The Emergency comes from messages.
KATE: Messages come from a transmitter in a high place, like a tower.
The only way into that tower is as a Messenger.
REYNIE: So, we just have to be the best of the best,
do well in our classes and become Messengers.
You may achieve Messenger status
faster than any student in our history, Reynie.
Mr. Bloom? It's me, Reynie Muldoon.
I have no idea who you are.
He doesn't even remember his own name.
-They erased his memory. -Swept his mind.
-STICKY: It's students' names. -REYNIE: Rankings?
KATE: Constance and I are in yellow.
What happens to Charlie?
So, if Constance and I don't get our grades up, we're next?
We have to make sure you don't get barged.
Or worse...
Kate and Constance, they're struggling.
There is no room for error.
Which is why we cannot let them fail.
REYNIE: "Become what you are not."
-KATE: What does that mean? -He wants us to cheat.
Oh.
-It's unethical. -I agree, but...
How could he ask us to cheat?
Sticky! Situational awareness, please.
George is not like us.
He can't control emotions for tactical advantage.
Does Benedict actually want us to cheat?
Cheating comes with the territory in the spy game. Tradecraft.
If we get caught, our brains get erased.
But if we don't cheat, Kate and Constance get barged
and their brains get erased.
Maybe we don't have to cheat.
That's the same journal I saw him writing in before.
Probably loaded with key intel.
We get a peek inside that,
we can end this thing right here, right now.
How are we supposed to do that?
KATE: I've got it all figured out.
I call it Behind the Curtain, Assault Alpha.
Diagrams and schematics to follow.
NUMBER TWO: Wine-braised octopus.
MILLIGAN: Hmm.
Haven't seen you all morning.
Ah, got up early to remove my braids. Almost done.
Crafting a new character for some future undercover work.
Her name is Demetra.
Disgraced badminton star, lots of baggage, ghosts.
Why would we ever need you undercover as a disgraced badminton star?
Hmm. You don't know until you know.
Why was she disgraced?
Rather not talk about it.
I mean, Rhonda would. She wouldn't.
You're a bit sharper than usual, eh?
RHONDA: Everything okay?
I wouldn't know where to begin.
A trace of Scotch bonnet.
A whisper, not a shout.
That foliage continues to obscure my line of sight!
I need a better vantage.
Apologies. I'm a bit rattled. I suppose we all are.
I'm great.
First, I ask them to go undercover and risk their lives and now cheating?
You know how that makes me feel.
Nausea, regret.
If I could track those divers the children mentioned,
it might provide some crucial detail.
I need to get my eyes on that inlet from somewhere up high.
Widow's Peak. Three miles due north, straight to the top.
Offers a promising vantage point. Treacherous hike though.
(Benedict sighs) That's perfect.
And with the right telescoptics... (gasps)
A Dobsonian mounted reflector.
Or maybe even a four-inch refractor, eh?
Yes! We just might see something.
Some clue to what my brother is building in the water.
Ah! We must leave at once!
Excuse me! You're a wanted man.
That's why we're in the woods,
to avoid the people who are coming after you.
If you were to be spotted...
Please let Milligan handle this.
Fine.
Can I at least help with the lens modifications, Number Two?
Have you noticed that Number Two's been a bit distant?
I prefer to remain neutral on workplace matters.
Fully respect that.
-STUDENT 1: What's he doing? -STUDENT 2: The man is journaling.
Good afternoon, Dr. Curtain.
Oh, Reynard Muldoon. Muldoon, Reynard.
Do you ever notice you have a perfectly balanced, well-syllabled name?
Thank you. Sorry to interrupt.
No, I welcome it, human interaction. What can I do you for?
Do you have a burning question from our previous two-man conclave?
Yes. Caesar salad.
Always an intriguing first course, yes.
And?
Well, does making it table-side actually improve the taste?
Ah, well, um, a meal isn't just about taste.
It's presentation, texture, auditory intrigue.
