01x02 - Episode 2

[bunniefuu]

Anomalies are starting to appear.

Doorways in time to worlds we can barely imagine.

The anomalies are conclusive proof that the past exists.

In a fourth dimension is real and solid as those we already know.

Our job is to predict and contain them.

Under the circumstances I'm going to allow your exploratory mission into the anomaly.

People, somebody's been here before us.

- Whatever it was it didn't get far.

- It's H.

C.

It's Hellen Cutter.

Helen Cutter came to this area eight years ago.

She disappeared in the forest, her body was never found.

Helen! I'd lost her.

And now I think she's back from the dead.

PRIMEVAL 1x02 London Underground apologises for the delay to the journey due to signalling problems at Parsons Green.

They're called anomalies, but I can't say any more.

Official Secrets Act.

But I will tell you this, I've seen a gorgonopsid.

Face-to-face.

And trust me, it's not pretty.

Just how stupid do you think we are Conn? But it's all true.

All right, I swear on my Empire Strikes Back first edition poster, signed by Luke Skywalker and David Prowse.

Ooh, careful.

That's invoking a sacred relic.

Yeah.

Like the Bible.

Yeah, I know what a sacred relic is, Duncan.

I have seen Raiders of the Lost Ark.

Space-time anomalies and dinosaurs it sound like someone's been overdoing the Playstation.

I can prove it.

- Only that I'm not allowed it.

- Right.

You know, one day you're going to be gutted you didn't believe me.

- He's lost it.

- Totally.

That's the saddest thing I've seen since Matrix Revolutions.

What's weird is he actually seems to believe it.

There's ten years of Helen's work here.

- Keep looking.

- You've read every word she ever wrote.

Yes, but we didn't know about the anomaly then.

There might be references to it in Helen's work that we overlooked.

If she knew about it, she would have told you.

Hello? Helen! Are you alright? Just haven't been sleeping very well.

Hi Fred.

Abby, open up! I think I've found another anomaly.

Two secs! Hi.

Wow! Come in.

This place is super cool.

I mean it is… wow.

Is it me or is it just really hot in here? Um, I'll get changed.

You should read this.

- Where did you get this? - Internet.

On the weird sightings forum.

It looks to me like another anomaly.

We should check it out.

What does Cutter say? I haven't actually told him yet.

You know, I could be wrong, and I don't want him to think I'm an idiot.

He already thinks you're an idiot.

Thanks very much.

Come on, think how impressed he'll be if I'm right.

I still think you should tell him.

Rex? Um, he came back.

Kidnapping helpless lizards? I didn't want Lester's people getting hold of him again.

That explains why you're keeping the place so hot.

- You won't tell anyone? - No, I mean, you can rely on me.

So how's about it.

You in? Um, maybe we should just let someone know.

Come on, this is our chance to show him that we're useful.

Come on Abby.

We're pals now right? Right? You never know.

We could find a new little playmate for Rex.

They could get together and talk about really old times.

The Forest of Dean is completely clear.

I've left Ryan in charge of mopping up.

There's been a lot of Internet chatter but we've got natural disbelief on our side.

- Eyewitnesses? - The schoolteacher's in shock.

I'm positive we can keep her away from the papers.

And the boy will be no problem.

Thank you.

Pity the monster didn't eat them both.

That would have been the neatest solution.

Joke.

- What about Cutter? - What about him? I don't like anyone to whom the adjective 'maverick' might be applied.

Cutter virtually owns the copyright.

He may be a little unconventional in his methods, but he's the closest thing we've got to an expert.

You've taken to him, haven't you? I trust him, if that's what you mean? Of course, what else? Very well, we'll keep him on side for the time being.

I'd rather have him inside the proverbial tent than out.

Maybe this wasn't such a great idea.

You can hold my hand if you're frightened.

And how is that going to make me feel better? I just don't think we should be doing this on our own.

Stop worrying.

If it's another gorgonopsid, just run like hell.

Shut up Connor.

I was just saying… You didn't reply to any of my messages, so I came in person.

You know, I've been going through some of Helen's papers.

Please.

It was my fault that she disappeared.

Why? I was supposed to go with her on that last field trip, but we had a row.

Another row.

