Moirira and Johnny: (Moans of passion) Oh yeah! Yeah. Yeah.
David: Could you spare some a... Oh my go-oh my God!
Moira: (Shrieks) David!
Johnny: Where's my robe?!
David: Oh my God. Oh my God. Oh my God. Oh my God, what's happening? I saw hell is what's happening. Oh my God. What? (Door opens)
David: Oh my God.
Johnny: David, what you just saw was your mother and me...
David: I know what I saw.
Johnny: having an intimate moment.
David: I cannot unsee that!
Alexis: Oh my God, you poor thing!
Johnny: Okay, and I refuse to feel guilty about being in bed with my wife.
Alexis: Ew! Ew! Ew!
Moira: I hate to be the one to tell you, but having s*x is not just about making children so they can grow up and make you feel bad about having s*x. Oh my God, can you stop this please?!
Moira: I will not be shamed. Shame on you.
David: Shame on you for attempting that position at 8 o'clock in the morning.
Moira: John?
Johnny: You know what?
David: Oh my God. Do you know how difficult it is for us to share a wall with you two?
David: I do now.
Johnny: Yes, well, if you don't mind, we are now going back into our room and don't even think about opening that door!
Moira: Are you serious?
Johnny: Next time.
David: (Under his breath) Oh my God. (Gags)
Alexis: (Whimpers) No, no, no...
S01E05 "The Cabin"
Johnny: Roland, I just need the door fixed.
Roland: Mm-hmm?
Johnny: Okay? My family can't keep living like this. My wife and I, we have no privacy. Okay, all right. I get what this is about. You and the wife wanna bump the old uglies, huh?
Roland: (Laughs)
Johnny: I have no idea what that means. Having a little problem down there below there, Johnny boy, huh? No, there's no problem, Roland, I just need the locks fixed! It's okay, I get it. I get it, captain. You've been a out to sea for a while you wanna bring the boat into port and maybe... get your mast scrubbed. What're you guys down to now? Like... twice a day? Okay, this is a conversation you and I will never have, all right? I just need the door fixed. Well, how 'bout I do you one better? We got a cabin up by the lake. It's just a little love nest for the lady and me. You know, when we wanna spark the old spark from time to time. My gift to you and yours for the night. So generous, but I'm gonna take a pass.
Jocelyn: Hey, Johnny.
Johnny: Jocelyn?
Jocelyn: How are you?
Johnny: Uh, good. Good.
Roland: s*x life's in the crapper. I just offered him the cabin. That is so not true.
Jocelyn: I knew something was wrong.
Johnny: N-nothing is wrong. You should take the cabin. I wouldn't wanna see your relationship get any worse. No, our relationship is fine. It's just a privacy issue...
Roland: Johnny, Johnny, come on, come on, come on, come on. Take the cabin, okay? And feel free to use the restraints. We keep 'em under the bed, so...
Johnny: Thank you. Thank you.
Jocelyn: Pick a safe word.
Roland: Mm.
Johnny: (Sighs) I, for one, think we should take them up on their offer. I can't believe what I'm hearing here. We're talking about Roland's place. Who knows what the hell we're gonna find up there?
Moira: Well, we can't share any real intimacy here in this internment camp, John, and I don't want to turn into my parents. Separate beds, separate rooms. Well, separate countries. Exactly! A bad marriage! Hey, if you're willing to give this a shot, I'm game.
Moira: You're game.
Johnny: Yeah.
Moira: Okay. I'll play. Actually, I have a good feeling about this, John.
Johnny: You know, I'm starting to get a pretty good feeling myself. Are you?
David: Oh my God! Am I being punished for something? David, are you dirty peeping tom? I don't' think parenting books would approve of you saying that to me. I'm here to grab a magazine, and go back and leave you guys to whatever disgusting...
Moira: Stay.
Johnny: Stick around, stick around.
Moira: Alexis?
Johnny: Alexis! They're done! Your father and I have some very important news. If you tell me that you're pregnant, I'm gonna vomit on this floor right now.
Moira: Oh, can you imagine?
Johnny: We're planning a trip.
