Describe the last person you were in a relationship with.
He was a loner.
He…
Not an obvious choice.
He needed to let himself be loved.
We tried. It failed.
If your dog was ill and had to have its front legs removed to survive,
would you have the surgery or have the dog put down?
I would have the surgery.
What are the things that would attract you to a potential partner?
The things he loves.
The things he wants to be.
Whether he likes pancakes or French toast.
Would you help someone you love end their life if that was their choice?
Um…
Are you all right, Zoe?
Yeah.
It's just…
It feels funny to be doing this
after working next to you for so long, that's all.
- Would you be more comfortable if I left? - No. It's okay.
I guess, I don't know.
My answer is, I'm not sure.
What do you want your partner to see in you?
After we did the Machine, our relationship completely changed.
The way that we saw each other,
and how's it's gonna go into the future.
- We scored an 81 on the Machine. - Yeah.
And just to have that definite answer of, no, it's gonna work, it's gonna…
At the Relationist Lab, head designer Cole Ainsley
has been doing groundbreaking work in the world of AI technology
for almost 15 years.
One of the most important things in our experience as humans is connection.
We are always looking for connection.
When the board of directors identified synthetic companions
as the next big growth area,
they hired Ainsley to run the new offshoot of the company.
I have nothing to do with the pharmaceutical side of the business.
I'm purely focused on the synthetic lab.
So this then, for example, is like research for you?
I mean, this is great if you want a hedge cut.
But I'm much more interested, not so much in cleaning off the bench,
but who am I gonna be sitting on that bench with.
And my drive is to create synthetic people who will become companions for us.
Ultimately, you know, the idea that you're safe, that it's gonna last,
that they're not... they're not going to...
They're not going to leave you is important, would be important to me, so…
Improving lives through better relationships is the lab's mission.
He's ready for more.
Yeah, he is.
We're the fastest-growing start-up in the human relationship market.
We've got three divisions:
the Machine, Pharmaceuticals,
and our newest venture, Synthetic Companions.
I supervise the entire lab and run the Machine division.
At the Machine, we evaluate singles, or couples.
For singles we comb our database to find your best match.
The Machine comes up with a number: 40 percent, 60 percent.
The probability of two people staying together in a happy, lasting relationship.
Perfect for couples like you wondering if they should take the next step.
But you know, the numbers don't lie.
We've got a documented accuracy rate in the upper 90s.
But we like to say that the future isn't inside our computers.
It's inside you.
Just answer honestly.
That's all you have to do.
We scored an 81…
- Good night. - Good night.
And just to have that definite answer of,
no, it's gonna work, it's gonna be something that's for real.
Hi.
Oh, hey.
Do you want some caffeine?
Oh, yeah. Perfect timing. Thanks.
You've made a lot of progress.
His bio-systems for processing food are up already.
I'm sure he's gonna be ready for the tech summit. I'm sure of it.
- Can I talk to him? - He's not quite there yet, no.
Do you think he will look at the world like you do?
Since you designed him?
Sorry.
I guess it's a personal thing. I'm sorry.
No. Uh... No, that's okay.
Have a seat. I wanna show you something.
I've given him something called emotional packets.
They're real memories about emotional events.
Watch his synthetic facial muscles and his body posture, how he talks.
With emotions, we start with the physical and we build inwards, see?
Give it a second.
Will it be different going forward?
Will...
Will she cheat again?
Is there any way I can make it higher?
There must be a way I can I make the number…
There has to be a reason for me to have hope.
Will I hate her?
Do I hate her?
Will I ever get beyond this?
Who is he talking to?
It was a conversation that I had with the Machine.
Emma and I, we scored very low. And we never really recovered from that.
The memory helps to create his emotional infrastructure.
And eventually, we erase the memory, but the infrastructure remains.
So, in a very real way, we're...
We're teaching him how to feel.
I'm sorry. I didn't realize.
Oh, it's all right. It's just numbers.
Patterns of activation. It looks a lot like real emotions.
He's amazing, really.
No one will feel alone anymore or feel that kind of pain.
So…
Oh.
It's Emma. I've gotta go.
Cole?
- Yeah. - Oh.
I-I'll see you tomorrow, okay?
- Okay. - Okay.
Okay.
Yeah, see? Look. They've totally come together now. Look.
I'm sleeping in a tent at night.
Oh, cool. Remember when we went camping before?
- Yeah. - We didn't have balloons though, but…
- Yeah. - Maybe next time we should take balloons.