It's like theater.
Do you mind if I write that down, sir?
No. Would you like a pen? There you are.
STICKY: There she is.
She has to stop moving. I can't make anything out.
Is... is that all?
Well, I came over because I noticed that your journal has a lot of dog-eared pages.
Oh. (chuckles)
I must say, that's a bit surprising.
You're surprised that I have pages to which I frequently refer?
Oh, no, sir. I'm surprised that no one has thought to offer you these.
Bookmarks.
Well, ribbons functioning as bookmarks.
Oh. Well, thank you, Reynard.
Constance, go tell Kate, "Move the mirror seven centimeters southwest."
-Thank you. -REYNIE: Wait.
Aren't you gonna put them in?
Oh.
Never defer happiness.
The number two killer of journals is dog-earing, they say.
CURTAIN: Oh, wow.
(mouthing) What?
Who exactly says that?
Everyone...
-Oh. -...back home.
Uh, it's a regional-ism.
STICKY: Come on, Reynie. Keep stalling.
In fact, there's this one woman, Izzy Paladonia, she's locally famous.
And I assume she coined the maxim?
Yes, yes. She specializes in journal upkeep.
-She's a master at calfskin revival. -Calfskin...
REYNIE: And people travel from all around the world
-to learn from her. -CURTAIN: Do they?
REYNIE: Yes.
Left.
REYNIE: And she's been gathering a larger cult following.
Really?
STICKY: Got it.
And that's Izzy Paladonia.
That's Izzy Paladonia.
Wow. Reynie, it is laudable to have interests in our world,
as esoterically ludicrous as they may appear
to almost everyone else.
CURTAIN: Thank you for this. This was, um, very kind.
-Thank you. -Yes.
-Sir. -Good day.
Hmm.
Man, that is impressive.
I know a guy who could do this in half of the time.
You do not know a guy.
Please, just let him focus.
Focus isn't the issue. Artistic talent is.
There's a diagram in here and I can't draw to save my life.
We could always steal another look.
-No! -No!
All right.
Almost done. And finished.
Wow! This is...
Garbage.
Give me those.
Backwards. Mirror image. Voilà.
Oh, is this a deer?
STICKY: It's supposed to be a shoe.
-Maybe I've lost my touch. -Your memory's photographic.
It must be this cryptic because it's important.
He's hiding something for sure.
There has to be something in there.
Yes, but Kate and Constance are running out of time.
I have a lot of tests coming up.
Then we have to focus on passing them
by any means necessary.
Any means.
I'll help Constance in Mr. Oshiro's class.
For you two, I'm thinking Morse code.
Sticky, you can softly tap out the answers.
Are you out of your mind?
It's not right.
This can work. You're the best with Morse code.
And we believe in you.
Speak for yourself.
NUMBER TWO: This is troubling.
How could you do something so risky? You could get caught.
-Never happen. -I caught you easily, really easily.
You only caught me because you followed me.
Proving you can be followed, and thus, my point.
How often are you going on these outings?
As often as needed, and not often enough.
I get the risk.
I don't think you do. Given what's at stake in this mission,
given what we're up against, everything has to go towards that mission!
-Yes, exactly! -So, we agree.
About this? No.
You could expose our entire operation, and for what?
What does any of this lead to?
I don't know. We'll have to see, eh?
I know you mean well.
-But this gesture... -(sighs)
Think rationally, what does it change?
Besides making you feel like you're doing something.
What's tangible?
One small act leads to another, and then another,
and eventually becomes something bigger.
Or maybe it doesn't.
Either way, doing something, anything, keeps me sane.
Allows me to function. That's tangible.
So, yes. I need to do this. And you need for me to do it too.
Why are you sweating?
Shame. Guilt. Apprehension. Take your pick.
What if I fail? I don't like letting people down.
You won't.
This is all really rough for me.
Exams, consonance drills. These are my nightmares.
But you? You're made for it.
You are.
