We are Not Enough

Too much Life.

Commissioner Jim Gordon :

Millions in structural damage. 

You haven't lost your touch. 

But it's good to see you 

playing well with others. 

The Aquaman :

Dressed like A Bat. I dig it. 

The Batman :

…may be temporary. 

So, what made you 

change Your Mind? 

The Aquaman :

Steppenwolf. He took 

The MotherBox from Atlantis. 

Wonder Woman :

All he needs now is 

The Lost Box of Men. 

If he doesn't already have it. 

Cyborg :

He doesn't have it. 

Wow! It's like A Cave. 

Like a…. Bat-Cave. 

The Batman :

Barry.... 

Cyborg :

My Father called it 

A Change Engine. 

It was found by The British 

during World War I. 

They studied it, but they couldn't 

even date it, it's so old. 

It was shelved ‘til 

The Night Superman Died. 

Then She lit up like Christmas. 

They brought it to STAR Labs 

where My Father recognised it 

as a perpetual energy matrix. 

The Flash :

That sounds cool. 

I thought it was like 

a nuclear bomb. 

Cyborg :

A MotherBox destroys as it creates. 

It's a Cycle of Life, but 

a million times faster. 

My Father thought it was 

the key to unlimited energy. 

New formulas. Cellular regeneration.

 But it's too volatile to Control. 

The Batman :

He used it on you. 

Cyborg :

I was in an accident. Should've died. 

My Father thought that he could 

use the MotherBox to rebuild 

the broken parts of me with 

a few cybernetic enhancements. 

Instead he built a living machine 

that may be stronger than its host. 

Too much. Too much Life. 

The Aquaman :

What's on your weird mind? 

The Batman :

Muscles, coordination, basic cellular integrity. 

A Human Being can only absorb so much. 

The MotherBox was designed 

to reshape a planet. 

So? 

The Batman :

So, what if you were stronger than a planet?

Your cells lying dormant, 

but incapable of decay. 

If you were in a conductive field, 

a boost from The MotherBox... 

Could bring him back to life. 

The Kryptonian Ship has an amniotic chamber,

 which would be a perfect... 

Wonder Woman :

No. 

The Batman :

Diana... 

Wonder Woman :

Bruce, no. You have no idea what kind 

of Power you are dealing with. 

The Batman :

Even if there's a fraction of a chance? 

Wonder Woman :

That what? That we could raise 

a monster like Luthor did? 

The Batman :

We have tech Luthor's never even seen. 

Wonder Woman :

Superman is Dead. 

We all wish he weren't. 

The Batman :

We don't know what state he's in. 

We know we can't bring him back. 

But this is Science Beyond Our Limits. 

And that's what Science is for. 

To Do what's never been Done. 

To make Life better. 

Wonder Woman :

Or to end it. Technology is like 

any other Power. 

Without Reason, without Heart, 

it Destroys Us. 

You're risking lives. Theirs and 

maybe countless more. 

The Batman :

We don't have time for a control group. 

Is it a risk? Yes. But it's necessary. 

Wonder Woman :

Why, because of your guilt? Bruce, I was there. 

You didn't kill Superman. At some point, even you 

have to learn to move on. 

The Batman :

Did Steve Trevor tell you that? 

(She shoves him 30 feet across The Hanger --)

The Batman :

Superman was a beacon 

to The World --

Why aren't you? 

You're an inspiration, Diana :

You don't just Save People, 

you make them see 

their better selves. 

And yet, I'd never heard of you until 

Luthor lured you out by stealing 

a picture of your dead boyfriend. 

You shut yourself down for a century, 

so let's not talk about me moving on. 

The Flash :

You know that if she kills you, 

we'll cover for her. 

The Batman :

We are NOT Enough! 

Each of us, in our own way, is held back. 

And I promise you, Steppenwolf is not 

out there talking about ethics. 

He's trying to BURN DOWN The WORLD! 

The way we're gonna stop Him 

is by using His Power... 

This Power, against Him. 

Cyborg :

I agree. I don't like the idea of 

reintegrating with The MotherBox, 

but I was running the numbers 

while you were being an asshole, 

and there is a high probability that 

We can Bring Him Back. 

The Flash :

Right, right. But we mean "Bring Him Back" in 

like a, "Yay, he's back!" way, not in 

like a Pet Sematary scenario. 

The Aquaman :

You lose something when you die -- Even Superman. 

Maybe not his mind. Maybe his soul. 

The Batman :

I have a contingency plan for that. 

If he wakes up and you're the first thing 

he sees, you'll need one.

