Original subtitles

Neom.

A perfect city.

Or so I thought.

Here, everything is under control.

Security doesn't need resources.

It's built in from the ground up.

World war 3.

It ended over a century ago now.

We were on the brink of mass extinction.

Part of the earth is now uninhabitable.

Humanity is capable of the worst atrocities.

So, to ensure it never happens again, the Neom government had an idea.

This is a new era for Neom.

Instead of playing cop and waiting for the inevitable moment, man slips up

again.

Maybe they could change what man is at his very core.

That's when the RTX was born.

A mandatory brain implant, inserted into the minds of newborns.

There were riots.

Blood was spilled.

But in the end everyone fell under the yoke of the implant.

And like magic, no more violence, no more law-breaking.

Man becomes a model citizen.

Neom has no police, no courts, no prisons.

Crime is at 0%, literally.

So, what happens now?

Well, everything that's been built is about to come crashing down.

Like a house of cards.

Citizens of Neom, security is your right.

At Neom, happiness lives in order and security.

Hello, Professor Solvek.

Come on, come on.

You don't have to be afraid.

Good evening, Master.

What would you like for dinner tonight?

No, thank you.

I'm not hungry.

Understood.

I will remain on standby.

I detect tension in you.

Your heart rate is 126 beats per minute.

Should I play some music to relax your nerves?

No, thank you, Aura.

I just want silence.

Very well, Master.

If you need anything, I will be in the kitchen.

You need to pull yourself together.

You're becoming paranoid.

It is a day like any other.

Like every morning, I arrived at my office, placed my AurlX against my temple,

and reviewed the tasks that would shape my day.

A residential building.

I am supposed to inspect its fire safety systems.

Routine.

Ms. Ryss, can you come to my office right away?

I'll be right there.

So, Kya, getting summoned?

That's not a good sign.

Mind your own business.

What was that?

Come in.

Did I do something wrong?

No, quite the opposite.

Ms. Ryss, you have great qualities.

Your rigor, your consistency, your dedication are recognized by everyone across

the department.

I wanted to offer you something.

I'm listening.

A high-ranking individual asked me whether the department could provide someone

reliable.

Someone whose analytical skills, deduction, and rigor are beyond question.

You are young, certainly, but I see a promising future in you.

This is excellent news.

I'm truly grateful that you thought of me.

I hope I won't disappoint you.

Actually, you won't be able to disappoint me, because I will no longer be your

supervisor.

Are you leaving?

No, you are being assigned to the security department.

But the security department has been closed for years.

Indeed, and officially it must remain that way.

I am sending you right now, on your AurlX messaging system, the address where

you must report tomorrow morning at 10.

Your current files will be reassigned and distributed among your colleagues in

the procedures department.

I'll go at once and ensure the transition.

When they came to me this morning asking who my best element was, I immediately

thought of you.

Even though I will no longer have direct authority over you, make sure I do not

regret this decision.

I would not appreciate being told later that you were not up to the task.

That would be prejudicial to me, and I would remember it.

I do not know the exact nature of your future mission, but considering the

person in charge, I can assume that it is an assignment of the highest

importance.

I will not disappoint you.

So, you got fired?

No, I got promoted.

Must be disappointing for you.

Now, my files are yours.

Be careful with the Lambert Tower file.

It's a real nightmare.

Adios.

It felt so damn good to put her back in her place.

That much jealousy should be forbidden in this world.

But now, I still feel a sense of apprehension.

What does this new assignment really involve?

It could be the opportunity of a lifetime, or the beginning of a long descent

into hell.

What's with that face?

You look like you've seen a ghost.

Nery...

I see you've dressed up for the occasion.

Don't make fun of my outfit.

I made an effort for your big day.

It's just a promotion.

You should be happy.

You grew up with nothing.

This is fate, giving back what it owed you.

You are my sole sister.

I am so happy for you.

I'm putting so much pressure on myself.

I don't want to let anyone down.

I just hope this isn't a poison chalice.

So, what exactly are you running now?

The smart fire extinguisher department?

You're incurable.

Unfortunately, I can't tell you anything about my new job.

It's classified.

I don't even know what I'm walking into.

Mystery?

I love that.

Oh, are you going to become a secret agent?

Kya Ryss!

Protector of Neom!

Shh, shh.

People are going to think you're out of your mind.

You know, I couldn't care less.

They can think whatever they want about me.

It goes right over my head.

Good evening.

Would you like to order your usual drinks?

Synthgen, three ice cubes.

Kya?

Same thing.

What is that thing?

Oh, right.

