08x12 - Medusa

[bunniefuu]

I'm on the Clay Street platform. Got a fare jumper. White male, shaved head‘ 205.

Possible 10-13.

Officer Philbrick. All clear.

Deputy Chief Karras, Transit Police. Lieutenant Bianco.

You're Scully and Doggett? Yes.

Is the assessment team here? Downstairs, waiting. Where have you been?

Agent Scully needed to examine the body of the victim first.

Who's missing the picture here? I got lots of people can examine the body.

What I need from the FBI now is a time frame.

A time frame?

A main artery of the Boston transport system has been closed for exactly 11 hours and four minutes.

My phone is ringing off the hook with calls from the press.

I got 100,000 pissed-off commuters who were late to work, who will be even more pissed off if they can't get home.

And I got one extremely pissed-off mayor paying me to keep the damn trains running.

We appreciate the pressure you're under... It's you guys better kick it in the ass.

The afternoon rush starts in five hours.

Do what you gotta do, but the line is going back into operation at 4 p.m.

I'm afraid you can't do that. Yes, I can.

You've got a dead man who's got over one third of his body tissue eaten away, and until we figure out how and why, that tunnel cannot be reopened.

We understand the FBI's need to do an investigation, but, as I see it, the facts of this case are pretty simple.

Simple? The train briefly lost power, during which time an assailant k*lled a Boston transit cop.

That man is still at large.

An assailant using what? Acid? Lye?

Your examination must‘ve told you. No, it didn't. That's the thing.

Until we culture the tissue and run tests, we won't know what k*lled him or if it can infect others.

The Centers for Disease Control had robotic sniffers in the tunnel all night.

They found no trace of biological or chemical agents.

So let's clear this up.

What we're looking for is a man - a cop k*ller. A single suspect.

At least, that's your cover story. That's what you're telling the press.

The question is: can you get me the k*ller or an explanation in five hours?

Cos, hell or high water, the subway reopens at 4 p.m. sharp.

Now let's go.

Steven Melnick. Transportation Authority's chief structural engineer. He built this tunnel.

I only oversaw construction of it four years ago. I know every square inch down there.

Dr Hellura Lyle, Special Pathogens Branch, CDC.

We were told the tunnel was clear of pathogens.

Well, I guess I'm just here for the moral support.

We're just covering our bases.

What base are they covering? Agent Scully is a medical doctor, who, they tell me, has a lot of experience with equivocal death.

Equivocal?

I mean, you're dead or you're not, right?

Deaths which may have many explanations or for which an explanation may be hard to find.

What about you?

I'm just a good sh*t. Good.

Now that we're bosom buddies, let's get this show on the road.

You need some help with that? No.

You're going in without me. What?

I don't know what games are being played but I'm gonna be much more effective analyzing the situation from up here.

Yeah, then I'm just a tag along here.

This is your thing. You've got all the experience.

You've got capable people with you, Agent Doggett.

What I need down there are eyes and ears.

OK.

I'll be your eyes and ears.

Only I wish someone would tell me what the hell it is I'm supposed to be looking for.

Third rail's powering down.

You're clear to enter the subway floor.

As long as you stay on this line, there should be no risk of accidental shock or electrocution.

You copy that, Agent Doggett? Yep. We're on the tunnel floor.

Hope you got yourself a nice, clear picture, Agent Scully.

We got you every step of the way.

Ooh, it feels like Atlanta in August. Yeah. It's the middle of winter.

How come it's so hot down here? They shut down ventilation last night.

Normally you have almost a million cubic feet of fresh air per minute pushing through here.

But now we're in a sweat box.

Aren't we lucky! Hot, sticky, and crawling in the dark.

All so every commuter in Boston can get home to watch Survivor ll.

I wonder why they shut down the ventilation if it's a man we're looking for.

If you doubt that so much, Agent Doggett, why bring a g*n?

Agent Doggett, you still reading me?

Like a songbird, Agent Scully.

My neck! Get it off! What's going on?

It's burning! Hold still.

What just happened?

He's got a burn on his neck, silver-dollar size.

You get seepage down here? Yeah, constantly.

This line was tunneled through landfill adjacent to the harbour. Part of the Big Dig.

There was a puddle 20 yards back.

You hear that, Agent Scully? Yeah. Ask Dr Lyle if she can get a sample.

We need you to get a sample. OK. I'm on it.

Maybe it's not a man we're looking for, but some sort of toxic leak.

We were told there are no contaminants down here.

Tell her I'm sending this.

We're transmitting.

You online, Agent Scully? Yeah, I got it.

I'm getting a reading.

Sample analysis is showing carbon, bromide, boron and calcium.

It's just sea water.

Let me get on the phone. Maybe I can get a molecular analysis.

