03x02 - Bad White

[bunniefuu]

Previously on The Strain...

The Ancients gave me your name.

Who are you?

My name is Quinlan, and you and I have something very much in common.

What's that?

We are both hunting the Master.

The Occido Lumen.

Somewhere in here is the key to the Master's demise. I will use the book to end this plague.

Abraham, how ironic that our duel should end not with a fight, but with a simple transaction in gold.

Both of you can bid it out. The man with the deepest pocket wins.

I guess this is yours, old man. Congratulations.

It seems Eldritch Palmer would rather I have the book than let it fall into the hands of the Master.

(Applause)

You folks are lucky.

You're on the last train out.

(Train horn)

Boy:What just happened?

We've derailed.

Zack!

Stop!

Argh! Ah!

Zack!

Nora.

She took him away with her.

Don't!

Nora.

It's done.

(Man screaming)

Zack is alive. We want the Lumen.

You have a choice to make: the Lumen or Zack.

Man: Yeah. Can we get some more of that culture in that slider, please?

(Creature screaming)

(Creature growling)

(Indistinct talking)

Just make sure there's no trace of the residue in it.

Yes, Doctor.

Man: Here are the reports.

Eight the hard way. My lucky number.

I got a good feeling about this batch.

I'll believe it if you will.

Well, no one ever won a Nobel without taking a risk.

Using polio against glioblastomas? That was one hell of a gamble. It paid off.

Yeah, we're not winning a Nobel. We'll be lucky if we don't end up in jail.

(Indistinct conversations)

(Machine beeping regularly)

She's all set, Doctor.

OK.

The time is 03:00.

We have just introduced Extract 44 intravenously into test subject 5-0-5, a 72-year-old woman with vascular dementia.

Woman: Pulse is increasing! Now, 78.

Temperature's ramping up.

Keep an eye on her blood pressure.

Woman: Yes, Doctor.

(Old woman moaning)

Woman: Tonic-clonic tremors. This is not looking good.

Doctor: 300 milligrams of labetalol!

sh*t! She's spiking.

Code Red!

Code Red!

We need an APAP IV in here, stat!

We've gotta get her temperature down.

2000 MIB. 2000 micrograms!

Load her up and keep it coming!

Get ready to breathe for her.

She's going over.

(Fast beeping)

Move. Clear!

Clear!

(g*nsh*t and long beep)

♪♪ The man from the television ♪
♪ crawled into the train ♪
♪ I wonder who he's gonna ♪
♪ Stick it in this time ♪

(Indistinct conversations)

♪ Everyone is looking for ♪
♪ a little entertainment ♪
♪ So they'll probably ♪
♪ pull his hands off ♪

We'll have, we'll have another round here!

Our recovery team only found one of their bodies.

You run into any strigoi?

Not a one.

The Master must have moved his nesting spot.

But now you know he's here, right?

So, when do we get more troops?

Command's pulling out of New York City.

The mission was to find the King Rat!

The King Muncher! We found him!

I don't know what we found.

Ah, come on.

I lost six good men on those teams, and I got nothing to show for it.

They're cutting bait. We're heading out.

To do what?

Try and control the outbreak in D.C.

The capitol falls; the entire country does.

♪ Things got back to normal as the train began to roll again ♪

I can get you out if you wanna come with us.

I got no desire to save D.C.

Yeah. I got that.

Well... best of luck to you, Fet.

Yeah. You too.

♪ He'd like to go to Spain ♪
♪ Or somewhere like that ♪
♪ With his two-tone Bible and his funny cigarettes ♪
♪ His suntan lotion ♪
♪ And his castanets ♪

Another double.

I got it.

♪ Waiting for the end of the world ♪

Another for me.

Barman: Yes, ma'am!

SEALs are going bye-bye, huh?

Yeah. Sad to say.

♪ Waiting through the end ♪
♪ Of the world ♪

Have you noticed these creatures are getting better? Faster?

They're learning their environment, developing.

And they say we're winning.

Well, it's pretty hard to stamp out a bug that doubles its numbers every couple of days, you know.

♪ All got onto the train ♪

Councilwoman Faraldo talks about how we're taking back this city.

You and I are never gonna see that day.

Just like the song says.

An optimist, huh?

