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Replace (2017)
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I never wanna grow old. I don't wanna die. I'm too young to die. I cannot watch my body grow old, lose control over it, watch it crumble away before my eyes. I can't stop. I need more. Truth is, older men are more interesting because they have enough money not to have to wait around all night for a bus. Truth is older men are simply better in bed. And who are all these older men? Thank you, mate. Nice Neighborhood. Right next to the express way. Seriously, I mean who names their child Light? Well, I like the name Kira. You'd say anything to get me into your apartment. Hey, not true. No, it is true. But you have to admit Kira Mabon does sound pretty cool. It does, but it's Mabon. Not nearly as distinguished as Mabon. Okay, we will see what we can do with that last name of yours, shall we? Wait, wait, wait. Let me turn on the lights. Scare away the rats. Great, great. You know, I thought after three years the landlord would have managed to fix the switch. I got this. You're not gonna... Not bad. Not bad at all. Took me like six months to figure out that trick with the fuse. So, where do we go from here? Well, if you know how to turn on the lights, then the rest of the place should be a piece of cake. Okay, and now... To your left, The kitchen. Beginner's luck. And here we have your favorite picture, despite the tear on the lower left hand corner. To my right, shithouse. Wow, nice. Jonas? Jonas? Where are you? You men have it so easy. Men get cooler, more interesting as they age and women just start to look old. Oh, the world's so unfair. I mean, it was our fifth date, already! And here I was, thinking he was unique, you know? I'm on my way home now. Of course I spent the night at his place. Why wouldn't I? No, really, he was. What? Why would I make up something like that? Wait until you meet him. He's a really, hello, Martha? She hung up on me. How did I get back here? Nice neighborhood. Right next to the express way. You'd say anything to get me into your apartment. Let me turn on the lights. Scare away the rats. You know, I thought after three years the landlord would have managed to fix the switch. Your favorite picture, despite the tear on the lower left hand corner. Kira Mabon does sound pretty cool. It does but it's Mabon. You have reached a number that has been disconnected or is no... You've reached the home of K... You've reached the home of Kira Mabon. Please leave a message and I shall call you back. Hello? Mommy? Just go away. Ahh. Martha: Kira? Hello, is anyone home? Martha. Martha. Martha? Salut! Hey! Everything okay? Yeah, I... Do I know you? I'm Sophia. Hi. Hey. Some tea? Please. Uh, have you lived here long? About half a year. It was a bitch getting my stuff up those stairs. Oh. You okay? We don't clean up the fridge, do we? I'll just throw it away, okay? Did I uh, bump my head when I fell? No. I was there. Caught you. I was amazing. You're kind of... Dizzy, strange, tired, thirsty, horny? Useless knowledge fact, most people, when they wake up from fainting or whatever, are aroused. It's like boys and their morning wood. Really? Totally. Oh! I'm so glad to finally meet you. I always wondered who was living next door. Green tea, right? Yes! How did you know? How did I know? How did I know? Truth is, I'm psychic. Seriously? Come on, test me. Okay. What is my favorite color? Red. My favorite musical instrument? The piano. How did you know? I'm sorry. No honestly, I'm sorry. But you should have seen the look on your face. It's standing over there. Right, I play professionally. Hmmm. One can live off of that? Apparently. And yourself? I'm studying Chinese linguistics and literature. To be an interpreter, or... No, no, interpreting is way too stressful. I'd rather be a cultural attache or something. You know, big villa in Beijing and tons of cute little Chinese servant girls. With martinis. Oh. Ideally, yes. May I ask you something? Fire away. Do you know Jonas? Jonas? Yes. The man who lives here. But you live here? Excuse me. Are you feeling all right? I mean, seriously. You've been living here like forever. Here. Never seen him before. Your boyfriend? Or ex? That doesn't look like a recent photo. You've never seen him? Not in the last few months. What about me? Hey, maybe you did hit your head back there and I didn't see it. Or did it happen before I came? What was going on? What's up with your hand? Wow, that looks shitty. Hey. Hey, hey. Hey, come here, come here. You need to relax, maybe take a bath. I'll come by tonight, okay? I never wanna be like that, abandoned or so old that I have to live in a retirement home. Old. Hello? No. Don't take this the wrong way, but you're having blackouts and the feeling that time is rushing by and your finger, your fingers really don't look good. You don't have to see a shrink, but a doctor might be a good idea. I did find a doctor's note. But I can't remember making the appointment. That might be a good place to start. Maybe it's just a nervous reaction or an allergy. Those go away after a