She'd become obsessed with theories that I found, - well, ridiculous.

You mean she was onto the anomaly? Not as such, but she'd become convinced that there was no conventional scientific answers to certain evolutionary puzzles.

And, well, obviously she was right.

- Nobody could have guessed that.

- Yes, but she did.

You're not to blame for her death you know.

What makes you so sure she's dead? She was lost 200 million years away in the past.

What else could she be? The tent's only big enough for one.

You should have brought your own.

I like sleeping out.

Don't really look the type.

I did the Duke of Edinburgh award, you know.

For a morning.

Until I sprained my ankle.

I'm freezing.

We should huddle together for warmth.

Or not.

Can I ask you a personal question? Go ahead.

Anything.

Is Stephen seeing anybody? - Stephen? - Has he said anything about me? Uh, no.

Not that I can remember, no.

Actually I've never seen him with a woman.

He might not like them.

- Could be gay.

- He's gay? Well, I never said he was.

I just said he could be.

But you don't know.

Not conclusively.

No.

I'll keep first watch then, shall I? - So tell me the plan.

- What plan? What else can we do? Well, we could start off by telling everyone the truth.

- No.

- Why? Right now, this is just a rumour mill for Internet conspiracy freaks and we can contain that.

The alternatives are panic, hysteria and potential lawlessness.

Simply unviable.

A cover up.

Connor will be thrilled.

It's not a cover up.

Well, okay, it is.

But we have to do it.

Text from Abby.

Connor thinks he's onto another anomaly.

- They've gone to investigate.

- Where are they? New Forest.

She's not exactly sure where.

- Connor, wake up! - What? Oh my god.

Quick! - Careful, it bites! - You idiots! - Look, I know what you're going to say.

- We're sorry.

The police aren't going to prosecute you for trespassing.

Supposing it had been a predator.

What were you going to do? Tame it? You knew exactly what was at stake but you just couldn't keep your mouth shut.

It's just so big.

I had to tell somebody.

I'm sorry.

I am.

I blew it.

Go back to college.

Get on with your work.

I'll find you another supervisor.

- I'm just as much to blame as he is.

- Just as stupid, maybe.

But you didn't shout your mouth off and you've got skills I can use.

You stay.

This kind of thing doesn't normally interest the government.

We like to keep an eye on violent crime, Dr Lewis.

Especially when there's unusual circumstances.

Well, he was found early this morning in the Underground.

He'd been spraying the tunnels for vermin.

Judging from the size of the wound, he'd been att*cked with a Kn*fe or an axe, - but it makes no sense.

- Why not? It's not the wound that's k*lling him, it's poison.

Are you suggesting that someone took an axe to him, and then injected poison into the wound? Venom, to be precise.

As in snakes and insects? We're running every test we can think of, but the truth is, we just don't know what we're dealing with.

Did he say anything before he lost consciousness? He was babbling about monsters.

It's a single puncture mark, but it's not a Kn*fe and it's not an axe.

It's more like a bite.

From what? Good question.

I can't close the underground on a wild hunch.

Something injected a fatal dose of venom into his bloodstream.

There could be a perfectly rational explanation.

Oh, now that I'd love to hear.

And how do you suggest I explain this to the Mayor? 'Excuse me sir, would you mind terribly throwing the whole bloody underground into chaos because we think there may be a fare-dodging creepy-crawly on the loose somewhere'? We're not talking about shutting down the whole system, just the area where the att*ck took place.

There's a whole network of disused tunnels down there.

Yes, very well.

Vision on, guys.

- We should be down there with them.

- Special Forces go in first.

You didn't think Lester was going to let you have it all your own way? They don't even know what they're looking for.

There can't be that many different types of venomous predator under the Aldwych.

You should see the last tube home on a Friday night.

Here, clear it.

Ready, go.

Last one in.

Clear so far.

Keep it really tight, lads.

Moving down.

Push forward, cover the exit.

Pull tight! Keep it tight.

Close in! Above! Above! Get off! They're everywhere! Hold your fire! Withdraw! They were like spiders, but with pincers, not fangs.

Some of them over a meter long.

- Horrible little - Look, tell me how you feel.

Sick.

My ears are ringing… - Any blurred vision? - No.

