Original subtitles

NARRATOR: In the city of Betaville, in the near future,

the technology we developed confronts us, the science

we created seduces us.

But will our dreams of tomorrow be turned into a nightmare?

Welcome to Paradox.

Be careful what you wish for.

Nothing is impossible anymore.

In the city of Betaville where the laws

have outlawed advertising, only the stars showcase product.

And they're treated like gods.

But when a poor discarded mortal like P. Burke

is chosen for an experiment to become one of them,

she finds that getting what she's always dreamed of

is more dangerous than she ever imagined.

JOHN: Wait till you see her.

She fits our profile to a T. There.

Push in.

Get closer, Joe.

She is so perfect.

Each time we watch her, I'm more convinced.

Where do you get real feelings like that?

[inaudible] put him on contract last week.

Sales have already doubled.

JOE: I'm telling you, she's our girl.

We keep the feelings, and we take away her pain.

You think she'll go for it?

JOHN: What's she got there?

Where'd she get that?

Let's get an ambulance on the GTX Vid Park.

Full cycle med squad.

We can't lose her now.

Do you think there's time?

JOHN: I'm going to go to the hospital pronto.

If she lives, I'll request GTX for the start-up cash.

Get everything prepped!

P. Burke, right?

John Richie, GTX Corp. Hey, we almost lost you today.

It's a good thing they got here in time.

No family, right?

What about friends?

What do you want from me?

You enjoyed seeing Breath today, didn't you?

Being so close.

How'd you like to meet him?

Not just meet him, get to know him,

get to know all the cast of the Gods, all his friends,

Djuma van O, Ali, Jim Ten, you name it.

I can do that for you.

But you're going to have to work very hard.

Why would you do that for me?

Because somebody up there thinks you're pretty special.

And deep down, you know you're special, too.

It's a whole other world where the vid cams come from,

Miss Burke, watching what we do.

I don't have anything anybody would want.

So what happens when they find out they made a mistake?

Maybe they want something that you would never expect.

Let's look at it this way.

Isn't what I'm offering you exactly what

you've always dreamed of?

To be part of something, Instead of groveling

out on the street all alone?

What have you got to lose?

Does Breath know about this?

Not yet.

But if you say yes, I'll make sure he's the first to know.

I'll do it.

That a girl.

FEMALE [ON INTERCOM]: Identify yourself.

John Richie, GTX Corp.

FEMALE [ON INTERCOM]: Cleared.

How much longer will this take?

We'll get her healthy first.

I can't wait to see her.

Nice of you to make it.

So since first sales are up 21% in the Southern

District since Chris started wearing

beaver hats on the Gods.

I think we can expect those percentages to increase--

[ring]

Yes?

JOHN [ON PHONE]: Mr. Isham, I have

Joe Payne on the vid phone for the prototype

body shop project. Do you remember it?

Didn't I tell you to handle all peripherals?

It's the body shop project, the living doll.

Yes, of course.

What does he want?

JOHN [ON PHONE]: It's a [inaudible]

goal pending your dollar [inaudible],, sir.

Any demo?

Not yet.

No demo, no dollars.

Stay on it.

Anything else?

No.

There's been another incident with your son, sir.

Oh, what is it this time?

Broke into a big studio and made

another one of his revolutionary statements.

Knocked the entire production out for a day.

Playback.

Don't worry, I took care of the bail.

My son, the social critic.

Nothing a week in a psychomed room wouldn't fix.

People only listen to him when he's getting himself arrested.

Give him his own forum with all the airtime he wants.

Watch him run himself out of gas.

Today is the big day.

I'm getting better?

That's what the doctor's say.

The fungus place under my arm is all gone.

Nothing hurts.

JOHN: So what are we waiting for?

What is that?

That is you.

Don't play tricks on me, Joe.

JOE: I'm not.

She is you.

JOHN: We didn't want to get you too excited

before it was time to know.

JOE: Now move your hands, or at least think about it.

Easy, easy, take it slow.

Take it slow.

Easy, take it slow.

Oh no, it can't be.

It is.

Be brave.

Just one minute and then you'll understand better than I

could ever possibly explain.

That is me.

JOE: She is you.

It's just like moving your arm, only

the signals from your brain have a little further to travel,

that's all.

