07x17 - Total Eclipse

[bunniefuu]

Man: What do you mean "crazy"?

Yeah, it's all right.

I think it's cool.

Wow.

All right.

Ooh, this place skeeves me out.

Come on.

Here, here, I'll give you guys a lift.

Come on.

Come on.

The local Indians think
the whole place is sacred...

Spirit stuff.

My grandpa says it's more
like the Bermuda triangle

only like on land.

Whatever, Rick.

Let's go back.

Tell them about the crash.

Yeah, it was a long time ago.

The people who lived
around here started seeing, like

these lights in the sky,
spinning around and stuff.

Wait.

Okay.

So one night...

This is where it gets good.

Shut up.

Suddenly, the lights got super bright

and they start to, like, fall from the sky

right into the swamp.

Then there's the expl*si*n...

I'm telling it!

Then there's an expl*si*n.

It's huge.

Couple of minutes later,
it's all back to normal

like nothing ever happened.

People ran out here, and
there were soldiers everywhere.

The army said it was some sort
of weather balloon that crashed.

Yeah, right... "weather balloon."

Intense.

Wait, guys, where's Julie?

Uh, guys?

This isn't funny.

Julie?

Oh, my god.

Oh, my god.

Guess those kids weren't
as drunk as I thought.

It's phosphorous.

She was pulled from the loxahatchee swamp.

Big government dumping ground.

Mostly discarded chemicals.

Otherwise, garden
variety blunt force trauma.

A compound fracture of the right temple.

Tom: She must have seen that coming.

No defense wounds, though.

Cassy: Anything else?

Dental records?

We're checking with missing persons.

Um, this might help.

Morton: Tattoo.

Nice work, if you're
into that kind of thing.

Triangular shape, three wings.

I don't know, it looks like
some kind of Egyptian thing.

You know, we're going to need a...

Photograph, yeah...

Tom: This better be the one.

You know, my feeling is

if you want to look at a pretty picture

hang it on your wall.

Well, some people look at tattooing

as an art form.

Since when did you
become such an aficionado?

I guess you don't know
me as well as you used to.

Oh, cassy... you?

You wouldn't get a tattoo.

Don't be so sure

of yourself, sergeant.

What?

Let me see it.

No!

Let me see it.

No, no, no.

Let me see it.

No.

We'd just as soon do
this in private, Mr. Burgess.

Yeah, I don't get a break till noon.

It's a morgue photo, Henry.

Mira.

Mira solvek.

She never really liked the design.

I kind of chose it for her

the symbol, it's, um, it's zoroastrological

it means genius.

She was real smart.

She knew the first time that she saw me

that this was the crab nebulae.

Are you into astronomy?

Not really.

But when they arrive

I want to show that I know
where they came from.

Who... they?

The visitors.

You're not talking about...

That's exactly what he's talking about.

Um, can we get back to Mira?

Burgess: Sure, whatever.

Cassy: When was the last time

you saw her?

Um, couple of weeks ago, I guess.

We had sort of broken up.

Was she dating somebody else?

No, I doubt it.

She practically lived at work.

I can't believe she's dead.

Tom: Here's my card.

That's the cell number.

If you think of anything...

Yeah, sure.

Burgess: And if you guys find out

who did this

I just want to know why.

Cassy: Yeah.

Maybe Mira was sleeping with somebody else.

I've seen lesser motives.

He didn't strike me as the jealous type.

Why?

He had nice eyes.

Huh. That's the only part of his body

that wasn't made up, tattooed or pierced.

That's true.

Cassy: Apparently, research scientists

live well.

Cassy: Found something.

Yeah, so did I.

This is not something
you cover in algebra one.

It's her journal.

Listen to this:

"Another hang-up call; I'm scared.

"Today I thought I was being followed.

I think they know about penumbra."

What's that?

Beats me.

Maybe her coworkers would know.

Xenocon corporation?

Yeah, her home away from home.

I say we pay them a visit.

Yeah.

We, um, we had lunch, tuna
sandwiches, in the lounge

just the other day.

I can't believe she's gone.

Tom: Were you and Mira solvek close,

doctor?

