1
[mysterious music]
[camera beeps]
My name is Soyan Swartz
and I am an internet activist.
I have infiltrated
the IT systems
of numerous government agencies
and corporations.
Over the years,
I have sought out to expose
classified information.
Today I found something that
requires immediate disclosure.
Today, many companies are trying
to rewrite our history
and alter the truth.
As Mao, Lenin, and others
used propaganda
for political goals,
corporations now control images
for commercial purposes.
We are on the verge
of a new world
where the objective facts...
[eerie techno music]
[Soyan] They have the power
to control
the minds of the innocent.
They have the power
to make the innocent guilty
and the guilty innocent,
as they control the minds
of the masses.
[Soyan] Corporations
now control images
for commercial purposes.
The media is the most powerful
entity in the world.
They have the power to make
the innocent guilty,
and the guilty innocent.
And that's power
because they control
the minds of the masses.
My name is Soyan Swartz,
and I wish you all good luck.
[camera beeps]
[sighs]
[distressed breathing]
[eerie techno music]
[crying and gasping]
[tense music]
[gasps]
[groans]
[lighter clicks]
[pills rattle]
[keyboard clacking]
[repeated thuds]
[rushing water]
[cell phone vibrates]
[cell phone vibrates]
[jangle]
[distant siren]
[robotic voice] TB8-XA5.
- RXF7.
- [techno music]
Abandon. Karpov versus Kasparov.
World Championship match, 1990.
Move 44, white wins.
[Cliff] He's late.
Russel, are you still sure
you want to go through
with this?
[Lena] We've been through this.
Don't be such a lawyer.
It's part of the game.
Keep your enemies closer.
- Here he is.
- [door opens]
[door closes]
I'm Lena Leiboviz.
This is my partner,
Russel Belial.
Our lawyer, Cliff Brown.
We asked you
in here today because...
Well, recently, something very
serious happened at our company.
Uh, most of our clients register
for our services online.
So you can imagine our surprise
Friday morning
when our server crashed
after millions
of new users registered.
We know it was a hack.
We assume it was just some kids
trying to make
a name for themselves
in the hacking community.
But whatever
their motivations were,
there were
very real consequences.
NASDAQ had to freeze
our listing.
Our stocks plummeted.
Until we sorted out the problem.
We lost a few big clients,
that's what happened.
All because a few kids wanted
to have some fun.
Good thing is, when someone
hacks a system, [sighs heavily]
there's always the possibility
of getting caught.
And you know how DAs
like to make
an example
out of some stupid kid.
Especially if they connect a bus
to National Security issues.
We found a few IP addresses
and traced them.
So, hopefully, that's how
we'll get our guy.
We know.
And you've got some balls coming
in here for an interview
after doing what you've done.
I'm not even gonna ask why.
Instead, I'm gonna ask you
the million dollar question.
How would you like to go to work
for us?
You already know our system.
We represent a lot
of high-profile clients here.
News databases,
social networks, banks,
they rely on us
to create new identities.
Change facts...
rewrite history, so to speak.
We need a risk taker,
someone who can break into
other systems.
We need an answer,
and we need it here
at this table right now.
Great.
I'll take that as a yes.
We'll deal with
the formalities later.
[techno music]
[keyboard clacking]
[eerie synthesizer]
[shoes clicking]
[Alice] Here are a few photos
of the victims.
You can match them
with photographs
and online videos
through, what do you call...
facial recognition software.
We will then create positive IDs
with names, addresses,
create a master list.
[Loise] How many people
are there?
- This will take weeks.
- I know.
[Alice]
We don't have everything.
Who else has access to this?
No one, just you and me.
Why, is something wrong?
How do you make any money
with this?
I still have
a donor or two left.
- But I'm taking a lot of heat.
- From who?
From someone who knows how
to pick the locks of my office.
They cut the brakes of my car.
[papers rustling]
[Alice] I'll call you.
[suspenseful music]
[sighs]
[computer chimes]
[Eileen] Hey, sis.
I've tried calling you
100 times.
- How've you been?
- Fine.
[Loise] Still in New York?
I don't know how people can pay
rent here. It's so expensive.
You need money?
Well, you know, it's been hard.
I want to see you.
Why don't you ever call me?
I'll call if anything
comes up, okay?
[computer beeps]
[haunting vocal music]
[crowd cheering]
[commentator]
Oh, it's an uppercut!
That lands hard
to the side of the face.
Our challenger is reeling,
trying to find her footing.
Oh, they've tied up
the center of the ring.
Now, here's a jab.
Here's a combination.
- [door clicks]
- [Soyan] Sorry.
[door clicks and slams]
I was writing the code
for the firewall.
[Russel] Mm-hm.
[backpack rustling]
[Lena] Okay, shall we?
This is TEECO, Fortune 500.
CEO John Chester just died
at the age of 87.
His son, James,
is set to inherit his job.
[Russel] Problem was,
Junior was a pussy hound.
He met his wife in a strip club.
The wife is the problem.
