Original subtitles

Cheer up, Russell.

From what I hear, you'll love this place.

Might finally give you some much-needed discipline.

So would prison.

[doorbell ringing]

Ever since his father left, he's been getting into trouble

with the police, other schools.

I run a large company.

I don't have time to run around putting out fires after him.

I want his behavior changed, once and for all.

I assure you the academy will do just that.

All our graduates have moved on

to respected positions in society.

We have graduates in the executive ranks

of many of the Fortune 100 companies.

Something I'm sure you would appreciate, Mrs. Dobson.

Oh, I do. I'm aware of your impressive placements.

That's why we're here.

Does anybody care that I'm in the room?

You can't just buy a good son, Mom,

like you buy everything else.

And, locking me in this dump,

that ain't going to do it.

Disrespecting me isn't going to do it either, Russell.

Now, you're going to try this place,

and you're going to do your best.

Understood?

Give your bags to your mother, young man,

you have no need for them here.

We provide everything you need.

I'm keeping the guitar.

Russell seems to think he can have a future

playing in a rock and roll band.

Worse things have happened, Mom.

Well, they won't happen in this family, Russell.

It's all right, ma'am.

Go into my office and wait for the nurse.

Nurse? What's that about?

We always give our students a check-up when they arrive.

We wouldn't want disease coming into the environment.

I can keep the guitar?

For now.

Don't worry, Mrs. Dobson,

the next time you see him,

he'll be more interested in skills that will make him

a prime candidate for work in the business world,

in your company, for example.

I assure you, his isolation here

will wean him from any desire he may have

to play the guitar.

Yes. Well, this isolation policy,

I read about it in your brochure.

You will isolate Russell from all outside influences

-for the next year? -That is correct.

Our philosophy is the only way to reform troubled young men

to make them productive members of society, is to isolate them

from that society.

So, none of his delinquent friends

or his nose-ringed girlfriend will be able to contact him?

No, ma'am, we allow no contact, not even from parents.

No phone, mail or visitation for the first year.

Good. Then we're settled.

Enjoy yourself, ma'am, and rest assured

Russell is in good hands.

I'm sure.

Whoa.

Whoa, wait. What's this for?

It's a flu shot, Rusty. Relax.

You know what? I'm not real fond of needles.

We can do this the easy way or the hard way.

These gentlemen can hold you down if necessary.

Prep him.

Laser scalpel.

Going in.

[Control Voice] There is nothing wrong with your television.

Do not attempt to adjust the picture.

We are now controlling the transmission.

We control the horizontal and the vertical.

We can deluge you with a thousand channels

or expand one single image to crystal clarity

and beyond.

We can shape your vision

to anything our imagination can conceive.

For the next hour,

we will control all that you see and hear.

You are about to experience the awe and mystery

which reaches from the deepest inner mind

to The Outer Limits.

In our relentless pursuit

of career and worldly possessions,

is it we who pay the highest price,

or is it our children?

So, you're awake.

Who are you?

Harrison Taylor, your new roommate.

Where am I?

The John Hancock living quarters.

This is your room, Russell.

Rusty.

-How did I get here? -[fly buzzing]

They just brought you in.

I guess you passed out when the nurse gave you a shot.

Man, do I have a headache.

How long was I out?

A few hours.

I thought I'd just let you sleep

that way I could do some homework

while I keep an eye on you.

Keep an eye on me?

I don't need anyone keeping an eye on me.

It's part of the program.

Each new student is assigned

an upperclassman who watches over them,

Shows them the ropes.

Make sure they stay out of trouble.

Well, I hate to tell you, Harry,

but you got a big job ahead of you.

[fly buzzing]

I wouldn't worry about it though,

'cause I'm not gonna be here too long.

It's...

[fly buzzing]

Harrison.

I've heard the same speech

from each new transfer, Russell. Trust me,

you will remain here until you graduate.

Not a chance.

You see, chap, I don't like it here.

Okay? This place isn't gonna teach me

to do what I want to do.

-Which is? -Play with my band.

I play guitar.

Where is my guitar?

Musical instruments are not permitted.

This one will be.

-Hey, what's going on? -Scardale is on the ledge.

I'm not doing this anymore!

I'll kill myself before I let you run me.

Don't you idiots get it?

They've got you.

They control you.

I mean, don't you see that?

Why don't they try and stop him?

They know what they're doing.

-[thunder rumbling] -I mean, don't you people see?

Don't you see how they control you?

I mean, you're not you anymore.

Don't come any closer.

'Cause I'm going to jump, here.