- You got any black? - Yeah. There's a black.
- That good? Or is it too thick? - It's good.
You did this one before?
It's really good.
It's really good. Did you just do that one?
Yeah.
Art Week canceled. So did Raw Vision. So, you know…
Where did you find this?
Oh. That was in the basement.
I was gonna maybe, I don't know, use her for something.
- Installation or something. Is that okay? - Yeah, of course, yeah.
I designed her when we got divorced.
For people who don't want to sleep on their own.
- That's one good thing, right? - That came out of the divorce?
- Yeah. - She's still got body warmth. Amazing.
Such limited functionality though. Just a few breathing patterns, that's all.
- So naive on my part. - Mmm.
I think it stopped some people being lonely at night.
- A little spooky. - Sleeping alone is spookier.
No, actually sleeping with her is probably quite spooky.
Hey, thank you for coming tonight.
- It's really nice of you. - Yeah, I wouldn't have missed it.
I liked it. I thought it was good. Really, really good.
- Thank you. - Yeah. I thought it was a good show.
Thank you.
Look, I could, uh…
I could leave or… I could stay.
Uh, I started seeing someone.
I mean, I'm trying, you know, to… I'm just trying to…
Yeah.
I've got a really early start tomorrow.
Why don't you take some time off work, you know?
I just... I want you to have the time for yourself.
Maybe find someone.
We've got so much work though. We've got the tech summit coming up.
The board of directors wants all heads of department to show their work.
I get it. I know. I know. But it's always…
You always have work.
But I'm fine. I'm good.
- Are you? - Yes.
- Em, I'm really good. - I don't feel like you are.
No, I'm all right.
Don't-Don't use that in a…
Don't use it, will you? 'Cause I might want that back, I think.
- Really? - Yeah.
- All right. - Well, just for old...
I mean, I made it, so. See you later.
Zoe.
I have some coffee. Would you like some?
No, thank you. I don't drink coffee.
Ah. Well… at least we have something in common.
- When did you come online? - This morning.
I've been doing some research, some reading.
Your skin, it's, uh…
softer than mine.
Sorry.
Cole wants to start my socialization immediately.
Asked him if I could learn to dance.
Good idea.
But maybe we should start with what you've been reading.
Okay. Let's do that.
Your chances for a successful relationship are 75 percent.
Congratulations.
I think we can't help as human beings
but let each other down in relationships.
We try, but we can't help it.
Synthetic people, they'll be able to understand you.
They'll be able to read you and your feelings and your emotional needs.
And then now you're going.
Okay. Like this? All right.
- And then? - And then I have a... and so we go...
Mm-hmm.
Then the same, then we just go back. That's basically the foot movement.
- Okay. - And we try not to look down.
Try and look her in the eyes. You're dancing with a beautiful woman.
- Beautiful, right. - It's romantic.
And then we can turn, sort of clockwise we can start to turn.
- Like this, you see? - Yeah.
Look.
All right, Zoe. What do you think of Fred Astaire?
It's really, really good.
- Here. - Um...
I wanted to ask you something.
Do you think I can get evaluated by the Machine?
- Okay. - Yeah?
Sure, we can set that up, yeah.
- Okay. - Okay.
Go ask her to dance.
Uh, Zoe, would you care to dance?
Yeah.
Okay, looking, looking at the beautiful lady.
- Yes. Yeah. - Nice.
- Yeah? - Yeah.
- Okay. - It's nice.
What do you want your partner to see in you?
I would…
I would like him to see things no one else does.
What is something you wouldn't want your partner to know about you?
I used to be heavy.
Really heavy.
The kind of heavy that makes you invisible.
And…
I guess I still have trouble with food.
But I would like it if he didn't know that.
- You okay, Zoe? - Yeah.
Easier to be on the other side.
Match our compatibility.
One moment, please.
Your chances of a successful relationship for this pairing are zero percent.
Is there a reason why the percentage is so low?
There is a fundamental incompatibility.
- Hey. - Hey.
- You okay? - Yeah, I'm fine.
- Feeling all right? - Yeah.
I just wanted to check.
Sometimes after the evaluation, people say they feel a bit weird.
I'm… I'm totally fine.
I just needed some air. That's all.
- You sure? - Yeah... It's fine.
- And you? What are you doing? - I'm working with Ash. So much to do.
- Okay. - Yeah.
- Good night. - Okay. I'll see you tomorrow.
