[A news reporter is watching a crowd protesting outside of a large building.]
CROWD: (uncoordinated chanting) CHARGE BELONGS! IN THE WALL! FREE THE CHARGE! FREE US ALL!
REPORTER: A huge turnout today at the offices of billionaire leader and tech visionary Summer Smith,
[Cuts to Summer overlooking the crowd from a large window. Summer is seen with a shorter haircut.]
as she attempts to make Chargeria history. And this just in: phone chargers are very important, so never, never steal them.
[A lady enters the room.]
LADY: We're ready to launch the device.
SUMMER: Do we have eyes on my brother?
LADY: No ma'am.
SUMMER: Then we're not ready.
[Summer opens a compartment in the wall, with a note written "NONE OF THIS IS REAL" inside, along with a few pictures.]
SUMMER: Come on, Morty.
[Cuts to Summer entering a helicopter outside.]
LADY: Wait! Remember! If you borrow his phone charger--
SUMMER: I know.
LADY: --it's really important you give it back!
[Summer signals the pilot to take off.]
LADY: (getting more distant) Even if you think he wasn't using it!
[The helicopter flies to a cabin in the middle of the woods, and leaves after dropping Summer off.]
SUMMER: I'm alone.
[Morty is in the woods holding a gun. He looks visibly older.]
MORTY: I was too. That's how I like it. (whistles two dogs over, they greet Summer) Come. If you wanna eat.
[Morty places two bowls on a table inside of the cabin, and sits down across from Summer.]
MORTY: ...Saw you on the news. Guess it's been a while since you've had a normal meal.
SUMMER: By "normal", you mean the spoon is dirty?
MORTY: CJ's recipe. (looks at a picture of him and others posing in front of a fire truck) (pained) Back at the firehouse. (short pause)
SUMMER: Ugh! I didn't put my life's work on hold to sit here talking to you about chili.
MORTY: He always said the secret ingredient (pause) is patience.
[Summer grabs Morty by the jacket and knocks over his bowl.]
SUMMER: Morty, it is time to go! It's almost 9PM back in the real world, and our exit will only work if Mom's in the kitchen pouring her bedtime wine!
MORTY: There's nothing left for me back there! Go without me.
SUMMER: (lets go of Morty's jacket) That's not how it works, Morty! And I'm sorry,
[Morty takes the picture he looked at before off the wall and looks at it again.]
but I refuse to turn forty in here.
MORTY: (sigh) ... What choice do I have?
SUMMER: We always had choices. (pulls out a device from her jacket pocket) Take some ownership.
[Morty takes the device from her, and puts it on his ear. Summer puts a second of the same device on hers.]
SUMMER: (calls on phone) We're ready. Start the launch.
[Cuts to control room.]
LADY: God have mercy on our souls.
[She signals to start the launch. Cut to previously seen crowd.]
ENGINEER: Five. Four. Three.
[Cut to Summer and Morty, Summer reaches out her and Morty accepts it.]
Two. One. Launch.
[An orb of energy gets launched out of the top of the previously seen building, hits a spot in the sky, and creates a large green shockwave. A woman in the crowd lifts her phone into the air.]
WOMAN: It's charging! Charging in the air!
MAN: Dear god! Summer Smith has made phone chargers obsolete!
WOMAN: No more cords!
[People in crowd drop their charging cables onto the ground. The crowd cheer and hug each other. Cut back to Summer and Morty, the world is shaking and spazzing out. Morty's dogs are barking.]
SUMMER: (laughing, voice glitching) It's working! A co-o-ntactless eletrical gri-i-d! That means no cha-a-rgers, you o-old bitch! I win! The matrix is obsole-e-te!
[Summer and Morty scream as the zooms out to show an error text over "NEVER TAKE GRANDPA'S PHONE CHARGER", waking Rick up.]
RICK: (sleepily) Whuh--what the hell? Oh, shit. How long was I out? (grabs mindblower gun)
SUMMER: Mom! Mom! Mommy! (takes the matrix device's helmet off of her head) Get away from me, Rick! (falls on the floor) Mom!
[Beth opens the door with a glass of wine and looks at Summer.]
Rick put us in a simulated reality to teach us a lesson about taking his phone charger and not giving it back and then he fell asleep and forgot about us for the matrix equivalent of (cry) 17 years! (wipes tear) I'm an emancipated adult, I demand sovereignty over my mind and future, don't let him reset us!
