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"Whisper"
Season 1, Episode 3
Airdate: November 2, 2010
Whisper episode
Credits
Writer(s): Glen Morgan
Director: James Wong
Episodes
Previous
"Monitored"
Next
"Buffer"
This article is about the episode "Whisper". For the character, see Whisper 119.

"Whisper" is the third episode of season one of Tower Prep. To learn who's been sending secret notes to Ian, the group must shut down Whisper 119, which leads them to discover Whisper 23, an older version of Whisper.

Summary[]

The fringers attend art class and Ian checks his grades on his netbook. Whisper 119 tells him that his grades are off. Art calls the class to order and a new student, Emerson, arrives in class. The teacher isn't impressed at his attempts to pass off a note from Whisper. Headmaster enters the classroom and tells the class to proceed normally. Ian asks why they are there in art class when they're supposed to be train in the use of their skills. Headmaster explains that Tower Prep exists to teach them about all aspects of their gift and flourish in their lives. He has them each do art projects that express their individual gifts.

At the observatory, the group works on their projects. Ian considers the note that someone sent him admitting that he's scared. Suki is frustrated at creating something original, and looks through the drawers. Ian is stumped at how to express his preflex ability, and he explains that his power manifested when he was playing online with Whisper. Suki suggests that he draw Whisper's avatar to get Headmaster to react. Suki then finds an old-style vacuum tube in a drawer and starts sketching it. Meanwhile, CJ draws multiple portraits of the same person, showing the differences that she can perceive and read.

On the day their due, Headmaster inspects the art project, including Emerson's drawing of a single red dot and Ian's sketch of Whisper's avatar. CJ tells Ian that Headmaster is reacting but trying to conceal it. However, as they go, Ian looks back and sees Headmaster tear up Suki's drawing of the vacuum tube.

That night, Ian, Gabe, and CJ meet in the observatory. When Suki leaves her room to meet with them, a Monitor follows her. She warns the others and goes back to her room, and Gabe suggests they talk to Winslow, a student with true photographic memory, and see if he knows anything about the tube. Winslow confirms that it has an organic chromosome compound based in silicone, and that it dates back to 1947. The technology is decades ahead of its time.

Suki uses the underground passageways to get to the observatory and meet the others. They show it to Whisper 119, and it is interested in knowing where they found it. It refuses to answer their questions and will only tell them that it's a vacuum tube.

In class, Art talks about fear, and suggests they continue their projects to the next step. When she quotes, "I'm scared, too," Ian figures that she sent the note and is trying to send him a message. That night, he goes to see Art, but she denies having sent him any note and talks about secret messages in art. However, as Ian goes back to his room, he finds a note in his pocket saying to stop asking questions. He shows it to the others, and they confirm it's in the same handwriting. Suki suggests that they get as many handwriting samples as possible from the students. She uses her ability to mimic writing, Gabe tries to get people to sign up for clubs, and CJ collects names from guys by flirting with them.

When they examine the handwriting of the entirely student body, they don't find a match. CJ reveals that she's been training so she can profile people based on their handwriting. She looks at Ian's notes and determines that the person who wrote them is nurturing and artistic. They break into the art class and bypass the sound detector, look at Art's recent painting, figuring she left a message. Gabe realizes she's using reactive phosphorescent paint, but the only hidden message they find is a sketch of a bunny. When Gabe laughs, he sets off the sound detectors. The Monitors arrive and don't spot anyone... until they realize the fringers have disguised themselves as paintings and sculptures.

The group is brought in to see Headmaster, who fills out work-study time cards and demands to know what they were doing. They claim that they snuck into the art studio to work on their projects. Headmaster lets them go with a warning. As they go, Ian insists on finding the notes. He suddenly reacts and turns to grab a boy as he tries to slip a note into Ian's pocket. As Ian picks up the note, the boy disappears. Ian follows the trail, based on his glimpses of the future, and corners the boy. The boy, Lazlo, explains that he just delivers the notes as a work-study job and that the messages come in via an anonymous outbox. The job is part of his training in sneakiness. After Lazlo sneaks away, Ian checks the new note, which says "I tried to warn you."

In the observatory, the fringers figure that whoever sent Ian the notes works in Administration in the work-study program, and CJ suggests that power down Whisper 119 so they can break into Headmaster's office and get the time cards. They go back into the underground passageways and Suki tracks the power cables that lead to Whisper's 119 power grid. The trail goes to a boarded up wooden door. Inside are a variety of discarded computer consoles, including a computer with one vacuum tube and a slot for a second. The computer is labeled "Whisper 23," and Ian and CJ go to the observatory to get the tube. Meanwhile, Suki and Gabe look around and discover that the computers were built by Sato's family.

Ian and CJ return with the tube and Ian insists on starting up Whisper 23 and finding out why headmaster reacted. Whisper 23 comes to life and a young girl's voice addresses them from a television screen with a smiling face. When they ask it about Tower Prep, it displays an electronic maze and says it wants to play. Ian offers to play in return for answers, and guides his avatar through the maze. Four skulls appear and attack Ian's avatar, and Whisper 23 fires an electrical blast at Suki. The computer warns that they have two lives remaining, and seals them in. With no choice left, Ian runs his avatar through the maze to the exit. Whisper 23 informs Ian that he has been chosen as a candidate for Tower Prep, and tells Gabe that he's next.

CJ tries to pull the tube out, but Whisper 23 shocks her. As they head for the door, Whisper 23 says that it's lonely, and they realize that they're in an artificial intelligence lab. The computer grows increasingly angry and charges up, and the group takes cover. Ian tries to get to the vacuum tube while the others distract Whisper 23, but the computer shocks him. A power surge suddenly enters the lab via the power cable, shorting out Whisper 23 and giving CJ the opportunity to remove the vacuum tube.

Suki and Gabe prepare to hard reboot Whisper 119, giving them ten minutes, while Ian and CJ go to Headmaster's office. However, Suki realizes that they only have two minutes. With time running out, CJ finds the time card with the writing on it and they get out just as Whisper 119 reboots.

Back at the observatory, they determine that the signature matches with Emerson. The group goes to the art studio and confirms that Emerson's project contains a miniature message: Emerson has natural microscopic vision. His signature matches the handwriting on the note. Emerson comes in and they confront him, but he uses his ability to confirm that the writing is pixilated: they were printed on a computer. They realize that the nurturing machine that printed out the notes is Whisper 119.

In his room, Ian addresses Whisper 119 via his netbook. He figures that it protected them and caused the power surge, and thanks her. It prints out a message saying, "You are welcome."

In art class, the students finish their projects and Art congratulates them on their work. Ian puts the finishing touches on his drawing of Whisper 119's avatar, now a motherly figure.

Headmaster returns to his office and finds the vacuum tube written in a scroll. The message on the scroll tells him to keep it out of the wrong hands, and Headmaster smashes the tube.

Characters[]

Guest starring[]

Gallery[]

Episodes
New KidMonitoredWhisperBufferRooksBook ReportElectionField TripDreamsPhone HomeTrustSnitchFathers
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