♪ Hiding from a scandal in the national press ♪
♪ They had been trying to get married ♪

Hmm... That's why I'm making the glass half full turn empty.

♪ You may see them drowning ♪
♪ As you stroll along the beach ♪

Barman: Here you go.

To tonight.

All we got is this.

♪ Waiting for the end of the world ♪
♪ Waiting for the end of the world ♪

(Fet growling)

♪ Waiting to the end of the world ♪
♪ Waiting for the end of the world ♪
♪ Waiting for the end of the world ♪
♪ Waiting for the end of the world ♪
♪ Waiting for the end of the world ♪
♪ Waiting for the end of the world ♪♪

Uh... Hmm.

Need to go check on my friends.

Hmm.

It's, uh, Val, right?

(Sigh)

Vasiliy.

And... Kathy, right?

Kate. It's close enough.

Yeah.

Ha!

Uh...

So, uh, see you later tonight maybe?

Maybe.

♪♪

Happy hunting.

Man on radio:Last night, the East Side Safe Zone suffered another incursion at Lexington and East 75th.

Critics of Councilwoman Justine Faraldo point to this as yet another sign that her efforts to secure the city are failing.

_

(g*nf*re)

Distant man: Hurry up! It's coming!

(Siren)

(g*nshots)

Distant man: I want him dead! Lead him in! Lead him in!

(Glass breaking)

(g*nshots)

Distant man: Wait! Don't end it like that!

Hello?

Fet?

Professor Setrakian?

Oof! Ugh!

(Low growling)

How do you know the professor?

Let him go! He's a friend!

(Gasping)

This is Dr. Ephraim Goodweather.

What is this thing?

It's a long story, but a good story.

Come on.

All right.

I am sitting down. Tell me.

Nora didn't make it.

How?

Our train never got out of New York.

Strigoi, hundreds of them, they threw themselves in front of the engine.

It derailed. It was chaos.

I-I got separated from Zack and Nora.

The whole thing was planned.

It had to be.

Of course it was.

Kelly got to them before I could.

By the time I got to Nora, she had been stung.

She was turning, but she was still conscious. She, uh...

She ended it by touching her sword to the third rail.

And your son?

Did the mother turn him as well?

I don't know.

But Nora saw Kelly taking him away.

Fet: Without turning him? Doesn't make any sense.

Why would she do that?

Ephraim: I don't know.

Be careful, Ephraim.

If she did not turn your son, it can only mean the Master plans to use the boy against you.

Why would he give a sh*t about me?

You, you hurt him.

You caused him a setback. You defied him.

I'm, uh... very sorry to hear about Dr. Martinez.

She was, uh... She, uh...

Damn it!

Here you go.

Easy now. Easy now.

That's it.

(Siren blaring outside)

Easy now.

I brought your things.

You remembered.

We could read them together.

Would you like that?

I guess.

(Sound of b*ating pulse)

I want to get out of this room, breathe some fresh air.

You will.

Soon.

It's what you always say, but it never happens.

I miss Dad a lot.

The Master has a...

Has a plan.

I know, but you never say what it is.

In time, you will see we are all part of it.

Even Dad?

He has a role to play.

(Dog barking)

(Siren blaring)

Hahaha!

There it is, boys and girls, Promised Land.

There are no "Safe Street" placards.

It means Faraldo's cops haven't cleared it.

Yeah, but it's worth the risk. My uncle was a major foodie.

We'll be eating like kings.

Have you guys raided a skyscraper before?

Uh-uh.

What floor is his place on?

42nd.

(Helicopter whirring)

If this place is infested, then there may be 42 floors of strigoi between us and the street.

This is stupid!

Cleaned out everywhere else.

If we don't take bigger risks, we starve.

(Dog barking)

Good news is that it's daylight.

And that tower has floor-to-ceiling windows.

So we yank the drapes as we move through it, blast the place with sunlight. Stay out of the shadows.

We get in and out before they know we're there. Understood?

Mm-hmm.

What the hell happened to you?

Back when we were hacking together, you didn't care about risks.

I was naive.

You were fearless.

Yeah.

Well, I'm not anymore.

Look, I know on some level, this infection is apocalyptic, but... look at the upside.

