[Dog Barking]
[Dog Whimpers]
Ripped By mstoll
Whatever you're looking for, Hobbes, chances are...
somebody's already eaten it, banged it or burned it.
You hear what I said?
Just give me a few minutes.
This is no-man's-land. It's no place to be going for a stroll.
I'll be right back.
[Footsteps Approaching]
Home sweet friggin' home.
If you're looking for your piggy bank, Hobbes...
That's not what I'm looking for. Turn that thing away.
Whatever happened to her, Hobbes, she's gone.
Long gone.
[Dog Barking In Distance]
[Grunting]
Pinocchio?
[Dog Barks In Distance]
[Door Creaks]
Hey! Put him down!
[Hobbes] A world exists exactly like ours.
You live in this world...
your family and friends...
and though you may not know it...
I was sent to save you.
[Voices Overlapping]
It's just a game.
- [Siren Wailing In Distance] - [Sophie's Voice] Dear Tom...
It's been two months since I was told you were dead.
And though I hold on to the hope you're alive...
time passes like an eternity as I wait for word.
Hours feel like years.
Days like a lifetime.
No moment absent the thought of you.
But though life goes on without you...
it must also end without you.
In this, I have no choice.
[Buzzing]
Hey! Who's paying attention here?
Hey!
Well, get me a towel.
[Buzzing Continues]
I'm outta smokes here.
[Whirring]
Meat wagon.
[Chattering]
[Man] All right, let's go! Get down here!
Move it. Move it. Let's go. Stay in line and keep moving!
What is this place?
Lumber camp. Forced labor.
Subsidized by Santiago for the building of his empire.
You got a way out of here?
I'm thinking.
'Cause this guy finds out who we are, we're dead.
Observe the fence around you.
It's your protection.
Everything you feared in Harsh Realm no longer matters.
Because from now on...
you're free.
All your worries about food...
water, shelter... they're gone.
You live here now.
You'll get everything you need.
Now there's a price you pay for freedom.
You do your work.
You respect the rules.
Violate the rules, you'll be punished.
Try and escape, you'll be rendered.
[Gun Fires]
Simple security measure.
You respect your freedom...
you got nothing to be afraid of.
Everybody gets one.
- What was that? - Skull bug.
Lives in your head. Harmless until they turn it on.
Then it likes to eat.
No way they're putting one in me.
You think you're an exception?
I like to think I am, yeah.
Then you'll get special treatment.
Get the hell away from him!
[Gun Fires]
Can I get some water?
Who are you?
It's okay. I'm a medic.
Don't touch that man. Let him suffer.
He's Republican Guard. Works for Santiago.
What are you talking about?
He used to have a chip.
Saw this man burn down my home.
Made the whole town run like dogs.
Now he's the one that's running.
- Stay away from him. - Dead man's got a friend.
I'd watch your step around here...
unless you've got eyes in the back of that pill-bug head.
Don't worry. He'll be all right.
He's not a Republican Guard.
I know. Neither are you.
Name's Hobbes.
I have something to show you.
They have no use for the sick.
They see you can't work, they dispose of you.
Mom.
- What's wrong with her? - Cancer.
Sleep is her only peace now.
If not for you, she wouldn't have held on.
- If not for me? - I told her you were coming.
[Machine Beeping]
I was relieved to hear she had family coming.
We... We were afraid nobody even knew.
- I'm not family really. I'm... - They said you were her daughter.
Not exactly. I'm her son's fiancée.
Then he does know.
No. I'm afraid he doesn't.
You've been filled in on her situation?
Whoever called told me she fell in her kitchen.
She had a seizure. We found a tumor in her brain.
It looks like a recurrence of a cancer we found and treated five years ago.
Is it still treatable?
No.
There's a chance she might not even regain consciousness.
We're talking days, not weeks.
It's good you're here.
How you feeling?
If this ain't real, how come it hurts so much?
We have to get outta here.
I'm seeing triple.
Maybe we could wait until I'm seeing double.
It's more complicated than that.
- How's that? - I found my mother. She's here.
Your mother?
She's very sick.
Hobbes, I've met people here.
People I knew in the real world.
- It's her. - No.