BETH: ... This is why I have bedtime wine. (sip)
[Introless title screen]
MORTY: My-my hands! A child's hands!
BETH: You built a matrix to punish them for a phone charger?!
RICK: I'm not that petty, Beth. It can punish them for anything.
[Summer hides behind Beth.]
SUMMER: Put that mindblower gun down.
RICK: Okay. Obviously Grandpa cooked you guys a little too long.
SUMMER: Long enough to go to law school and revolutionize engineering.
RICK: Summer, the whole system's basically 8-bit. (points gun at Summer) A child with a crayon could revolutionize engineering.
SUMMER: Don't let him wipe me, Mom! I fell in love, ran a country, visited Chargentina and the Phoneippines, I can't lose those memories!
MORTY: Uhm, I-I wanna remember it too.
BETH: Dad, I think the kids should be allowed to do whatever they want with what you did to their brains.
RICK: You want a couple of matrix-crazy adults in child bodies? Good luck with that.
SUMMER: Yes! I beat you, Rick! You mess with the bull, you get the 34 year old horns! (flips off rick) I'm gonna crush it in high school! (leaves the garage)
RICK: (to Beth) Give me a holler when this goes south.
[Cut to Summer walking to the entrance of Harry Herpson High School.]
SUMMER: (voiced over) There's literally no limit to what I can achieve. Student-body president, valedictorian, or maybe just live this one day, sweet and fleeting. Maybe just hold onto 17. (opens door)
SHARON: (laughing)
GRACE: Cold much?
SHARON: You're nipping out.
SUMMER: Oh, come on. We don't have to do these teenage girl stereotypes.
PRINCIPAL VAGINA: (walks on-screen) Your body violates our code of conduct, missy. Go home and change.
SUMMER: But-
PRINCIPAL VAGINA: Your wiles won't get you anywhere with me. (walks off-screen)
GRACE: Oh my god, she's hot for Principal Vagina! She's nipping even harder!
SUMMER: Eat my ass, you shallow bitches! (leaves through door)
[Students in the hall including Grace and Sharon laugh as Summer leaves.]
SHARON: Every time I think our friendship can't get any stronger.
GRACE: I know. You're truly my sister.
SHARON: (hugs Grace) Awww!
[A car pulls up outside of the school, Summer gets inside, Beth is driving.]
SUMMER: (sigh)
BETH: School's not what you remember, huh?
SUMMER: Ugh, I'm just embarrassed I let them get to me. Those girls probably still believe people like them for their personality and that recycling is real. Hey, do you have a bobby pin?
BETH: (grabs one from her purse) Yeah. Here.
SUMMER: (takes bobby pin) At least they're too dumb to do real damage. (puts her hair into a bun) It's like blunt-force trauma as opposed to a hot curling iron going slowly up your asshole...
BETH: Ha... Wow.
SUMMER: ...Which is how I describe my first marriage.
[Beth and Summer both laugh.]
BETH: You got married in there?
SUMMER: The best part was, I supported him while he worked on his music.
BETH: Ah. Been there. It's like, I can either be the primary earner or your mommy, I can't be both.
[They both laugh again and then smile at each other. Cut to them at a restaurant together.]
BETH: A third mimosa?
SUMMER: On a Wednesday afternoon?
BETH & SUMMER: Who are we?
[They both laugh.]
SUMMER: Oh my god, I'm totally turning into my mother. Goals! (reaches out for high-five)
BETH: (laughs, high-fives Summer) I love this version of you! You're so... self-assured. I wish I had more of that.
SUMMER: Aww, Beth! Can I call you Beth?
BETH: Absolutely! (picks up her glass) And I'll call you...
SUMMER: Summer?
BETH: Oh, right, of course. You were able to achieve so much in there. Hashtag girl boss!
SUMMER: Ugh. I hate it when grown women call themselves "girls".
BETH: Oh! Same, me too. That was ironic. (puts glass down)
SUMMER: Speaking of grown women, (grabs at her top) maybe it's time for a little upgrade?
BETH: Oh, come on! Look at who you've become! You don't need some cliché makeover.
SUMMER: I meant for both of us. Do you just buy your shirts from target or do you also work there?