However, if things do get out of hand,
I will distract Ms. De La Torre with a flash bomb.
Non-lethal, of course.
And then, we will rappel out through the ceiling.
All right. Let's do this.
Anything suspicious, and we abort. Look for my signal.
-Constance? -Oh, yes. I will not be doing the plan.
What? Constance, wait, wait. You have to.
Constance.
OSHIRO: Let's get to it.
Describe how you might fold this structure 12 times, evenly, while blindfolded.
Assume you have been given no more than 15 seconds to study it
and defend your strategy without referring back to the drawing afterward.
Begin.
-Trail mix. -Yup.
Dried pineapple for energy.
Marcona almonds to keep you sated through the rough stretches.
Thank you.
If you need a little, hmm...
ackee and saltfish.
My roommate at university was from Jamaica.
Uh, ackee is illegal in the vast majority of the country.
Why is that?
It contains hypoglycin, which can kill you in a near-instant.
When properly prepared, all toxins dissipate. Eh?
Perfectly harmless.
It's just incredible to me
that people would take an unnecessary chance with their health
and that of others.
Nothing to worry about.
NUMBER TWO: How did you even get this fruit?
Did you assess individual ripeness prior to reaching a boiling point?
I didn't need to. I would never put us at unnecessary risk.
MILLIGAN: Mr. Benedict. Optics prepared?
Yes, yes. Collimated perfectly.
-NUMBER TWO: What are you doing? -Ooh.
I'm a set of eyes!
Eyes that will recognize what they're looking for.
You know, the Katsuta Precept.
An observer who knows the heart of the enemy
is worth a dozen skilled scouts.
I'd say that was as true today as it was in feudal Japan.
-Wouldn't you say? -Mm-hmm.
-It's reckless. -I don't know.
A little recklessness might do some good, eh?
Thank you for your nonsensical suggestion.
-(groans softly) -Who knows where he has people looking?
You will be captured, bound, then encaged, fed saltines,
if anything, through a hatch in an iron room.
Through a hatch!
Yes, it is not without risk.
But I'm still going.
Milligan, after you. Cheers.
-Cheers. -Cheers.
Thank you. Thank you.
Now, it is very well.
Before we begin, thank you for your dedication.
I'm impressed, honored, grateful. Best of luck.
Begin.
Sticky Washington.
Drop the pencil.
And report to the waiting room immediately.
I gotta stay hydrated.
I researched the number one cause of hiking fatalities is dehydration so...
Only two more miles until we reach the summit.
Hmm.
Two miles. Excellent. Excellent.
I just need to get a look at him
and then I'll see and I'll know, I'll find a weakness.
I thought that the objective was to get eyes on the construction project.
Oh, of course. This mission has many dimensions.
It's a fact-finding mission.
-There's... -Halt!
That is stinging nettle. Tiny, needle-like hairs.
Itching welts, redness, rash. Lasting pain.
Oh, my.
It seems you've been stung before?
I believe I have.
Thank you, Milligan. (chuckles)
You are really made for the outdoors, aren't you?
I suppose I am.
-Did you say two miles? Ah. -Two.
-JACKSON: Wait here. -Um...
What exactly am I waiting for?
I've been thinking.
After our encounter in Stonetown, I felt the aura here shift.
-The aura? -The vibe.
RHONDA: The etheric energy.
I won't work somewhere where the rules are exceedingly rigid,
and the vibe is so professionally humid.
And I won't let someone's personal business endanger our mission.
I'm not going to stop, Number Two.
Then maybe, you should leave.
I'll finish installing the camouflage, then I'm gone.
Call them what you will, but to me, there are no small acts.
So, how'd the you-know-what go?
I aced the feeble test. Oshiro acknowledged me as his superior.
That look on his face was surprise since you were failing before.
I decided to try.
Where's Sticky?
Okay. Brutal honesty. It did not go well.
I don't think we need to panic yet,
but Sticky did get caught and was sent to the Waiting Room.