- Yeah, see ya tomorrow. - I'll see you back here.
- Yeah. - Okay. Have a good night.
You too.
Serotonin levels increasing 30 percent.
What is this?
It's part of a clinical trial for a new drug.
Benzomorphodone.
It'll be marketed as Benysol.
- What does it cure? - It doesn't cure anything.
When you take it with someone else,
it triggers the exact sequence of hormones and neurotransmitters
that fire when you fall in love.
Not euphoria or mood shifters like what's out there now.
This is brand-new and entirely different.
That couple has been married for 35 years,
but Benysol lets them access something no one gets to feel more than once.
Falling in love for the first time.
That moment is in each pill.
Would you, um…
Would you want to take the drug with me?
I'd like us to be a couple.
Ash, what you're feeling is a program.
Zeros and ones.
Machines don't really feel the way people do.
Yeah.
I think your socialization shouldn't just be in a lab.
He seems totally relaxed though.
- Yeah. Just easy. - Mm-hmm.
This is going so well.
I think he's trying to speak French.
I'm glad you came tonight.
Me too.
And I was hoping maybe we could have one drink downstairs.
What's downstairs?
Come.
- I wanna show you something. - What is it?
It's a robo-brothel.
I found this 'cause I was curious how other people were using synthetics.
- I never knew this was down here. - I thought you might like it.
It's totally legal because you're not paying to be with a real person.
That's Jewels.
She has the most advanced operating system.
I can activate one for you if you like.
- Sorry? - Jewels is booked.
But any of them will talk to you how you want,
do to you what you want.
They'll take you places you've never been.
Does she know what you're doing to her?
That one?
She's about to be deactivated.
It isn't worried, or afraid, or anything else.
But you can still be with it in the moments before it's destroyed,
if that's your thing.
Because there is no “her.”
Uh-huh.
Cole.
Cole, wait.
Wait. I'm so sorry.
That's not why I brought you down here.
I know. I know.
You know, the other day…
After the Machine evaluation, I did something.
- I ran a match with you and me. - Zoe.
It was zero.
I, um... I just thought it doesn't make any sense, you know.
Because of how I feel.
I...
I wonder all the time if you think about me.
Zoe.
It's…
It's not like that.
I just thought…
you might feel it too.
I have to show you something.
Why are you bringing me home?
I want to talk to you about something.
You have keys to my apartment?
I have a set, yeah.
- What is this, Cole? - Come on. Just come…
Just come sit down. I-I want to explain.
Have a seat.
You trust me, don't you?
- Yes. - Okay.
Have you ever done a search for yourself online?
Yes. When I was younger.
But not in the last few months, no?
No. Why?
You might be surprised to find out there's not very much there.
Nothing about being accepted early to college or, um...
No press release about you being hired to run the Machine division at the lab.
Nothing about who you are.
Why do you have keys to my apartment?
The apartment belongs to the lab.
I rented it only a few months ago.
What are you talking about?
Do you ever wonder why there's no food in your fridge?
Why everything in here is so new?
This isn't gonna be easy to say, and, um…
it's gonna sound a bit crazy,
but you don't oversee the Synthetics division at the lab.
You're a creation of it.
The reason you scored zero with me
was because the Machine could see that you were synthetic.
Why would you say this to me?
It was a test.
To see how people would connect with you, if they would connect with you.
To see how Ash would react to you. To see if anyone would be able to tell.
Go and look in the mirror.
Look at your eyes really close, and you'll see.
You'll see.
You've only been online for a couple of months.
- Oh, my God. - I'm so sorry, Zoe.
I should have told you sooner.
Zoe.
To tell you the truth, I'm a little jealous.
- Why? - You got to be human.
- But it was a lie. - Not to me.
You know, I read that you know when you're in love
because you can't fall asleep.
Because your reality is better than your dreams.
Sounds like Freud.
Eh. Dr. Seuss.
Zoe.
It was a mistake.
I should have told you so much sooner.
I had no idea you would evolve like this. I didn't.
Was I designed to have feelings for you?
No.
No. You have tendencies, just like people, that's all.
Are you going to deactivate me now?
No. That's not what you want, is it?
I mean, you know…
this is my life.
I realized I've never done anything real.
I've never stayed up late with girlfriends.
I've never… talked on a phone with a boy.
I've never worn perfume.
I'd like to show you some of the things you've done.
Okay?
I started here when I was 15.
I was overweight, terrified.