BETH: (hm, frowns)
SUMMER: Aw, Beth! I was joking! Part of my management style. But isn't comedy just the revelation of an unacknowledged truth? Think about it. Let's get out of here, girl! You need a blowout.
[Cut to Morty welding Rick's race car.]
RICK: The hell are you doing, Morty? Get your hands off my death race car!
MORTY: (flips welding helmet up) The struts were a little off.
RICK: Hah, "the struts were a little"-- (squints) Wow. Okay. The struts were a little off.
MORTY: Picked up a few skills when I was inside.
RICK: The matrix?
MORTY: Matrix prison.
RICK: Oh. Badass.
MORTY: (gets up) This is that death race on Vega Five, right? (takes gloves off) Space and land?
RICK: Yeah, actually.
MORTY: (points) Toss me a beer.
[Rick smiles at Morty and walks off-screen.]
Think we should add a snorkel intake to the engine block.
RICK: (takes beer bottle from cooler) Damn, Morty! (tosses bottle) Maybe I should leave you in a matrix more often.
[Morty tries to catch the bottle but misses, it shatters on the ground. Morty groans and stares at the bottle as the camera zooms in.]
[SHATTER, in the matrix.]
SUMMER: Morty! What are you doing?!
MORTY: (throws rocks at glass, alarms ringing) I'm getting Rick's attention! (grabs radio from display window)
OFFICER: Freeze! (holds up gun)
MORTY: (to Officer) Fuck you! None of this is real!
SUMMER: Morty, run! (grabs Morty's arm and drags him)
OFFICER: Hey! Thieves! (puts gun in holster) Never take what's not yours, (runs after Morty and Summer) especially if it's a phone charger!
SUMMER: (yells into sky) Rick, we're sorry we stole your phone charger! We learned our lesson, now let us out!
MORTY: (to Summer) If that was gonna work, we would've been ejected by now!
[Morty trips on an old woman's cane while running, the officer catches up and cuffs Morty.]
OFFICER: You have the right to remain plugged in! Any charger you steal can and will be used against you!
MORTY: Summer, help!
SUMMER: (running) Sorry Morty, but one of us has to find a way out of here!
MORTY: (echoing) Summer!
[Music plays in background as Morty gets sent through trial, found guilty, and is sent to Chargeria State Prison. A prison fight is seen and Morty stands frozen in it all. A prisoner stabs Morty's side and Morty knocks him out with a lunch tray. Morty is then seen fixing a pipe, welding engine parts, growing up, and then getting a tattoo. After Morty's time is up, he tries to get a job but is rejected for having stolen a phone charger in the past. Morty is then seen at a bar and bonds with a man, CJ, for sharing the same tattoo. He mentions being a fireman. Next scene Morty exits a firetruck with a crew and puts out an outlet fire. They all laugh and wipe down the firetruck back at the firehouse. A TV plays a man chopping a charger in half, and CJ punches a wall. Morty and his friends sign a waiver to join the military, and the montage ends with Morty saluting as a private.]
[Back to the real world.]
MORTY: (takes welding helmet off) C-CJ...
RICK: Eh.. If you're remembering a bunch of stuff, you have to say it out loud.
MORTY: (tosses helmet to the ground) I.. I just miss them.
RICK: Eegh. Y-You know what, pal? (grabs another beer from cooler) I think that engine snorkel's a good idea. (tosses bottle to Morty, he catches it) Bottoms up.
[Cut to Summer and Beth at a hair saloon.]
BETH: Wow. You can really pull that look off.
[Summer now has the same short haircut seen in the matrix, she's taking pictures of herself.]
I could never go short.
SUMMER: It's called disruption. If you don't take risks, you don't grow.
BETH: Uh, for me, (flips hair) this is pretty bold.
SUMMER: (unamused, looks at phone) I guess everyone has to start somewhere.
[Beth pouts at Summer. Cut to a dressing room, Beth is trying on a new blouse.]
BETH: (to Summer) What do you think of this?
SUMMER: I think there was a reason it was on the clearance rack. I thought you wanted to feel more confident! (grabs leather jacket off of clothes hanger, similar to the one she was wearing in the matrix) Now, this says confidence. (puts the jacket on Beth)
BETH: (looks at price tag) It also says three-thousand dollars!