while, right? How many days has it been like this? I don't know. Do you think it'll spread? I don't know. That's what a doctor's for, no? You know, you've been so good to me. Sante! Oh shit. Ah, my foot! Fuck! Sorry. Don't be, don't be. Just a piece of glass It was an accident. Some skin. Hey. Are you okay? Yeah. Kira? Yeah? Do you need a band aid or something? Do you think you might be able to stay here tonight? I really don't want to be left alone. Kira? I'm in here. Wow, I slept like a rock. Mornin', sunshine. Good morning. You all right? Yes. That doesn't look all right to me. It looks worse than it is. I just put some cream on it. Can I take a shower here? They still haven't fixed my drain. Yeah, sure. Be my guest. The towels are over there. Don't forget to call the doctor. Thanks again for staying here. Yes, hello, I had an appointment three days ago, but I'm afraid that I missed the... Kira Mabon. I was? Ms. Mabon? We're pleased that you could come immediately. I know this probably sounds extremely strange, but have we met before? Experiencing short-term memory loss? I wouldn't worry about that right now. The analysis of the skin on your hand shows there is an atypical deterioration of the cell structure. I'm sorry, what does that mean exactly? You see, each cell of the human body renews itself again and again. Old cells are discarded. Dandruff on your scalp is a good example. As the body ages, the cellular structure breaks down and the ability to build new cells lessens. But I only have this on my hand? Aside from which you are far too young. Right. The outer layer of your skin is aging and dying at an extreme rate. The underlining layer however is still perfectly healthy. Can't skin be transplanted? Of course. But first we have to understand the reason for the aging. If we were to perform a transplant, the body might reject the new skin. Yes, but in my case... Or, in your case, the new skin might undergo the same decline, unless we understand the mechanism for the deterioration. Either that or the underlining layer is incapable of accepting the new tissue because... Well, that... It's adhering that quickly. That shouldn't... I don't think you should do that anymore. Why don't we wait for the test results to come back. That should be in about 48 hours. In 48 hours, it could have spread up my entire arm, or worse. I don't think that this dryness will spread that rapidly. And what about the pain? How do I deal with that? I can give you something for that. You can take this up to three times a day, but it's very strong, so no alcohol. Perhaps some of the symptoms you describing are part of the healing process. We'll know soon enough. Have I been here before? Ms. Mabon, please, I have to prepare your tissue and blood samples for the lab. But don't worry. We'll take care of this. Is this for you? Yes. Pardon me for saying, but with all the products for cell rejuvenation out on the market, you look like the last person who would need them. Cell rejuvenation? I thought it was just a pain killer? Okay. Kira Mabon? Mabon. Ah Mabon, Mabon. It's a bit crazy tonight. Like every night, really. You probably don't really care, huh? Could you look at this for me? Yes. Can you sit over there? Fuck. Yesterday, when I woke up it was just here. It was a tiny speck and... Could a skin transplant fix this? It's a pretty long and difficult procedure, if it works at all. Wow, have you seen a specialist about this? I talked to a Doctor Crober. She took samples of my skin and I have an appointment with her the day after tomorrow. Good. Then they can decide if a transplant makes sense and what sort of tissue would be accepted by your body. God forbid they do the transplant, then two weeks later it all falls off. Very unpleasant. But it keeps getting larger. I'm really no specialist, but it all seems pretty much localized. Plus it's just two days. You won't be looking like the mummy by then. What the fuck? Holy mother. That's just nasty. Oh man. Hello? Is anyone back there? Hey you, stop! Stop! I said... Dispatch, send someone to the service elevator at radiology. I said stop right fucking now! Stop! Ah, fuck! You have reached the office of Doctor Crober. We are currently closed. Please, leave your name and number. Hi, this is Kira Mabon. I was in earlier today. I really need to talk to Dr. Crober. I... We are closing now. Hello? Ms. Mabon? It's Doctor Crober. How can I help you? I'm in pain, Doctor Crober. You need to have a little respect for yourself, eh? I don't know what to do. It won't go away and the dryness keeps spreading rapidly. You must remain calm and try not to stress yourself too much. The medication will take some time to take effect. But you don't understand. I suggest you relax and try to get some rest. I'll see you in the morning. That's the best I can do right now. Do you think you can do that? Come on, you can't be down here. If you wait upstairs, I'll call you a cab. Don't try my patience. What the fu... Drugs, so early in the morning? Doctor's orders. Ah. It's great to see you smile. And your hand is doing way better. It's freaking amazing. What did the