You and I used to talk all the time about breaking the barriers between the haves and the have-nots.

It's happening, Dutch.

The whole city is pressing a restart button.

Oh, God! Are you bloody kidding me, Braden?!

Yeah, we used to talk a lot of sh*t about changing the world, but what did we actually, really accomplish?

We screwed up the computers of a few unscrupulous companies.

Yeah, big wins.

That is nothing compared to what's happening now. Nothing!

There is no restart button.

The entire human race is circling the drain.

This isn't the beginning of anything.

Except maybe the end.

♪♪

(Braden sighs)

We doing this?

Let's do this.

Go.

(g*nshots and explosions)

Woman: You need to cancel this meeting, sir.

You're in no condition.

Don't give me orders, dear.

Ever.

Have I come at a bad time?

Not at all, Herr Eichhorst.

Please come in.

Well, she's certainly a change of pace for you.

I miss Coco.

I'm sure you do, too.

What's done is done.

What can I do for you?

Show me how many people, precisely, have registered their blood types at our Freedom Centers.

I have the figures right here.

This is unacceptable.

Our first two facilities will be coming online soon.

Well, I can't force people to submit to medical exams.

No, but Justine Faraldo can.

She does not answer to me.

But you can influence her.

She knows how important the Freedom Centers are.

Use that.

I'll attend to it right away.

(Distant siren blaring)

Miriam's heart. And Coco's next to it.

So sentimental.

Fitting in its own way.

Could you please put it back! Argh!

Eldritch.

Are you feeling all right?

Please, Eichhorst, I need the white.

Rewards must be earned.

Your ego cost us the Occido Lumen.

If you want the Master's white, you must prove that you have learned your lesson.

Find the Jew, retrieve the book.

Only then will the Master deign to consider your personal needs.

Of course, that's only fair.

But frankly...

I wonder about your sincerity.

I intend to prove myself.

Yes. See that you do.

(Ding!)

These condos used to go for over 2 million a pop.

(Whispering): Shh! No noise.

♪♪

Blinds first.

(Beep!)

Come on!

Please, please, please.

Ha! Jackpot.

Jesus, look at all this stuff!

Woman: Living room's clear.

Braden: Good.

(Siren blaring)

Kimberly, Ron, check the bedroom.

(Helicopter whirring)

Yes! Yes!

Check under the bed.

You check under the bed.

OK. And you get the closet.

(Low growling)

Ron?

Ron?

(Screaming)

Come on!

(Creature screaming)

(Creatures screaming and growling)

Braden!

Ah!

(Click!)

Ah!

Go! Go! Get out of here!

(Screaming and grunting)

Bastards!

(Growling)

(Dutch gasping)

Aah! Ugh!

(Creature screaming)

Aah!

(Creature screaming)

(Helicopter whirring)

(Distant indistinct yelling)

(Siren blaring)

Oh.

(Gasping)

(Sobbing)

(Car alarm system wailing)

323 million dollars.

It got a little out of hand.

We're still in the early stages of translation.

Much of this is written in puzzles and metaphor. Such as this one: "Those who heard the silent voice of the Master fell dumbstruck."

"Silent voice"? Maybe that's like the weird hum that took out the SEALs.

What? What hum?

It's hard to explain. When I was down...

By definition, a hum is not silent.

But bottom line, is there anything in here that tells us how to destroy the Master?

Not with clarity, but it does mention his destruction in several places. Well, for example:

"When the Face of God shineth upon him, his essence is destroyed."

Good. All we have to do is find the face of God.

You missing the metaphor there, Doc?

Three weeks ago, you didn't believe strigoi existed, because I didn't explain them in scientific terms. How is this different?

We're not going to win this w*r by deciphering a magic spell.

Do you think these scholars made all this up?

No! They witnessed a real event!

We just don't know what it was.

Well, it sounds like they're talking about sunlight.

But we know that doesn't work.

I disagree.

The sun b*rned him.

Perhaps a longer exposure would have, uh...

Does it say that in the Lumen?

No. In fact, it states that this event must take place during an occultation.

We just had an eclipse.

When's the next one?

Yeah, I looked it up.

For New York City, it's April 8, 2024.

What's your take, Fet?

It's not a clear-cut recipe for success, but, um...