SUMMER: (takes jacket off of Beth and wears it herself) Who's gonna invest in you if you won't invest in yourself? (poses in front of mirror)
BETH: My job is to invest in your college fund, Summer.
SUMMER: First of all, I already graduated charger cum laude with a major in chargers and a minor in-
BETH: Let me guess.
SUMMER: English lit. (puts hand on face) Beth, I can't make you 17 again, but I can give you this gift of knowledge: life is slipping away. It's time to make some big changes or get comfortable with some big regrets. So are you gonna buy me this suit or what?
[Rick and Morty are shopping at Home Depot.]
RICK: Aaand steel plates. (drops into shopping cart)
MORTY: Good stuff. (points) Oh! L-Look at that Rick! Th-they got a sale on rebar!
RICK: Oh hell yeah! Buy two rebar get one freebar?! (runs off-screen and returns with 6 rebar in his hands) Matrix Morty's got an eye for a deal!
[Cut back to the house and Morty is making improvements to the structure of Rick's race car.]
RICK: I gotta hand it to ya, t-this feels pretty good. Good old American craftsmanship, Morty.
MORTY: Feels good to use your hands.
RICK: (starts engine) Oh-ho-ho-ho-ho! Ho! She's purring like a -- like an oily little kitten!
[Beth parks in the driveway, she and Summer exit the car.]
BETH: Wow. You guys are.. really spreading out onto the lawn, huh?
[Rick admires his car.]
SUMMER: Ugh. Suburbia.
BETH: Dad, can I talk to you?
RICK: (bu-u-rp) Listen, i-if this is about the beers, Morty's cool. He has like, four Purple Hearts.
MORTY: Five. Those and a nickel will get you a cup of coffee. (walks off-screen)
RICK: Ho-ho! (points) Disillusioned Morty! Love this guy! ... L-Li-Litsen, Beth. I-If you wanna judge someone, call Jerry.
BETH: I can't. My phone's dead. (grabs phone out of purse) I had to film turns of every outfit Summer tried on.
RICK: You need a charger? Use mine.
[Morty yelps and tenses up.]
BETH: (to Rick) Oh. Okay. You sure?
MORTY: Huuhagh uh yeah.. Y-Y-You're -- Y-You're -- Y-Y-You're -- You're -- You're gonna give that back, right?! 'Cause I-I can't impress upon you.. how.. (his eyes shake as Beth drops the charging cable into her purse)
[EXPLOSION, in the matrix, older Morty and others are running through a warzone. Morty pants as he runs and fires, another explosion goes off. His bud steps on a landmine and they both scream and explode. Next shot two soldiers toss a body back into the back of a truck.]
MATRIX MORTY: (screams and breaks out of the body bag, his body glitching) O-o-oh g-g-o-d! Oh my god! 8-Ball! (zips a body bag open and holds his friend's head) No.. no! CJ?! Chop Block?? (jumps out of truck and falls on the ground) Marmaduke?! (grabs a gun from the ground nearby)
[Morty runs back into the field, screaming and firing. An explosion goes off, and he dives into a trench.]
MATRIX MORTY: 8-Ball.. He-he didn't make it...
[CJ, Marmaduke, and Chop Block turn to see Morty and gasp.]
MARMADUKE: We-we saw you die, man!
[Chop Block throws up.]
MATRIX MORTY: I-I-- I can't. I-I can't die! (sobs into hands)
CJ: (hugs Morty as he sobs) I-I got you buddy. I got you.
MATRIX MORTY: I can't... I can't die.
[The same background music as before plays. Morty screams, shoots, and takes on many soldiers from the other side. He gets beaten to death, and wakes up screaming, his body reconstructing from pixels. He pants and feels his body, and gets right back up to continue fighting. Morty chokes a man with a charging cable, and gets shot in the head from behind. He revives again in a pile of bodies. Continuing, he throws a grenade into an enemy bunker. He runs to throw another into a different bunker, the grenade gets thrown back and explodes him again.]
[In the real world.]
MORTY: Just take whatever you want. Nothing out here fucking matters. (leaves)
SUMMER: Wonder who he learned that from. Probably someone too tamed by neo-liberal groupthink to buy a cool jacket. (starts walking to door)
BETH: Dad I think maybe you were right on this one.
[Beth grabs the mindblower gun and tries to wipe Summer's memories from a distance. Summer flinches.]