Four hours, Agent Scully.

Take it easy.

Agent Doggett!

What?

What is it? There's somebody in the tunnel.

All right, let's go find him.

Open this line in four hours, passengers'll get more than just a ride.

They'll get a steam bath to boot.

What are you doing?

If this guy was gonna sh**t me, he had his chance. Besides, I'm sweatin' like a pig.

Mr Melnick, what's this?

It's a tunnel from the old system. Been shut down for years.

You see this, Agent Scully? You have this on your graphic?

Yeah. It's a fork in the line.

That line is obsolete. It's been gutted and decommissioned.

How far from here to where the train lost power, Agent Scully?

It's about a mile up the main tunnel.

He's gonna waste valuable time going in there.

Agent Doggett?

Agent Doggett. I'm just taking a look.

Let's get out of here.

Mr Melnick, what's your call?

Is there any good reason to pursue this section?

Lots of places to hide in here.

Dr Lyle? Agent Doggett, look out!

Agent Doggett, what happened?

Can you hear me?

Yeah.

No... give me a minute.

What hit me?

He came at you like some kind of phantom.

What did?

Agent Doggett?

Would you call that equivocal? Agent Scully?

Uh...

OK, I see it.

Um... I'm gonna need some data.

Agent Scully needs some data. I'm already on it.

I think this guy k*lled Officer Philbrick.

I'm transmitting some photos.

Here comes your data, Agent Scully.

Oh, my God.

Where are you goin'? I think I just saw something.

What's the problem? There's no problem.

This man fits the description called in by my transit cop.

We've found what we were looking for. Let's get him wrapped up and go home.

See it? There's something on the floor.

Agent Scully, we got bodies.

Looks like three males.

Agent Scully? Yeah, I see 'em.

Can you get any closer?

The smell's a little overpowering.

They've been here for a while.

Someone wrapped 'em up and stashed 'em here.

Can you get them uncovered?

They look like squatters, from the way they're dressed.

I'm not sure I wanna touch these.

I see signs of the same tissue degradation we saw in the other victims.

We may have a contagion here after all.

What did she say?

Dr Lyle! Down here.

CDC may be wrong.

Somebody's over here!

Agent Doggett?

Whatever she saw...

What did you see? Somebody out here just took off.

I don't see where. We're done down here.

Agent Doggett. Hold it, Lieutenant.

If there's somebody else down there, you need to find them.

What are you doing? Get those people out.

They found three dead bodies. I want to know what happened to them.

They are in an obsolete, decommissioned tunnel.

I'll get a crew down there tonight, after rush hour, They could be infected and contagious.

With what? Sea water?

You are being irrational here.

The CDC says there are no contaminants. I'm gonna take their word on it.

Then who are those dead men and how did they die?

Probably tunnel rats, squatters, att*cked by the same man who k*lled my transit cop.

Then take a look at the man who fits the description of your k*ller, OK?

Just look at his injuries. He d*ed the same way.

There is something down there. I will not risk bringing it up here until I figure out what it is!

Agent Scully? Yeah?

What do you want us to do?

Leave those bodies where you found them and go after whoever is in that tunnel.

We need to know whether he is causing this, or if he's infected himself.

Either way, he may k*ll more people.

I'm sure Dr Lyle will agree.

All right, we just got our order.

We're gonna continue on. Says who?

Says the boss.

Agent Doggett.

This agent you work with deals with weird stuff, right?

She works on something called the X-Files. FBI cases of unexplained phenomena.

You know her at all? Yeah, I know her.

We've worked together for a short time.

I wonder why she sent you down here instead of coming herself.

It's the right call.

You got a problem, Lieutenant?

Yeah, when somebody I don't know keeps me down here in the dark looking for jack squat when we've already found our man.

It's a question of contagion. It's a question of who's in charge.

Agent Doggett?

Yeah. You all right down there?

Fine.

What have you got for us?

You're about 50 yards from the spot where the train stopped.

What am I looking for?

I don't know.

Anything.

Get it off me. Get it off me!

What is it? I don't know, but it burns!

Just hold still. Let us see it. It burns!

What is it? What's happening?

Agent Doggett? I can't tell what it is.

Agent Scully, talk to me!

Yeah, um... Get some fresh water on it.

Give me water here!

What the hell was that?

I don't know, and I don't like it that you don't. Agent Scully, talk to me!

I don't know what to say. It's... it's something attacking the dermis.

Attacking?! It ate his arm off!

I hate to say this, but it looks like some kind of biochemical w*apon.

Great.

What? What did she say?

She said a lot of people might be taking cabs home tonight.

What the hell is this thing?!

It might be a t*rror1st using a biochemical agent.

Might? Is she guessin'?