We discovered that in the '90s
she made a number
of soft-core films
under the name Bella Blue.
Jump to 2000,
fell completely off the grid.
Got plastic surgery and became
Mrs. James Chester.
Now they have three kids,
host political fundraisers,
and sit on the board
of several major charities.
[Soyan] So who wants us
to clean up their past?
TEECO.
The board of directors
is naturally concerned.
They don't want bad press
to get out on either of them.
Let's see.
I can offline Chester Junior's.
But her,
she's still got some fan pages.
- [keyboard clacking]
- Let's see.
- [woman moaning]
- Is that her?
[woman moaning]
Yes, that's her.
We're gonna need
a good backstory for this one.
Let's kill her off.
We start a rumor online that...
Bella Blue dies in a car crash.
Suicide, whatever.
Plant some articles.
Fabricate some photos.
Build a paper trail
for Mrs. Chester Junior.
Two names,
two different identities.
And we kill off the bad one.
I kind of like it.
What about everything in print?
Paper will pick it up
and put it on their website.
It'll go round and round
from there.
[Russel]
What do you think, Lena?
- Let's do it. Pull the trigger.
- [keyboard clacking]
The company has booked you
a hotel suite
so you can work at your leisure.
I'll be by later
to check on things.
You have two weeks.
[ominous music]
[backpack rustling]
Soyan, do me a favor.
Don't be late again.
[ominous music]
[door clicks]
[door clicks]
[door slams]
[clack]
[keyboard clacking]
[click]
[techno music]
[reporter] Arms dealer
Vanderbilt was arrested,
then released
after only a few hours.
He has been identified
by the International
Criminal Court
as a person of interest
in violating the embargo.
Over the last 20 years,
Vanderbilt has built
one of the most powerful
arms fortunes in Europe,
and also may be responsible
for countless deaths
through illegal
weapons trafficking.
[reporter] Technology shares
have plunged
after a cyberattack
shut down several networks
in southeast Asia
- yesterday afternoon.
- [planes roaring]
No one has claimed
responsibility for the attack,
- but sources indicate the virus
- [phone vibrates]
may have originated
from servers in China.
[cell phone vibrates]
Though the U.N. and Arab...
I heard the news.
No, it's not over for me.
Let's talk tomorrow.
[repeated thuds]
[haunting vocal music]
- [gunshots]
- [explosions]
[people yelling]
[Loise breathes erratically]
[Loise sobs]
[gunshots]
[people scream]
- I haven't finished.
- Finished what?
We lost our guy.
Even if we kept our last donor,
I'd still lose the case.
They're too strong.
Do you understand?
I can't pay you anymore.
Don't worry,
- you can pay me later.
- Loise...
- You don't understand.
- No, I don't!
[telephone rings]
I'll call you, okay?
Yes? No, this isn't
a good time to talk.
Uh, I'd rather meet you
in person.
Okay, I'll text you the address,
and I'll see you then.
- [car door clicks]
- Perfect.
Hey, come on in.
[car door clicks]
What's the matter, champ?
You don't look so hot.
[breathes heavily]
Uh, I have inner ear problems.
Cars make me dizzy.
Oh, sit over here.
It'll help.
[Russel]
For our next magic trick,
we're moving on
to bigger, better things.
Pull out your laptop.
Had a conference call yesterday
with some arms dealers.
They sold their product
to the wrong side.
There was an embargo,
and now they're in trouble.
They are the clients,
here's the front company,
here's the main company,
and then this one.
She's the lawyer.
She filed a complaint
with the International
Criminal Court.
But they tried to sideline her.
Man, she is stubborn.
Anyway, I arranged
a meeting with her for tomorrow,
a job interview,
I'm gonna throw her off trail.
Gently.
What do you want me to do?
Tell them they were there
to hand out food, medicine.
The usual.
And we also need to erase
that bank transfer
to the Cayman Islands.
This lawyer traced it.
I don't know how the hell
she figured it out,
but I'm gonna get
to the bottom of it.
Driver, stop here.
You know
what kind of story I like.
Just make them look like
the good guys.
I'll be back in a minute.
[car door slams]
Hey, the door was open.
[Chris] My door is always open.
- I brought your stuff back.
- Look at you.
Hey.
I haven't read this one.
- [Loise] May I?
- [Chris grunts].
[keyboard clacking]
- [sighs]
- [strikes key]
Coffee?
[plane turbines roaring]
[slurp]
Life sucks.
My boss is broke.
My sister is dealing
with money issues.
Still no news about him?
No.
I probably
wouldn't recognize him
if I tripped over him
on the street.
I searched for him.
It's over.
Well,
you know that's not the case.
It's part of you.
And there's always a chance
for good news.
I don't know.
So, how about you?
The undercover gonzo journalist?
Um, well,
I'm putting finishing touches
on my book about this hedge fund
that dabbled in the drug trade.
I'm gonna call it
Powder Brokers
or A Wall of Powder.
- I haven't decided yet.
- Sounds like Pulitzer material.
[laughs] Oh, no,
I'm not getting that.