Mira and I, uh...

Understood each other.

Well, I'm not sure I follow you.

There are things that Mira knew about...

Things that most people
probably couldn't understand.

Well, I did.

Understand.

Could you be a little more specific?

Detectives.

I just heard the news.

My god.

And you are?

Sorry, I'm Dr. Leo previn. I run xenocon.

I'm sergeant Ryan,
this is sergeant St. John.

This is such a tragedy.

Mira was one of our brightest.

Well, we'd like to take a look

at miss solvek's work area if we could.

Previn: Of course, it's this way.

I just can't imagine why
anyone would want to hurt her.

Such a senseless waste!

Well, this is Mira's workstation.

Previn: She was a gifted scientist.

Truly... brilliant.

These are empty.

That's strange.

Kathryn?

This is Dr. Kathryn geller.

Kathryn, these people are detectives.

They're investigating Mira's death.

How exciting.

You don't seem too shaken by it.

Perhaps that's because I'm not.

Cassy: Did you share

Mira's workspace?

Geller: That's right.

Do you know where her files are?

You could try her apartment.

Mira was a bit paranoid.

Have either of you heard of
something called penumbra?

It's an area of shadow
cast during an eclipse.

Any other meaning?

Geller: None that I know of.

Dr. Previn?

No, no, I'm afraid... not.

If that's all...

That's all, thank you.

We're going to need to
access Mira's computer files.

Data in her computer would be classified.

I can download her personal file for you

if you like.

Great, thank you.

Why would Mira solvek be paranoid?

Oh... well, this is a Grant program.

Funds are becoming scarce.

With all the downsizing

I suppose we're all a bit
paranoid about our jobs.

What do you do?

Continuing research.

The government's former s.E.T.I. Program

s.e.t.i.?

The search for
extraterrestrial intelligence?

That s.E.T.I.?

Precisely, yes.

Like aliens?

Yes, sergeant.

Like aliens.

Cassy: Household bills, tax records

real party girl, this Dr. Solvek.

Well, what do we have here?

"You have to trust me, Mira.

"I'm the only one who can help you.

We've got to talk. Zack."

Look, there's a bunch of these.

Sounds pretty intense.

You think he's the one she was afraid of?

I've... maybe.

He's probably left for work.

Do we have a home address on him?

Good afternoon, Dr. Salter.

Sergeant.

We've been going through Mira solvek's

computer files.

We've got a few questions for you.

That went well.

Yeah. I didn't even hear that damn car run.

Tom: I can't do this.

I know, I was thinking the same thing.

I mean... we're chasing
the future with the past here.

The electrical car...
Nonpolluting, renewable

and I might add, pretty darn quick.

Well, what am I going to do?

Um... I don't know.

Keep tailing him and make sure

he doesn't plug into an electrical socket?

Tom: All right.

Salter: She seemed scared all the time.

Fearful.

Cassy: Of what?

She wouldn't talk about it.

She said she'd have
something to show me soon.

But she never did.

No, she was k*lled before...

Was it something to do with her work?

I don't know.

She was a wonderful
scientist, a wonderful woman.

She shouldn't have died.

Were you close?

We were... good friends.

Tom: How good?

I don't follow...

Cassy: Did the two of you have

an intimate relationship?

She wasn't like that! Not like that.

Don't say that, don't even think that.

It must have made you pretty angry...

Knowing Mira didn't want you.

What?

No.

Look, why couldn't she believe me?

I would have never hurt Mira.

Dr. Salter, did she ever mention

something to you called penumbra?

Why would you ask about a thing like that?

Because you know what it is.

No, I have no idea what it is.

I don't have to answer your questions.

We're done talking.

That was, uh, some interview.

Academy award winning.

I don't know, maybe his apartment

will tell us something different.

He was in love with her.

So he's a would-be
attentive, jilted boyfriend/k*ller?

That's a shame

because good men are hard to come by.

The guy's a little paranoid, cassy.

I wouldn't say that he's a k*ller.

It doesn't mean he isn't.

Tom: What did the landlord say?

Cassy: Uh, the electricity is off

and the usual.