That's me.

All I control is the link up.

Oh, God.

JOE: Trust me.

You're doing fine.

This is what was all meant to be from the start.

I'm sorry that was so scary for you.

It'll get less.

I mean, if you want to keep at this.

What is she?

She's called a waldo.

We grew her.

Look, not even calluses on her feet.

She's incredible.

JOE: Yeah, but without a remote operator, without you,

she's nothing, no one.

You're the first.

Why can't you grow a mind for her, too?

Oh, we could, just no one like yours.

Things that you feel, the things that you've been through.

You can't know what I feel.

Don't you know what this is like for me?

I've been locked up in this body my whole life.

It's like I just walked outside. I was free.

Do you know when advertising was--

um-- what do you call her again?

Delphi.

Right.

JOHN: Do you know what advertising was, Delphi?

It's when they used to tell people to buy things, isn't it?

It's against the law.

This only after two weeks.

It's like she was born again in that body.

Advertising, as it used to be, is something that we

don't like to talk about.

The city was all filled with billboards and signs.

When the vid screens came, well--

but what makes people buy one product over another?

Ever wonder?

They hear about it from someone else.

Well, what made you buy your particular brand of body lift,

for instance?

I have never had a body lift.

All right, a cooker.

Well, no house to put a cooker.

Don't you remember where you found me?

She's a little head strong, don't you think?

Are you sure she's going to do what she's told?

It's not head strong.

Don't you get it?

She's just so thrilled with being her.

That's what people are going to spark to.

And that comes from the girl plugged into that pod who

never had anything in her life.

Not from something we could grow or from somebody

who always had everything.

Oh, wait, I know the best cooker.

Ananga uses the Burnbabi on the Nude Gourmet.

Exactly.

You signed on to using it, so you knew it

must have been a good product.

And that's exactly what you want to be doing for us,

show people which products are good.

Because we both know that if we had to rely on word of mouth,

no one would ever buy anything or hear about anything

new and improved.

And all those people that worked so

hard to think up those products will be out of a job

and on the street.

And I think you know what that's like, don't you?

We're just trying to help people in spite

of an unfair law, Delphi.

That's why we got to keep it between us.

Do you think you can do that for me?

Well, I'm too excited to follow even half

of what you're talking about, Mr. Richie, let alone

tell someone else about it.

JOHN: You think you're excited now?

Hold onto your chair, because by this time

tomorrow you're going to be doing your first vid for us

in a beautiful water location.

What do you say?

Right on time, Delphi.

Welcome to the rapids, baby.

You look fantastic.

Well, [inaudible] are the greatest.

Oh, absolutely.

What do you think of this?

What's that?

A [inaudible]? - Uh-huh.

And next we're going on a little lion safari with you

as the meat.

Oh, I want it be everything just perfect,

baby, for the festival, you know?

Festival?

What festival?

Oh, well, this [inaudible] you walk on the street,

[inaudible] straight to the vid [inaudible]..

Didn't they tell you?

Product stimulation index, baby.

They're checking you out!

It's all right, people.

Let's get her in the waiting room patios,

under the falls, before I get too excited.

Oh, Delphi.

Now, you have to sleep when she's asleep,

or you'll get too tired.

That was an exhausting day.

Even when I'm asleep, I dream I'm her.

It wakes me up, and I want to get right back in the pod.

Well, when she's asleep, she's as lifeless as when

you first saw her.

You're not missing anything.

Now, bed time.

Joe, sometimes when she's asleep and I'm out here,

I think I'm still inside her.

I feel it.

Ah, the memory of her is very intense.

That's all

Joe, I've never been touched the way

she is, the way men touch her.

Does that bother you?

Not how it feels, just what they mean by it.

MALE ANNOUNCER: Jet-setting princess and long-time nature

squeeze, Delphi B. Couldn't resist a dip

skinny or otherwise when she's found

us vidding the new water garden sat the Rapids Day Spa Complex.

Don't swim away, Miss Delphi.

Take a look at the [inaudible] sport

dress and pantyhose figures off the new Delphi account.

Get Richie on the line.

Fellow citizens, we interrupt your regular programming

to give you a dose of reality.