It just looks like her.
Everybody in the world has a copy here. That's how this whole thing is set up.
But they're just V.C. Files, not people.
She recognized me. She knows who I am.
She doesn't know she's part of some game.
She doesn't know what's happened to you. She thinks this is all real.
She's in pain!
How different is that from what you feel?
So you're gonna what, throw her over your shoulder?
It's gonna be hard enough for us to get out of this place with these bugs in our heads.
I'm not gonna let her die here.
And I'm not getting killed so she can die somewhere else.
[Bell Ringing]
Come on.
- What's happening? - Shift change.
They find you in here after the bell, you'll be rendered.
Nice pictures of you two up in the Big Man's office.
Big Man's gonna make the connection sooner or later.
- You got a problem? - Only you.
I'll make a mental note.
He's in.
[Prisoner] A tracker.
He's gonna catch him.
Hey! Hey!
- [Gun Whirring] - [Gasping]
[Bug Whirring]
[Mrs. Hobbes] Tom.
Mom?
He told me you were coming.
I didn't believe him. [Inhales]
I didn't know how you'd ever find me.
I went by the house.
- They took everything. - Doesn't matter.
The important thing is I found you.
I can get you out of here.
I can't go, Tom. Look at me.
I'm gonna take care of you.
[Chuckles]
The kind man, he takes care of me.
Talks to me.
He tells me you're in love.
[Mrs. Hobbes] Tom.
[Woman On P.A., Indistinct]
Tom?
No, it's Sophie, Mrs. Hobbes.
Sophie Green. Can you hear me?
I heard Tom.
You're in the hospital.
- He's not here? - No.
You must have been dreaming. You've been unconscious.
- I have? - You've been out for quite some time.
I'd forgotten Tom was dead.
Are you in any pain, Mrs. Hobbes?
No. They take care of me.
They're so good to me here.
I'm so glad you're here, Sophie.
I was so thankful when they told me you were coming.
When did they tell you?
They talk to me every day...
and put cool towels on my forehead.
I know we don't know each other very well, Sophie...
but you're the closest thing I have to Tom.
I miss him so much.
So do I.
[Man Yelling, Indistinct]
Hurry it up. Somebody's gonna miss us.
And make sure you get that lock back on.
- [Clatters] - Quiet!
[Machinery Whirring]
Hobbes.
- Check it. - What?
[Hobbes] What are they up to?
Something at the pump house.
That's why they attacked me yesterday, to draw attention, so the trackers wouldn't notice.
Whatever it is, they don't want us or anyone else to know.
Yeah, whatever it is, stay out of it.
You saw what that bug will do.
Then let's get outta here before they decide to give us a personal demonstration.
You go. Get word to Florence. Tell her my mom needs help.
- It won't work, Hobbes. - Why not?
You said your mom had cancer in the real world. It was in her medical records.
So when she was scanned into Harsh Realm, the cancer was scanned in too.
So Florence can heal her.
Florence can only work on what happens here in the game.
She can't take away what's been written into the code.
She can't heal cancer that's in the code.
[Bell Ringing]
How's she doing?
Not so good tonight. There's fever.
It's good she just sleeps.
You're good to her.
But why'd you tell her I was coming?
It gave her such comfort.
But what if I hadn't come?
The important thing is you did.
What happens when she...
Her body will digitize.
Disappear.
And that's it? She just goes away?
That all depends...
on what you believe.
Hobbes.
What?
They're making a move. Two guys.
Big guy and another one. I think they're busting out of here.
I told you. I'm not leaving.
I'm trying to save your life.
You heard me.
Yeah. See ya around.
What do you think you're doing?
I thought I'd fly standby.
You should be thanking me for not ratting on you.
That doesn't mean I gotta let you come.
What are you gonna do about it?
That's what I thought.
The tunnel down here leads out.
Hey, let go!
No! Let go of me!
No! No! No!
[Body Thuds]
[Yells]
[Body Thuds]
[Slurping]
He's had those prisoners in there all night.
Doing what?
Trying to get them to rat on me. It's only a matter of time.
Lucky it hasn't happened already.
Where'd you get that?
Those two there!
Bring 'em here.