"He was such a quiet man."

Right. She's probably on the phone

to Jerry springer right now.

And she said to make sure

you didn't make a mess.

What? It's not like we're throwing a party.

She probably saw you get out of the car.

Am I missing something here?

You know... you're a guy.

Yeah, good observation.

So what?

So all guys are messy.

Right.

Guys just have a different

threshold for neatness.

Your threshold requires
that both your socks

be folded up and placed
neatly in your dresser drawer.

Me, I'm happy if my socks end up

in the same corner of the room.

You take the kitchen.

Damn.

Tom: Cassy?

Tom?

I think you better take a look at this.

Welcome to the twilight zone.

Tom: Oh, boy.

I lost whoever was in the kitchen.

Did you see him?

No, but somebody was there.

He went out the window.

Is there a fire escape?

No.

That's a long way down.

Yeah, unless you're motivated.

God, what could salter have

that anybody would possibly want?

Ah... looks like our boy was planning

on being out of town for awhile.

What stopped him?

You'd think he'd split after the m*rder.

If he is the m*rder*r.

Look at this shirt.

These magazines.

Cassy, this bag's been
packed since the 's.

Well, maybe Zack's like
Henry the tattoo artist.

He's just waiting for someone
to come down and get him.

Mm, that omnipresent "they" again.

What's this?

The planet vulcan by way of Puerto Rico?

Oh. Looks like our boy
took off for a little r&r.

Which would put him out of the country

the night of the m*rder.

Airtight alibi.

So, what's this silence?

What's he got to hide?

I say we ask him.

Tom: Come on, Zack.

We know you were in Puerto Rico.

The airline verified it.

Cassy: There's no way you

could've k*lled Mira.

Why didn't you save us the trouble?

I was scared.

Well, what could be scarier

than life in prison?

Dying.

I'm not sure I'm following you.

Look, I was out of the
country, I was in Puerto Rico.

Cassy: What were you doing?

Conducting research.

The arecibo s.E.T.I. Dish.

I had to get ready, I had
to get a message to them.

They're coming.

"They"?

You mean like spacemen?

Well, that's simplifying it

but yes, that's exactly what I mean.

These aliens, they speak English?

Of course not. That's why
I had to go to Puerto Rico.

The radio dish there
is the only one capable

of picking up the frequency.

The signal originates

from very far away.

And you made contact?

No. I thought I had
all the right coordinates

the proper binary codes, but I was wrong.

Mira was sure it wouldn't work.

I'd have bet that way, too.

She had her own methodology.

And having more success than you.

I didn't think so when
I went to Puerto Rico.

But now she's dead.

And you think it's because
she found an answer.

Yes.

And if they find out that I know...

Then I'm at risk, too.

We have no reason to hold you here.

You're free to go.

Just like that?

Tom: Just like that.

Um...

You won't tell anyone?

Promise?

No. We won't tell anyone.

Your secret's safe with us.

Ryan.

Yeah, we'll be right there.

Henry burgess has
something he wants us to hear.

Thanks for coming over.

No problem. What have

you got?

When I got home

I got this on my answering machine.

Henry, it's Mira.

I really need your help.

I have to come over to
your place to hide something.

I think they're after me.

They can't let me tell you what I found.

You have any idea...

There's more.

It's Mira again.

I can't come by, there isn't time.

I'll just have to send it to you.

Anything come in the mail?

No.

We'll need to keep this tape.

Yeah, be my guest.

Mm, testing.

Mira solvek.

-year-old female Caucasian.

Blunt trauma injury.

Stupid thing.

Stupid thing, stupid thing.

Stupid thing, stupid thing,

stupid thing...

Morton, testing.

Morton, testing.

Subject, Mira solvek.

Prelim indicates no sexual as*ault.

Time of death...

Tuesday night, Wednesday morning, early.

Still waiting on entomology report.

Morton: I know, I know,

I sound nuts.

Cassy: No one's arguing

with you, sterling.

It was like the body was possessed.

Something...

The tools just flew out of my hand.

The cranial saw just stopped.

Power outage?

Just in my lab?