RICK: Beth, that's not how it works. You gotta press it up against their head.
SUMMER: You just tried to mind-blow me?!
[Beth tries to grab Summer, she yells and runs out of the garage, Beth follows.]
BETH: Summer! Get back here! This is for your own good!
SUMMER: No, It's for your own good! I thought you were my friend, bitch! (trips and yells)
BETH: (points gun to Summer's head) My friends don't talk to me like that!
SUMMER: Because you don't have any! (kicks gun out of Beth's hands)
BETH: Hey!
[Summer breaks the window to a car with a rock, alarm starts blaring.]
SUMMER: All I want is to live my best life! You're too scared to even try! (gets into car and starts the engine)
BETH: Did you just hotwire that car??
SUMMER: Yes.
[Summer drives off.]
BETH: SUMMER!!
SUMMER: Later, Boomer!
[Beth chases after the car as Summer passes the house.]
RICK: Damn. That got out of hand fast. Welp, told her it would.
MORTY: Smart man. (soldering something) Here, check this out. Me and CJ came up with it during the siege of the Three Pronged Mountains. We were holed up with nothing but these old Nokia 3.5s. Had to use a little something we called the Reg-Rach. (tosses device at Rick) Try her out.
RICK: "Charger" spelled backwards, cute. What's it do? (Rick plugs the machine into an outlet and gets electrocuted, passing out on the matrix machine)
MORTY: (places matrix machine helmet onto Rick's head) Pulls the charge right out a man's heart. Thanks for the ride, Rick. (kisses Rick on the forehead)
[Morty types something into the machine.]
Also I didn't know Summer was gonna hijack a vehicle, too. I've been planning this a lot longer than her. (activates machine) Anyway.
[Morty starts the enhanced race car and drives away, breaking the garden wall and also crushing a car.]
DRIVER: Cool tank!
[Rick wakes up on a bench on the side of the street and groans.]
RICK: No! No-no-no-no-no!
MAN: Something the matter, sir? You wouldn't be putting people in matrixes, would you?
RICK: (irritated) What?
MAN: 'Cause that's something you should never do.
RICK: (yells) (to the sky) Seriously, Morty?! You're that uncreative?!
GUY: (walks on-screen) Who's Morty? Is that someone you put in a matrix?
RICK: (punches the guy) Yes! (drags the guy away)
GUY: Owww... ooh...
[Cut to TV channel showing a clip of Morty's tank.]
ANCHOR: The seemingly unstoppable, and pretty cool looking, vehicle is now heading towards a power plant at the center of Power Plant Valley, the well-known nexus of America's power grid.
[Clip shows power plant security driving up in front of the tank and shooting at it.]
Why create this unstoppable death machine? It's driver, 14-year-old Morty Smith, has this to say.
MORTY: (through radio) COME INTO A WOLF'S HOUSE AND PISS IN IT'S BED, YOU'RE GONNA GET BIT! T-THAT'S JUST THE NATURE OF THE WOLF! (cuts to Morty inside of tank, actual voice) THAT'S JUST THE NATURE OF THE WOOOLF! (places radio on the wall and operates the tank)
[Cuts to Summer in a store named "Zenta-Fe".]
WORKER1: How's the neti pot coming, Summer?
SUMMER: So good. I feel grounded, free of toxins.
[Beth enters the store.]
SUMMER: Go away. I need my space.
BETH: I can't believe how fast you got established in Santa Fe.
SUMMER: (shaping her pot) The wellness industry picked me up at the city limits. They place all lost middle-aged women in a residential pottery studio with meditation elements.
WOMAN: (enters) I'm looking to be in connection with the mountains?
WORKER1: (gesturing) Get the cacao. And the harmonium.
BETH: Honey, you shouldn't have to be a lost middle-aged woman yet. Take it from me, it sucks. And the joy of being 17 is not knowing anything, including how hard it's gonna get.
SUMMER: Yeah. I guess I'm sorry for what I said. I just don't know how to be your friend.
BETH: (places hand on Summer's shoulder) You don't have to be. You're my daughter.
[Summer and Beth hug.]
BETH: Wow. I hate that I'm saying this, but the energy here feels amazing.
WORKER2: It's called community. And if we had more of it in this world, and less factory farmed beef, our little boys wouldn't be driving tanks into nuclear power plants! (crosses arms)
BETH: ... That sounds too specific to be a metaphor.