You don't have me anymore, Kern.

And you never will.

[thunder rumbling]

Remind me to get the lock fixed on this door.

[teacher] As we discussed in yesterday's lesson,

which I'm sure you can remember,

we can learn from history.

We can learn not to make

the same mistakes our forefathers made.

Does anyone have an example?

-United Motors? -What about U.M.?

When Harold Perkins, then vice-president

of the electronics division, suggested they launch

an industrial robotics division,

-the plan was refused. -And what resulted?

The Japanese beat us all to the punch,

and now dominate a multi-billion-dollar a year

industrial robot business.

If, for example, C.E.O Newton

had met with an unfortunate accident,

what would have happened?

[student] The V.P. would have been promoted,

and this country would now control

another multi-billion-dollar a year business.

Therefore, it should be clear to all of you

that this is an historical example

of how the death of one can benefit the many.

Wait a minute.

[clearing throat] Am I missing something?

Uh, it sounds like you're pushing murder.

I'm only pointing out an instance in history

when a timely death would have benefited this country.

Yeah. But, if the message is that it's okay to off somebody

if you don't make a bunch of rich people richer...

Hey, even I know that's bullshit.

[teacher] I'm sorry.

You're the new student.

Russell Dobson?

Yeah.

And you have a problem with this lesson?

Yes.

Yeah, I do.

[beeps]

[door opens]

These gentlemen will escort you to Principal Kern.

You can take the matter up with him.

Now, back to Vce-President Harold Perkins.

What happened after his plan

to launch the industrial robotics division was thwarted?

Do you have any idea what that guy is teaching in there?

Sometimes, transfer students require a couple of days

to get with the program.

To get with the program?

We're a progressive school. We have progressive ideas.

Look, can I just use the phone?

I want to call my mother.

Your mother is a very busy woman,

we can deal with our own problems, Russell.

If you have concerns tell me about them.

Fine!

I see the nurse for a check up and I wind up passed out.

And then, when I wake up, my head feels like

it's been run over by a truck. And where is my guitar?

[chuckling] Your guitar is safely in storage.

You can get it back when you graduate.

Even though you probably won't even want it then.

-[knocking at door] -Come in.

This is Dr. Werner.

Mr. Dobson seems to be having trouble in class.

He doesn't agree with what we're teaching.

Hmm.

Let's have a look at you, Rusty.

I don't need a doctor.

You just said your head felt like

it had been run over by a truck.

Come on. It'll only take a second.

[sighing]

Look up, Rusty.

What, that's it?

[speaking indistinctly]

What are you guys talking about?

What the hell is going on here?

Doctor told you not to move, Russell.

I'm gonna move.

All right? Right out of this house of freaks.

I don't know what your program is,

but I'm not gonna be a part of it.

Dobson, come back here.

There's nowhere to go, Russell.

Why don't you just come with me?

[thunder rumbling]

Shouldn't we go after him?

It's all right.

The tether will stop him.

-[electricity buzzing] -[Russell screaming]

-[screaming] -[electrical buzzing continues]

Where am I?

Dr. Werner's office.

What happened to me?

Huh? So, what is this place?

Welcome back to school, Russell.

Harrison has been kind enough to come down

to take you to conditioning.

What?

I believe most schools call it physical education.

We do it differently.

Yeah, I bet.

You'll see. Come on.

Wait a minute, get serious.

I can barely stand up.

How do you expect me to go to P.E.?

It starts in five minutes.

You still have to change.

Come on.

Did you find the problem?

I think so.

I adjusted the control bypass.

Appears to be working satisfactorily now.

Appears to be?

Is it or isn't it?

The committee is coming tomorrow.

Well, there is one way to find out.

Watch the conditioning.

[Russell] You've got to talk straight to me, all right?

Now, what's with this place?

Huh? I tried to leave earlier,

and I couldn't get off the grounds, man.

And my head...

Why couldn't I leave?

We leave the academy

only to serve the academy.

What?

We leave the academy

only to serve the academy.

What does that mean?

Here we are.

This is your locker.

As you can see, there is a conditioning uniform inside.

Change and I'll meet you in the conditioning room

through that door.

How's it hanging, ace?

Yeah, I can relate.

Okay, form three lines.

Spread yourselves out.

We're ready to begin.

[Dr. Werner] Subliminal links verified.

Who's he talking to?

Hands on your head.

Do what we do.

-What? -Do what we do,

or you'll be the next one going off the roof.

Delayed reaction.

His brain is still adjusting

to the changes I made in the implant.