David: Okay.
Johnny: Just to a cabin, overnight... And we request that the two of you not try to contact us for the next 24 hours. I really appreciate you doing that for me. I'm doing it for us. Well, it's to my benefit.
Alexis: Um, why don't you guys stay at the cabin for longer? Oh, I would never just abandon you two in a motel in the middle of nowhere.
David: Didn't you once take the wrong baby home from preschool? Alexis looked Chinese as an infant. How many times must I defend myself? So we're good then? Thank you.
David: No, thank you.
Johnny: No, thank you.
David: Honestly, thank you.
Johnny: Enough, David!
Moira: Thank you so much for the loan of your cabin and your truck.
Roland: Looks like you folks got a lot of gear here, huh? Is that the tickle trunk? (Smarmy laugh) It's just clothes.
Roland: Yeah, okay, but just keep in mind there's only 60 amp service there, so don't be pluggin' a lot of gadgets in all at once, if you know what I mean. Yet another disturbing look into his world.
Roland: All right, directions. Super easy, Johnny. Here's what I want you to do. Okay, I want you take highway 10 to Loon Lake Road north, okay? I want you to take a right there. There's gonna be a split in the fence, I want you to go left at that split, and keep going. Go through the intersection of Loon Lake Road south, okay? And then you're gonna find Pine Road. Now you go up Pine Road, I want you take a right at that big oak tree, all right? It's old, it's big, you can't miss it. You go down the hill to the left and we're the third cabin on the right, okay? The key's under the mat.
Johnny: Got it.
Moira: Really?
Johnny: Key is under the mat. So I think I'm gonna go next door because your mess is making me anxious. What mess?
David: You know how clean my apartment was in New York. It was so clean. It was really clean. Well, it was very clean because you had a maid to keep it very clean for you. No. I kept it clean after Cecilia cleaned. Anyway, I think it's best if we just take some space and um... I am looking forward to sleeping in a bed that his not... made for a toddler. Okay. I'll just chill here in my own space and...
David: Yeah.
Alexis: Maybe I'll do a mask or something and... check in with myself and see how I'm doing... Okay, so we're good?
Alexis: Yeah.
David: Okay. See you tomorrow. Okay. (Door closes)
(Bedding rustles)
(Relaxing sigh, book pages rustle)
(Door creaks shut)
I'm out of mask. I was so bored in there! I'm sorry to hear that.
Alexis: Okay, so I think that we should take advantage of mom and dad being gone.
David: I am.
Alexis: Okay, but like throwing a party or something.
David: No. Absolutely not.
Alexis: Just a tiny, little, casual motel party. Okay, Alexis, I have no interest in finding out what types of people are attracted to "casual motel parties."
Alexis: But you do have an interest in lounging on a bed that mom and dad have had s*x all over?
David: Why would you do that to me right now? David, I just... I miss my life! And I miss doing things. And I miss being surrounded by loose acquaintances who think that I'm... funny, and smart, and charming. Will you? Just a few people. Please. You can't tell me that you don't wanna hang out with people other than me.
David: Obviously.
Alexis: Okay, so...?
David: Okay, fine. Something small.
Alexis: Yes!
David: Like a little games night. Yes, like a small, little games night party. No. Like a little games night period. Okay, fine. And then, if it turns into something else, it turns into something else. Well, it won't 'cause there's only six people invited. Any more and game play gets too yelly. It gets very yelly. Okay, this party is gonna be...
David: It's not a party.
Alexis: awesome!
David: It's not a party.
Alexis: So. Much. Fun! I'm so excited!
(Door bangs shut)
(Insects chirp, birds Twitter)
(Truck rumbles to a stop)
(Engine cuts out, doors creak open and bang shut)
Johnny: Hey, not bad! Rustic but nice, huh?
The great outdoors, Moira. I am shocked and delighted. Yes. I have to say I was nervous about this, but I've gotta hand it to Roland, he came through. He's moron!
(Pots and dishes clatter)
Key's under the mat, is it? The key is under the mat!
(Ripping sound)
Agh! That's great! Lying son-of-a...