I forgot to introduce you.

This is Skit.

A new toy?

Don't talk about him like that.

He's my personal assistant.

He goes everywhere I go.

I hope he doesn't have a nose, because he's going to regret the smell at your

place.

Oh, I know my lifestyle isn't exactly spotless.

Whatever happened to the adventurous, fearless young woman?

Huh?

You're so uptight now.

Stop it.

Stop it.

Times change.

Your mother can be proud of you, Kya.

It's thanks to you and you alone that you are where you are today.

Yes, uh, and no.

It's Syrae who found me this job at the procedures department.

Oh, sorry for bringing that up.

It's nothing.

It's in the past now.

Do you miss him?

You know, maybe it's a blessing in disguise.

His family never accepted you.

If it means living as a couple in a climate of tension, you're better off

alone.

The great debate.

Ladies and gentlemen, stay tuned.

Tonight is the last debate before the presidential elections.

The stakes have never been higher.

Do you think Voss is going to win again?

It's not even a contest.

The other one is a joke.

You have to wonder who actually votes for him.

When you talk to people around you, you can't find a single one who supports

him.

Talk to people?

You?

You spend your days locked away, tinkering.

Who do you even run into?

You know me.

I love order, rigor, procedures.

But right now, I feel like I've been thrown into a game whose rules I don't

know.

Kya, in a week, you'll master those rules like you've always known them.

Don't overthink it.

What am I getting myself into?

I don't know.

But know whatever happens, I'll be there with you.

In the same boat.

To the end.

Running is second nature to me.

It helps me clear my mind.

And today, I really need that.

Sector 7 is a district of neon for people like me.

Those who manage to withstand the crises and keep their heads above water.

Do they really think they need all that gear?

Sport isn't about being assisted by all kinds of AI.

Where's the fun in that?

Propaganda is everywhere, as always.

Blah, blah, blah.

You are protected.

Sector 8, on the other hand, reeks of poverty.

I wish I had the means to help all those poor people.

I used to be one of them.

There can be no peace with dogma.

Beliefs have killed more people than famine, cold, or territorial wars

combined.

Here, at least, there's no religion.

So there's no problem.

Are you okay, mom?

I'm fine.

Are you sure?

What a kind girl.

It's all right.

Take care of yourself.

Neom has this magnificent side that I'll never grow tired of.

Especially when you look in the right direction.

The seeding.

A process designed to create artificial rain.

That rain is essential to life here.

Without it, the desert would reclaim everything.

It's time to start my new job.

An abandoned industrial site.

Odd place for a promotion.

The whole facility appears to have been abandoned for years.

Or maybe not quite as abandoned as it seems.

I've heard a lot about you.

It's a pleasure to meet you.

Indeed.

Nice to meet you.

When I was offered a promotion, I didn't expect it would involve cleaning the

place.

I have a feeling we're going to get along.

The urgency of the situation and the discretion required left little time to

make the place presentable, I apologize.

This structure was never meant to last.

It will soon return to the sleep it has only just emerged from.

Your assignment here will be temporary.

But if you succeed in the mission we are about to entrust you with, you could

gain access to positions you once thought unreachable.

Even in your wildest dreams.

I look forward to getting started and to proving you were right to choose me.

Oh, forgive my manners.

My name is Orvyn Drael, Special Advisor to the President.

It's an honor, Mr. Drael.

Call me Orvyn.

Shall we continue this conversation somewhere suitable?

Before anything else, what I am about to tell you is of absolute

confidentiality.

No one must know the true nature of your mission.

Not your friends, not your family, no one.

You are free to tell them whatever you want.

Except the truth.

You will not be attached to any official entity.

All your reports will be sent directly to me.

I will be your only point of contact.

Let me introduce you to Professor Kaedin Solvek, a leading researcher in

neuroscience, employed by Neuratech.

He was found the day before yesterday, in his apartment.

Dead.

Three stab wounds.

A murder?

In Neom?

No doubt.

Not an accident, not a suicide, not a simulation.

A murder.

But...

How?

I mean, with the RTX?

That's impossible.

In theory, yes.

In practice, clearly not.

The system failed.

What was bypassed?

You think that the implant of whoever did this was neutralized?

We don't know.

In any case, one thing is certain.

The person who committed this act must have a malfunctioning RTX.

There is no other explanation.

Is it possible that the killer managed to deliberately disable their implant?

That seems unlikely.

The procedure, if it exists, would be far too complex.

So if I understand correctly, you've chosen me to investigate and find the

killer?

Indeed, Ms. Ryss.