But there's something else.

The g*nshots were too bright, like fireworks.

That's classic signs of excess oxygen in the atmosphere.

A richer, more heavily oxygenated air must be seeping through from another anomaly.

We're not talking about the Permian era any longer.

This is much, much earlier.

How much earlier? Maybe the Carboniferous about 300 million years ago.

We really need to see exactly what these creatures look like.

I need to see this for myself.

- Okay, go.

- Lets get some gear.

Oh, you wear it well.

You look good.

Now, we need torches.

The most powerful you can find.

- Take night vision goggles.

- Vision isn't the issue.

Well, the pest controller d*ed a few minutes ago.

They're running tests on our casualty now.

What's she doing? Abby's got more practical experience with animals than the rest of us put together.

I don't care if she's Doctor Dolittle.

Sorry, it's just too risky.

I can help.

I've just finished a study in insect behaviour.

Torches.

- Is that true? - Kind of To tell you the truth, spiders aren't really my thing.

Yeah, well, technically these are probably scorpions.

I feel better already.

On the floor.

That's what I thought, they're sensitive to the light.

Does anyone have a really big slipper? I don't like this.

Cutter.

What's happening to us? Guys What is it? I don't know.

It's not a spider.

Run away! Cutter, what's going on? There's another creature down here.

But don't worry, we're coming out.

Stephen, Stephen can you see it? No! Stephen! - Go! - Nick! - Go, go! Get Abby out of here! - Come on! Damn.

- Nick - Hello? - Nick - Who's there? Helen? Cutter? Come in.

All I'm getting is interference.

Look.

There's no other way out.

This tunnel was blocked 30 years ago.

What? Then why isn't he back here? Look, he's got to be trapped, okay? I'm going back in.

No-one goes anywhere until we know what we're dealing with.

He could be injured.

I don't want to leave him down there anymore than you do.

But I'm not losing anyone else in this wild goose chase.

We don't even know for sure where he is.

- Did you see what kind of creature it was? - It was some kind of centipede.

- But huge! - Any more? Like preferred habitat, behavioural patterns, strengths, weakness? We don't know.

No one does! Connor might.

He's like a walking encyclopaedia of this stuff.

He probably has giant bug fridge magnets.

Okay, I'll get him here.

- Ryan, we need to get Connor… - - I can't leave him in there.

You can't go down there without backup.

- Watch me.

- Stephen.

Hello? Hello? Cutter! Cutter! Cutter! Oh God! Stephen.

Where are you? - Stephen.

- What's he done? Stephen, where the hell are you? He was trying to help.

Well, he's done a really great job, hasn't he? Stephen, come in.

Stephen? That's the problem with heroic gestures.

Succeed and you look wonderful.

Fail, and all you do is leave everybody else with a bloody mess to clear up.

Well done.

Get down there.

Connor! Over here! Help me.

Why don't you say something? Helen! Helen What happened? Argument with the bug.

The bug won.

Where is it now? All right, lets get you out of here.

- Hey.

I don't have any feeling in my legs.

- Yeah, it's shock.

Here take this.

- There's something I have to tell you.

- Ah, you're not dying.

It can wait.

Helen is alive! She was here.

She gave me a message.

Which message? She's waiting on the other side of the anomaly.

She said, she said if you wanna know the truth you've got to come for it.

Help, we need a medic.

Ok, Carbonipherus, so it's probably a Arthropleura.

That's an centipede on steroids basically.

It's more less blind, and good sense of smell and touch.

I mean this thing is pretty big and scary looking, but it's more or less timid.

It’s the kind of bug that’d stick to the kitchen at parties.

This one must have a personality disorder.

How dangerous is it? According to this, it would have eaten dead wood and leaves.

- So it’s not poisonous.

- No way.

- That's a good thing then.

- Medic! Stretcher! God! Stephen! He's been bitten by the Arthropleurid.

Same wound, same symptom as the pest controller.

We need to do something before it destroys his central nervous system.

- Poison? - The spiders are off the hook, - It’s the centipede that’s the k*ller.

- Not poisonous, you said.

I was only speculating.

Tell them about Helen.

She was there.

What's he talking about? I don't know.

