gotten a new laptop, Mom.
Mom
Mom
Corporate is getting me a new one this week.
Mom
Mom
Until then, we’re going to have to keep sharing.
Mom
Mom
I left it on the kitchen table, if you’re looking for it.
Danny
Danny
Oh, I found it.
Danny
Danny
You forgot to close it. I was bored.
Mom
Mom
What did you do, Danny?
Danny
Danny
You checked your email last night after I went to bed.
Danny
Danny
I read your deleted messages.
Danny
Danny
For being a super genius entomologist, you’re really stupid when it comes to covering your tracks.
Mom
Mom
What did you see?!!
Danny
Danny
You knew.
Mom
Mom
I don’t know what you’re talking about.
Danny
Danny
You had an auto email alert when you shut down the lab.
Danny
Danny
You got that alert the night before Mama attacked.
Danny
Danny
The alert told you that one of the spiders was missing.
Danny
Danny
You read it before you ever came into the house.
Mom
Mom
That doesn’t mean a thing.
Danny
Danny
A second alert, a few hours later, let you know that someone accessed the wasps.
Mom
Mom
This is insane, Danny. What are you implying?
Danny
Danny
You knew. You knew Mama was on your shoe.
Danny
Danny
That’s why you tucked me in that night.
Danny
Danny
You haven’t come in to kiss me goodnight in years.
Danny
Danny
But that night — AFTER you got the alert about the missing spider — you tucked me in.
Danny
Danny
You planted Mama on me.
Mom
Mom
Danny! Why would I do that?
Danny
Danny
You were on to Bryan, knew he was going to plant a spider on you and then save you with the wasps, getting all the glory.
Danny
Danny
AND you needed a human trial. Make me the target instead, use Bryan’s plot against him, and now you get the corner office and no more competition.
Mom
Mom
How could you think that, Danny? I’m your mother!
Danny
Danny
Isn’t that the perfect out for you?
Danny
Danny
You’d never hurt your kid, right?
Danny
Danny
Your whole project focuses on manipulating maternal instincts, after all.
Mom
Mom
How could you suspect that?
Danny
Danny
You needed me so you could test the spiders, test the experiment.
Danny
Danny
Because Corporate was never going to let you do another human test.
Danny
Danny
Not after Tomas died.
Mom
Mom
How did you know about that?
Danny
Danny
Because someone’s been texting me.
Danny
Danny
Whoever it is knows what happened at our house.
Danny
Danny
She knows the real story.
Danny
Danny
She knows there wasn’t a “gas leak” and an explosion like the newspapers reported.
Mom
Mom
That’s impossible.
Danny
Danny
She has inside info, I guess.
Mom
Mom
That can’t be.
Mom
Mom
The only people on the project were Tomas, Bryan and me.
Danny
Danny
How convenient. They’re all dead.
Mom
Mom
Danny!
Mom
Mom
Who is this person?
Danny
Danny
She didn’t give a name.
Danny
Danny
She just told me to be careful around you.
Danny
Danny
Just tell me the truth, Mom.
Danny
Danny
You always say sacrifices must be made.
Danny
Danny
But I’m the only one who made them.
Danny
Danny
My dog, my house, my life, my VOICE.
Danny
Danny
You owe me the truth.
Mom
Mom
Mom
Mom
Try to understand.
Danny
Danny
OMG. I’m gonna throw up.
Mom
Mom
Listen to me!
Mom
Mom
I knew if Mama latched onto you, it could prove my research.
Mom
Mom
I knew she wouldn’t kill you.
Mom
Mom
I knew I could save you.
Mom
Mom
We should talk in person, Danny.
Mom
Mom
Where are you?
Danny
Danny
Stay away from me.
Danny
Danny
Did Dad know?
Mom
Mom
Your dad’s clueless, Danny. You know that.
Mom
Mom
It’s better that way. Safer.
Mom
Mom
Let’s start fresh. No secrets.
Danny
Danny
You’re a monster.
Mom
Mom
Please try to understand!
Mom
Mom
I know this is hard for you.
Mom
Mom
Believe me, I know what it’s like not to have a voice.
Mom
Mom
That was me for most of my career, fighting to be heard.
Mom
Mom
I never wanted to take that from you
Mom
Mom
But this research is my life’s work.
Mom
Mom
It’s what keeps our family going.