You're my only friend.
[cell phone vibrates]
Gotta run.
[door clicks]
Good, you're here.
Come in, look at this.
[reporter]
James Chester, Junior
has just been appointed
CEO of TEECO,
North America's largest
food processing concern.
Chester will be granted
two million shares
of Series B preferred stock
- which has climbed...
- [Russel strikes key]
That's the story we wanted.
How's our security system
coming along?
I mean,
your firewall's still weak.
So what's the plan?
Update your protocols.
IMXP to FLX.
Rewire your firmware
to JLS 5.0 standards.
And... Databases, thank God,
are still running on NTS.
- Tell me, can we go forward?
- Yes, but...
- [Russel] Great.
- One thing you both should know.
Hackers often infiltrate
their companies
through their employees.
It's fast and easy.
Other personal info
is there to be lifted
from their social
networking profiles.
We should let the employees know
that office computers
are to be used
for company use only.
I can set up
some surveillance machines
so we can keep them in line.
We'll give you ten days.
We can't really wait
longer than that.
- Russ?
- [Russel] Hm?
- It's 11:00.
- [Russel grunts]
Send me a list
of everything you need.
[Russel exhales heavily]
[suspenseful music]
[keyboard clacking]
[knocking on door]
[lock clicks]
Hi.
Russel sent me over to see
how you settled in and...
I brought
the files you requested.
[door clicks]
[hard drive clatters]
[Lena] It's nice.
You know, I was against
hiring you at first.
But now I'm just as impressed
as Russel is.
Do you mind?
I can't stand those heels.
Would you?
[desk chair creaks]
You don't have much experience
with women, do you?
How about this?
You know, I've been wondering...
What turns you on?
Cyber sex?
[tense string music]
[Soyan inhales sharply]
[wetly kissing]
What do you think about that?
[Soyan breathes heavily]
Okay.
It's just a test.
Our enemies aren't above
using such...
traps.
We're giving you access to a lot
of valuable information.
You know that.
Russel...
trusts you.
Be on your guard.
[door clicks]
- [door slams]
- [Soyan sighs]
[Lena] We're giving you access
to a lot.
We've giving you access to a lot
of valuable information.
- Russel... Russel...
- [tense music]
Trusts you. Trusts you.
Be on your guard.
- Be on your guard.
- [music stops abruptly]
[rushing wind]
[keyboard clacking]
Is something wrong?
[Soyan] No, no.
What are you doing here
all the time?
And yourself?
[Soyan] Need a good
wireless reception.
So what,
do you work in high-tech?
Not really.
I'm more interested in history.
- What kind of history?
- I don't know, people?
I'm more interested
in the future.
- Technology.
- You're a game tester?
I'm a player.
Look, um...
ICMP Protocol 873DDFS3-3.
Keylog the passcode
from the database cache.
Check for admins,
bypass the honey pot.
Keylog the passcode
from the database cache.
Done.
I'm in.
Inside what?
The Bank of Pyongyang.
What should I do?
I don't know.
Hack a real bank.
Like Bonnie and Clyde?
Why not?
You know why computers
are so easy to hack?
They were never designed
for the internet.
I don't think people are made
for the internet, either.
Personally,
I don't trust computers.
But you have one.
Yeah, what choice do you have?
What do you trust?
No viruses, no batteries,
never crashes.
Very reliable.
I could store a thousand
of those on my key drive.
Yeah,
you're just out of this world.
- Where are you going?
- I'll find you.
[soft scraping]
[soft piano music]
[pills rattle]
[gulps]
[elevator beeping]
[beeping gets louder]
[beeping stops]
[clang]
[knocking at door]
[lock clicks]
I looked at
their surveillance cameras.
I followed you nonstop
from the building
to your hotel...
the other day.
You didn't even see me.
You had your glasses on.
How many Korean banks
did you rob
to afford this place?
[chuckles]
That's... It came with my job.
Well...
I guess you have
a good connection here.
- Nice to see you.
- [eerie music]
[door clicks]
[door closes]
- [water lapping]
- [birds]
[heavy footsteps]
[Soyan] Hey, sorry,
I missed my bus.
No worries.
You like the water?
You want to take a dip?
No, I...
I don't know how to swim.
[Russel] A computer hacker that
doesn't drive and doesn't swim.
A true modern man.
Come on, your parents
never taught you how to swim?
No, I never had any parents.
[Russel]
Look at the advantages.
You're a free man.
No roots, you can do whatever
the hell you like.
What about you?
You got any family?
I do whatever the hell
I like as well.
I want to ask you something.
Have you heard about this
hacking group, Independent Leak?
[Soyan] What do you know
about them?
I know they're tough, radical.
They hack into corporations,
banks, governments,
which includes us.
They intend on releasing
millions of classified emails
that we do not want going out.
We gotta do whatever it takes
to stop them.
I'll look into it.
I've got a name for you:
Angela King.
We don't have
much information on her,
no fixed address,
always on the move.
Sometimes spot her name
on flight manifests,
but always a little too late.