He must be hallucinating.

He seemed fairly lucid to me.

You know, you look really beautiful.

You're delirious.

Have dinner with me.

We'll talk about it when you're better.

I can't wait that long.

Of course I will.

And I'll have coffee at your place later and stay for breakfast in the morning.

Good result.

It's amazing how much easier this stuff is when you're dying.

You're not dying! Who did this to him? Not who, what.

- It was a centipede.

- What kind of centipede? It's hard to explain.

If we don't find out exactly what bit him, he will die.

Ok, tell me what you need to find a cure and I'll get you the information I can.

There are no obvious treatments.

People just don't die of centipede bites.

But if we can get hold of a good sample of the venom, we might be able to find an anti-venom that matches it.

Will that make him better? Anti-venoms are a last resort.

Toxic in their own right.

The survival rate can be as low as 50%, but without it, his chances are nil.

Just keep him alive.

It's working.

They're going back through.

Can't we run some more tests and find a match for the venom somehow? It would take to long.

He's dying.

No, the only way to shortcut the process is to collect a pure sample of venom from the creature that bit him.

How the hell are we going to do that? Ask it to fill a specimen jar? - In a way.

- Oh, come on.

No.

It's the only option.

Ryan, Ryan are you there? First line's clear.

Moving into second bunker.

Have you seen the centipede yet? If we lose it Stephen's dead.

On no account let it return through the anomaly.

Repeat, do not let it go back.

Find me something that will do the job.

What are you going to do? I'm going to invite a very angry centipede to bite me.

Bunker's clear.

And it hasn't been through the anomaly on my watch.

There's nowhere else for it to go.

Either it's already gone through, or it's behind that door.

I'm going there.

Keep your eyes open, this thing's fast.

Clear.

It's gone back.

We must have lost it.

Damn it! If Stephen hadn't come back for me, then he wouldn't have got bitten.

It wasn't your fault.

Professor! I'd forgotten.

Arthropleurid, they were supposed to be burrowers, so look for a hole, in the floor, in the walls, anywhere.

Cutter! I found it! I was right, it is still here.

Good work.

How deep could this be? A creature that size? 50 feet, maybe.

- All right, fine, I'm going in.

- That's crazy.

Look, There's no other way of finding out where it's gone.

I'm going to come, too.

- Right.

- Right.

Cool, okay, um… if I don't come back, you can have my Star Trek Next Generation top trumps.

I'll treasure them.

You know what, on second thoughts, maybe you should bury them with me.

Here, put this on your clothes.

It's turpentine.

Bugs hate it.

Right? I won't have a panic att*ck.

I will not have a panic att*ck.

Could it really have climbed up there? Let's find out.

Let's give it a chance to get to me first.

Claustrophobia and vertigo on the same day.

This is, um, fabulous.

Whatever happens, don't sh**t until we've got the venom.

Come on! Stay clear! Careful, Connor! Let it go! Lets get this bag to Stephen.

How is he? The convulsions have stopped.

That's something.

You really like him, don't you? I don't know him.

When has that ever stopped people from fancying each other before? You see, the same thing happened to me once.

With Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

I admit she's a fictional character, but, you know, when it feels real… Then she starts hanging around with this badly animated dog and it all got a bit weird.

Always break your heart in the end though, eh? Doctor! I think he's back.

- Hi.

- Hi.

How you feeling? Like I gargled with sand and slept inside a tumble dryer.

So, tell me about Helen.

What about Helen? You saw her.

I saw her? When? In the tunnel.

That's what you said.

I… I was gone, you know.

I don't remember anything.

I was probably just seeing things.

Yeah, probably.

What was all that about? You really can't remember a thing after you were bitten? None of the things you said in the ambulance? What did I say? Oh, just stuff.

I just thought some of it might of stuck, that's all.

Was it important? No, not really.

Thanks for looking after me, Abby.

Hi.

Does this mean I'm back in? Any way we can keep you out? I just want to help.

You did a good job.

Oh my god.

You know what? All my life I've wanted to be in a crime-busting g*ng.

And now I am.

Sort of.

I don't suppose you would consider giving me a cool nickname, would you? No.

Oh well.

I thought not.

Where are you, Helen? What do you want?