(pan crashes on floor)
Agh! Idiot man! Moron! Ha! Oh, good.
Moira: John?!
Johnny: Yeah! Coming, honey! I'm coming.
(Blows out his breath)
(Lock clicks)
Well hellooooo. Oh, my car broke down and it's raining, and I wondered if I might spend the night. Well, first let's get you out of those... dry clothes and we'll see where the night takes us.
David: So I need to flesh out this games night thing. Between you and my sister, and the barn guy and that girl in the restaurant, we have 5, and obviously we need an even 6 for ultimate game play.
Stevie: Well, what if I'm not a games person?
David: We're far too similar for you not to be, so... Options, please. Obviously they need to be funny, and smart, and have well-rounded sense of humour and a wide range of knowledge. Oh, all those types of people move away from here.
David: That's funny.
Stevie: No, I'm serious.
Stevie: Ooh, what about Eric?
David: Hmm? He finished high school. I don't love his look. Oh, looks are important? Oh... Why don't we throw a pageant? Trust me, if I had time, we would, but we don't, so... What about Sarah? She's cute and speaks english. Hmm? Mm... She get it?
Stevie: Get what? Like "get it" get it. It, like the vibe. Understand that games night needs to run a certain way, otherwise it won't work. Can I be on your team? You sound really fun.
David: Listen, you don't have to help me out if you don't want to.
David: I can find someone else.
Stevie: Really?
David: Mm-hmm.
Stevie: Okay.
David: Well, it's-okay.
Stevie: Have fun.
David: Okay.
Stevie: My money's on the other team.
(Receding footsteps, cars rumble by)
[SCENE_BREAK]
(door opens)
David: Hi. (Door clicks shut)
Can I help you? Yeah, I just uh... Came to apologize. For what? For uninviting you to games night. You did not uninvite me. I uninvited myself. Mm-hmm. Okay, well, um... I would really like it if you came and I would really love it if you could bring... one other person of your choosing. So it doesn't matter if they don't blend? M-mm-mm. And this doesn't have anything to do with the fact that you couldn't find anybody else to come? (Scoffs) No. What? No. I... You are a very bright, funny person, with a wide range of useful knowledge and the fact that we don't have an ideal number for team style game-play, is not... not why I'm here. You're such a liar. And I was bluffing when I said I wasn't coming. I just wanted to see you beg, so...
David: Okay.
Stevie: I'll put out some feelers, but, you know, such short notice, all the town hotties will have plans. I'll see you tonight! Yeah, thanks.
David: Thank you.
Stevie: Welcome.
Moira: This place is almost charming. Very rustic cottage. I was half expecting early unibomber.
Johnny: Oh, look! Roland and Jocelyn.
Moira: Who are the other two?
Johnny: Well, that's Bob. He's on the town council.
Moira: And his partner? Roland has gay friends! Again, shocked and delighted. I think that's his wife.
Moira: No, they're both called husband. Look at the them smiling away. What have they got to be so happy about?
Johnny: Well, they have no money issues. That's why they're so happy. Yeah, they just don't know any better.
(Birds sing, crickets chirp)
David: So, Eric, how do you know Stevie?
Eric: She used to be my babysitter.
Great. Wow. Okay. And how are your... Trivia skills?
Eric: My what?
David: Oh my God. Okay. Good choice. Good choice.
(Knock at the door)
Alexis: (Squeals excitedly)
(Door opens)
You guys came. Together. That's so cute! Come in! Twyla, you look amazing! Mutt, you look like a mill dollars.
Twyla: Okay, so I brought this pie from work but on the way, I realized I didn't check what kind so there's a 50/50 chance there's meat in it.
Alexis: Oh my God, that's so cute. Thank you.
David: Okay, so it's 8:15. It's 8:15. We should have started at 8. So... fifteen minutes late, let's sit down and I will... explain the game.
Alexis: And I would just like to thank everybody so much for coming. This is the first social thing that I've done in like a really long time, so let's just have so much fun and we'll just see where the night takes us.
David: Well, it'll take us to a three part games night that ends at 10.
