The Circle Page #8

in front of the entire Circle audience,

here and globally.

Do you feel ready?

- [woman] Hell, yeah!

- [all cheering]

[Tom] You went well so far.

Great.

In seconds, the computer will select,

at random, a fugitive from justice,

a proven menace to our global community.

Our assertion is that

whoever he or she is,

Soul Search will locate them

in under 20 minutes.

- [woman] Wow.

- [crowd applauding]

Let's select that fugitive.

Okay.

This is Fiona Highbridge,

44 years old born in Manchester, England.

She was convicted

of triple murder in 2004.

She locked her three children

in the closet

and went on holiday to Spain.

[crowd murmuring]

They all starved.

She was sent to prison in England

but escaped

with the help of a guard

who she apparently seduced.

Over a billion people are watching.

Let's see how many are in the UK.

Do you all think 14 million Brits

and a billion global

participants worldwide

can find Fiona Highbridge

in under 20 minutes?

- [crowd cheering]

- [woman] Yeah!

[man] Yeah!

All right.

Let's bring up the clock.

Good.

- Is everyone ready?

- [crowd cheering]

On your mark...

get set...

go!

[crowd continuously cheering]

[laughter]

Okay, time to get serious.

[woman] I've got her, Mae.

[crowd applauding]

That's her.

Be careful.

I will.

- [crowd cheering]

- [man] Whoa!

[man] Whoa!

[woman] Fiona! Stop!

- Follow her.

- Stop her!

Somebody stop her! She's a killer!

Stop her!

Somebody stop her!

- [woman] Go!

- [man] Grab her!

Stop her!

Somebody grab her!

- [Tom] She must be kept safe.

- Keep her safe.

- It's Fiona Highbridge!

- [Fiona] No! No! No!

[crowd cheering, applauding]

[indistinct chattering]

[man] All right. Watch it.

[Fiona] No.

[crowd cheering]

Stop the clock.

[woman] Soul Search, baby!

- I guess that's it.

- [crowd cheering and applauding]

[woman] Let's do another!

We could.

- Um...

- [Tom] Maybe not a fugitive this time.

Let's try for a regular civilian.

Okay, everyone.

We're gonna find a regular person.

It can be anyone.

A relative, a lost love.

When everyone can be found,

we can never lose a friend.

We can take a suggestion

from the audience.

- Uh... anyone?

- [woman] Find Mercer!

[laughter, hooting]

I'm pretty sure

he doesn't wanna be found. [chuckles]

- Anyone else?

- [man] Where's Mercer?

[Tom] No, Mae, this is what Soul Search

is all about as well as Completion.

Other suggestions?

- [woman] Let's try Mercer.

- [crowd] Mercer! Mercer! Mercer!

It's the whole point

of Soul Search, Mae.

No.

[crowd] Mercer! Mercer!

- Mercer! Mercer! Mercer!

- [Mae] No, no, no, no.

No, I...

[Tom] Mae, this is the right choice.

[Eamon] Wait. Hey, everybody.

- [crowd cheering and applauding]

- [Eamon] Hey.

I think it's time we reunited

Mae and Mercer, don't you?

[crowd cheering]

All right then.

And through the power of the Circle,

let's bring them

back together again, okay?

The perfect use of Soul Search.

Let's find your friend.

[crowd cheering, applauding]

Go, Mae, now.

Okay.

So our second Soul Search today

involves not a fugitive from justice,

but you might say a fugitive from, um...

a friendship.

[laughter]

This is my friend Mercer.

I haven't seen him in a while.

I'd love to see him again.

Like Fiona, though, he is someone

who is trying not to be found,

but unlike Fiona, he's not a criminal.

He's good, people.

Let's see if we can break

our previous record.

Whoo!

[breathes heavily]

- [crowd cheering]

- [man] Oh, yeah.

Unbelievable.

Can you believe that? Yes!

[man] Do you think he's in here?

- Mercer!

- [man] Mercer!

Mercer, are you in there?

Are you, like, killing deer,

making chandeliers?

[audience laughing]

[woman] Mercer, we know you're in there.

We see your truck. It's right here.

- [man] I think he's in there.

- Fine. Let's go around.

- [woman] Oh, my God, he's in there!

- [crowd laughing]

Mercer, come out. He's gotta be here.

Remember to be nice, okay?

Mercer, we know you're in there.

You found where he is. You did it.

I think we should leave.

[Tom] No, Mae, stay on this.

You've got millions of people

enjoying this.

[woman] There he is. There he is.

There he is. We just got Mercer.

I cannot believe this.

[woman] There he is! He's in the driveway!

[engine starting]

[Mercer] Leave me alone! Jesus Christ!

[crowd cheering]

[crowd continuously cheering]

[motorcycle revving]

[whispers] You're kidding me.

[crowd cheering]

Can someone please get me audio

on the camera?

Mercer.

Mercer, stop driving. It's just me.

Mercer, stop the truck.

You're surrounded by friends.

[car honking]

Can we turn the speaker up?

Mercer.

Can you hear me?

Mercer, it's me.

[whispers] You're surrounded by friends.

[crowd murmuring]

Mercer, stop.

[grunts]

[screams]

[birds chirping]

- [knocking on door]

- [door opens]

[Mom] How you doing, sweetie?

You've been in bed for three days.

Come out in the garden

with me today, okay?

I've got some new snapdragons

that need to be planted.

Okay?

Honey.

Oh, honey.

- [sniffles]

- Oh.

- Oh.

- [sobs]

[announcer over radio] The California

Department of Motor Vehicles

has proposed regulation

that self-driving cars

should be required to have

a licensed driver inside.

Is that a good principle?

[man] Yeah, I mean, I think obviously,

where technology is today

that is a good principle,

and of course, we would not suggest

putting something unsafe on the road.

That's why we have fed...

[sighs]

[line ringing]

Mae.

Where are you?

- Are we alone?

- Yes.

Are we?

Yes.

How is it daytime where you are?

Wait, you're in Scotland.

Yep, I went home. Can you see?

What happened?

What, besides almost ODing

on speed and Soylent?

Well, I found out I'm allergic to wheat.

[both chuckling]

Um... I don't know.

I guess I almost died?

Oh, come on, no, don't.

Don't make me cry.

Come on. No.

I'm not going to cry anymore.

You getting better there?

Yeah, I am.

I eat. I look out the window.

I come out here, and I think I daydream.

Hadn't done that in years.

I'm glad you called.

I didn't want to lose you, too.

I know.

Listen, Mae, I'm really,

really sorry about Mercer.

And I'm a sh*t friend.

I should've said something sooner.

I should've, and I'm sorry.

It's just so horrible.

Have they spoken to you about it?

Not yet.

I'm going in tomorrow.

Uh-huh. They ask for forgiveness

and never for permission.

They have to go.

They've broken a hundred laws.

They've made me suffer

a thousand regulations.

There's got to be a way to...

What? Stop people doing bad sh*t?

[scoffs] Yeah.

Do you need some time away here, too?

I've got an extra bed if you want it.

[chuckles]

This feels so good, just being with you.

- Even like this.

- Yeah.

Yeah. I know.

This is going to sound crazy. But...

I keep having this feeling that...

Mercer would still be here

if we hadn't lost touch.

No, come on,

what were you supposed to do?

I mean, you know, he drifted away.

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