doctor give you? Or was she a voodoo priest? A little bit of both, I guess. So what was it? Tell me if I'm being too nosy. No. So, what was it? Scabies? She doesn't know. She doesn't know? Typical. Did your voodoo priest conduct her ritual in the tub? Did it involve live chickens? Vomit? Hey. Hey. I was only kidding, okay? Tonight? Yeah. So, what about the lab tests? Sensitive here? No, not at all. So? Indeterminate. I've ordered a new series. You can get dressed. You should continue taking the meds until they run out. And I can write you another prescription that should aid with your current condition. Should? Well, unfortunately there's never 100% guarantee with these things. That's why I want you in for check-ups every other day. It's imperative that we continue observations. I can have someone call you prior to each appointment. Excuse me? The last time you were here we talked about you experiencing some memory loss? We did? And you should be careful. We should keep an eye on this. You'll definitely have to come back tomorrow. Of course. What if the dry spots turn out to be a new one? Do you think it's spreading again? Learning all the characters in the Chinese alphabet is completely impossible. There's like 3,000 of them... That's exactly how I felt when I started reading music. Are there actually 250.000 different notes on your piano? I told you I was super smart. And now you have proof. More? Always. Bring it on. I meant more tomato? Oh, I see. Fuck if I care. Everything good? Mm-hmm. Just about ready. You never really told me how the doc fixed your hand. It's not a secret, really. She gave me drugs. Drugs? Cool. Can I get an appointment? Seriously, she prescribed something and it worked. It's gone entirely. What will you do if it comes back? Could we talk about something else? I'm just worried. It's just, it's all you've been talking about all evening. If it disgusts you, or I disgust you, then what are you doing here? What? And if you've got something to say, then just say it, because this beating-around-the-bush thing is pretty much unbearable. Jonas, take your girlfriend and get out. No, not again, please. Are you lost, honey? Busy? Kira. Hey, you. What are you doing out so late? Are you following me? Don't be silly. I just saw you. Thought maybe you could use a ride home. Thanks, but I'll be okay. Listen, I'm really sorry about last night. I didn't mean to pry, but... Please. What the hell is going on back there? Must have been a fight or something. Look, I just really need to be alone right now, okay? Okay. You sure you don't want that ride? Call me, all right? You should have seen what happened when my father left my mum for a younger woman. It destroyed us and my mother was so devastated. One day she told us she had wasted her youth, broke off contact, decided to live her life now. Hey. Did you see the cops down there? Yeah. I ran into them on my way in. Missed you. Feel like making me a cup of tea? Um, sure. So many great vinyls. Awesome. I'm sorry. What's that? Badly quoted Camus? I guess. It's kind of cheesy though. I like cheesy. You know, soap supposedly works. What? Do you think you could take a look at it for me? Yeah, for sure. You have another dry spot. Like you had on your hand. Sorry. It's fine. Oh. More? It's really big. You're going to have to go back and see the doc again. I'm sorry about the day before. It was really stupid. Me too. Too fast. Okay. Too fast. I'm sorry. You're right, Sophia. I have to go to the doctor right away, to see Crober. Do you want me to come? No. That's kind of you, but I'd rather go by myself. Okay. See you this evening? I hope so. There is no cause for despair. You don't have to face watching your body decay. I wanted to wait for the test results to come back before I told you. You recall that a transplant is just one of several options? Did we talk about a transplant? I believe we did, yes. The last time you were here. It's all in the file. We are going to continue to address this problem on a cellular level. Not just by cutting it away. And I believe we found a cure. We will introduce cells that have been reprogrammed in vitro, to induced plural-ponent stem cells. They will rejuvenate the afflicted cell structures in your body. It will greatly reduce the epidermal decay and eventually, turn it around completely. That's amazing. When can we begin? I need a few more days for more thorough investigation, before we start in a new treatment. I don't have a few more days. I need help now. Kira? Is everything okay? Kira? Hey. Is everything okay with you? Yeah. Do you have bigger plans or was it just shitty wine? Your place. There's something I have to tell you. I can't remember anything that happened more than a week ago. Nothing at all? Just vague impressions, ghosts. I found these. Crober knows a lot more than she's saying. Where did you get these? I took them from the office. You took them? Okay, I broke in and I took them and I know what you must think, but I need answers. Seriously? I think it's awesome. Could you play this for me? I don't know how to use it. I just can't go on like this. I know. Maximum