[Summer pulls out her phone and watches the news.]
MORTY: (from phone) WHAT WILL YOU DO WHEN THERE'S NO POWER IN THE WALLS? WHAT WILL YOU CHARGE THEN?!
WORKER2: See. Beef brain. (walks off)
SUMMER: Ohh god. I have to stop him.
BETH: You know how?
SUMMER: I'm a tech CEO! So even if I don't, I'll pretend I do. (starts leaving) Mom, hold my calls. (exits)
BETH: "Mom". (hm) I like the sound of that.
WORKER1: I'll just need a credit card.
[Cut to Rick holding a boy to a chamber, with hundreds of the same chambers behind him.]
BOY: Please sir, not in the matrix! You shouldn't put people in matrixes!
RICK: Uh-huh. (plugs a cord into the back of the boy's neck)
[The chamber fills with liquid and Rick walks off to his main control panel. He presses a button but it returns "error".]
RICK: What the ff-- oh.
[Rick notices a chamber is loose and presses a button for his robot to fix it.]
RICK: Matrix my ass! (flips switch) Wubbalubba dub dub!
[Rick yells as he's ejected out of the matrix. The screen says "DON'T PUT PEOPLE IN A MATRIX" with an error showing over it.]
RICK: (coughing) (throws helmet off) (more coughing and gasping, sees race car is gone) This better be Death Race related.
[Cut to Morty attempting to break through a large metal door with his tank. Men are shooting at him. It flashes back to the matrix, Morty in the war, Marmaduke goes down and Morty shoots his killer. Chop Block also gets shot, Morty and CJ finish the enemies off. Another group comes in, one holding a rocket launcher.]
MATRIX MORTY: CJ!
CJ: H-Huh? Hey!
[Morty holds two grenades and runs toward the group, jumping into them and letting himself explode. He revives and moans, then makes his way into the enemy base.]
MATRIX MORTY: CJ! CJ?! (gasp)
[CJ lies on the floor, bleeding out while looking at a picture.]
CJ: (weakly) She's.. beautiful.. isn't she?
[Picture of charging cable.]
Morty. (strained) I never had a brother, un-til y-you. (exhale)
[Morty looks at CJ and takes his dogtags off of his neck, and holds it close to his own chest. He uses heat-vision goggles and locates the enemy, and runs to break down the door, screaming.]
OSAMA BEEN CHARGIN: DEATH TO CHARGERIA! (attacks Morty with knife)
[They fight and Morty disarms him, takes the knife from him, and stabs him in the chest.]
MATRIX MORTY: (panting, radios) We got him. Osama Been Chargin is dead.
MATRIX SUMMER: (from radio) Full hearts, full charge.
MORTY: Full hearts, full charge...
[Morty breaks through the door and wall, and keeps going.]
GUARD1: Sweet Christ! Power Plant Valley is breached! I repeat, breached!
[The tank knocks down a tree.]
GUARD2: He's getting too close! I-If he reaches the central power plant, it'll trigger a chain reaction that renders North America uninhabitable! But also takes out all cellphones!
GUARD3: Fear not Guard number two, the moat was installed for this exact scenario. There's not a tank on earth that can cross that water.
[The tank drives into the moat and gets submerged by water. A snorkel pops up.]
GUARD2: OH SHIT IT'S GOT A SNORKEL!!
GUARD3: Dear god! Run!
[They both scream as the tank comes out of the water and back onto land. Morty flips the snorkel switch off. The tank keeps continuing and knocking down various "Danger" and "Keep Out" signs. It breaks through the wall and is about to reach the very center.]
SUMMER: MORTY!
MORTY: (stops and squints)
SUMMER: None of this will bring CJ back!
MORTY: (muffled) KEEP HIS NAME OUT OF YOUR MOUTH! (tank accelerates and damages a pillar)
SUMMER: Whose name? Christopher James Motorola, Chargent First Class?!
[The tank stops, and the top entrance opens. Morty is holding his head when Summer enters.]
MORTY: What do you know about CJ?!
SUMMER: This is all my fault, Morty. You were the only real thing in there, (places hands on Morty's shoulders) but I didn't treat you like you mattered.
MORTY: (pained) You couldn't have known what would happen in that war.