According to your superior, your methods and your rigor are exactly what we

need to handle this matter.

As you can imagine, no one is trained in criminal investigation anymore.

You will have to improvise.

Do you feel capable of it?

Who found the body?

Fortunately, Professor Solvek had no family.

It was his domestic unit, Aura, that discovered the body.

The unit immediately contacted emergency services, describing a murder

scenario.

This information immediately triggered a priority alert, relayed directly to my

department.

We were able to act quickly, contain the situation before the matter could

spread.

A murder in Neom?

It would be a psychological earthquake, a fracture in the founding pact.

People have unlearned the fear of one another.

They are not ready.

And that is why every word now matters, every action.

We are walking on eggshells, Ms. Ryss.

That is why I chose this place for our meeting.

This used to be the security department.

Officially, it has been closed for years.

Unofficially, it will serve as your base of operations during investigation.

No one will come snooping around here.

I think we should start by questioning the Aura unit.

What did you do with it?

It remained at the apartment, under surveillance.

You will be able to question it.

Then?

It will be permanently deactivated.

Wiped.

No possible leaks.

I will begin my investigation without delay at Solvek’s department.

I believe you now have all the cards in hand.

I am counting on you, Ms. Ryss.

This matter must be resolved quickly and quietly.

I won't disappoint you.

The security of Neom is now in your hands.

Sector 1.

Where Neom's wealthiest live.

In absolute, blinding ostentation.

Good morning, madam.

How may I assist you?

Professor Solvek's apartment, please.

85th floor, apartment 8501.

Have a pleasant day.

Humanoid, Kya Ryss.

Authorization 78C confirmed.

Madam, these machines have been posted here since yesterday.

May I ask what is happening?

A water damage incident.

The apartment is sealed pending inspection.

Standard procedure.

Robots for water damage?

Does Mr. Solvek know about this?

It's standard procedure.

Do you take me for a fool?

I am not required to justify myself.

I don't have time for this.

Have a good day.

People can be so unpleasant around here.

All right, let's get it together.

Good morning.

I am Aurora, Professor Solvek's household robot.

You must be Miss Ryss?

Indeed.

Hello, Aura.

I'm sorry for the loss of your master.

That is not necessary.

I am not designed to feel.

I'll start by touring the apartment.

I'll come back to you later.

At your service.

Come on, Kya.

We have to go.

There's no choice.

For the first time, I am breathing in the stench of death.

I've never experienced anything so...

horrific.

Blow to the back of the head to knock them out, then three stab wounds to the

back.

The apartment is tidy, but the intent was to kill, nothing else.

Vinyl records, data containers from another time, Solvek was clearly collecting

them.

A hobby for the rich.

Maybe the professor's computer can tell me more about the motive.

A password, an obsolete practice.

Solvek was afraid of something.

Never mind, Orvyn will need to have his engineers look at it and bypass the

lock.

I won't learn anything more here.

I should question Aura.

I have a few questions for you.

Tell me exactly what happened the day before yesterday.

As is customary, Professor Solvek left the apartment at 06003.

He returned the next day at 015622.

You mean almost 20 hours of absence.

Was that frequent?

No.

This extended pattern only occurred three times this year.

In 2160.

Has he shown any unusual behavior recently?

Increased stress levels.

Unstable heart rate over the past 72 hours.

Disrupted sleep cycle.

A shift in tone detected in his voice commands.

Did he tell you about his research?

The professor did not share information concerning his work.

My access is limited to housekeeping, cooking, and daily assistance.

So you're unable to help me find the password to his computer?

Affirmative.

That code was never communicated to me.

And his AurlX?

I haven't seen it in the apartment, nor on him.

Do you know where it is?

Disappearance recorded.

The professor's AurlX has stopped transmitting in the zone.

Undetected since his last departure from the apartment.

It can't be a coincidence that we can't get our hands on it.

How could someone bypass the apartment's security without triggering an alert?

An intrusion with a hacking module seems most probable to me.

That kind of device doesn't exist, unless one were to build it themselves.

So the killer is competent in this field.

I doubt I'll glean any more information from Aura.

The moment this interview concludes, she will be scrapped to ensure that no one

ever learns her master was murdered.

A grim end.

Do you have any other questions?

Thank you, Aura.

My friends, after this high-caliber campaign, the time has come to make a

choice.

Continuity for a safe and prosperous Neom, or else the chaos and anarchy

proposed by my opponent.

This choice, only you can make it.

And that is why every voice matters.

Switching to camera 2 on my mark.

Audio level stable.

Gain at minus 6.