At least he's obeying.

Try a grade three test.

Well, he might hurt himself.

He doesn't have the training for a grade three test.

Do it.

Line up at the base of the ladder,

single file.

What's this all about?

[Dr. Werner] Now, jump.

Oh, there's no way I'm doing that.

Yes, you are.

No way.

You have to.

Roll out like everybody else, you'll be fine.

They'll kill you if they think you're not with the program.

[grunts]

Satisfied?

For now.

-You okay? -No.

What was that all about, in there?

They were testing us.

Or more likely, they were testing you.

To find out whether or not I'm with the program,

whatever that is.

Obviously you're not.

No shit, Sherlock.

I guess you're not either.

Name is Charlie Walters.

Rusty Dobson.

Maybe you can tell me what's happening here.

[whispering] Not now. Just play along.

Russell, you did well in conditioning today.

-Thanks. -You're doing business management

in five minutes. I'll show you the way.

I'm going there, I'll take him.

Thank you.

Russell's been having problems with headaches and passing out.

Make sure you keep a close eye on him.

-I will. -Good.

I'll see you at dinner, Russell.

Enjoy your day.

Remember, they're always watching.

You took a big risk for me in there, man.

Why?

Guess it's just nice to have company

that's not one of them.

Yeah. Which brings me to the $25 question.

Why aren't either of us like the rest of these zombies?

I don't know.

I don't even know why they're like that.

Wait a minute, you've been here how long?

And you still have no idea what's going on?

Not completely.

Because, I don't call attention to myself,

I play along.

Which is something you better start learning how to do

if you want to stay alive.

Yeah, you keep saying that,

but how do I know how to play along

when I have no idea what's going on here?

The kid who jumped off that roof,

his name is Jimmy Scardale.

He was the only other one who wasn't with the program

when I got here.

He's the one that kept me from giving myself away.

In the end, he was more like you.

-How? -He was impatient.

He tried break out a couple of times.

He got caught.

So, they...

They adjusted his conditioning.

They programmed him to jump off the roof.

What do you mean?

I don't understand that one.

The school will say that Jimmy he ran away.

But they will never find him.

Well then, we got to tell someone.

How?There's no way out, there's no phones.

-There has to be. -There's not.

That's why I think if I can

just play along like I'm one of them,

If I can make it to graduation,

then I can get out of here, I can expose it or something.

Well, you know what? It sounds like an awful long time

to keep playing their game.

What if you get caught?

-I won't. -What if you do?

Listen, man, we cannot afford to sit around.

Okay? We gotta try and get out of here.

Man, you have no idea what you are up against.

Hey, hey.

You got a girl?

Out there?

-Yeah. -What's her name?

Julie.

You think that Julie

is going to wait for you for three years?

Uh-uh.

She's not and neither is my girlfriend.

And neither is my band.

[door opens]

[Principal Kern] William, I'm sure you'll enjoy the academy a great deal.

And your parents will be proud of you when you graduate.

We'll take you down to the doctor's office

for your physical.

-You okay? -Yeah.

I just got an ulcer.

This is making it burn overtime.

Figures.

You're the type that gets an ulcer.

-How would you know? -[Kern] Right this way.

'Cause I have one.

Oh, yeah?

[Russell] Where are they going?

[Charlie] Beats me.

Come on.

[Charlie whispering] What are you doing?

I'm trying to find a way out of here.

'Cause I'm sure as hell not leaving

by taking a dive off the roof.

Any idea where we are?

The implant will activate

when it reaches body temperature.

Then you can take a look at the readings.

What improvement am I looking for?

There are several. The implant is smaller,

therefore the scar will be smaller.

They're putting something in his head.

Is that the kid's brain?

We've severed the nerve endings to the region,

so the subject won't feel the scar.

It's almost undetectable now.

What else?

We've managed to bypass the moral and ethical

convergence zone to the prefrontal cortex.

Our control of this student will be 100 percent.

He'll do anything we want him to.

What?

-Do you see something? -Yes.

No, God, no!

[Charlie] What did you do to get stuck in here?

Nothing.

My old man left last year.

Took off. We don't know where he went.

I don't care, if you want to know the truth.

Anyway, my mom is so...

Into her work that she doesn't have time for me.

So, she figures she can pay a place like this

to take care of the problem.

-What problem? -My mom thinks

it's some kind of big problem that I play lead in a band.

She stuck me in here to get me away

from what she called "bad influences."

Which I guess, means

the guys from my band and my girlfriend.

You know, man, all I ever wanted to do

was play a little music.