Alfred :

Well, that was fun while it didn't last. 

She could've stopped me. 

I practically dared her to. 

Alfred :

I don't see why you're pushing her. 

We have to boost the signal. 

Put it through the Batmobile speakers. 

Alfred :

Yeah, now you're changing the subject. 

The Batman :

I have a contingency. What? 

Alfred :

Diana was right about the risk. 

The Batman :

If the plan goes south, we're gonna bring 

in the big guns. But that's not...

 

Alfred :

Those are some very big guns. 

You've got A Team here. 

The Batman :

Superman would bring this team together better than I ever could. 

His strength... 

Alfred :

It doesn't matter how strong you are. 

Or what abilities you might have... 

The Batman :

He was more Human than I am. 

He lived in this world. Fell in love. 

Had a job. Despite all that power. 

The World needs Superman. 

And The Team needs Clark. 

Alfred :

And what does Clark need? 

Maybe he's at peace. 

The Batman :

He'll get over it. 

You know, I could do this a lot faster. 

I just... Is it weird that 

it feels disrespectful? 

Yep.

 

Do you feel a sense of confidence that we're not doing something 

horribly wrong and macabre here?

 Not really. 

Okay, then why... 

Because I saw Steppenwolf up close. 

The stories Diana told us — I believe them. Why we gotta stop him. 

That's the plan. 

That's the plan.

 Okay. We're not ready for... 

It's racially charged. 

You got struck by lightning, huh? 

Uh, yeah, that's the abridged version. 

And you... explosion. 

Woke up in a lab. 

So we're The Accidents. 

…Yeah, that's us. 

Hey. No, no. 

The Bio-Survival System of The First Circuit

"C'mon, Follow Me, You Damned Insects...."

-- The Batman

Circuit I. The Bio-Survival System.

This Invertebrate Brain was the first to evolve (2 to 3 million years ago) and is the first activated when a Human infant is born. 

It programs Perception onto an Either/Or grid divided into Nurturing-Helpful Things (which it approaches) and 

Noxious-Dangerous Things (which it flees, or attacks). 

The imprinting of this circuit sets up the basic attitude of Trust or Suspicion which will ever after trigger Approach or Avoidance.

IVANOV: 

Why are you scaring My Robots?

(Afterwards, Mulder and Ivanov talk as a robot sits on the table next to them.)

For decades, my colleagues in artificial intelligence have attempted to create an autonomous robot. 

By struggling to give their machines a human-like brain, they have failed.

(Mulder kneels down and waves his hand in front of the "bug." He touches the leg and it moves.)

A human brain is too complex, 

too computational. It thinks too much. 

But insects merely react.

(Another robot crawls over to Mulder. Mulder backs away, but the robot follows him.)

I used insects as my model, 

not just in design but by giving them 

the simplest of computer programs. 

"Go to The Object.”

“Go away from The moving Object." 

Governed only by sensors and 

reflex responses, 

they take on the behaviour of 

intelligent, living beings.

MULDER: 

So this one is just programmed to head 

towards any object moving within 

the field of its sensors?

IVANOV: 

No.

(Mulder backs away some more, but The Robot still follows.)

MULDER: 

Then why is it following me?

IVANOV: 

He likes you.

(Mulder and Ivanov sit at a computer.)

MULDER: Your contract is with NASA?

IVANOV: The goal is to transport a fleet of robots to another planet and allow them to navigate the terrain with more intricacy than any space probe has done before. It, it sounds slightly fantastic, but the only obstacle I can foresee is devising a renewable energy source. In any case, this is the future of space exploration. It does not include living entities.

MULDER: I'm just speculating here, but if extraterrestrial lifeforms do exist...

IVANOV: Oh, there's no need for speculation, I believe they do.

MULDER: And assuming that they're more technologically advanced than we are, and if your own ideas about the future of space exploration are correct, then...

IVANOV: Then the interplanetary explorers of alien civilizations will likely be mechanical in nature. Yes. Anyone who thinks alien visitation will come not in the form of robots, but of living beings with big eyes and gray skin has been brainwashed by too much science-fiction.

(Mulder looks away, shrugging slightly. Ivanov stares at him. Mulder takes out a small bag with three insect legs.)

MULDER: Can you identify this?

IVANOV: I'm not really good with bugs. A cricket's legs?

MULDER: Try it under the microscope.

(Ivanov dumps the contents out in a small petrie dish and looks at the contents. The light to the microscope is bright red. Ivanov's eyes widen and he looks at the wall, flabbergasted.)

Are you all right, Doctor Ivanov?

(Ivanov nods.)