What?
This is all my fault.
I would argue that it's Kate's fault.
He could be waiting there to be erased.
I anticipated something like this might happen,
so I went ahead and created 23 rescue scenarios
in case one of you ever got caught.
Sticky only loses an arm in two of them.
But you're the brains,
so I'll let you choose which one we go with.
Someone loses an arm in two different scenarios?
Not someone. Sticky.
I appreciate the spirit of that, but...
A couple scenarios need work, I'll admit.
At this point, should we consider Sticky a casualty?
No! We have to help him.
We need a plan, one where someone doesn't lose anything.
We should find out what happens in the Waiting Room,
shake someone down.
(sighs) Poor Sticky.
He will be crushed under pressure.
You're both thinking it.
MAN: I am beyond worry at this point.
We're doing everything that we can.
MAN: The Emergency keeps getting worse.
I hate to cancel our trip to the salt flats, but...
WOMAN: It's just not safe anywhere now. There's no one at the wheel.
HOST: She might go by the name Number Two,
but she's been number one
here at the Sheffield's Classic for two years in a row.
You know that doesn't help.
-Not in the slightest. -Hmm.
Keeps me sane. And when I'm sane, I'm unbeatable.
Oh.
Hello there.
Have you been waiting a while? Please, come in.
Well, come in.
-(door closes) -Have a seat.
Amazing.
-CURTAIN: So... -I cheated.
I'm sorry. I know it was wrong, and you probably don't believe me,
but believe me that I did not want to do it,
and I'll never do it again.
Cheating? Well, that's news to me.
Ms. De La Torre's report only mentions disruptive fidgeting.
There's already a report?
What disturbs me is that you'd feel the need to cheat.
Walk me through that.
What?
Would you say there's a flaw in our curriculum?
Is there something we're not seeing?
Well, perhaps it's all the pressure, sir.
The tests. It can be a lot to handle for children.
-Oh. -Mildly terrifying.
I don't think they measure true intelligence,
or all forms of intelligence.
Wow.
Even now, looking out for the lesser student.
How altruistic. (chuckles)
You weren't fidgeting. I know it was Morse code.
CURTAIN: It's clever, Mr. Washington. But let's be honest.
You weren't exactly using a telegraph, were you?
The recipient was in the room.
Who were you working with, Sticky? Was it Polly Mayfire?
She's so vocal about her knowledge of cryptology.
Too vocal, I think. It was Pyotr Fernsby.
No, he's not brave enough. It must be somebody.
Who?
Wow. Look at that. Loyalty under pressure. That's admirable.
But there is the greater good to consider. Progress cannot be interrupted.
Now, perhaps a bit more waiting then. You were only in there a short time.
That was a short time?
Oh, yes. No time at all.
BENEDICT: Now, according to the children, the activity is due east of the inlet.
So, let's see.
Ah... (laughs)
There it is. Oh, my goodness. It's a fan blade of some kind.
Massive. Gears, motors, high-voltage wiring.
Those are hydroelectric turbines.
Why does he need all that power?
That, my friend, is the question.
It's vastly more than what he needs for subliminal messaging.
Something bigger is coming.
MILLIGAN: We should strategize, get back to the encampment.
No, no, no. No. All the more reason to stay. No.
-It's getting late, sir. -No, no, no.
Our work here is not yet complete, Milligan.
Please. Just a bit longer.
I know there's more.
I know that he'll...
he'll reveal something.
We'll stay until we spot him, sir.
Thank you, Milligan.
NUMBER TWO: Could you give me a hand?
Thank you.
Sticky!
Sticky, what happened?
Sticky?
Your memory.
Oh, no.
Please, you have to remember me. Please!
Reynie...
it was awful.
You remember my name.
So, you weren't brainswept.
Sadly, I remember everything.
I thought anxiety meant stomachaches and eye twitching.
But the Waiting Room?
It's unbelievable what it can make you think.