Push the wide shot to the main feed.

Copy that.

Increase the light intensity on her.

Understood, Madam Qatani.

So how's it going?

She's doing well.

I'm not satisfied with the staging.

I could hear your father.

He would be proud of you.

I hope so.

Any news on the resolution of the problem?

I was recommended a young woman from the procedures department.

She's currently on the case.

You think she'll be up to the task?

She seemed truly dedicated to doing good work.

Make sure she doesn't get too dedicated and doesn't meddle in things that don't

concern her.

It could fall back on us.

Me, you, the president.

Is that her?

Speak of the devil.

Yes, Kya?

I didn't find anything conclusive in the professor's apartment.

However, I have two potential leads.

I'm listening.

We'd need to crack the password on his personal computer.

That kind of protection shouldn't even exist anymore with the RTX.

Mm-hmm.

And the second one?

I haven't found any trace of his AurlX.

Is it possible to track it?

I'll take care of it.

And as for Aura, is she still useful to us?

You can deactivate her.

You know what, Skit?

You know what's missing?

A good, loud, ambient soundtrack.

Yeah!

Yeah!

Now that's a good sound!

Nery?

Don't you dare blink.

Hey!

Nery, what in the world is this mess?

Where exactly do you see a mess?

It's perfectly organized.

The circuits that need fixing are right there, there, and there.

Oh, there too.

Are you messing with me right now?

No.

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

And on top of that, it's disgusting.

You could at least clean up.

Sometimes I wonder why I even hired you.

Or I could just leave.

Uh, no.

I didn't mean it like that.

So tell me why, hmm?

Because you are the best.

Louder!

Because you're the best.

And without you, the shop would already be closed.

What am I supposed to do then?

Mmm, that melody is harmonious to my ears.

Don't push it.

There's a customer who's been waiting ten minutes out in the shop.

He's been ringing the bell over and over, and no one's there to help him.

Go deal with it.

You got it, boss.

Tomorrow morning you're going to the Sector Six scrapyard.

They're running an open day.

You should find what you need there.

Really?

Go take care of the customer, please.

And clean up this crap.

What an old grump.

Come on, skit.

Recup Eight, hello.

How can I help you, sir?

I'm here to pick up my AurlX.

It was broken.

Uh, yeah.

This crappy old model?

That'll be a hundred N-Coins.

How are you paying?

Uh, I, well, with the average.

Oh, right.

Ugh, I'm an idiot.

Payment received.

That's all good, sir.

Ahem.

Oh, please accept, sir, the expression of our most sincere regards.

Blah, blah, blah.

Oh, for crying out loud.

Ha, ha, ha.

Incoming call from Orvyn.

Would you like to answer?

Yes.

Kya, I think I may have found something interesting.

I asked the telecom network operators if it was possible to trace the

Professor's AurlX's last known position.

We managed to locate it.

Wait, that's on the outskirts of the city?

In the desert?

You should be there in less than an hour.

I'll take care of it.

No rest for you yet, Kia.

Skylet, change the destination to the coordinates received.

New route confirmed.

Neom's former industrial zone has been left abandoned.

With AI and robotics claiming 95% of all jobs, countless people have been left

unemployed.

Including my parents.

And now what

do I do?

It could be anywhere!

You need to pull yourself together.

What could I do to find the AurlX?

What if I called it?

I've been looking for you all day.

Let's go home.

I need it.

Go, go!

Where would you like to go?

Anywhere, just drive!

There was no one there.

You imagined it.

There was no one there.

Oh, you're finally home.

What happened to you?

I'm going to need to take a shower.

Where did you go?

The desert?

It's classified.

So, are you going to tell me what's going on?

Don't worry about it.

It's normal to be worried.

I'm your mother.

I know.

But what I'm doing for this new assignment, I can't talk to you about it.

The subjects I deal with are sensitive.

Okay.

This job is temporary.

It shouldn't last long.

But once it's over, if I prove myself, I'll get another position.

Far better than anything I could have imagined.

We'll never have to worry about money again.

But you won't tell me more, will you?

Then again, what little girl doesn't have a right to her secrets?

You still think about him sometimes, don't you?

Sometimes, yes.

Syrae was a good boy.

It wasn't my choice.

I took it very badly.

And now I'd rather forget him?

Sorry, Mom.

I didn't mean to.

It's all right.

I understand, sweetheart.

I need some air before I go to bed.

Don't stay out too late.

I'll always love you, sweetheart.

Breathe, Kya.

Breathe.

What do you want from me?

Shit!

Sorry!

Shit!