Can you identify that?

(Ivanov shakes his head slightly and mouths some words to himself.)

Sir?

(Ivanov looks at him.)

IVANOV: It's... beyond my comprehension.

(They stare at each other. (A cockroach crawls down the screen.))

MULDER :

Crap.

(They look at each other. In the early morning, it is raining. Firemen are hard at work as Frass walks towards them, wearing a raincoat. The agents are sharing an umbrella.)

FRASS: It's like a crematorium in there, I don't think we're going to locate the doctor's remains.

MULDER: Or anything else, for that matter.

FRASS: Still, it's not as bad as some of the other fires we had last night.

SCULLY: There were others?

FRASS: Four, to be exact. Plus eighteen auto accidents, thirteen assault and batteries, two stores were looted, thirty-six injuries all total, half of them from insecticide poisoning... but, we didn't receive reports on cockroaches or otherwise for the last couple of hours. Maybe this town's finally come to its senses. You two ought to go home and get some rest. You look pooped.

(He walks away. Mulder smiles. Ivanov rolls up to them, an umbrella attached to his wheelchair. Bambi, also holding an umbrella, watches him intently.)

IVANOV: Agent Mulder? They told me I could locate you here. Those, uh, segments you showed me earlier... may I examine them again?

(Mulder shrugs and reaches into his pocket.)

MULDER: Well, they're completely desiccated... just like the molted exoskeleton.

(He hands the bag to Ivanov.)

BAMBI BERENBAUM: You know, many insects don't develop wings until their last molting stage. Perhaps whatever these things were, they had their final molt and have flown off back to wherever they originated.

SCULLY: Yeah, that would explain everything.

(Mulder looks at her and is about to say something when Ivanov cuts him off.)

IVANOV: May I borrow this, Agent Mulder, for further study?

MULDER: Well, I've already had a similar sample analyzed, it's nothing but common metals. What do you hope to find from it?

BAMBI BERENBAUM: His Destiny.

IVANOV: Isn't that what Doctor Zaius said to Zira at the end of "The Planet of the Apes?"

(She nods, smiling.)

BAMBI BERENBAUM: It's one of my favorite movies.

IVANOV: Mine too. I love science fiction.

(Mulder looks at them strangely.

BAMBI BERENBAUM: I'm also fascinated by your research.

(She and the doctor start off.)

Have you ever considered programming the robots to mimic the behavior of social insects like ants or bees?

IVANOV: As a matter of fact, I have.

BAMBI BERENBAUM: You know, I read in November of '94 in "Entomology Extreme..."

IVANOV: Oh, I remember that...

BAMBI BERENBAUM: Your article about the pollination of...

IVANOV: Yes, I really enjoyed writing about that...

(Mulder watches them leave, saddened.)

SCULLY: Smart is sexy.

(Mulder looks at her.)

Well, think of it this way, Mulder. By the time there's another invasion of artificially-intelligent, dung-eating robotic probes from outer space, maybe their uber-children will have devised a way to save our planet.

MULDER: You know, I never thought I'd say this to you, Scully... but you smell bad.

(He smirks and walks away, taking the umbrella with him.)

SCENE 19

MULDER'S APARTMENT

(Mulder sits at his desk, typing up his report. He is also eating a rather large piece of cake that resembles a dung heap. We can hear him say what he is writing.)

MULDER: The development of our cerebral cortex has been the greatest achievement of the evolutionary processes. Big deal. While allowing us the thrills of intellect and the pangs of self-consciousness, it is all too often overruled by our inner, instinctive brain, the one that tells us to react, not reflect, to run rather than ruminate.

(He takes a piece of candy on the cake and eats it.)

Maybe we have gone as far as we can go, and the next advance, whatever that may be, will be made by beings we create ourselves using our own tech...

(It beeps as he presses the first key to the word. He tries it again.)

Tech...

(It beeps. He smacks the screen and it beeps three times. He continues typing.)

Technology, lifeforms we can design and program not to be ultimately governed and constricted by the rules of survival.

(He eats another piece of cake.)

Or perhaps that step forward has already been achieved on another planet by organisms that had a billion years head start on us. If these beings ever visited us, would we recognize what we were seeing? And upon catching sight of us, would they react in anything but horror at seeing such mindless, primitive, hideous creatures?

(He goes to take another piece of cake but sees a white cockroach on the plate. He picks up a stack of files, including the X-File for the case, number "667366," and goes to hit it. It crawls to the front of his plate and he watches it's head move, lowering the papers. It crawls out onto the desk and he slams the papers down onto it.)

[THE END]