That sounds terrible.
-Wonderful Wetherall and her... Sticky! -(Constance whistles)
Oh, man! I'm so glad to see you! I was...
We were worried.
Did Curtain interrogate you under a bright lamp?
Did you give us up? Did you rat?
No.
I'm sorry you had to go through that alone.
Actually, I think I might be tough.
At least, when it comes to protecting something I care about.
Kate, I'm scared to ask. How did you do on your test?
Total disaster.
We'll have confirmation when the list goes up tomorrow.
This is starting to feel hopeless.
And dangerous. Don't forget dangerous.
Curtain said I was interrupting progress. He's getting closer to something.
Actually, I have good news.
"The voice of the prince from an interior apartment calling out,
'Noble Waldemar Fitzurse!'
And with bonnet doffed,
the future chancellor hastened to receive the orders of the future sovereign."
Well, it's been a tough day, hasn't it?
Well, we... Important discovery with the turbines though, I think?
I can't help but feel I'm hunting something just out of reach.
You know, Milligan, uh...
there might be a way for us to help you.
To recover what is lost.
Or, rather, what has been taken from you.
There's a puzzle inside me, sir,
that wants to be solved, but I...
I can't help feeling I'm missing a piece.
A puzzle missing a piece, that's like...
Oh, I can't think of a simile. Long day. (chuckles softly)
Just, um, know that I'm here for you.
When and if.
That's very kind of you, sir.
Now, shall we continue? Oh.
NUMBER TWO: You're on page 130.
Ah. Thank you, Number Two. Let's see...
Ta-ta-da, ta-ta-da. Yes!
"On the next morning, the knight departed early
with the intention of making a long journey.
The condition of his horse, which he had carefully spared
during the preceding morning,
being such as enabled him to travel far without the necessity of much repose."
It took time, but I decoded the journal.
All of your sounds annoy me. I couldn't concentrate.
-Our sounds? -Yeah.
Kate's finger tapping, Sticky's chewing, Reynie's breathing.
-My breathing? -You breathe like a fat man.
When I finally had silence, I saw it.
-The book is in Caesar code. -You mean like ROT13?
Standard substitution cipher?
Where the letter written stands for the letter 13 places away?
Kind of. First word is ROT13,
but the second is ROT14 and so on.
Wow.
A rotating ROT code. "Rote" ROT.
Way to go.
That's amazing, Constance.
Stop your breathing, and I can do more.
Man, this guy is paranoid. But I'm pretty sure I can read it now.
KATE: Great!
The first page is about competing headwear options.
"Tuques versus berets." Odd.
And the shoe I was drawing is supposed to be a diagram of his brain.
-Next. -He's just talking to himself here.
STICKY: "The endless burden of greatness is mine to bear."
Then he goes into his diet regimen? What's "agro-paleo"?
Boring. Anything we can use?
Um... Here. He's outlining something. A huge plan, imminent changes,
and something called The Improvement.
The Improvement? There's no way that's good.
What's that part?
It looks like a list of names.
"Francis Lin, Bertrand Kohl, Hildegard Billingsley."
Her parents must have hated her.
"Arthur Bloom."
REYNIE: The school inspector whose memory got erased.
It must be some kind of enemies list for people he wants to brainsweep.
Wait...
there's more.
"Rhonda Kazembe,
Number Two."
"Nicholas Benedict."
BENEDICT: Hmm.
You're up early, sir.
Oh, good morning.
Oh, as a child, my brother was always an early bird.
He never really noticed that he also always woke me up in the process.
He was just so sure that if he overslept, he'd miss some revolutionary discovery.
Here's to hoping some habits never die. Yes?
BENEDICT: Oh, Milligan. Milligan.
I see him. Oh...
MILLIGAN: What's he doing?
BENEDICT: I'm not sure, but he has astounding posture.
Posture.
My word, he's so healthy looking.
MILLIGAN: Healthy.