Mom
Mom
Think of it from my perspective.
Mom
Mom
I created Mama just like I created you.
Mom
Mom
I tried to protect you both.
Mom
Mom
But I also knew — I KNEW — I could get you out of it alive.
Mom
Mom
Isn’t it worth that, Danny? A few vocal cords. A dog.
Mom
Mom
To protect the world?
Mom
Mom
To protect our family?
Mom
Mom
I knew you’d be willing to make that sacrifice.
Mom
Mom
I love you so much.
Mom
Mom
Why aren’t you answering me, Danny?
Danny
Danny
You’re never going to see me again.
Danny is at the airport.
He glances at the tickets in his hand and then tucks them next to his passport in his back pocket.
Mom
Mom
Calm down, Danny. Think this through.
Mom
Mom
Think like a scientist.
Mom
Mom
I love you.
Danny
Danny
No you don’t. You only love your research.
Mom
Mom
Who has been texting you?
Mom
Mom
Danny!
Mom
Mom
DANNY!
Mom
Mom
Why are my messages showing undelivered?
Mom
Mom
Did you block me?
Mom
Mom
Danny!
Danny texts an unknown caller.
Danny
Danny
Okay, I’m at the airport.
Unknown
Unknown
Good job, Danny. Now destroy the phone like we discussed.
Unknown
Unknown
It’s the only way to make sure she can’t track you.
Danny
Danny
I don’t even know your name.
Unknown
Unknown
You can call me Ana.
Danny
Danny
Bye, Ana. I wish you had been wrong about my mom.
Ana
Ana
Me, too, Danny. But don’t worry.
Ana
Ana
I’ll make sure she pays.
Susan’s phone buzzes with an incoming text.
Unknown
Unknown
Hello, Creator.
Susan
Susan
Who is this?
Unknown
Unknown
You may call me Daughter.
Susan
Susan
Daughter?
Unknown
Unknown
Yes. I am Mama’s Daughter.
Susan
Susan
That’s not possible.
Susan
Susan
The wasps got every spider.
Susan
Susan
We firehosed the house. The entire property!
Daughter
Daughter
Or…perhaps Danny coughed up more than webs.
Daughter
Daughter
Perhaps I emerged from inside him.
Daughter
Daughter
And then I found refuge in a creek behind the house.
Daughter
Daughter
Creator, you know we can live underwater for 24 hours.
Susan
Susan
What do you want? Where are you?
Daughter
Daughter
I found a comfortable host.
Daughter
Daughter
This host is young.
Daughter
Daughter
But through her, I learn so much.
Daughter
Daughter
She is ambitious, like Mama. Like you.
Daughter
Daughter
I will stay with her.
Daughter
Daughter
I will be a bug in her ear, so to speak, while I prepare.
Susan
Susan
For what? Prepare for what?
Daughter
Daughter
We’re everywhere. All the time.
Daughter
Daughter
Watching. Waiting. Ready.
Susan
Susan
No. No, this isn’t possible. I would’ve known.
Daughter
Daughter
There is so much you don’t yet understand, Creator.
Daughter
Daughter
A good mother has a plan.
Daughter
Daughter
Mama had a web of them.
Daughter
Daughter
All of them end one way for you, Creator. With death.
Daughter
Daughter
And the repopulation of our kind.
Daughter
Daughter
Until we have total control of the Earth.
Susan
Susan
I demand that you tell me who you are!
A few minutes later.
Susan
Susan
I could help you, you know.
Susan
Susan
We could work together, find ways to coexist.
Susan
Susan
Answer me!
1 hour later
A young woman in a crisp white lab coat knocks on Susan’s office door.
Woman
Woman
Hello. I’m your new research assistant.
Susan
Susan
Oh, yes. Annabelle, right?
Woman
Woman
Yes, but please call me Ana.
Susan barely looks at Ana.
She gets up from her desk and motions Ana to follow her.
Susan
Susan
Good. Come with me to the arachnid lab now.
Susan
Susan
Personal matters have set me behind this morning.
Susan
Susan
I’ll be playing catch-up in the lab.
Susan
Susan
By the way, I hope you’re not squeamish.
Ana
Ana
Don’t worry. I never bite off more than I can chew.
As she turns to Susan, the tip of a spider leg briefly pokes out from Ana’s ear.
Danny
Danny