Maybe she works for the Chinese.
Nope, she's a freelancer.
How's our firewall?
It's safe...
now.
Good.
- We can't take any chances.
- [tense music]
Let's go inside,
I want to give you something.
[footsteps]
[Russel] I went shopping,
got myself a new watch,
- and I got you one, too.
- [watch jangles]
- Thank you.
- Yeah.
You don't have an excuse
to be late anymore.
[watch clicking]
Now we're both on company time.
How are you getting home?
I'll just catch the bus.
You need wheels in this town.
Here, take my car,
it's in the drive.
Is this that performance bonus
you were telling me about?
Let's just consider it
an advance.
[door clangs shut]
[ominous music]
[reporter] He was hiring
at the company.
Vanderbilt's representatives
stated that the wholesaler
sold ammonium nitrate
- only for agricultural purposes.
- [repeated beeping]
They declined to comment
on its use
in the recent bombing
of the embassy.
Vanderbilt's charity raised
- over $100 million
- [breathes heavily]
in its efforts to combat
the spread of AIDS
- in Sub-Saharan Africa.
- [repeated beeping]
- Though original reports imply...
- [rapid typing]
[classical piano music]
[Alice] Do you normally have
meetings at your house?
Normally? No.
But when it's confidential...
So, let's get to it.
You said we both have some
valuable information to share.
- Did I say that?
- You called me ten times.
Fair enough, I'm a headhunter.
And I'm looking to recruit
someone for a high-tech company.
I don't work
in the high-tech field.
Do you know anything
about hackers?
Anything about
criminal investigations?
I do know about criminals,
but only in relations
to human rights.
That's why
I noticed your profile.
Do you know why Babylon fell?
Too much information.
Too many languages.
The breakdown of communications.
And that's where we are today.
That's why
I think it's important
to apply international
human rights standards
to the internet.
To be honest, Mr. Belial,
I don't think
I have anything to offer you.
Oh, Alice,
never say that to a headhunter.
Seriously, I'm...
I'm in bad shape.
I guess I came
at the right time, then.
I feel responsible
for the people I've left behind.
I can understand that.
But I think that you're a person
who thinks too much about
what you can do for other people
when you should think more about
what can people do for you.
How much would you like
to earn per year?
- What do you mean?
- I mean, give me a number.
- [piano crescendo]
- [Alice inhales deeply]
[Alice] Okay, he's in a meeting.
I'll give him the message.
- Uh, probably in the afternoon.
- [backpack thuds]
[telephone clicks]
[lively orchestral music]
I'm gonna start working
for another company now, so...
Maybe I can get you a job there.
- [photos rustle]
- [Alice] The case's in the hands
of other lawyers, now.
They will take care of it.
And you've been compensated.
- Here, it's on the table.
- [music fades]
I've spent days and nights
watching people
under interrogation.
Torture.
They're the ones who deserve
compensation, not me.
I went as far as I could go.
I have to move on.
They will have a stronger
defender now, it's better.
No, you abandoned them!
The case was putting both you
and me at risk!
I need my key drive back.
[key drive clatters]
Here, take it.
[paper crinkles]
I know you need it.
Don't think
I need anything from you.
I never did.
[somber string music]
[soft piano notes]
[police sirens]
[crescendo of piano and strings]
[ominous bass]
[door creaks]
[music fades]
[crowd yelling]
[announcer]
A left, then a right...
Oh! And there's a hard uppercut!
Hard to the jaw...
You texted me your address,
so I assumed
it was an invitation.
[announcer] He's going
left to right,
a hard one hits the temple...
[crowd cheers]
[announcer] New York City
on opening day,
this fight is going down...
[crowd cheers]
[Loise] Wait.
[announcer] Oh, that uppercut!
[crowd yells]
[Loise] I've got
something stronger here.
- [crowd roars]
- [bottlecap squeaks]
- Bottoms up.
- [clink]
[Loise gasps]
So you box?
Yeah.
Wanna try?
[Soyan scoffs] I'm sure
you're too strong for me.
Do you play any video games?
Not anymore. That's kid stuff.
I'm playing all the time.
I created a game that combines
virtual reality telepathy
in the real world.
Here, I'll show you. So...
Basically, in any room,
I can create
a chessboard, 64 squares.
Um... A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H.
One, two, three, four, five,
six, seven, eight.
And then use various objects
in the room
as pieces on the chessboard.
You follow me?
- Uh, not really.
- Just pretend.
The coffeemaker could be
one of your knights.
And those glasses over there
could be your pawns.
And my bag can be
the black king,
and your bag over there,
the white king.
Here, I'll show you, just...
And you play this
all in your head?
- Yeah.
- Oh.
Just, just focus on the game.
Here, close your eyes.
- Concentrate.
- [techno music]
Alright, let's begin simply
with a pawn.
I do E2-E4.
Now it's your turn.
Try, uh... NG8-F6.
Now, I move my knight
towards you.
NG1-F3. Now your turn.
- No, no, don't, don't do that.
- But I didn't do anything.