SUMMER: But I did know, Morty. I did know.
[Flashback to Matrix Summer running things.]
SUMMER: (voiced over) Once I understood the rules of the matrix, taking power was easy. But making power wasn't. There was only one way to make the charging science work, all the lithium we could get our hands on.
[Actor chops a charging cable.]
DIRECTOR: We got it.
ACTOR: (rips fake beard off) We can fix it, right? We can fix it? (holding out cable)
MATRIX SUMMER: (to bodyguards) No one can know about this.
[Summer and her bodyguards leave the scene, Summer enters a car and the building explodes behind them.]
SUMMER: (voiced over) It was a brutal war, but I knew we'd win it. Because we had you.
[Multiple clips of Morty dying over and over.]
An ex-con with no future, no family, no way to die.
CJ: Morty. (strained) I never had a brother, un-til y-you.
[CJ's death is shown on a big screen where Summer is watching.]
SUMMER: (voiced over) You could have had a different life. I could have given it to you.
[Morty screams as he stabs Osama Been Chargin.]
MATRIX MORTY: We got him. (through radio) Osama Been Chargin is dead.
MATRIX SUMMER: Thank you soldier. Full hearts, full charge.
CHARGENT: We're lithium rich!
SUMMER: (voiced over) You were my greatest asset.
MATRIX SUMMER: (sigh)
SUMMER: (voiced over) And my darkest shame. I also had your phones bugged, a tracking chip put in your spine, and all those birds you liked to feed were spy cameras built by the government.
[Cut back to tank interior.]
MORTY: (crying) My finches?!
SUMMER: I know you lost a brother in there. Don't make me lose you.
MORTY: It's like the pain is all I have left of him! But-but he's gone. (pained) He never existed in the first place.
SUMMER: Don't say that! Without you and your friends, we never would've escaped the matrix.
MORTY: R-Rick! He-he would've woken up and let us out!
SUMMER: On whose terms?! He would've wiped us clean before our eyes were open, and then they'd really be gone, all of them. CJ, Chop.. Block... Marmaduke, u-uhm...
MORTY: 8-Ball! Jesus!
SUMMER: I--I-- ... I'm sorry, Morty. You get to decide now. What do you want to do?
MORTY: (tears up) ... I want to go home. (hugs Summer)
SUMMER: (hugs Morty back, crying) Yeah. Let's go home.
[The tank hatch opens, Morty and Summer exit.]
MORTY: I-It's okay! I--I'm alright now!
[Morty slides down the side of the tank and Summer climbs down.]
RESEARCHER1: It's not you we were worried about!
RESEARCHER2: Yeah! This is exactly why you shouldn't steal your grandpa's inventions!
[Summer and Morty pause and stare at each other.]
SUMMER: What?
RESEARCHER1: (points) He said never steal your grandpa's inventions!
SUMMER: (angry) No...
MORTY: Motherfucker... MATRIX PIECE OF SHIT! (approaches the researchers)
RESEARCHER1: (screams, off-screen) RUN!
SUMMER: Fucking fake lesson-teaching bastard! (pulls second researcher to the ground, she and Morty start beating him up)
RESEARCHER2: Ow! (grunting) STOP! (crying)
[Rick portals in, sees Summer and Morty.]
RICK: Woah-woah! Easy, guys! (stops Summer) Christ! Y-You're not in a matrix! You're not in a matrix!
SUMMER: Rick? What the fuck?!
[Rick helps the researcher up.]
MORTY: (gestures) This NPC was trying to teach us a lesson!
RESEARCHER2: (getting up, wheezy) I was just saying not to steal such dangerous technology! Your grandpa's obviously a genius.
MORTY & SUMMER: See?!
RICK: That's an actual guy, making several obvious and valid statements. (smiles at Researcher, places hand on shoulder) Beer later?
RESEARCHER2: (holding nose) I think my nose is broken...
[Cracking is heard, the earlier damaged pillar starts breaking and collides with the central chamber, red lights start flashing and an alarm rings.]
SUMMER & MORTY: (annoyed) Aww, come onn!
RESEARCHER1: (screaming) Chernobyl! We're Chernobyl-ing! (runs off-screen)
[Rick goes toward the center chamber, looking through a window, two claws, holding a radioactive rod, melt, and the rod drops to the bottom, melting through the floor.]