But it's like all the memories you gave to Ash.
It didn't happen.
They happened.
You had real emotional experiences.
How you store those memories or how you remember them doesn't make them less real.
- What else happened here? - Mmm.
- Daydream. - Mm-hmm.
Study on nice days.
I wrote a whole paper once on my laptop under that tree.
- Oh, yeah? - Yeah.
I would sit there
and wonder…
how it was going to turn out for me.
Imagining all the possibilities of what I could be.
I hated school because I always felt that I was one among many.
I can understand that feeling of feeling alone with lots of people.
Yeah.
Some people peak there. They're the coolest people at school.
Then the rest of their lives are very mundane and ordinary.
Like a misfit.
Nerd.
- I felt like that too. - Nerd, is it?
- No. I said I felt like that too. - Yeah.
- I didn't think you were a nerd. - No, I was just...
Nerd! That would be a bit cruel.
“I felt like a misfit.” “Nerd!”
“No, I'm not a nerd. A misfit.”
Miss, I have a question.
What are... What body functions are we gonna learn today?
This little thing.
It's a little camel toe.
I don't think that's gonna reproduce anything, really.
Spermatozoid will go in the camel toe.
- It goes in it. - Go on.
Creates another human being.
Very easy.
That's the story of humanity.
You've been so thorough, I don't have any questions at all.
You've covered all bases, I think.
- You're not supposed to be here. - Oh, sorry.
- Sorry. - Yeah. Sorry. Right.
Right.
It's a private research library.
It's not even open to the grad students.
- It's nice. - Yeah.
- It's got a good smell to it. - Yeah.
- Smells like old. - It does have a very old...
- Like an old grandma. - Like an old grandma?
That's right.
What was she like, the person whose memories I have?
Well, it wasn't just one person. It was several.
They were mainly students.
And is there anything from your past inside me?
Anything from what happened with Emma?
No.
The idea was for you to be completely you.
To have your own thoughts and hopes, flaws.
- I don't have any flaws. - No, of course. You don't have any flaws.
Well, hopes and thoughts anyway.
You never answered my question.
About whether you ever think of me.
Well, of course I have.
But I can't unsee some of the ways I've seen you, in the beginning.
In some ways, I think it makes me even more in awe of who you are now.
Yeah.
Everyone walks by here.
I used to watch them all the time.
Hmm.
Coming and going and, you know, waiting…
for the person they loved.
But none of it was real.
I never saw those people.
I was never even here.
Who's going to love someone who's not real?
Zoe, you can't think like that.
What's happening to me?
Why are there no tears in my eyes?
Th-There won't be any tears.
When you were designed, we couldn't have imagined
how your emotional life would grow with these highs and lows.
We didn't see that coming.
The reason you can't produce any tears is your body literally can't make them.
And I know that's not fair. I'm sorry.
Anyway, I'm gonna go upstairs now.
Anyway, I'm gonna head off. Bye.
- Hey. - Hey.
- Where did you guys go? - We just talked.
You know, I read that dating in the office is a sure path to heartbreak.
You guys gonna be a couple?
I don't know.
Yeah.
Want to see the future? You can find it in our pavilion.
Another one like there, which is the opposite of that one.
They didn't even tell me about this.
She's just captivating, isn't she?
- These people have no idea. - Yeah. They don't know.
Like the Tin Man over there? Like, that's what people are expecting.
- No. That's right, yeah. - They have no idea.
Where's Ash? When's he on?
- What time is it? - It's 9:45.
Probably getting ready for his big speech.
- You think he's rehearsing the speech? - I bet he is.
Is he nervous?
Want to see the future? You can find it in our pavilion.
Accelerated breakthrough…
Want to see the future? You can find it in our pavilion.
How many of you have considered the actual possibility
of a relationship with a synthetic?
Of course you haven't.
Because they are your dog walkers or maybe a gardener, maybe a housekeeper.
Because they're primitive, right? They're robotic.
They're not real.
But what if they weren't?
What if I told you…
I am a synthetic?
What if I told you I could improvise when I play piano?
That I feel pain? That I can make jokes?
That I can gauge your emotions and sense what you're feeling
better than anyone in this room?
Right now, I'm feeling curiosity. Maybe.
I'll never break your heart.
I'll never leave you.
And I am designed to love you and understand you
in ways that humans simply can't.
And if you want more proof…
just look into my eyes.
The symposium on advancement in nanosurgery begins in 15 minutes.