We put her back in here.

Nobody will touch her.

It's just creepy.

This from a coroner.

Detective, I'm used to dead people.

I work with dead people all the time.

Heck, I like them.

But this was beyond normal creepy.

Sterling...

What?

You mind?

Oh.

See, you see how upset I am?

You've got to tell me what's going on.

Okay. Um, this woman
worked on radio telescopes.

Radio telescopes operate
on magnetic microwaves.

Is it somehow possible

that she absorbed enough
to become magnetic?

Oh, god, now I sound crazy.

At this point I'm reluctant
to call anyone crazy.

That makes as much sense

as, as any theory I can come up with.

Take a look at the corpse.

This will prove to you

that what I'm saying is...

the truth.

No suspects, no leads.

No body.

Which puts us, roughly speaking

back at square one.

The fact that the corpse

decided to take a sick
day doesn't concern you?

You've seen one too
many Oliver stone flicks.

The body's been misplaced; It happens.

The boyfriend.

Henry burgess.

He's not the kind of kid

you take home to meet your folks.

Never judge a book.

I never got that.

Got what?

You got to judge a book by the cover.

What are you going to do?

Read it in the store?

You got to go on the cover.

That would explain why your only book

came from the phone company.

Ha-ha.

Speaking of which

Henry's alibi checks out.

He was at work, client confirmed it.

The stockbroker with the pierced nipples?

What else do we got?

No friends to speak of

no family, only her
belief in little green men.

Well, wait a second.

Are you telling me that you
won't allow for the possibility

that we may not know

everything about the universe?

No, I buy that.

I just don't believe in e.T.

What about the concept of infinity?

What about it?

Do you buy that?

Mm-hmm.

You'll buy that an infinite
amount of monkeys

with an infinite amount of typewriters

will ultimately write Hamlet

but in the vastness of outer space

you won't allow for the fact

of another intelligent life form.

If they're that intelligent, why come here?

Well, I guess you got to have faith, cass.

I have faith in god.

I have faith in you.

I don't have faith in the x-files.

Speaking of files

I think we should pull
all the personnel ones

on every xenocon employee.

What are we looking for?

Um... we'll know when we see it.

Do you want half of this sandwich?

Cassy: This place is like the blind

leading the crazy.

Oh, check this out.

One of previn's research assistants

got himself thrown out of Columbia.

His doctoral thesis was on

extraterrestrial reproduction.

Four members of a blind study group

sued for paternity.

Gives "contact" a whole new meaning.

Oh, wait, here's something.

Kathryn geller.

Graduated with honors, m.I.T.

Post-grad work at Yale.

Internship at j.P.L.

A bona fide rocket scientist.

Atmospheric sciences, engineering, physics.

This woman's got some serious credits.

She worked at NASA until .

I'm not a career counselor

but xenocon would seem
like a stellar demotion to me.

What else?

Um... nothing incriminating

in fact... nothing at all.

History since NASA's been a blur.

What has she been doing
for the past four years?

Maybe she was out of work.

Previn said government funding was tight

that they were planning on downsizing.

If this is her first job in four years

and she was afraid of losing it

maybe she decided to
eliminate the competition.

Ms. Geller.

"Doctor."

Please accept my apologies, doctor.

You're forgiven.

I'd explain what I'm doing

but I doubt you'd understand it.

Tom: You got quite

an impressive resume

for a research assistant.

You've done your homework, sergeant Ryan.

I'm flattered.

Oh, well, what bothers us is

what's a smart girl like you

doing in a place like this?

My scientific passions are my own.

I'm not obliged to explain them to anyone.

Well, we would just like to
add to what we already know

like the NASA experience.

SETI program, which is discontinued

is it not?

That's common knowledge.

We've tracked down some
of your contemporaries.

Tenured professors

heading Grant projects.

I'll call the reunion committee.

Where have you been since ', doctor?

You're the cop, you tell me.

You shared an office with Mira solvek.

You had roughly the same area of research.

My work is classified.

Yet, you're more qualified.

Must have been irksome to watch her.

She was previn's bright star, wasn't she?

No pun intended.

