01x01 - Test Subject Thirteen

[bunniefuu]

21.08. You beat yesterday's time.

Not good
enough. Gotta make track.

Got you a little something
for the new school year,

Mr. Eighth Grader.

Looks big.

Well, I thought it would fit.

You grew a little this summer.

No, I didn't. No, I didn't.

I can return it.-No.

It's cool, Mom. Thanks.

- Your bike is locked.
- Your bike is locked.

Jacob! Hey, bud. Ah, first
day back. What do you think?

It's just the same
people in a grade higher.

What's the big deal?

Oh, come on. It's gonna be
awesome.-You know you're delusional.

I prefer the word "optimistic."

Here. Catch.

Hey! Welcome back, students.

Hey, there's Sarah.- Where?

Welcome back, students.

How's it going?

Jacob, hi! Hey, Jimmy.

Hey.-How was sports camp?

Great. Except I blew out
my knee the last week.

Oh, it looks painful.-It was.

Very. But it's okay now.

Hoops after school?-What about the knee?

Doctor said it's fine. Plus, I
could beat you with only one knee.

Sarah, come on.-

See ya.

Wait, basketball? I thought you said
you're trying out for track this year.

I am.

I've been practicing every day,
shaving seconds off my time.

Tryouts are this week. I'm so ready.

Now, that's the right attitude.

I gotta find the coach to sign up. Maybe I'll even make team captain.
I gotta find the coach to sign up. Maybe I'll even make team captain.

A-And we're both delusional.- -

On your marks! Get set! Go!

Whoo! Go!

Great effort, Jacob.

You got the most passion
out of anybody out here,

but sadly, not the height.

Those kids will out
distance you every time.

You gotta take three
steps for every one of theirs.

It's just physics.

Maybe you should trya
sport you're more suited to.

Like?

Bowling.-So, I didn't make the team?

I mean, a little guy like you,
your low center of gravity.

You could crush it. Think about it.

Bowling? Is that even a sport?

Why not debate team? I bet
they really work up a sweat.

Look, Jacob. I think you
are100% overreacting, okay?

I think I'm 100% perfectly
reacting. It sucks being short.

Maybe you'll have a growth
spurt, okay? I don't know.

Have you seen my family?

My granddad was the
giant, and he was, like, 5'5".

You could try yoga.

You know, that's supposed
to stretch your spine.

You're right.

I gotta find somethingthat'll
make me taller.

Wait, no. I don't think that's what I said.

Hmm. There's inversion therapy
where they hang you upside down.

I mean, fine for a bat.
I mean, fine for a bat.

Wait. This one's better.

"Increase your strength and staturewith
a new growth-accelerant technology.

Fast results.
No exercise required."

Yeah. That doesn't sound
sketchy at all.-And it's free.

Hey!

Look, I'm bummed you didn't make the team,

but I'm not gonna let
you fall for some scam.

You're right.-You're short.

I have big feet. Deal with it.

Your feet are super big.

Why'd I tell you that?

Okay, I better go.

If I'm late, my mom always
assumes I got detention.

Catch you later.

"Would you like to learn
more about this opportunity?"

Yes!

Hi. Uh, I signed up for something
and was told to come here.

Hello? Is anybody there?

I'm supposed to tell
you I'm test subject 13.

Decontamination initiated.

Complete. Please step forward.

Subject 13, have a seat.

I do hope parental consent has been given.

Your application appears in order.

You've enrolled in a
medical clinical trial.

Yeah, it's like an
experiment.-It's a controlled test.

The protocol is to inject
microscopicmedical robots into your system.

Once coded to your DNA,

they can stimulate pituitary
function and physical development.

Robots. Inside my body.

The precise term is "medibots."

For your DNA sample, do you
wish to provide blood or hair?

Hair. Definitely hair.

Ow!

Wait. You're gonna stick that in my arm?

It's going in your ear.

This will
make me taller for sure?

If you're hesitant to
participate, I have a waiting list.

No. I wanna be test subject 13.

What happened?

Loss of consciousness is common.

What time is it?

If I'm late for dinner, my mom will freak.

This control unit synchronizesthe
medibots circulating in your body.

Press here to increase
or decrease efficacy.