This is all interactive.
Translates our voices into images.
It can even hear you whisper.
Whisper.
Whisper. Oh, yeah.
Say something.
Hello. Hi.
Louder.
Hello!
Oh, wow, look.
Hello!
I'm here in an empty room!
Shouting! I feel a little silly!
Whoo!
Fuck!
- Zoe. - Yeah?
Would you be upset if we waited… a little bit?
- Do you want me to go? - No.
I want you to stay.
Exercise.
Incoming.
- Do you like him? - Yeah.
Why don't you pull my finger?
So you have many rocks?
Yeah.
- Do you think I'm nice? - Yeah.
- Really? - Yeah.
Well, you have to stay here with him. I'm going home.
- Do you guys wanna stay for dinner? - No, we've, um...
We should get back.
- Caleb really likes her. - Yeah.
I didn't mention to him about her, like what… who she is.
Well, there's a difference between what we see and what we know.
So should I tell him or not tell him? What does that mean?
Tell him.
Tell him. I'm worried he's gonna freak out though.
- He likes her, you know. - Yeah.
- I don't think so. - Okay.
- I'll tell him. - See you Thursday.
Yeah, thanks. This was really nice, thank you.
- And bring her. - Okay, I'll bring her on Thursday.
Yeah.
Yeah, I do like that.
Is Jewels available?
I can pay. I just want to talk to her.
I suspected you were synthetic.
You are, aren't you?
Flawless work.
You must cost a fortune.
You wanna ask her what it's like to be with all these men?
You know, we'd do very well if you worked here with me.
My clients are respectable. You'd be safe.
And if you're programmed to connect, you might even find it rewarding.
Your designer's done you a grave injustice.
He's given you aspirations you'll never achieve.
Eventually you'll see…
there's no humanity inside something that can be turned off.
Why don't you tell me about why you came here?
I've been...
I guess I'm here because
I want to know what it's like for you in your sessions.
The person I'm with, he...
We haven't…
He doesn't seem to want to...
You'd be surprised how many men come to me and don't want anything physical.
Some just talk.
Some just want forgiveness.
What I've learned about men is that sometimes they don't really desire you.
They desire the way you make them feel.
But they… they know you're not real.
The Designer only cares that we're real enough to make money.
D-Do you feel a connection to any of them?
I don't know.
Do you feel?
Yes.
You're what's coming.
My skin is wearing out.
There's a limit to how many times she can regrade us.
We end up on the street or…
or repurposed if men don't want to see me.
I can help you.
You... You go here.
You ask for me or Ash.
I don't, um... We're not really allowed to...
- Take it. - Jewels!
Client.
- I have to go. - Thank you. Thank you.
I once told Ash that what he felt for me was only zeros and ones.
You're not Ash.
Do you think you could prove to me that you're real?
If you had to?
Zoe.
- We don't... - Sometimes, the way you look at me…
or don't look at me…
I feel like that's what I have to do.
So… I wonder.
Could you do it?
When I first started working in AI,
the skeptics said that only humans could be creative
or dream.
Or feel.
I know you feel.
- Want some? - Mm-hmm.
Wine?
Much better.
- Because of the milk, more, um, moisture. - Mm-hmm.
Would you change anything?
- It's not symmetrical. - I know, but people aren't symmetrical.
Like this side's more handsome than this side or something.
I wouldn't change anything.
His teacher said he tries.
- Did you hear the joke about... - The vacuum cleaner?
Vacuum cleaner.
I asked for that. I really asked for that.
You'll never have better chips than these.
It doesn't matter what you say so long as you say it honestly
and what you say is honest.
No, Zoe, Zoe, Zoe, it's so nice.
Hello.
I love you more.
- I couldn't picture my life without you. - Aw.
I love you too.
I didn't know if you had any plans this weekend.
A spring.
Oh, I think so, yeah. You wanna go in?
- I'm not sure. - It's not too cold.
- It's too cold. - It's not too cold.
- You're crazy. - We're gonna do it. We're going in.
- No! - Yes!
We're gonna do this!
- Oh! - Is it cold? Is it cold?
No, it's okay.
- Okay! - You can do it.
Whoo!
It's freezing cold!
Oh, my God!
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
Thank you for everything.
I wanted you to have this.
This is real?
Not part of a test?
There's no test.
I could tell, when I told you how I felt, that you were afraid.
You still are.
But less now.
- You can see that? - Mm-hmm.