He called her "brilliant."

Did he ever call you brilliant, doctor?

He didn't have to.

If you're planning to
arrest me, go ahead with it.

Can you think of any reason

why we should?

No reason whatsoever.

As you can see, I'm quite busy, so...

Dr. Geller, was penumbra

the name of Mira solvek's project?

You haven't any idea what
you're getting yourself into.

I suggest you back off
before you get into trouble.

Is that a threat, doctor?

Take it for what you will, sergeant.

We'll be in touch.

Charming woman.

Oh, she loved you.

"Penumbra" is a great buzz word.

You say it and people
either get really angry

or really scared.

Ryan.

Sergeant Ryan, this is Henry.

Henry burgess.

I need to talk to you.

It's about Mira.

You know that thing she said she mailed?

Yeah, well, it arrived just now.

What exactly are you talking about?

I don't want to say anything
more over the phone.

Can you meet me at my apartment?

Hurry, if I've gotten
myself into something...

Sergeant Ryan? Sergeant Ryan?

I'm here, Henry, I'm here.

You got to get over here.

Please hurry... I'm scared.

The guys on the stairs.

Call for an ambulance

and for backup.

Yeah.

Tom.

Look.

Whatever he had for us

was gone by the time we got here.

Plates were registered to uncle Sam.

Which agency?

Take your pick.

Government motor pool's keeping quiet.

Surprise! Dead end.

Tom: Harry.

To what do we owe this unexpected visit?

Well, after reading your last report

I decided your job was much
more interesting than mine.

Oh? How so?

Oh! Glow-in-the-dark

hide-and-seek d.B.

Your prime released

because he could prove

he was busy with Mr. Spock...

What? April fool's came
a little early this year

or you accidentally turned in your notes

on your science fiction novels?

Because if it's the latter

you got a great career ahead of you.

Not in police work, of course...

Tom: It's all true.

I was afraid you'd say that.

This all related?

Cassy: Dead girl's boyfriend.

I don't think it was the same k*ller.

She was bludgeoned, dumped

sloppy... this was a clean assassination.

I don't think we'll find anything here.

Okay, can you give me a motive?

Like, who hated this guy?

Not personal... he received
something in the mail.

Something worth k*lling for.

Had to be by a pro.

Industrial espionage

some type of government cover-up

maybe, I don't know.

So, what? Now it's a conspiracy?

Aren't they all?

All right, get me

something soon, okay?

See, I got dead earthlings in the morgue

who need your immediate attention.

Understood.

That man has no vision.

So tell me something.

Who's paying xenocon's bills?

This equipment must've cost a fortune.

A Grant; Someone's tax write-off.

Might be worth taking a look at.

What makes you think previn will smile

and just open his book to us?

Hey, come on, we're professionals

we're shrewd, we're bright.

And I can be damn
charming when I want to be.

Yeah. I tried to forget that about you.

I remember hearing something
about this at the academy.

Breaking and entering, I think.

I think I was sick that day.

Cassy: Okay. Yeah, this

is starting to scare me.

Tom: It's about time.

Who are these people?

My guess, they wear bad suits

and drive cars

with untraceable government plates.

What the hell's going on?

Well, this is about Mira solvek

and whatever she gave Henry.

Yeah, but why him?

He said they'd broken up.

I mean, why not give it to her buddy Zack?

Well, because he was
in Puerto Rico at the time

but you'd think, if they
were such good friends

he would've known what she'd found.

Yeah, you'd think, wouldn't you?

Cassy: Who are these people?

I knew it.

When we were married...

My original star wars action figures?

You were just being polite.

Promise me when this is over

you'll bring back the old Tom Ryan.

There he is.

Shh. Don't spook him.

Sergeants.

Cassy: Very impressive, Dr. Salter.

I'm a, sort of an authority on the subject.

What happened at the lab?

You an authority on that?

What are you talking about?

Gone, emptied out.

Like no one was ever there.

Well, that can't be.

Dr. Previn would never let that happen.

Exactly what do you know about him?

Previn? Guy's a legend.

He was taken, you know.

Taken?