They're buying and selling your souls,

folks, telling you what to want and when to want it,

hard-wiring your desires directly

into the production machines.

If you don't wake up soon, they'll

be nothing left inside of you a junk heap of old lipstick

and torn pantyhose.

Wake up!

Wake up!

[inaudible]

Excuse me, ladies and gentlemen, please,

let us through.

Let us through.

Ladies and gentlemen, let us through, please--

WOMAN: Did you play a suicidal [inaudible] the Gods?

DAVEY: --Ladies and Gentlemen, thank you.

Excuse me, excuse me, everyone.

MAN: Delphi, please!

Look at me!

It's so nice that you all want to know me.

You have no idea what it's like to have no one

and then to suddenly have everyone.

Now if you'll excuse me, Prince Davey and I would

like to see some more shows.- Excuse me.

Let's get out of here.

MAN: Delphi!

Just another product, no more real than a tube of toothpaste.

What do you think they're going to do

to you when you're all used up?

Did you hear the little speech she made?

She's melting their damn hearts.

Get her on a shopping romp with Davie and the sleek chick.

Crank up the exposure.

Maybe a spot on the Walk Venus, then the bird sanctuary

because, oh, I don't know, a dying mother

collects macaw feathers.

But get her the hell out of that festival.

Yes, sir.

And away from my son.

Joe is there anyone else like me?

Like Davey.

Is he a remote, too?

I mean, when he's sleepy, is he empty like Delphi?

Is he lifeless?

Davey's just psycho conditioned.

There's no link up.

So he can wake up whenever he wants.

He doesn't need an operator to exist.

I told you.

There's nobody in the whole wide world like you.

Now, it's time for sleep.

I want Delphi to be real.

I don't want to leave her anymore.

You need to sleep, sweetie.

Please, Joe, I don't want to sleep.

I don't need to sleep.

Please, I want to be with her!

No, Joe, please!

Let me stay with her!

Easy, easy.

She won't eat.

She won't sleep.

JOHN: There's no problem here, is there?

Because she's moving merchandise so fast that they canceled

the shop romp, the birds, everything.

She spoke on the GTX vid cam [inaudible]

Friday morning for a guest-star spot on the Gods.

No more small time, Delphi.

Real.

And once again, darlings, action!

Will you remember me when I go back to Texas?

I'll call you every day.

In the night when there's no one there, I'll call your name,

and you'll hear me.

No, you won't.

You'll go back to Valhalla.

You'll remember all the good times

and go back, now that you've used me all up.

Goodbye, Breath.

All right, cut!

[bell ringing]

[inaudible]

A little 100-year-old method-acting goddess?

Where did you pick that up?

Oh, I love her!

Looks like we have a show regular here.

The plastic in this flame dress

is giving me an awful rash.

Do you think that I should wear it?

And those glow pills.

You swallowed them?

Well, she takes them to look more beautiful for Breath.

You know, I don't think that I should

let people see me do something if it makes me sick, do you?

Get another dress, please.

First, the dress, now the pills, what does she think

she is, a damn consumer rep?

She believes what you told her about helping

people and good, new products.

Well, you better go back and tell

P. Burke that she better not believe

Delphi right out of existence.

Living dangerous, kitty?

What are you talking about?

Trying to get dead, dumping on the product?

They just didn't know.

You're joking, right?

I have to go back to set.

Make them wait.

I can't do that.

How about later?

I know where you're staying.

I'll come knock on your door.

There are criminals getting their minds erased.

There are cops on the coast with electrodes in their heads.

They got the whole world wired up

to think what they want them to think, without even a plan

except to keep the whole thing rolling.

Keep people buying more and more.

And on and on and on it goes, until the entire system

self-destructs.

My father thinks he can shut me up giving me studio time.

But wait till people hear what I have to say.

I'm going to blow the lid off this whole thing.

The truth will come out.

Delphi, you're just one of their tools, if you let yourself be.

Break away.

I can't.

I don't think you have any idea what you can do.

They won't come in here.

They're afraid of my name.

Paul Isham.

They're both in her room together,

and no one's saying a word because he's your son.

He's holding up production, and worst of all,

she's starting to buy his line.

Nip this in the bottom, all right?

Yes, sir.

Tighter, hold me tighter.