All I ever wanted to do was play basketball.

My old man kept saying,

"They don't give out basketball scholarships

to Harvard, Charlie."

It's his lifelong dream for me.

You never did anything wrong?

No.

What about you?

Yeah, well, I got to admit I did a few other things.

Just little stuff.

I guess I thought it would make my mom pay attention to me.

[scoffing]

It worked.

Not like I'd hoped, but it worked.

Gentlemen, it is going very well.

Dr. Werner keeps improving the technology,

we get better and better crops of kids every school year.

Eventually, all of them will be--

[knocking at door]

You got a minute?

No, as you can see.

-No, I don't. -It's important.

Will you excuse me, gentlemen?

[men chattering indistinctly]

-This better be important. -It is.

I've been doing a little research

trying to figure out what caused the malfunction

in Russell Dobson's implant.

Thought you might be interested in what I found.

His medical history.

To brief, some hyper-activity, attention deficit,

all typical of our recruits.

But there is one thing unusual for a boy his age.

He's had an aggravated ulcer since '93,

I believe that explains the malfunction.

How could an ulcer affect your implant?

Before medical research discovered

the viral cause of ulcers,

Dobson was taking trixamorphine.

Get to the point.

Trixamorphine is an opiate derivative.

It would have bonded with the serotonin receptor site,

the prefrontal cortex convergence zones.

In English.

That's the area of the brain where human consciousness lies.

Call it free will, if you like.

It's also the part of the brain that the implant bypasses

to control the recruits.

But, if the drug bridges the gap,

there is no bypass, hence no control.

Then why did the tether work?

Because the tether and other functions work

on different parts of the brain.

So,

will the adjustment you made on Dobson's implant

override the drug's effect?

They must. I mean,

he appears to be with the program now.

He'd better be.

We don't want anything going wrong today.

The committee is waiting for a demonstration.

Tell Taylor I want Dobson watched more closely.

-Fine. -And do an extensive search

of the medical records

to see if any other students are taking that drug.

Sorry, gentlemen.

In addition to the superior education

our students receive,

Dr. Werner has incorporated certain necessary skills

directly into the technology.

One of these is the use of weapons of any kind.

When given the command to fire,

aim at the head,

fire five rounds

between the eyes.

Then stop.

Hey.

[clearing throat] I've never fired a gun before.

And I've no idea what I'm doing.

Don't worry. You're with the program.

You'll be a very good shot.

[chuckling] What?

He's crazy.

Ready!

Aim!

Fire!

This is too weird.

Gentlemen, you've seen the school,

our conditioning facilities,

and now you have seen the product.

Our graduates will continue to climb the ranks

of this country's greatest companies

and institutions.

Once there,

you will have complete control over them.

How do we know that for sure?

I'm sorry, sir, know what?

That these students will do whatever is required

without question, without hesitation,

without a single emotion?

I will demonstrate.

Mr. Taylor, Mr. Walters,

will you step forward, please?

Mr. Taylor, bring one of your weapons.

Mr. Taylor, point the gun at Mr. Walters' head.

Mr. Walters, you may not defend yourself.

Is that understood?

Yes, sir.

Mr. Taylor, cock the gun.

Mr. Taylor,

-pull the trigger. -Yes, sir.

The chamber was empty,

but only I knew that.

Neither student did.

Any emotional hindrance Mr. Taylor might have had

to this act was removed by the program.

His old standards of moral judgement

are as absent as Mr. Walters' instincts

of self-preservation.

You may rejoin the group.

When do you expect optimum placement?

At the current rate, we expect

optimum placement in many of the Fortune 500 companies

within five years.

We've also have begun to infiltrate certain

government institutions.

Very impressive.

But, how do we know this will work

once the students are out of here

and into the real world?

We've anticipated that question

and have arranged a demonstration for this week.

We understand the committee is unhappy

with certain decisions being made by the C.E.O.

of Carlton Electronics.

We have one of our alumni

positioned next in line to ascend to his chair.

Within the week, one of our students

will make that ascension possible.

What does that mean?

Now you know what "program" is.

[Charlie] They're leaving.

They're taking Taylor with them.

Hey, you think he's the one that's sending off that guy?

Nobody said anything about killing anybody.

[Russell scoffing] Man, you're naive, aren't you?

Why do you think these things in our heads

make us such good shots?

I've got another question for you.

How is Taylor gonna get off the grounds?

I mean, he's got the exact same thing

in his head that we do.

That's an excellent question.