It's telepathy
between you and me.
Trust it.
Try KF6-E4.
Take my pawn.
I move my pawn D2-D3.
Now your knight's in danger.
You should move back.
Go, go, go, go, go, go!
Um... NE4-C5.
- [chuckles] How'd you do that?
- Concentration.
Okay, I do QD1-E2.
- And you do...
- Q7D.
Yes! Now you protect your king.
I move my queen to the right.
- And you do...
- Sorry, I don't get it.
You really know
how to visualize the game.
It's like with permutations
for identifying a password.
Each move has a limited number
of combinations.
I get that.
I am impressed.
Don't be.
- [soft piano music]
- [Soyan] Mind if I crash here?
[click]
[eerie rumbling]
[buckle rattles]
[fast electronic music]
[both breathing heavily]
[both exhale sharply]
[repeated gasping]
[gasping intensifies]
[Loise grunts]
[both grunt]
[Soyan gasps]
[Soyan grunts]
- [Loise gasps]
- [music cuts off]
[sighs]
[exhales sharply]
I had a dream last night.
Really?
[Soyan] Yeah, you were in it.
No kidding.
I gotta go.
[loud clack]
Flying to Washington, D.C.
with my boss today.
[clattering]
[Soyan] Thanks.
"Thank you" for what?
[Russel] Soyan, I want you
to meet Jim Howard.
Jim represents us in Washington.
Soyan's our new
Chief Tech Officer.
He's our to go-to guy now.
[jet engines roar]
- Something happening?
- No.
- My secretaries update me.
- [Russel] About our case?
[Jim] Indirectly.
Do you know what Six Sigma is?
Six Sigma is a method
of control and error.
It reduces
the causes and defects
to the lowest percentage,
thus insuring predictability.
- Look, Jim, we're working on it.
- Working on who?
Angela King.
The kid has some information.
She's on a flight next week.
- Where to?
- Caribbean.
What kind of plane?
Small commercial
aircraft, 20-seater.
- Prop plane, jet plane?
- It's a prop plane.
[Jim scoffs]
We need you
to take care of this for us.
We can't afford this
getting out.
- We'll handle it.
- Do you know what's at stake?
- Yes, I do!
- Do you know what's at stake?
Don't interrupt me,
listen to me.
I am accountable
for $750 billion.
That's more than the net gross
of most countries in the world.
Yes.
Get it done.
If something goes down,
you're going, too.
[camera shutter clicks]
[printer whirrs]
[Alice] You shouldn't worry
about Loise.
She's getting to him.
I'm losing the boy.
Not her.
Take her out of this.
You know her,
she worked for you.
I mean, it's a little too close
for comfort.
What the fuck is going on?
Are you
her guardian angel or what?
Yes.
I mean, no.
I'll take care of her.
Don't worry about her.
- [Russel sighs]
- [photos rustle]
- Well...
- [thwack]
It still leaves me
with the bigger issue.
What to do with him.
He's your protg, not mine.
[smack]
[click]
[Soyan] Hey.
I need a drink.
- [door slams]
- [bottles clatter]
[loud rattling]
[clang]
[thud]
[clatter]
[clanking]
[clink]
- [glasses clatter]
- [Loise gasps]
So how would you play your game
in this hotel suite?
- A, B, C, D, E, F, G.
- [Soyan laughs]
I thought
you weren't interested.
I can win.
Whites or blacks, you choose.
This one.
You start.
E2-E4.
C7-C5.
NG1-F3.
Hold on,
let me show you something.
- What is that?
- Just put it on.
Alright.
- One, two, three.
- [rush of air]
[mysterious ringing]
- You see something?
- Yeah! It's beautiful.
Alright, same thing.
Concentrate.
- You with me?
- Yeah.
NB8-C6.
NB1-C3.
NG8-F6.
- QD4-D8.
- [soft string music]
Where's the king?
Okay, E7-E6.
E3-E2.
BF1-B5.
- As ordered, my queen.
- [piano notes]
Checkmate.
Indeed.
- I think you lost intentionally.
- Oh, yeah?
[Loise demurs]
[music crescendo]
What are you doing?
[Lena] Please step on it.
I don't want to miss my flight.
So how often
do they see each other?
I don't know.
- I thought you kept tabs on him.
- I do.
The kid is young and nave.
We took a huge risk with him.
So what about this girl?
Apparently, she worked
for my new lawyer friend.
And you think
it's just a coincidence
that they worked together?
- Maybe she's spying on us.
- I doubt it, Lena.
Listen, I'll figure it out.
Don't worry about it.
So what did your new
lawyer friend say about her?
She said the girl's
not a problem, but I...
I had to dig a little deeper.
And?
And... I fucked her.
- You fucked the lawyer?
- Yes, I fucked the lawyer.
It's just business, Lena.
[scoffs]
Aren't you proud
of yourself, Russ?
[Russel] I think
she's in love with me
and I can't do anything
about it.
She wanted a job.
And I gave her one.
Russ, I think
you believe in yourself
a little bit
too much sometimes.