Hey, What the hell are you doing?

Hey, you will kill her.

Ah!

Ah!

What is it?

I wasn't supposed to.

They told me not to.

Oh, my god.

Oh, my God.

Delphi!

Oh, no.

Oh, God, I should have known!

They can't get to me so they use you.

They control you.

Easy, easy, easy!

No!

No!

Paul!

[inaudible] those bastards, my father.

It's not your fault. You're not you!

I'm Delphi, I'm Delphi!

I'll kill them.

I'll kill whoever did this to you.

It doesn't matter, Joe.

It doesn't hurt.

Try not to talk, OK?

I'm going to die.

I'm going to be born again in Delphi.

Where is she?

I don't know, Duckie.

I'll be back.

Where does that GTX know our lab?

I don't know what you're talking about.

I'll break it!

Think I don't know all our psycho goons when I see one?

What are you possibly going to accomplish by going there, huh?

I'm going to take the electrodes out of her head.

I'm never going to let them do what

they did to her ever again.

You don't understand, she's just a--

Don't I?

I know all about the pleasure-pain

implants you sons-of-bitches use, just give them

a little jolt every time they don't eat,

breathe, and think exactly what you want.

Your big trade secrets are out there.

It's only a matter of time before everybody knows.

That's not what we're doing.

Shut up!

The alarms all voice-coded. There's nothing I can do.

I can't--

That's why you're going to say exactly what I

need into this voice simulator.

Lie to me, and I'll come back for you.

You know I can, and I will.

I didn't think you'd want to see me anymore after you left.

Let's go grab a bite.

Why?

Just do what I say.

FEMALE [ON INTERCOM]: Betaville Underground

System, your destination.

Carbondale lab.

FEMALE [ON INTERCOM]: Five, four, three, two, one.

Auto pilot engaged.

I thought after you had time to think about things

you'd change your mind.

I'm taking you away for good.

If they try to hurt you again, I can stop the pain.

This will cut the signals.

It will protect you.

You can't do that.

Yes, I can.

Where are we going?

I found out where they did this to you.

I don't know, Paul.

You're with me now.

You don't have to be afraid anymore.

He thinks it's used as a pleasure-pain implant, that

we could just take them out.

I'm going there myself.

No weapons, no police.

Can't you just order Delphi back to the studio?

JOE: Not if the waldo op refuses, sir.

So do something to make her agree.

Withdrawal has to be phased just right, and she knows it.

If we just pulled Burke out, we lose them both.

Why aren't the drugs knocking her out?

I don't know.

She's got a will that almost defies [inaudible]..

Then threaten to cut off her life support!

No, that's what she wants.

How about we cut the crap and give Burke a little reminder

of who's in charge around here?

JOE: Sir, she is very weak.

I don't know how much she can take.

Make an estimate.

I'll deal with Paul.

COMPUTERIZED FEMALE [ON INTERCOM]:

FEMALE [ON INTERCOM]: Reaching destination in 10 seconds.

Hang in there, baby.

All you got to do is stay alive.

Stay alive.

FEMALE [ON INTERCOM]: Carbondale Lab.

Identify yourself.

John Richie.

Let them in.

FEMALE [ON INTERCOM]: Cleared.

Well, this really must be something

special to bring you here.

MR. ISHAM: You don't know what you're dealing with.

Take out her implants, and you'll kill her.

PAUL: Where is your operating room?

MR. ISHAM: She's just a shell, Paul.

A doll with someone else's mind.

What wouldn't you say to protect your investment?

Take your implants out of her now!

I can't. Your father's right.

Do it!

Paul!

Who do I have to hurt here?

Who's that?

Listen to me!

Paul, I-- I--

DELPHI: Paul?

She said she would.

Paul, no sleep.

Now!

Take the implants out of her!

She's dead.

The girl who animated the body you call Delphi is dead.

I can't take anything out.

If you're not in the operating room by 3,

I'm going to burn your leg off!

1, 2, move!

Fix her!

For god's sake take her to the lab.

Don't sleep.

I'm Delphi?

I'm Delphi?

I'm her.

I love you, Paul.

Paul--

When you combine advanced technology with human anatomy,

science can create the perfect body,

but it can never replace the human heart.

Welcome to the paradox.