I think the professor will figure it out.

The Master went to extraordinary lengths to keep the Lumen out of our hands.

That alone tells us it's valuable.

If you say so.

Move. Clear!

(Fast beeping)

(g*nsh*t)

After all the resources I've poured into this project, this is what you bring me?

Every iteration of this substance has triggered convulsions, heart failure, catatonia.

Not one subject improved. All of them had to be terminated.

I've given your people unlimited funding, security, the best food and housing available.

You have a chance to save the world.

What's the problem here?

The problem is that money cannot change biology.

I know this works!

I've seen it work.

You've seen it work?

Well, if you've seen it work, show me the evidence.

No. Your job is to provide me with the evidence!

There is none! Strigoi blood is flat -out toxic to human beings. Period.

This woman, this patient, came to your Freedom Center for help.

Yes, we told her the treatment was experimental, but we didn't tell her it might end with a b*llet in the brain.

I won't do this anymore, Mr. Palmer.

Goodbye.

♪♪

(Palmer sighs.)

The professor tells me you lost your son... and that your companion was k*lled.

Yet you waited all this time to come here and share the tragic news.

What prompted you to come now?

Took me a while to find them.

Suddenly, you had the epiphany to ask this Faraldo woman where they were.

I can see how it would take a week to think of that.

(Distant explosions)

I wasn't ready to talk about it.

If you were capable of feelings, you'd understand.

I exist free of the Master's leash.

I've experienced the same emotions as you.

Oh, right, you're half human. I've been meaning to ask you about that. How does that work?

Strigoi don't have plumbing for procreation.

Did your mom go to a fertility clinic for the undead?

Does it give you pleasure to bait me?

Or are you simply trying to distract me from discovering your true purpose here?

I was just trying to figure you out.

You're... half human who feeds on people, but you've thrown your lot in with a strigoi hunter.

I mean, don't tell me you believe in that magic book.

You ridicule the Lumen, yet you take a keen interest in it.

I like good fiction.

I've lived a long time, Doctor.

I saw Emperor Domitian slain by his own court.

I witnessed Giuliano Medici's m*rder during Easter services and watched the Borgias strangle their own.

Over the centuries, I've developed a keen nose for treachery, so I must wonder, what's the real reason you're here?

♪♪

It's funny, I was wondering the same thing about you.

The whole thing was so random.

There's nothing random about it.

You want to know what caused this plague? Overpopulation.

It was only a matter of time before a virus mutated into something that would take out the human race.

If you ask me... we deserved it.

(Clinking noise)

You hear that?

Someone's here.

Check.

Come on.

(Footsteps)

Jesus, Dutch!

You scared the sh*t out of us!

You OK?

Glad to see you made it back.

No thanks to you.

Was I supposed to do? Die with you?

Do I look dead?!

(Distant g*nf*re)

What are you doing, Dutch?

Taking my fair share.

Hold still. Come here.

Stop screwing around.

Look, I know you're pissed, but this isn't cool.

You don't see sh*t!

(Squelching sounds)

Oh my God!

Oh, Christ!

No!

Oh no, no, no, no! No, no, no, no!

This can't happen to me!

What should we do?

The only cure is "headectomy."

You want us to cut off his head?!

If you don't, he'll turn and he'll come after you.

But I'm not gonna do it. He's your problem.

You can't leave us here with him!

Great. Thanks, Dutch.

She doesn't give a sh*t about us.

She only cares about...

(Black woman screaming)

There.

It's done.

(Black woman crying)

Good?

It's the first decent food I've had in weeks.

This club used to serve food to its members.

The kitchen is well provisioned.

I'll have to come by here more often.

I've been thinking about what you said before, about Zack.

Even if the Master is keeping him alive just to get to me, I could still get him back.

I suppose there's a small chance. I know that's not what you want to hear, but...

Any chance is better than no chance.

And if I can get that opportunity...

Then you should take it. But you must beware.

The Master knows your desire.

You could be playing right into his hands.

Of course.

I'm very fond of Zack. Should an opportunity to rescue him arise, I'll do what I can to assist you.

I appreciate that.

And our best hope of creating that opportunity is the Lumen.

It will provide me the key to destroying the Master.