Alexis: Okay, well, we'll see.
David: Okay, so let's start.
Alexis: Okay.
David: Let's start by putting down 10 famous names onto the pieces of paper in front of you.
Mutt: I don't think I can fit ten names on this piece of paper.
David: That's funny. That's funny. No. One per piece of paper. Ten pieces of paper, ten names.
Eric: Who should I put down?
David: I can't tell you that, Eric, 'cause that would wreck the game.
Eric: So then how do I know what to put?
David: Oh my God.
Stevie: (Whispers) Relax.
Twyla: Can you put yourself down?
Alexis: Oh, okay, who wants a shot? Because I do.
David: No, we need to finish putting the names down first.
(Knock at the door)
David: Who's that?
Alexis: Okay, I may or may not have invited a few other people.
David: What kind-who?
I don't know. I met them on the way home.
(Running footsteps, door clicks open)
Alexis: Hey!
Dane: Hey.
Alexis: How are you?
Dane: Good, good.
Alexis: Good. Hey!
Dane: Hey, kids.
Stevie... Mutt... Twyla.
Stevie: Hey, Dane.
David: Who the... Bleep... is this? He's the worst, okay? So just breathe through it.
David: Hi. David Rose. Oh... 'Kay. So we have split into teams and that's an odd number, so we're... stuck. No worries. We're here for the party. Keg's in the truck. What kegs? No one ordered a keg. David, can you please not be rude in front of...
Dane: Dane.
Alexis: Dane?
Eric: So now what?
David: (Jumps) Oh, God! In the bowl, Eric. Put them in the...
(Papers rustle, pen clatters)
(Crickets chirp)
Johnny: Wow.
Moira: Yeah.
I can't see out of one eye. But I'm still alive, that's the main thing. (Sighs) I'm hungry. Should I go get... No! No. You don't have to get anything. I will get some food, I will get the wine. You... have done more than enough.
(Wine glasses clink)
Bob: Oh good, you're done.
We uh... we didn't wanna interrupt.
Johnny: What're doing here?
Bob: Oh, just finishing off the latest Harold Zable novel. (Chuckles) You ever read him? How long have you been here? Quite a while. Yeah, you seemed to have a little trouble there, getting going. And, uh, well, we uh... We didn't think you needed the extra pressure on you, so...
Gwen: Oh, hi! You're good.
Moira: And you are?
Bob: I'm Bob, this is my wife Gwen, and, uh, this is our cabin.
Johnny: Oh, no, no, no. This is Roland and Jocelyn's cabin.
Gwen: No, they're a mile up the road.
Bob: Big tree, a fence. You can't miss it.
(Awkward silence, Johnny sighs)
David: She died! She's a dead person!
Twyla: Marilyn Monroe!
David: No! She helps people!
Twyla: Oprah.
Stevie: Calcutta! Calcutta!
David: Calcutta! The lepers!
She's the mother... She's a mother...
David: It's not your turn, Alexis!
Twyla: Princess Diana.
Stevie and David: No! She's...
David: The lepers in Calcutta, she helps them.
Stevie: Lepers! Lepers!
David: There's all these lepers.
Alexis: Stop yelling at her though!
David: It's the point of the game is the yell! She's a mother and has your cousin's name.
Twyla: Teresa?
Twyla: Mother Teresa!
Alexis: Yes!
David: You can't say mother! You can't say mother!
Mutt: She wasn't getting it.
David: That's the point! Anyway, no points for them. We have to start this again.
Dane: This party's terrible.
David: Excuse me?
Alexis: Okay, so then, hey, why don't we do something else, like a drinking game.
David: No! Absolutely not! Every time the vein in my brother's eye twitches, we take a drink.
David: Why would you bring up my eye in front of all these people?
(Knock at the door)
David: Who is that?!
Alexis: Calm down.
Dane thought he should just invite over a few more of his friends, so...
David: Oh, did he?
Alexis: Yeah.
Dane: Who's up for strip poker?
David: Okay, you know what? I'm out. No, that's it. I'm gonna call it a night. I'm gonna pack it in. Eric, don't look at my eye!