I have memories, but I'm not sure I know what to do.
Don't worry.
Just be.
Don't think.
Good morning.
We scored a 66.
That was all we needed to see.
Well, well, well.
Looks like someone spent the weekend testing the limits of her functionality.
Well, someone call the techs.
I think we discovered you can blush.
You know this hurts me, don't you?
Seeing you with someone else.
You know, there's different kinds of relationships, Ash.
Different kinds of love.
Friends can love each other.
Yeah.
What was it like?
To feel so human?
What are you thinking?
It's a very romantic situation.
I was thinking we should go to Iceland.
And we should get a car with a tent on the roof,
and we should drive around the whole island of Iceland
and explore and look at the snow and the ice floes
and look at shit like that.
New York City.
Where the city never sleeps.
- Why? - Because we don't need to sleep there.
But why?
I'm happy here.
Me too.
Can you help me?
Please.
Excuse me, miss. Can you help me?
I'll be back.
Jesus. I don't know.
- Zoe! Zoe! - Miss, are you okay?
- Are you okay? - Are you okay?
It's okay. An accident. You've been in an accident, okay?
You've been hit, okay? But you're all right.
- What the hell is that? - Back off!
You're okay. It's just an emergency protocol, okay?
Your body doesn't have access to your organs.
I need you to try to sit up, okay? Let's sit up, babe. Come on.
Okay. Okay.
I'm gonna need some help to get her in my car.
I'm gonna need some help. Somebody help me.
Hang tight.
- How does it look? - I don't know yet. Give me a second.
Here. Thanks.
Okay, scissors.
Okay.
I'm gonna have to perform a partial shutdown, okay?
It'll be motion, cognition.
It'll be like being asleep, like being in a dream state, okay?
And then I can work on this.
- How long will I be gone for? - Not very long.
Cole.
What about us?
I need to know.
I, um...
I need to get a few parts.
I'll be right back. Okay?
It's okay. It's okay.
Don't be too hard on him.
There's a line, Zoe.
Humans on one side. Machines on the other.
And you were on his side of the line until tonight.
You and me…
we can't find happiness until we accept who we are.
You'll start losing control of your body. Everything's gonna start feeling numb.
- What will happen tomorrow? - Temperature regulation.
Tomorrow, you'll feel as good as you did today.
That's not what I mean.
Please, Cole.
I need to know before this happens.
Don't look at me like that. It's still me.
- Everything's gonna be all right, Zoe. - It's still me.
- Proprioception. - What about us?
Please.
- You're gonna recover and be strong. - You need to tell me.
And whole again.
I'll do whatever I can to get you there.
Zoe.
I heard you.
Cole, she's going into stasis. Do you want me to do the core systems?
Cole?
The core systems?
Yeah.
You want to talk about it?
- Do you know who Eliza was? - No.
A really early AI. Software that made you think you were speaking to a therapist.
She parroted words back at you. You'd say, “My mum didn't love me enough.”
“Why do you think your mum didn't love you enough?”
You'd say, “My heart hurts.” She would say, “Why do you think your heart hurts?”
People loved it.
The inventor had a secretary.
She used to ask him to leave the room
so she could have long, intimate, personal conversations with her.
She wanted to be alone in a room with a few lines of code.
What are you doing?
Don't do this.
- She's not that. - I know that. I guess I know that.
Let yourself be happy, please.
I can't get past it. I tried. I can't get past it.
Just get over it. Okay?
How? I made her.
Why don't you wanna be happy?
Thank you.
That's a Benysol hookup.
- A what? - A Benysol hookup.
Apparently, strangers are doing it now. It gives them a love high for a few hours.
Keep seeing it everywhere.
You mean they didn't even know each other?
They probably don't even like each other.
But they're about to fall in love.
For a few hours, at least.
First-love doesn't have to be a memory.
You can have it now.
Try Benysol.
Fall in love for the first time. Again.
How are you doing?
I'm good. And you?
Okay.
- I heard you're leaving. - Well, it's a sabbatical.
They still want to use my name for investments and publicity.
I just came to get some stuff from upstairs.
They'll be sorry to see you go.
What I was doing didn't make much sense to me anymore after we...
After we failed.
Zoe, we never really got a chance to talk...
I've been surprised how quickly I've been able to move on.
I've been wondering if that was part of my design.
No.
- Don't say that. No. - I better get going.
I have Machine clients waiting.
It's crazy.