-Fit. -Well, I mean, you could if you...
Whoa, wait, wait, wait. Wait.
Yes.
Watch it, scofflaw.
REYNIE: Sticky and I are near the top.
That's good.
Good? That's great.
REYNIE: And Constance is in the green.
Oh, no.
REYNIE: Kate, I don't know what to say.
Don't say anything. I'm used to moving around freely.
Just bummed I never got my hands on the Tower.
No use dwelling on failure. It's like that old saying.
"A good soldier..."
Forgot the rest. I'll have it by our next mission.
Whenever that is.
You're not scared about getting brainswept?
Hmm, I hadn't thought about that.
Welp, next time I see you...
if I don't know you...
I knew you.
What do you think you're doing?
-I... I think it's sprained. -Get up!
Injuries are for the weak. Show some mettle!
MARTINA: Tetherball is the pride of this institution.
Get off my court.
STUDENT: Come on. You'll be fine.
Hey, Bucket! You're up. My forearm slice needs a victim.
-I'm supposed to report to... -I wasn't asking. Now!
(sighs) Nothing to lose at this point.
Lose that filthy thing.
Regulation match. None of that urchin game you picked up in the streets.
Just serve.
Unsophisticated, just like I thought. But there's potential.
-Becky! Get her sizes. -What?
You're joining my team.
Obviously.
I'm actually being barged right now. Couldn't do it if I wanted to.
REYNIE: She didn't even say goodbye.
She was a little rough around the edges, but I felt like she was our secret weapon.
Sadness inside me.
REYNIE: I don't know if we can do this without her.
KATE: "A good soldier never looks back."
Remembered it.
-REYNIE: Kate! -STICKY: Kate!
Kate?
-Sorry. -It's all good.
How'd you pull it off?
Apparently, Martina wanted me on her tetherball team so badly,
she went straight to Curtain who actually listened.
-So, you can stay? -Yup.
It's like a probationary scholarship.
There was tons of paperwork, but my record's clean.
And now, I'm tetherball junior assistant captain.
Which I am sure Martina made up.
What's her title?
Empress Supreme Magistral of the Flaming Backhand.
WOMAN: ...Sailor. Release him.
Like I said, continue.
Um...
-Constance, are you okay? -You're telling me none of you hear that?
-Not this again. -There is a voice in my head.
It comes and goes, but it's not mine.
It's like in another room.
But the door is closed,
so I can't hear it clearly.
We should go. Oshiro's class starts in 15.
I believe you, Constance.
Please connect the nine dots using four lines,
without the pen leaving the paper or any dots left over.
Begin.
Hello, my lateral thinkers!
STUDENTS: Good afternoon, Dr. Curtain!
(sighs) It is, isn't it?
I usually do this more formally, but it just can't wait.
As you know, we here at the Institute are called to excellence.
And some of you have answered that call more quickly
and unconventionally than expected.
So, please join me in celebrating our newest Messengers.
Reynie Muldoon.
And Sticky Washington.
Thank you, Mr. Oshiro.
STUDENT 1: What?
-STUDENT 2: There's no way. -STUDENT 3: Seriously?
That's enough.
-STUDENT 4: How did they get it? -Congratulations, students.
-NUMBER TWO: A hidden entrance. -BENEDICT: Yeah.
It's subterranean, it appears.
Underwater machinery pumping out massive, near-endless amounts of energy.
Yes, yes. That, of course. But this passageway I've discovered...
Against all odds, despite your resistance...
He'll never let you live this down.
...is precisely the lead we've hoped for.
Well, it's certainly an unexpected find.
-What should we do? -(groans)
Direct infiltration is too risky. At far too sensitive a moment.
-But the children could do it. -(Benedict sighs)
I know. But it's so dangerous.
I'd never forgive myself if something happened.
As you say, sometimes it's more dangerous to do nothing.
And I do know exactly how they can get into that underground.
I have faith in them.
We must send them in.