Whatever scrambled my brains out there

should do the same thing on Taylor.

-[electricity buzzing] -[Taylor grunting]

-[Charlie] He's so messed up. -Keep going. Keep going.

[electrical buzzing stops]

Key cards.

They're turning off those boxes.

I saw where Kern keeps them in his office.

If we can go into his office and get those cards,

we can cut our leash.

What, are you...

You're just going to break into Kern's office?

Why not? I've broken into harder places than that.

[scoffing] No, man, no.

Fine, fine.

You'll just get in the way anyhow.

Meet me at the front door at midnight.

What are we going to do when we get out of here?

Well, first, we get as far away

from this hell-hole as possible.

And then, we'll figure out what to do.

-I don't know, man, I-- -What about Julie?

Well, I'm not much good to her dead, am I?

You know what?

Fine, I'll go alone.

And you can stay here

and be the only one who's not with the program.

Wait.

Okay, all right.

Just tell me where to meet you and when.

[thunder rumbling]

Good evening, Mr. Walters.

Tell me now.

How is your ulcer?

It's fine. Why?

-[thunder rumbling] -I said midnight, Charlie.

What are you doing?

Rusty.

I don't believe this. Come on, man, we're leaving.

We leave the academy only to serve the academy.

Okay, Charlie, you got me.

Let's go.

You can't leave, not unless the program wants you to.

Stop fooling around.

Nobody leaves until they graduate.

Nobody graduates until they're with the program.

[thunder rumbling]

Stop him!

Students, stop Mr. Dobson and hold him.

Do not hurt him, just hold him.

He's got the key cards

Stop him.

Use any means necessary, but stop him.

-[electricity buzzing] -[all groaning]

[Russell] Hello. What time is it there?

-[woman] It's seven o'clock. -Seven in the morning, right?

Can you tell me if Marianne Dobson is in yet?

-Yes, she is. -Great.

Can I speak to her, please?

-Tell her it's her son. -No, sorry, she's in a meeting.

Wait. A meeting at 7:00 in the morning?

Yes. Can I take a message? I'll get her to call you back.

Well, can you interrupt the meeting?

Tell her this is important.

Do you want me to lose my job?

No, I don't want you to lose your job,

but I don't think that...

I think it's okay if you interrupt.

It's an emergency.

Hold on, I'll go see what I can do.

Yeah, I'll hold.

Hello. Can I get her to call you back, please?

No, I can't call back.

I've been trying to get a hold of her all night.

-Look, I'm sorry. -Did you tell her it's--

But I have to get you to call back.

Thanks for nothing.

Yeah, he's on his way down.

[man] All right. Looking forward to this.

[people chattering indistinctly]

[announcer speaking] Ladies and gentlemen...

[continues indistinctly]

Let go. Listen, I need to talk to Mr. Baker.

Yeah. And I need to talk to the pope,

but it's not gonna happen.

You don't understand. He's in trouble.

-I think he's in danger. -Look, I said get back, now.

[announcer speaking] ...Mr. Roland Baker.

Thank you. Thank you.

It's good to see you all.

You are the future of Carlton Electronics.

It is the people on the ground level,

working hands on with our product,

that make this company strong.

Now, I'd love to take the credit

for bringing more jobs for all of you.

Hey, man. What's your problem, man?

I'm sorry. I thought you were somebody else.

You really have the workers Who have gone before you

to thank for the growth of this company.

You know, this company has a long rich history

dating back from the first world war.

Charlie.

Officer, you have to help me. My friend--

Hey, what did I tell you, son?

He doesn't know he's gonna shoot.

Hey, hey, calm down.

Okay.

He's over there, he's on the roof.

He's got a rifle, okay? And he's gonna shoot.

He doesn't know what he's doing, I promise you.

Just stay calm, all right? Look, radio this in.

I don't wanna create any panic here.

Let's get you some cover, son, okay?

-No, I gotta talk to him. -Come with me to the car.

-No, no. No! -It's all right.

[shouting indistinctly]

...to thank for the growth of this company.

We see ourselves, our stock holders...

Why aren't you guys out there?

Don't worry. Everything's been taken care of.

What do you mean "taken care of"?

So, let's get this factory online.

[crowd clamoring]

[woman] Get down!

This is insane.

Come on, kid.

Get with the program.

[yelling] Let me out!

They just killed a man! Let me out of here!

[Control Voice] It's said the road to hell is paved with good intentions.

It is with these same good intentions

that we blindly place our trust in those with power,

the architects of our future,

and all too often,

the manipulators of our ultimate fate.