of education, experience and wisdom, who are lost to society. The potential that can be found in an artificially extended life span goes well beyond... Top menu, I guess? Try test subjects. There's so many of them. Wait. I just saw my name. Are you really sure you want to do this? I have to know. Why should I do this now? I just wanna get started. I've been told that this recording serves as proof that I was not forced to do any of this, no handcuffs, as you can see, and there is no one here who has threatened me or is threatening me. I am here of my own free will. I will take part in an experimental procedure today, this afternoon, voluntarily, that hopefully will transform my wreck of a body, which used to be a different body into the body I know, the body I remember. We should just stop here. No! The doctor said the pain I feel from time to time under my skin, comes from the tendons and muscles. It needs time to rejuvenate. Kira, please look at the camera. Yes, of course. Sorry. I can understand your excitement. It's not me. I find that hard to believe. That's some kind of nightmare. Do we begin again? Sorry. Please. My name is Kira Mabon. It was my birthday yesterday, my 64th birthday. I must remind you that the process is not yet complete. Kira, I don't care about all that. It will still be a few more days before we can evaluate the final results. I love you. I love you, really. I keep forgetting things. - Is that normal? - Close your eyes It seems to be a side effect of the treatment. I can't predict as to how... But will I still be able to play the piano? We don't know, not yet. How can you want me? I'm just an old woman. Aren't you disgusted? What about Jonas? You and Jonas divorced almost 20 years ago. And my daughter? We can contact them for you if you like, but at this point... My daughter. I had a daughter? I don't even remember her. Don't think about it. Not now. Maybe there's, I can contact her somehow, or... I don't think that's a good idea. Why not? Because she wouldn't even recognize you. Oh my God. I can't take this. It's all going to start again, the pain and the dry spots. I can't take any more. It will be okay. Crober will figure something out. No, you don't understand. It's okay. We'll face this thing together. Why don't we just go someplace they'll never find us, Crober, everyone, pack our bags and leave. You're not the only one who's been trough this. What about the other test objects? I don't want to go in there. What are you frightened of? Ghosts? Yes. Ghosts. Maybe they're just memories of your earlier life. Hey, you've got to face all that. I'll try to help you through it in any way I can. You know I will. There's something I have to tell you. No, you don't. Pack your things and wait downstairs. I'll be five minutes. I promise. Hello? Honey, I'm on the phone. Honey, I'm on the phone. Hello, is anyone there? I'm sorry. You have your own daughter now, your own life. Let me have mine. Sorry. It's time to move on. Everything okay? Let's get out of here. Do you think, the others are going through the same thing? Have they also forgotten everything? There is only one way to find out. Nobody, again. Nobody. So who's next? Margaret Jondra. Maybe she's still alive. What'd she have to say? She hasn't seen her for a few weeks. Said she had some sort of allergies, some skin thing. She had about a month worth mail on her porch and these. Jesus, what a horror show. Retinol, fine line reducers, exfoliating creams, beauty products. Maybe they got her too. There's something I need to do. Will you get that, honey? Are you here for the party? Party? It's my birthday! Really? And how old are you? I'm six. Six? You look older than six. How old are you? Hon, everything okay? Who's here? Wait. Let's get out of here. It'll never stop. There has to be a solution. You have to go back to Crober. I don't want to die as someone's guinea pig. You can't go on like this. Promise me. Promise me you'll try. Crober can help you. Right now she's your only chance. I can't. You must hate the way I look. No. I never wanted to lie to you. I majored in biochemistry, not in Chinese linguistics. Crober asked me to keep an eye on you. You knew all along? You were our greatest success, our star patient. Crober paid me a shit load of money to look after you. Wouldn't have had to though. The water. I put something in it. You would never have gone back there on your own. I'm so sorry. I'm sorry, but that sort of thing needs to be done quickly. I see you've met Miss Jondra. It's a shame. She was so promising. Unfortunately she won't last much longer, I'm afraid. But you're here now. I should never have allowed the test subjects out of the lab. Letting you live at home, even under supervision, was a terrible mistake. Sooner or later, the police would have followed your trail back to me. And it's far too soon for any public disclosure of our procedures. Why? Well, Ms. Mabon, you begged me. You spent years going to every medical conference and research institute you could, searching for something or someone to make you young again. Why can't I remember anything? Yeah, it's a side