And when I do, perhaps we can recover your boy.

(Door opening)

Professor, just got a message through Faraldo's people.

Rudyard Fonescu wants to meet with you.

Who?

For 40 years he possessed the Lumen.

Did he say where and when?

West 15th under the High Line, an hour.

Then we should go now.

I suppose I better...

No, no. Stay. Help yourself to some more stew.

I thought Rudyard Fonescu took his money and ran.

What's he doing still kicking around New York?

Hopefully, he has further information about the Lumen to sell.

Or we could be walking into an ambush.

Get back!

Distant woman: Get out of here! Go!

(Vehicle doors closing)

Put down the g*n.

Let's hear what he has to say.

Apologies for the Fonescu ruse, but I know you wouldn't come otherwise.

What do you want, Eldritch?

I want to strike a deal.

Go on.

I am willing to remove myself from the game, leave New York, withdraw all my support for the Master.

You'll forgive my disbelief.

Oh, I am still essential to the Master.

And there are still a few critical moves to be made, which require my participation if they are to succeed.

If I abandon the Master, you will gain a massive advantage over him.

For that, I want something in return.

And what would that be?

The formula.

What formula?

For the white.

Abraham, you're a very, very old man.

There is only one explanation for your extraordinary vigour.

Strigoi blood.

You've found a way to refine it, haven't you, so you can remain human yet benefit from its restorative effects.

That's insane.

And what if I have?

Give me the formula; I will walk away forever leaving the Master exposed.

You can save this city and the human race. Your life's quest will come to a successful end.

It costs you nothing.

You have everything to gain.

Do we have a deal?

I remember another handshake years ago in Vienna and the betrayal that followed.

Yes, I betrayed you.

Now, I want to make amends.

I hope it's not too late for redemption.

You may call it redemption, but I have another word for it ... treachery.

I have the Lumen and I have the white.

What do you have?

I have the power to alter the outcome.

You can go to hell, Eldritch, where you belong.

So, uh, how long you been taking that stuff?

Strigoi blood.

Off and on for 41 years.

How'd you figure out a way to keep it from turning you full muncher?

Edvard Frankel, an old strigoi hunter I knew in Vienna, taught me the formula.

It's been handed down among selected alchemists since the third century.

And what? You're gonna live forever like Quinlan?

No. The white will extend my life a few more years, allow me to continue the fight.

But Palmer's mistaken.

It will not give him eternal life.

No need to tell him that.

Better he thinks otherwise.

We certainly can't trust him.

But we may be able to manipulate him.

♪♪

I made you some food.

Cool.

Can you put it on the table for me?

Yeah.

You've been reading.

Not much else to do.

(Slow fan noise)

Would you like me to read with you?

Maybe later.

I'm tired.

It's good to eat.

So, when can I go to see Dad?

Soon.

Your new favourite word.

I know it is difficult, but we must be patient.

(Sound of b*ating pulse)

(The sound of the pulse stops.)

(Slow fan noise)

I wanna go to bed.

Good night.

Good night, my dear one.

(Footsteps retreating)

(Distant door opening and closing)

(Chain clanking)

(Steady thumping)

(Squelching)

(Steady pumping)

Mom?

(Growling)

(Suspenseful music)

(Zack gasping)

Zack!

(Zack gasping for breath)

(Clanking)

(Zack gasping for breath)

(Zack gasping for breath)

Mom, I can't breathe.

Help me.

(Sound of b*ating pulse)

No, Mom.

No!

(Zack gasping for breath)

(Zack coughing)

(Zack gasping for breath)

No.

No.

(Zack gradually breathing easier)

(Low buzzing)

(Distant siren blaring)

(Handle clanking)

Quinlan: What did the Master offer you for it?

My son.

He will not keep his end of the bargain.

It's the only sh*t I have.

There's another option, which offers far greater chance of success.

What's that?

The Lumen will bring the Master out of hiding.

When he comes for it, I'll k*ll him.

Why?

My grievance is personal.

How do I know you can get the job done?

I've been preparing for this... job for over a thousand years.

It's not what's in the book that will destroy him, but what we do with it.

You turn off the UV lights, that lock is child's play for me.

What do you say, Dr. Goodweather?

Together we can use the book to save the world... and your son.