A Scanner Darkly

Arctor, Barris, and a third roommate Ernie Luckman, drive to San Diego, and Arctor as special agent Fred informs his supervisor of their absence so the agency can install “holo-scanners” in the house. When they reach their destination, he drops off Barris and Luckman and visits Kimberly, who has an addiction and lives with her abusive boyfriend and dealer. When the boyfriend returns and she refuses to open the door, he runs outside and slashes her tires. Kimberly doesn’t have a phone, so they call the police from a neighbor’s apartment. The officer takes a statement, and Arctor suggests she find another place to stay, but she tells him to get out. On the drive back to Orange County, he can only laugh at the dismal absurdity of the situation. On the freeway, Arctor’s gas pedal sticks, and the car speeds out of control. They narrowly avert an accident, shut down the engine, and coast to a stop. Inspecting the engine, they suspect the damage was deliberate. Arctor smells dog feces on the engine but isn’t sure if he’s hallucinating. He’s convinced that Barris sabotaged both the car and his cephscope. He also fears Barris knows his true identity.

The near-fatal accident reminds Arctor of the danger of his profession. Anyone, including Barris, could try to kill him at any time. Barris then informs them that he rigged a recording system in the house in case anyone breaks in while they’re away. Arctor, feeling paranoid, knows that creating self-doubt in one’s enemy is more effective than a direct assault. He ruminates on the hypocrisy and judgement with which straights view dopers—straights, who are often more guilty of the sins they accuse dopers of. They return to the house, and Arctor wonders if the surveillance crew has installed the holo-scanners. The house seems untouched until Luckman discovers a smoldering joint left in the ashtray. They realize someone’s been there, and they suspect drugs have been planted. They discuss their options, including selling the house and reporting the break-in to narcotics authorities. Just then, Donna emerges from the bedroom and admits she smoked the joint. Arctor is shaken that he fell into the same “paranoid space” as the others.

Arctor—as Fred—meets Hank, who informs him that six holo-scanners have been installed in his house and that video feeds can be viewed at a surveillance hub just down the block from him. He realizes there’s a problem, though—if he, as undercover agent Fred, tinkers with the scanners to upload the data, will his supervisors see the video and wonder how the suspect, Bob Arctor, knows where the scanners are? He is told to “creatively” edit himself out of the videos to avoid confusion. Hank informs him that they are gathering enough evidence to “close the book on [Arctor]’” (83). They discuss using Arctor’s house as another surveillance hub after he’s arrested. The meeting ends, and Fred is ordered to report to another meeting.

Fred is met by two Orange County deputies, who conduct several tests to assess whether he exhibits signs of Substance D addiction. A positive test will result in assignment to a rehab clinic. The agents recall a reported incident in which Arctor, Barris, Luckman, and Donna all fail to understand the “gear ratios” of a 10-speed bike, a relatively simple cognitive function and possible indication of brain impairment. Fred grows impatient with the testing; he can only think about Donna and how to get close to her.