And what's worse...
you believe your own lies.
[crickets]
This view is perfect
for a screensaver.
You see that little star
over there?
In that star
are all the people I love.
Did you see this one?
Satellite.
Or a plane.
[Loise] Do you think we're
a part of this universe?
Not at all.
["Make Note of Every Sound"
by Seven Saturdays]
I'll comb my hair back
And I'll shake my shoes off
Make note of every sound
Make note of every sound
Make note of every sound
Oh, oh, oh
Oh, oh, oh
The sun's been cruel
And the wind blew smoke
- [door clicks]
- But I never lost my way
[zap]
I'll comb my hair back
And I'll shake my shoes off
Make note of every sound
Make note of every sound
Make note of every sound
Don't fall off
I won't fall off
The sun's been cruel
And the wind blew smoke
But I never lost my way
The sun's been cruel
And the wind blew smoke...
Who is it?
- It's my brother.
- [music ends]
He vanished a long time ago.
Out of nowhere.
Did you search for him
on the internet?
I'm so tired of searching.
What happened?
I was at a fair
with my sister and my brother.
Remember those
video game arcades?
I could spend hours
on those machines.
My brother would wander
the arcade while I played.
As kids do.
But this time,
he never came back.
I looked for hours,
for days, for years.
But I... I couldn't go
to the police because...
I was on probation for drugs.
They took my sister away,
and I never saw
my brother again.
How old would he be today?
20 something.
[soft piano music]
I suppose you've already checked
the juvenile records database.
- [typing rapidly]
- It must be in there somewhere.
What was his name?
Jeremy.
Here's the website.
I can actually search
for you later if you want.
I gotta go.
[Soyan chuckles]
[music crescendo]
[door opens]
[door closes]
[tense string music]
[click]
[reporter]
Arms dealer Vanderbilt
was arrested then released
after only a few hours.
He has been identified by the
International Criminal Court
as a person of interest
in violating the embargo.
Over the last 20 years,
Vanderbilt has built
one of the most powerful...
[water sloshes]
I talked to Washington
this morning.
Jim Howard sends his regards.
Someone got Angela King.
You know who got her?
It makes no difference.
She's out of the picture.
Anyway, I just don't like
insects in my pool.
We won this round.
But we've got to be
careful what's next.
We have to anticipate
the other guy's move.
Kind of like a chess game.
You play?
No.
You should.
Business, politics, life...
it's all like chess.
You gotta be two steps ahead.
How's our firewall doing?
It's strong.
Good.
[suspenseful music]
[creaking]
What's happening?
[stutters] You...
You vanished.
[clatter]
[thud]
[Loise shouts] How did my files
end up on your computer?
I don't know
what you're talking about.
My files, asshole!
I don't know
what you're talking about!
[Loise] Who are you?
Who the fuck are you?
[Soyan] Even if I told you,
you wouldn't believe me.
- Just trust me, alright?
- Get the fuck out of here.
Leave me alone.
[pills rattling]
[glass clatters]
[camera beeps]
My name is Soyan Swartz.
And I am an internet activist.
I have infiltrated
the IT systems
of numerous government agencies
and corporations.
Over the years,
I have sought out to expose
classified information.
Today I found something
that requires
immediate disclosure.
Today, many companies are trying
to rewrite our history
and alter the truth.
As Mao, Lenin, and others
used propaganda
for political goals,
corporations now control images
for commercial purposes.
We are on the verge
of a new world
in which objective facts
can be altered
in the name
of public relations
by companies who are larger
than states.
The media is the most
powerful entity in the world.
They have the power
to make the innocent guilty
and the guilty innocent,
and that's power
because they control
the minds of the masses.
My name is Soyan Swartz,
[breathes heavily]
and I wish you all good luck.
[camera beeps]
[tense music]
[labored breathing]
[knocking at door]
[knocking at door]
[lock clicks]
[door clicks]
What's going on in here?
There are three real ways
to escape a bad situation.
You can attack your enemy
and fight back.
You can defend yourself,
and limit the damages.
Or you can just kill yourself
and exit the game altogether.
What are you doing?
You're a sweet boy.
Intelligent, even brilliant...
but so nave.
Who sent you here?
Russel?
That girlfriend of yours? Loise?
- Has been hacking your computer.
- How do you know that?
We have sources.
Who are you spying on,
her or me?
I'm just trying to save
that nice ass of yours.
She played you.
She doesn't want you,
she wants your files.
- I don't believe it.
- Well, you better believe it!
Because that is the only story
that's gonna fly
with Russel and his clients.
We still have
a lot of work to do.
Stay away from her.
You've been warned.
[door opens]
[door closes]
[somber music]
[crescendo]
[Soyan gasps]
[Soyan] Answer me.
Loise, answer me!
- Wake up.
- [empty bottle rattles]
[gags]
[coughs]
[sputtering]
[stops gagging]
[Loise whimpers]
- What are you doing here?
- It's okay, it's okay.
[Loise gasps]
- [Loise crying] Go away.