In , he wrote the
book on alien abduction.

You can only imagine how flattering it was

to have been asked to work with him.

Are we making you nervous, Zack?

Zack, tell us what you know about penumbra.

I told you before...

And you lied.

Mira told you all about it.

Mira was a very...
secretive person, sergeant.

I don't think she...

Mira called Henry the night she died.

She tried to get ahold of you

but you were in Puerto Rico.

And gave something to
Henry, which k*lled him.

Cassy: What was it?

I don't know.

You can't know... because you know

if you tell, you'll get dead like Henry.

Yes.

Whoever k*lled Mira and Henry

they'll come after you, anyway.

But I never told anyone... it's over.

They're closing it down.

They're not leaving footprints
and k*lling you ensures it.

She'd done it.

Done what?

She'd made contact, with them.

Them.

She had it all on a disk...

All the codes, the right coordinates.

She called me, and she told me

to come home so she could show me herself

somewhere... out there in the swamp.

And look what they did to her.

So, are you telling us

that Mira solvek had contact

with aliens

and these aliens... k*lled her?

Who else?

Thank you for your time, Dr. Salter.

I, I...

Oh, stop. What?

Don't even say it.

No, I wasn't going to say

what you think.

Well, good, because at this point

you're my voice of reason.

A state-of-the-art lab, funded by a Grant.

Who's got the most to lose?

Whoever was crazy enough to give the Grant.

No, who's got the most
to lose by not discovering

that there's extraterrestrial

intelligence

whose reputation would be on the line?

Previn.

Right. He figures that
Mira's onto something.

So he kills her for her discovery.

And then he finds out

that Mira has given Henry the disk.

And so he kills Henry to get it.

So you're previn, you have the disk;

what do you do?

Use it.

This is giving me the creeps.

There you go. Sing along.

To mariachi?

Damn.

Look what I found.

It's previn's.

He could be anywhere.

Well, let's check for footprints

and trampled brush...

Any sign at all.

What kind of sign?

Well, it could be something very subtle.

Does that count?

Yeah.

And "enter"...

No.

No, no!

Do you have any idea what you've done?!

We're more interested in
what you've done, doctor.

You k*lled Mira solvek.

You have no idea.

I was about to make contact!

What, like Mira had?

Yes.

Cassy: Why'd you do it?

There was more than
enough glory to go around.

It was your Grant.

Mira did not understand.

I tried to talk to her

I tried to reason with her

but she got angry.

It had to be me!

I-I-It was supposed to be me...

That was the most important thing!

I was chosen!

You can understand that, at least

can't you?

Whoo!

Oh!

Ahh!

Previn: Oh, oh.

It's gone.

No!

No!

It...

They've gone.

It's gone.

It's go...

Gone now.

They're gone.

Do you think previn's crazy?

Does it matter?

No, I guess not.

You know, a m*rder*r

by any other name...

You know, I'm just,
I'm trying to figure out

how to write this report for Harry.

Because our last one got such rave reviews.

Just tell the truth.

Yeah, you saw his reaction to the truth.

He is not up to it.

You know what, neither am I.

I don't know, I'm going to go home.

I'm going to get a good night's sleep

maybe that'll make me more diplomatic.

Well, just leave that stuff, because

i-I'll be here all night.

Tom...

What?

You're not... no... hey.

Well, it... Harry said

it would make a great
science fiction novel...

You know, it would make a good novel.

I'm changing the names.

Look...

Sergeant candy St. Joseph.

So next year you'll be
touring with Zack salter

doing u.F.O. Conventions?

No. Small-time stuff.

Come on. We're talking about a book deal

screen rights...

Yeah, well, I don't want

any part of this.

Fine.

I was thinking of Sharon stone playing you.

Oh. Really?

Yeah.

What, you think I look like Sharon stone?

Yeah. Dead ringer.

How about Mel Gibson for me?

Oh, yeah.

Uh-huh.

Or Jeff Bridges, or...

Kevin bacon?

Good night.

John Travolta?

Tommy Lee Jones?

Any... Nick nolte?

You'll be so...

You'll be at the premiere, I'm telling you.