You mean I can turn 'em up if I want?

Making any adjustment for
at least a week is ill-advised.

And be aware, with your growth stimulated,

you might be hungrier than normal.

You may go… …once you drink this.

It's fuel for the medibots.

Iron, chromium, tritium,
phosphorescent isotopes.

The usual.

Man, I'm hungry.

Morning. Pancakes?

Yes! Lots of 'em.

Okay, coming right up.
Did those pj's shrink?

It worked!

I mean, yeah. They shrunk, I guess.

Yes!

Hey, Jacob.

Thank you, Jacob.

No problem, Emily.- That's Jacob.

Hey, what's
up with Jacob?-Yo, Jimmy.

What did you do?

What do you mean?-You seem different.

Um, well, I... You're... You're confident.

Excuse me? I'm always confident.

Dude, I've known you
since preschool.-Fine.

Perhaps I've been a
little neurotic in the past.

But I've matured.

I don't think so.

Gotta
get to class. See ya.

Oh, I know! Your face cleared up.

I don't have acne. Do I? Where?

Thanks again, Jacob.

N-No problem.

Ready to lose?-Sure.

But who's gonna beat me?

Nice.

Whoa! You never made that shot before.

What can I say? I'm a new man.

Ow!-Your knee!

Are you okay?

Fake.

If that's how you have to make a
point, I wouldn't be so proud of it.

You got a lot faster over the summer.

Been training for track.

You make the team?-Not
yet, but I'm pretty sure I will.

Catch you later. Rematch.Saturday. My house.
Catch you later. Rematch.Saturday. My house.

I'm in.

Come on! Let's go!

Oh, you're almost there!

Hey, Coach!-Jacob.

Could you give me
another chance?-

Didn't take to bowling, huh?

I know I can do this. I've
been practicing all summer.

Please.

All right.-

I'll give you another shot next week, okay?

Next week.

Then I better turn this up a bit.

Yes! I beat my record time.

Thank you.

You ordered pizza? We're
having dinner in an hour.

Don't worry. I'll eat that too.

Hey. You seem taller.

Um, I stopped slouching. Like you told me.

You actually listened to me?

Next time,
ask before ordering pizza.

Um, let me know when dinner's ready.

That's crazy.

I can't believe you
didn't tell me till now.

They were tiny when the
doctor put them in my ear,

and they must have grown after
I drank that green, glowy stuff.

Do you know how many things
are wrong with that sentence?

So, what's the plan?

I'm not bailing.

Really? Okay, an hour ago, you called me,

panicking because you were
pulling nanobots out of your ear.

- I know, but...
- You're infected with robots, man.

They're working, though. See?

I turned up the controls
so I'd grow faster.

Let me see that.-Maybe
it was just a side effect?

And I'm fine now. Don't worry about it.

Or maybe they won't stop growing.

Well…

Dude, you let some mysterious
company sh**t millions of robots into you.

When you put it that way…

Hey, man, I don't want
anything to happen to you.

You're my best friend.

Okay. I'll go back to that doctor after school tomorrow.
Okay. I'll go back to that doctor after school tomorrow.

Good reflexes.-Can't play today, Sarah.

We had plans.

Sorry. I gotta go somewhere.

Whoa! Whoa!

Jacob! Are you hurt?

Stay back.

…shutting down…

Sarah! You followed me?

You were acting weird,
and you took off so fast.

It's because I
didn't want you to see this.

I signed up for some medical test they did.

I don't even know who "they"
are, but they're gone now.

Dr. Cruz, what's going on?

Thirteen, you shouldn't be here.

And why are you back, Seven?

Seven? I don't understand.
You're not even short.

They said they could fix my knee.

The clinical trial is over.

Wait.

I want these medibots out of me. Now.

There is no protocol to remove them.

That was explained in
the document you signed.

The medibots are nowa part of you forever.

I just wanted to make the
track team. And now I don't care.

I'm short. Fine. I... I can deal with that.

I should've been happy with who I was.

I just wanna be me.

You still are. But "you" have changed.

Dr. Cruz said this
experiment was a failure.

She said it was over.

Maybe it went great, so
they don't need more testing.

So, what do we do?

Accept that this is who we
are now. For better or worse.