effect of the regeneration process. But in your case, not necessarily an unfortunate one. You weren't very happy. But, what about Jonas? And my little girl? I can't even remember her name. The cellular rejuvenation was designed to only regenerate those areas most strongly affected by the aging process. But you suffered a reset of the memory center. Otherwise, I'd say the experiment was a successful one. And the others? But why does your body accept foreign skin so perfectly? Hmm? We'll know soon enough. Not so hot now, is she. Don't be frightened. So near. Not good at all, not for you and certainly not for me. Although the effect that your body does accept foreign skin so well, opens new pathways. Your current condition reveals that this project is nowhere near its goals. We will be testing a number of new theories on you. Completely painless, so there's no cause for concern. Be reasonable. You must realize, at least on some level, that you acted irresponsibly. You recklessly endangered decades of work. The first time was understandable. But after that, I, I don't know how you justify it. And all for vanity. Your cellular structure seems to be overwhelmed by the extreme demands of the regeneration. The good news is we have perhaps found an approach to keep you in a more stable condition. Hopefully, we'll be able to duplicate your body's readiness to accept new skin, the cause for the very unfortunate decay of your own skin, but of similar origins. You should begin to get your voice back later this evening. Please don't make a scene this time. You've only been here a few days. Hmm. The new skin is taking root really fast. Come on. It's time to go. You have to hurry. I'm trying. Just pull out your hand. Sophia. You can do it. Ignore the pain. Jesus, what the fuck did you do to her? You promised me you were taking good care of her. She did that to herself. Well, get a nurse. Do something, for God's sake. Kira, Kira. I'm going to get you out. Really? Yeah. Really. No. Not really. You're out of control, Crober. What you're doing is... Please, human kind has been fighting the aging process for thousands of years. Who's going to worry about a few test subjects once people get to live to a 150, 300, 600 years old? This is insanity. She willingly volunteered, didn't she? She knew the risks. She doesn't even remember. She obviously remembers something. She was calling your name. God, you're really losing it, Crober. You need help. If they trace those killings back to the institute, back to us, then you'll be just as culpable. She was in your care, after all. I'm willing to take that risk. I may have been of this once, but not anymore. Oh, Kira. She promised to help. She said that there was a cure, that you only had to come back here. I'm so fucking stupid to believe that. I'm so sorry. You're wasting your breath. She's just going to forget you again, like she always does. I'm taking her out of here, Crober. Somebody out there has to be able to help her. I'll take this to the media if I have to. You okay? What did she give you? Succs probably. Succs? Succinylcholine. Let's just go. The irony would be priceless. You've gotta be out of your fucking mind. Kira. I know. You're going to lose yourself. You cant keep doing this. Yes. Promise me, no more. Let's try the emergency exit. Kira, please. We need something for that Succs. GenRes Laboratories are now under complete lockdown. All personnel, please check in with your designated security areas. A level two warning is in effect. Please be advised that lethal force may be used against potential intruders. Hello? Julie, are you okay? The police are on their way. It's a lockdown? Fuck, what happened? I don't know what happened. Don't panic. But, all the doors are locked. We cannot get out. GenRes Laboratories are now under complete lockdown. Please, be careful, Julie. I'll keep my eyes open, don't worry. Wait, it's them, I need to call security. Julie, are you there? Kira. Kira, no. GenRes Laboratories is now under complete lockdown. What did she give you again? Succinylcholine. It probably won't kill me, but I feel cold. There seems to be a security breach on level two. Roger that. Could you check that? Please be alert. The subject is very dangerous. Copy. Please keep your cool, everybody. Word has it that Doctor Crober has been killed. The patient, Kira Mabon, a former GenRes employee, Sophia Demeraux, both need to be detained. Notify us immediately if you see her, the little fuckin' bitch. Copy that. Are on their way. I repeat, at this time, subject is an emergency. I won't have to go out there, will I? We're just gonna get your stuff and then it'll be all right, you'll see. I need an antidote. What for? Succs, Succinylcholine. There is no antidote. I'm sorry. I don't believe you. It's true. It's a muscle relaxant, short acting. There is no antidote, not that I know of, but it's not lethal. Kira. The uniforms will get us out of here. That will never work. You broke your promise. I'm sorry. So what now? I want to live with you. That's all. Sophia. I love you too much. |
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