Who's gonna tell me a story?
Another prisoner...
tried to escape last night.
And you two were missing from the bunks.
Who's gonna come clean?
Two pictures are missing in my office.
Now if I find out it's you...
it's not gonna matter anyway, right?
Nobody beats my trackers.
Nobody escapes my camp.
Nobody sneaks...
in my office.
Now somebody's gonna get what's coming to him.
First one of you talks, I might show some mercy.
What do you say?
You got the wrong guys.
Then I got no choice.
[Gun Whirring]
Wait.
Somebody's still got a good head on his shoulders.
Wants to keep it there.
I can escape your camp.
- What's that? - I can beat your tracker.
- Nobody can beat a tracker. - I can.
This guy here.
Lose, you can skull-bug me.
- Win... - There's no win here, son.
Well, then you've got nothing to lose.
Why not sundown?
A flair for the dramatic.
[Chuckles]
- What are you doing? - Buying time.
Till sundown? You nuts?
It may be all the time my mom has.
And then what? You go one-on-one with Vlad the Impaler?
It's over, Hobbes. End of game.
I was about to get my head drilled. I'll take my chances.
What about my chances?
You came to say good-bye.
Shh.
Just rest.
I just wanted to see how you were doing.
I'm dying, Tom.
Look in my eyes.
I see such sadness in you.
I don't want you to die.
It's more than that.
It's so complicated.
Where's your girl, Tom?
The one you love.
We were separated.
I've been trying to get back to her.
You'll find her.
I know you will.
[Sophie's Voice] Dear Tom...
I feel time is slipping away.
I try to give your mother every comfort, but I feel so helpless.
I know now where you get your strength, Tom.
But as strong as she is, I feel her letting go.
I feel you slipping too.
The closeness she feels for you only reminds me...
how dearly I hold on to the little I have left of you.
With every look, I see you.
And when I lose her, I lose another part of you.
I need your help.
Please, if he sees me talking to you...
He's a violent man.
- My friend is gonna die. - I helped you already.
He's going up against the tracker. He's only got a few hours.
He can't beat a tracker.
Then tell me what to do. There's gotta be a way out of here.
I wish I could help. I'm sorry.
The other night, what you did...
why help me at all?
This is all I have.
Yo, Lurch!
[Chattering]
[Gun Whirring]
- [Tracker Yells] - [Pinocchio Grunts]
[Yelling]
- Tracker! - [Whirring]
Finish it!
[Whirring]
[Groaning]
What were you thinking? That was my wager, my deal.
You would have lost. I should have lost.
I took the only chance we had.
You almost died from a fight I chose.
Give it a rest, will ya, Hobbes?
Maybe I didn't do it for you. Ever think of that?
Ow! Take it easy with that, huh?
How is she? His mother.
She may not make the night.
Go on, Hobbes. You oughta be with her.
- Thanks. - Don't thank me.
It was the girl who took the risk. Thank her if she's still alive.
[Yelling In Pain]
- What the hell is it? - I don't know.
- [Yelling] - It's the bug.
Get it out! Get it out!
Got it. Right here.
[Whirring]
It was trying to back out.
The fight must have dislodged it.
[Bell Ringing]
You're starting to bug me.
Come on. Get that bug out of me.
[Gun Whirring, Fires]
You're living under the mistaken idea that I can't get someone else...
to come in here and do my laundry.
Hey, I didn't tell you to stop.
[Gasping]
- [Yelling] - [Gun Fires]
Watch him.
Please, come with us.
You're very kind, but I cannot leave.
Why not?
This is my place.
The sick and dying need me.
Thank you.
[Truck Engine Starts]
You can't stay here.
It's okay.
I think I'll have someone draw me a bath.
Make it a long hot one.
[Whirring]
It's okay, Mom. We're home now.
Every night...
I see people...
faces.
All my memories coming back to me.
Places I remember.
[Inhales]
Mom?
I can see him.
- Who? - Tom.
You can see him.
Look in my eyes.
Sophie.
[Sophie] Tom?
[Steady Tone]
She believed.
Excuse me?
Do you?
It's snowing.
[Voices Overlapping]
[Child] I made this!
Ripped By mstoll