- I'm gonna get us out of here.
I'm gonna get us
out of here, okay?
[Soyan] Alright?
[engine rumbles]
[tense electronic music]
[haunting vocals]
- [door slams]
- [music fades]
Where are we?
[birds chirping]
Who are you?
Some time ago...
I bonded with other hackers.
I started Independent Leak.
We hacked banks...
corporations...
police databases,
insurance companies,
everything we could.
We have millions of emails
and databases with secrets
people have to know.
[Loise] About what?
Classified information.
I'm gonna release those emails.
We're gonna get out of here.
[Loise] Where did you leave
those emails?
I have a copy at the hotel
and a backup hidden elsewhere.
I'm with you.
[soft piano notes]
Stay with me.
[tense piano and string music]
[Soyan gasps]
[engine revs]
[string music crescendo]
[music fades]
See you on the rooftop.
9:00 p.m.
[door clicks]
[door slams]
[techno music]
- [music intensifies]
- [water rushes loudly]
[elevator beeps]
[rapid beeping]
[elevator beeps]
[music intensifies]
[rapid beeping]
[keyboard clacking]
[click]
Well, I pay for this room.
[Russel] And the room next door.
[beep]
[cell phone vibrates]
[beep]
Soyan?
I can't hear you.
So, Angela King.
Like the king in the chess game.
And Angela like an angel unseen.
[Russel] Create
your own avatar.
Book hotel rooms
and flights in her name,
and keep us chasing someone
who doesn't even exist.
And then,
just as we're about to close in,
you kill her off online.
- Just like you did Bella Blue.
- How did you find out it was me?
Company time.
[clank]
How much did they pay you
to stop Independent Leak?
How much information
do you have on us?
Enough. Enough to show
how you manipulated the media.
[Russel] So, you left
your IP address intentionally.
[Soyan] That was a red herring.
Big companies
often hire their hackers.
I came in like a Trojan horse.
I wonder how many more like you
are gonna come out of the belly
of that wooden steed.
[Soyan] We're like an army.
Small rooms.
Wireless connection.
We're faceless.
But we have eyes.
And we see everything.
You're gonna lose your queen.
- I don't think so.
- [glove snaps]
[Russel] You see, I'm afraid
this game has come to an end.
[soft click]
Checkmate.
- [Russel tuts softly]
- [rattle]
- [Soyan grunts]
- [chair creaks]
[Russel] You see...
backstories,
that's what I'm good at.
[tense music]
A promising, young employee
of a high-tech company
found dead in hotel room
by heart attack.
And when
the authorities contact me,
I'll tell them
how shocking it is.
I'd seen him the night before,
he seemed fine.
We were unaware
of any health conditions.
We'll throw you a nice funeral.
Hell, I'll even pay for it.
And, in a short time,
it won't matter.
Because you'll be forgotten
like everyone else.
[gasps] Black camera.
Die.
[thud]
[Soyan] Loise.
Q...
D4-D8.
- [Loise gasping]
- [Soyan] Loise.
[gasping]
[whispers] Soyan, Soyan,
Soyan, Soyan...
[Loise wheezes]
[Loise shrieks]
[clanging]
[metallic thuds]
- [heavy footfalls]
- [police siren]
[dog barking]
[Loise gasping]
[sirens get louder]
- [tires squeal]
- [horn honks]
[Loise panting]
[sobbing]
[elevator beeping]
- Cleaning.
- [Loise gasps]
[Loise] Did you see a young guy
who was staying here?
- I need to find him.
- He passed away.
Heart attack, they said.
- Where is he?
- They pick up the body.
[suspenseful music]
[sheets snap]
[rattling]
[music intensifies]
- [Loise panting]
- [police sirens]
[Loise cries out]
- [slam]
- [gasping]
[water sloshes]
[music fades]
[Loise breathes heavily]
[pop]
[Loise pants]
[pills fall]
[toilet flushes]
[slam]
[repeated thuds]
[thump]
- [rattling]
- [creaking]
[sheets rustle]
- [glass clanks]
- [Loise pants]
[whispers] A, B, C, D, E, F, G.
One, two, three, four...
One, two, three.
[inaudible]
Where is it?
[tape snaps]
[repeated tearing]
[Loise whispers]
One, two, three, four.
One, two, three, four, five.
[mysterious music]
[shutter effect]
[Soyan] Now, I move my knight
towards you,
NG1-F3. Now your turn.
[echo effect]
It's telepathy. It's telepathy.
I move my pawn, D2-D3.
I move my pawn, D2-D3.
You knight's in danger,
you should move back. Go, go.
- Go, go, go, go, go.
- [Loise] Um... NG4-C5.
[Loise] NG4-C5.
Concentration, concentration.
- [Soyan] G8-F6.
- [Loise] QD4-D8.
[Soyan] It's telepathy
between you and me.
[music intensifies]
[music fades]
- [Loise] Chris, check this out.
- [Chris] What is it, what?
Hurry, Soyan, my boyfriend,
he worked for a company.
He invented a chess game,
QD4-D8, he said.