Agent Doggett, I pulled up a map of the subway grid where you are now.

I want you to listen to me.

She says this tunnel connects to another tunnel 100 yards up.

It's the only place this guy could be hiding.

This man ain't goin' nowhere. Then you take care of him.

I'll have a HAZMAT team come down here.

Lieutenant, let's go.

We're gonna get you out of here. Come on. Come on.

I got you, buddy. Hang in there.

Dr Lyle.

Dr Lyle, how are you feeling? Me?

I seem to be OK, but Melnick is getting worse.

Vehicles are on the way. The CDC doctors know of your conditions.

What are they gonna be treating us for?

How are they gonna treat Melnick? I'm working on that.

Hey!

What are you doing?!

Hey! Where are you taking them? Those bodies go to the CDC.

As a federal agent, I order you to stop.

Agent Scully, we are on a deadline here which is fast approaching.

These bodies need immediate examination and diagnosis.

That is being arranged. By whom? I already arranged it.

You knew those bodies were down there. Watch yourself, Agent Scully.

Look at the way they're wrapped.

Somebody sealed them in plastic hoping they wouldn't be found.

If you sent my partner down there knowing about this...

You are way out of line here.

I want to see inspection reports.

I want to know who was down there in that tunnel and what they saw.

I'll get you anything you want. Good.

Let's get these bodies to the CDC where they're supposed to go.

What's this here, Lieutenant? Abandoned station. Old stop.

Agent Scully.

Agent Scully.

Here we are, pissin' away our time, and she's asleep at the wheel.

Agent Scully.

Come on, Agent Doggett. Make a decision. Let's get out of here.

We gotta find whoever it is that's still down here, Lieutenant.

And what if we don't find him?

Maybe it'll be us they find lying face down on the floor, dead.

Agent Scully knows what she's doing.

This is about saving people's lives. It looks like it's about saving her life.

If she knows what she's doing, why hasn't she figured it out yet?

Lieutenant...

Walk towards me. What?

What, damn it?

The stuff's on me.

You see that? It's spreading.

I told you we should've gotten out.

That's exactly why we gotta stay.

You saw. You saw what it does!

Yeah, I saw what it did.

But I don't see it having any other effect on you, so just calm down.

No. I'm gettin' out of here. I'm leavin'.

You'd do it, wouldn't you? Not because I want to, But you're pushin' pretty hard.

So put your w*apon down, Lieutenant, right now.

Now, we're gonna get out of here, but we're gonna wait for the OK.

Agent Doggett?

Agent Doggett, can you...

Agent Doggett?

Come in, Agent Doggett.

Agent Doggett?

Come in, damn it!

Is this a bad time?

Excuse me?

I don't know. I'm looking for an FBI agent, Dana Scully.

Do you know where I can find him? No. Yes. I mean, I'm she.

Can I help you? Yes. I'm Dr Kai Bowe.

I was sent a scribbled note and a salt water sample for analysis.

I'm a marine biologist from BU.

I'm sorry. Yes. Dr Bowe, please.

Did you get an analysis? Yes. I have something to show you.

I'm going to assume you're in a hurry.

This is an image taken from a stereo-microscope of what's called a medusa.

Your saltwater sample was deceiving.

Its components are as you'd expect, except for higher levels of calcium.

This creature is primarily that.

Calcium? Yes.

It's what powers its movement and gives it bioluminescenoe.

So you're saying that this is a sea creature.

Which is why the CDC missed it. Well, it's hard to find.

I dare say I'm not even sure if it's of the sea, but... wherever it's from, it's quite incredible.

It's k*lling people.

How? I don't know.

There is sea water in that tunnel, and it's eating people's flesh off.

It's producing some kind of a reaction that looks almost electrical.

On contact? No. Something triggers it.

Have you been in the tunnel? No, I have not.

But my partner is down there, and I fear the worst,

Hey! Hey!

Anybody out there?!

Somebody!

Anybody hear me?!

Anybody?!

Agent Doggett?

Agent Doggett, can you hear me?

Agent Doggett. Yeah.

I'm here. I hear you.

God, you frightened me. I, uh... I started fearing the worst.

No, l... I got blindsided by...

I don't see Lieutenant Bianco.

He's infected with something. I saw it glowin' on his skin.

And what's your condition, Agent Doggett?

I'm gonna assume it's not good.

I'm gonna send a quarantine unit down to get you. I want you to stay right where you are.

I appreciate it, but I can't do that.

If we're gonna stop the spread of this thing, I gotta stop Lieutenant Bianco.

Dr Bowe, I need you to get on the phone with the CDC. Tell them everything we know.

We have to learn as quickly as possible what sets this thing off.

Look, I need you to blockade any and every exit from this system.