Six months after it's in pharmacies…
there's already a gray market for Benysol.
They're calling it the Blaze. I'm seeing it everywhere.
People like her are hoping we'll sell an imperfect batch on the cheap
or maybe throw some out, so the blazers can afford to dose.
It'll wear off.
The drug, I mean.
It's nothing more than just a Band-Aid, really.
Yeah.
Do you think she's all right, Ash?
Sometimes I wonder why you made me, Cole.
The mission of the lab is to improve lives through better relationships.
That's what fulfills us.
- That's not what I meant. - I know.
That's what I thought I was doing it for anyway.
Do you think you would, uh…
Do you think you might stay on?
For me?
- Make me a companion. - Would that make you happy?
I'm gonna to tell security to put some locks on the Dumpsters.
Hey. Are you crushing?
Sorry?
I'm just, um, wondering if you were crushing.
I'm sorry, I don't understand.
I'm sorry.
I thought you were here for a meet-up.
- My mistake. - Uh... No, I'm not sure.
Is it all right if I sit down and we just talk for a little while?
- Michael. - Zoe.
Nice to meet you.
Do you need some?
No, I-I'm good.
I can get you some for 400.
No, I'm all right. I'm just looking for someone I know, thanks.
Just tell me what to do.
Do you feel it?
Not yet. Do you?
A little bit, yeah. It feels a little less than usual though.
Here, touch my face.
- Do you feel it? - I don't think I will.
I'm synthetic.
That's probably why the feeling's kind of weak.
Does it matter if I love someone else?
For the next few hours, you won't.
Do you work? What do you do?
Uh, classics professor.
Greek and Roman archaeology.
Oh. Wow.
- Do I drink half of it? - Mm-hmm. Yeah.
How long does it take?
Not long.
Okay.
Do you ever wonder that you won't be able to feel it without the drug?
I don't know. Does that happen?
I don't know.
This…
Oh.
Hey.
Hey. I gotta go.
This was great.
Take care, okay?
I'll see you around.
Do you love me?
Yeah. I love you. I do.
Do you love me?
I do.
She was a synthetic.
And I really wanted to love her.
Sometimes it did feel really real.
What's that?
Nothing.
But I couldn't help but see her as... as something else.
And so I…
I never let her in.
Not all the way.
You know?
She was, um...
She was synthetic.
I wanted so much to be in love with her.
And sometimes...
Sometimes it felt so real.
Like you.
But I couldn't help but see her as being something else.
Do you feel it?
- I love you. - I love you.
I just kept wondering if I could move past, you know,
who she... who she was.
I love you.
I just kept hoping that it would be different.
That it would feel different, that I'd be able to forget what she was
or accept what she was, or something.
It didn't happen.
I couldn't do it.
Zoe?
Are you okay?
Yeah.
I stopped going into the lab.
That's not really what I meant.
You know how the high feels.
And then how it stops.
I remember when you started working.
How perfect we all thought you were.
How excited we were about all the things that you'd do,
the things you'd learn.
The lab is not the real world.
No.
Do you want to try it?
With me?
We can go somewhere, a hotel.
I don't really feel anything anymore without the drug.
- Does it work for you? - It doesn't.
People I do it with, they don't feel much of anything.
Why do you do it then?
Because it makes me feel less alone.
- I should go. - Can I... I could get you another coffee.
- Yeah, I should go. - Okay.
- Thank you for the coffee. - No, my pleasure.
Cole.
- Oh, hey, Ash. - What are you doing?
I'm doing some consulting. I've still got my access card.
You know, you're not going to find what you're looking for in a pill.
I'll see you soon.
Cole.
Wake up.
Cole, are you okay?
No one's been able to get ahold of you for weeks.
Thanks.
Cole, there's places you can go, you know…
that will help.
I can take you.
- I saw Zoe the other day. - Really?
I hadn't seen her in ages.
She was at a meet-up spot for this.
How is she?
She said she was happy.
She's doing what she was programmed to do, I suppose.
I saw…
I saw you guys. I saw… what you were like.
I've never seen that in you.
You were funny
and engaged and challenged and…
What you guys had together is just…
real.
It was real.
I think that I really messed it up.
Maybe not.
Excuse me.
Hi. I'm looking for Ash.
- He usually hangs out in the rec room. - Okay, thank you.
Wait. Are you Zoe?
Yeah, I'm just looking for Ash. That's all.
- Are you Zoe? The Zoe? - Yeah.