Open it, quick.
They killed him.
I was watching him.
[Loise breathes heavily]
[panting]
Hey, I think...
[soft thump]
[rattling]
[soft piano notes]
[Chris sighs]
[keyboard clacking]
We'll need to disguise
the IP address
before we upload it.
Can you do that?
[keyboard clacking]
Go ahead.
[machine whirrs]
[reporter 1] Today
the activist organization
- Independent Leak
- ...I can't do it now!
[reporter 1]
Released millions of emails
from BL Reputation management,
- secretive, high-tech company.
- [Russel] God damn it!
[reporter 1]
Though it will take a long time
to fully assess its impact,
the data dump has already shaken
financial markets,
and turned Congressional
elections upside-down.
A Senate investigation is likely
to be announced later today.
[reporter 2]
In a surprising turn of events,
the ICC
has re-charged Vanderbilt
with violating the embargo.
The suspect is currently
in custody awaiting trial
based on evidence
supplied by Alice Carson,
the founder of Human Search.
[reporter 1] Soyan Swartz,
the leader of Independent Leak,
was found dead
in his hotel room
after an apparent
narcotics overdose.
However, a secret recording
now reveals
that Mr. Swartz
may have been murdered
in an attempt
to prevent his release
of classified emails.
[reporter 3]
The arms trafficking ring
has been tied to a consortium
of fund companies
owned by businessman and
entrepreneur Hans Vanderbilt.
After issuing...
[Soyan] Over the years,
I have sought out to expose
classified information.
Today I found something
that requires
immediate disclosure.
Today, many companies are trying
to rewrite our history
and alter the truth.
As Mao, Lenin, and others
used propaganda
for political goals,
corporations now control images
for commercial purposes.
We are on the verge
of a new world
in which objective facts
can be altered
in the name of public relations
by companies who are larger
than states.
The media
is the most powerful entity
in the world.
They have the power
to make the innocent guilty
and the guilty innocent,
and that's power
because they control
the minds of the masses.
My name is Soyan Swartz,
and I wish you all good luck.
[Soyan exhales heavily]
[whispers] Thank you, my friend.
You sure you want to go?
He agreed to meet you,
you're okay?
- Now you're stressed.
- Well...
It's gonna be alright.
Oh, Loise...
uh, who'll take charge
of Independent Leak now?
[sniffs]
[Eileen] Loise? I'm so excited.
I'm gonna meet him tomorrow.
I don't know what to say.
You sure you don't want
to come with me?
Uh... I'd be too nervous.
I don't want to scare him.
- You go.
- [Louise] Okay.
- I'll call you.
- Loise?
I knew you'd never give up
on me and Jeremy.
We're a family.
We're a family again.
[car engine rumbles]
[car door slams]
[footsteps]
- [Jeremy] Here.
- Thanks.
[Jeremy] Yeah.
Nice place.
Well, I share it
with seven other people.
I live upstairs,
I'm just a student.
Still, it's nice, Jeremy.
Uh, they actually call me
Sam, now.
Sam?
- [Jeremy] Yeah.
- Sure.
But do you remember anything?
As Jeremy?
Just some fragments.
The nurse said
I bumped my head into something
like a swing at the fair.
But this scar is all I have
to remember from that time.
What did the doctor say?
They said it was a rare form
of retrograde amnesia.
It's like if a computer
had its hard drive crash.
Everything still works,
but I still need
to recover the files.
And I didn't get
much help at the orphanage
since no one came to get me.
It's all my fault.
- [gasps] I'm so sorry.
- No, no, don't be sorry.
I have a good life.
I don't blame anyone.
I swear, I spent all my time
trying to find you.
How's Eileen?
She's in New York.
[soft piano notes]
She was so happy
to hear about you.
But she didn't want to cry
in front of you.
[laughs] She's emotional.
She'll come over eventually.
Look.
This is her.
This is you.
[Loise chuckles]
This is us... all together.
I'll come back
with Eileen next time.
Um, by the way, who helped you
track me down on the internet?
Soyan... a friend.
A dear friend of mine.
[emotional strings and piano]
[crescendo]
[decrescendo]
[motor rumbles]
[Soyan] NB8-C6.
[Loise] NB1-C3.
[Soyan] NG8-F6.
[Loise] QD4-D8.
[Loise] Where's the king?
[Soyan] Okay, E7-E6.
[Loise] E3-E2.
[Soyan] BF1-B5.
As ordered, my queen.
[Loise] Checkmate.
[Soyan] Indeed.
[Loise]
I think you lost intentionally.
[Soyan] Oh, yeah?
[Loise giggles]
[Loise] What are you doing?
[techno music]
["Make Note of Every Sound"
by Seven Saturdays]
I'll comb my hair back
And I'll shake my shoes off
Make note of every sound
Make note of every sound
Make note of every sound
Oh, oh, oh
Oh, oh, oh
The sun's been cruel
And the wind blew smoke
But I never lost my way
I'll comb my hair back
And I'll shake my shoes off
Make note of every sound