You've got a possible outbreak situation.

That's not going to happen. No, you listen to me.

Your lieutenant is infected and at large in the system, looking for a way out.

I hear you.

It's just that there are already passengers waiting on the platform.

Agent Doggett, we've got a new wrinkle.

Don't tell me.

We're running out of time. It's 20 to four.

I'm moving as fast as I can. You shouldn't be moving at all.

In 20 minutes I'll be taking a long bath at the hotel. Right now, I gotta find this guy.

This organism that's on your skin, something triggers it, and I don't know what.

It could be body temperature or heart rate.

It could be from standin' still too, right?

Maybe the only thing keeping me from sparkin' up right now is that I'm movin'.

Yeah. I guess you're right.

I'm gettin' out of this thing, Agent Scully.

Just make sure Karras holds those trains till I find Bianco.

He's got passengers waiting at the next station.

You tell that son of a bitch he's gotta clear the system. He's...

Wait. I see something.

Lieutenant...

He's hurt.

You see this, Dr Bowe?

You see this, Mr Karras?

You got the CDC? I need anything they can give me about what sets this organism off.

An idea, a notion, a wild guess.

Agent Scully, what do you want me to do?

Get out of there, Agent Doggett.

What about this man?

I'm gonna send a HAZMAT team down for him, but from what I've seen... the reaction's progressive.

Please, Agent Doggett, don't leave me here.

I hope you enjoy the ride.

See this, Agent Scully?

Yeah.

Who else is down there? We don't know.

You there! Stop!

Federal agent! I'm armed!

Agent Scully, you believe this?

Who are you? What's your name? What are you doin' down here?

What's he pointing at?

I don't know.

Is he infected? Agent Doggett, turn the light away.

Nothing. He's unaffected.

How's that? I think I just figured it out.

I might know what triggers this.

What is it? Sweat.

Perspiration is a conductor for calcium ions, promoting a chemical-electrical reaction.

Electricity? That's right.

The boy's sweat glands aren't fully developed, so he wouldn't be as conductive.

Just my luck.

Agent Doggett, where is he going? I don't know, but he wants me to follow him.

Agent Scully, I don't know if you can see this. I think I found the source of the contagion.

Looks like a big leak in the ceiling is crumbling the walls, flooding into the system.

It must have seeped in from the bay.

Hey. Where are you goin'?

You see this? The kid's walkin' right through this stuff.

Yeah. I'm... I'm checking my graphic here.

It... it looks like he's trying to lead you through to a tunnel on the main system.

And if this is accurate, it would put you about 400 yards from an access point.

If I could put a HAZMAT team together, we might be able to have you out in 15 minutes.

Come on, Lieutenant.

We're through to the main system, Agent Scully. We got big problems here.

Yes, we do.

You see this floodin'? No, it's worse than that.

I think this moron Karras has started the trains rolling.

Agent Doggett, what are you doing?

Agent Doggett?

Get off the tracks, Agent Doggett. Get out of there!

We got people on the train. They could get infected.

Get out of there, Agent Doggett!

Give it to me. Give it to me!

I got an idea, Agent Scully.

Agent Doggett?

Talk to me, Agent Doggett.

Agent Doggett? Are you there?

Can you hear me?

Yeah! Yeah, I'm here.

Thank God. Uh...

I lost you on the visual.

OK.

OK, I've got you. You're back.

Are you OK?

I can only hope, Agent Scully.

Nurse!

Nurse!

Where do you think you're going?

To find the nurse. She said she was gonna talk to the doctor about me goin' home.

I could be dyin' in here for all she knows.

Well, you're not, Agent Doggett.

Your skin and body are rid of the organism. A simple alcohol bath cleaned you right up.

I was just down talking to the nurse and...

I told her I'd come and give you the news.

Well, can I get outta here?

Yes.

What about the others?

Well, the kid is with Social Services.

Plastic surgeons are working on Melnick and Bianco.

And Dr Lyle has been discharged.

You know, I'd like to think that this is over.

But there's gonna be hell to pay for these guys.

No, it's over, Agent Doggett.

Excuse me?

This guy Karras put a train back on the tracks.

He recklessly endangered people's lives. But there is no proof of that.

What do you mean, there's no proof?

What I'm saying is that the organism is no longer extant.

It's destroyed. By what?

I'm guessing by the electrical charge that you set off.

We got victims. Dead bodies.

Infected by a pathogen of unknown aetiology.

Look, Agent Doggett, not a criminal charge is gonna stick.

These guys were just doing their job.

Keeping the trains running.

But they've got you to thank.

And not just for saving their butts.

No. You figured it out.

I was just your eyes and ears.

Agent Scully...

Let's go home.

I made this!