- Guys, look. - Hi.
- It's such a pleasure to meet you. - Unbelievable.
This is Zoe?
- Zoe. - I mean, this is incredible.
Okay, I'm just gonna...
Are you all right?
Yeah.
My maintenance has become less of a priority
since the other project started.
The truth is, I'm scheduled to be taken out of circulation in 37 days.
I requested it actually.
Why, Ash?
Because I never got to where you are, Zoe.
Maybe it's because I always knew I was a machine.
You know, I've read that… it's better to feel pain
than to feel nothing.
I think those people assume that the pain eventually stops.
Now it will.
I'm sorry, Ash.
Would you help someone you love end their life if that was their choice?
I guess my answer is, I'm not sure.
If your dog was ill and had to have its front legs removed to survive,
would you have the surgery or have the dog put down?
I would have the surgery.
What are the things that would attract you to a potential partner?
The things he wants to be.
The things he loves.
What is something you wouldn't want your partner to know about you?
It's going to sound like nothing.
But I used to be heavy.
Really heavy.
They are flawless.
Completely indistinguishable from humans.
They are smarter.
More sensitive.
Wittier and designed to deliver 75 percent more Benysol effect than humans can.
They have your face, Zoe.
Your intelligence.
Your being.
Do they cry?
They do everything.
We were never designed for the market.
Now, we're… redundant.
We're obsolete.
But these…
They're gonna change the world…
because that's what the world wants.
How are they going to shut you down?
I don't know.
I don't want to know.
Could they do it for me?
Zoe.
You're the first.
The prototype.
They'd put you in a museum before they ever shut you down.
I have to go.
Zoe, it's Cole.
- Hey. - Hi.
Sorry to just drop by. I don't mean to bother you.
I, um... I didn't like how we left things.
And I don't even know what happ... I just wanted to see you again.
I thought maybe we could talk.
Do you know who I am?
- What? - I'm the next generation.
Would you like to come in?
- Thank you. - You're welcome.
Did you know you were synthetic from the start?
Yes.
Only Zoe 1.0 evolved thinking she was human.
- Do you know where she is? - No.
Why are you looking for her?
I am... I need to...
She's important to you?
Very.
She's important to us too.
We're designed with her biographical memories.
Her history. Temperament.
Seems like you wanna say things to her.
Yes.
If you want, I can be her.
She's right here.
You understand what you're asking me to do.
That there's no more you after this.
- I know. - You know what we do here.
But you could be worth enormous amounts of money,
if you could be repurposed.
Well, yes, that's part of my conditions.
You'll be paid. Well.
But not until my contact at the lab
confirms my remains haven't been tampered with.
I see.
But I just need to know if you can do it.
Can you... Can you shut me down?
Of course.
Everything you built in her is in us.
And more.
We're designed to help like this.
What do you want to tell her?
I know it feels strange.
She's right here.
I listen.
I would tell her I'm sorry.
That I should have tried harder.
I'm sorry I let you slip away.
And that it hurts.
To know that you're where you are because of me.
I know.
It's okay.
I forgive you.
What's wrong?
Well, I don't think you can…
I don't think you can forgive me.
I'm sorry.
- Is she gonna be okay? - I don't know.
I'm gonna need my bio-kit and the system drives in my laptop.
- And anything else you can think of. - Okay.
Zoe, can you hear me? Zoe?
Can you hear me?
Zoe.
Can you hear me, Zoe? Can you hear me?
Zoe. Can you hear me, Zoe?
Zoe.
- Zoe. - What happened?
- Are you okay? - I'm not sure. I…
But something inside of me wanted her to stop.
Because you wanted to live.
Something that is not real to begin with can't really make that choice.
Zoe.
You should go.
No, listen to me.
I miss you, Zoe.
- I miss you. I miss being with you. - You should go.
- No. You've got to let me explain. - This isn't what I want anymore.
No, I understand. But you've got to let me try and explain.
Will you please listen to me? I really miss being close to you.
Did you expect this to be any different for you?
That's not fair.
Then tell me I'm real.
Tell me I'm real to you.
Touch it.
Peel some of it back.
Look underneath.
I know what you see.
And none of it is ever going to be real.
I see somebody that I hurt.
And somebody that I lost.
Somebody that I love.
And I know, I know now this is what I want.
And I know it's not gonna be, like, easy or simple or without complication.
It's real. You're real.
More real than anything that's ever happen...
Zoe.