MORTY: Rick! Are you gonna-
RICK: (annoyed) Yes.
[Rick pulls out a spray gun and sprays "anti-radiation gel" at Morty, the researcher, and Summer.]
MORTY: Ew!
RESEARCHER2: Euugh...
SUMMER: What the hell?!
RICK: That's anti-radiation gel. Your tits and bits will thank me later.
MORTY: What the hell??
SUMMER: Ew...
[Rick wears a container of sorts on his back, and portals into the center chamber. He watches the rod melt through the floor for a second, and jumps after it.]
SUMMER: So... (to Morty) nuclear reactor, huh?
MORTY: I had PTSD!
RESEARCHER2: Thank you for your service.
[Rick portals back, his face is irritated from radiation, the alarms and lights shut down.]
RESEARCHER2: Oh! Oh my god! You saved us from the-
RICK: The worst meltdown in American history? Yeah. (takes container off of his back) I'm gonna leave this with you. (flips tip options toward Researcher) Sign here.
RESEARCHER2: Tip? Uh, I don't see an option lower than 20%.
RICK: There isn't one.
[The researcher presses the 20% option, and signs his name. the container cuts off 20% of the radioactive rod and seals it. Rick screws the 20% off and throws the rest back to the researcher.]
RESEARCHER2: Oof! Aaah... (holds container far away from himself, walks off-screen)
RICK: (wipes radiation irritation off his face) (to Researcher) Might want to keep that gel on for a little while.
SUMMER: Alright, is there anything else we need to do?
[Rick and Summer both look at Morty.]
[Cut to Morty getting the same tattoo he had in the matrix, kicking his legs.]
MORTY: OW-OW-OW-OW-OW OWWWW!
[Cut back to garage, Summer and Morty are holding hands.]
MORTY: I'm gonna remember him, (looks up at Summer) but I'm gonna miss you.
SUMMER: (softly) You won't have to. I have a feeling things are gonna be different now. (lets go of Morty)
RICK: (smiling) Ready to be kids again?
SUMMER: More than you know.
MORTY: Y-Yeah.
[Rick zaps Morty and then Summer, they fall to the ground.]
MORTY: (groaning) Oohh... (gets up) What'd you do to us?! (holds his arm, concerned) What the fuck is on my arm, Rick?!
[Summer gets up.]
RICK: Beats me, you asked for it.
MORTY: What?! Why?!
SUMMER: Whatever. I'm meeting friends to throw shopping carts into the quarry. (peace sign, leaves)
MORTY: Aw geez, oh no. (crawls to Rick) R-Rick! (tugs his lab coat) Y-You gotta this off of me! I-It makes me uncomfortable!
RICK: No can do, pal! Made a promise to an old friend.
[Cut to Summer, she rolls onto her bed and pulls out her phone. No battery, she rolls her eyes and plugs it in. A message shows up on screen from Summer Smith.]
SUMMER: What the hell? (taps video)
MATRIX SUMMER: (from video) Hi, Summer. You probably won't remember making this, but I just wanted to say... I love you. And you should love yourself. The first thing your peers will try to take from you is your adult empathy. It's your greatest gift and the one thing that they-
SUMMER: Ugh, send a text. (taps off video and calls her friend) Yo! Tricia! What are we huffing tonight, biiiiitch?!
[Credits]
[At Zenta-Fe, Beth is meditating. Random lady sitting next to her sniffs her and licks lips.]
BETH: Can I... help you?
WORKER1: Beth, it's time to come clean. We, "lost women", feast on the young to stay middle-aged.
BETH: So you're... vampires?
[Worker nods.]
Why not feed 'til you're young?
WORKER1: 'Cause not everyone has your fucked up values, Beth! (eyes turn red) And it's unfortunately drink, (monstrous voice) or be drank!
[Everyone in the store's eyes turn red, one woman tries to grab Beth, Beth jumps away.]
BETH: Oh, come on! I thought that was Wine Mom talk!
[Everyone attacks Beth, cut to outside of the store where silhouettes of Beth and the people are fighting. Beth breaks through a window about to stab the worker with a pointy crystal. The worker sizzles underneath her and turns into dust. The rest of the vampires sit inside of the building, hissing.]
BETH: The sun turns you to dust and you picked Santa Fe? (scoff) That's on you. (walks away)