Alexis: Why are you being such an old woman? I'm sorry that I wanted to have fun tonight and invite a few random guys over and try and make out with them, okay? You're not the only one dying in this town. It is boring and I am just trying to make the best of it. I'm really sorry everybody. No offense, okay?
Twyla: I'm well-versed in family conflict...
David: I'm sure you are. Alexis? If you want to party, have a party. But I have a queen bed next door with my name on it and I have been looking forward to sleeping in that bed all day, so...
Mutt: Maybe we should go.
Alexis: No. You know what, guys? It's totally fine. David, I would love it if you would come and party with us, but it's totally up to you.
David: And I'm totally gonna go. So everybody have a good night. I don't know who you are! Dane, put that down and get off my bed! No one on my bed tonight. And don't-no one throw up!
(Door slams shut)
So his eye twitched five times, so drink up, bitches!
Guys: All right!
Alexis: Woo!
Dane: Shots! All right. Ready and...
Johnny: And once again, my apologies.
Moira: And I'm sorry, I don't know how to make a bed.
Johnny: And I may have damaged your corkscrew, Bob.
Bob: You broke it in half.
(Door rattles as Johnny struggles)
Johnny: Okay, the door, it won't open. The door won't open.
Bob: It's locked.
Johnny: Oh, it's locked.
Moira: What do you want from us?
Bob: Yes, it's... it's locked to prevent strangers from coming into the cabin.
See, uh, we didn't realize that, uh, strangers would already be in the cabin when we locked it.
Johnny: I see. Oh. Okay.
Moira: Bye!
Johnny: There we go.
Moira: Thank you. Bye.
Johnny: You've been consummate hosts, really. Fantastic day.
(Door bangs shut)
(Music plays)
Twyla: Hey, Mutt, can you pass me a drink? Um...
(Door bangs shut, muted chatter through door)
Stevie: Sorry. Hey!
David: Hi!
Here's the thing. Um, I'm sorry that you and your sister are in a domestic, and I'm sorry that I invited Eric. That joke was funnier in theory. Bad joke. But I'm gonna need you to come back in there.
David: Why? Because I don't really like most of those people and, believe it or not, we are in the middle of a very intense game of drunken charades and my team is losing. Badly. Well, that's not really my thing. It's not my thing either, but you were right; We're way too similar and I am having a very hard time losing, so... I will happily let you get back to this big queen bed if you'll just help us win a few more rounds. Just need somebody sober.
David: I can't...
Stevie: Please. Go back in there. It's embarrassing. They are way too drunk to remember.
(Sighs)
Just two winning rounds and then it's over. Then you can go back to your book.
David: Fine. Fine. Two rounds.
Stevie: You can go back to sleep.
David: Quick. Quick rounds.
Stevie: Thank you.
David: Fine.
Stevie: Thank you.
Stevie: And just don't look at the stain on your bed, and we'll mime something special.
David: What stain?
Stevie: Uh...
David: You're lucky I'm good at this game.
Dane: Yes! A mexican...
Alexis: Just get this one!
Moira: Are you sure you don't want to call a tradesman or someone, John? Moira, I don't need a tradesman. I can handle a screwdriver, okay? This is working out just... fine. (Grunts of effort) And... that... is... in. Look at this.
(Opens and closes door)
Instant lock.
Moira: Yes, let me tell you, Eddie. You look awfully good in that blue collar.
Johnny: (Voice-breaking twang) Well, thank you very much, Mrs. Rose. I don't often get compliments when I'm fixing doors. Oh, Edward, I'm afraid I must tell you, I shan't be able to pay you today. (Voice-breaking twang) Well, that's okay, Mrs. Rose. Maybe there's um... some other way you can pay me, if you get my drift.
(Door rips open, lock jingles uselessly)
Did you take my mask? Thank you.
(Door bangs shut)
(Voice-breaking twang) Well, maybe I'll use a bigger screw, Mrs. Rose. Don't you go anywheres.
Moira: I'll be right here, Eddie.


[PREVIOUSLY_ON]
Mulder (O.C.): My name is Fox Mulder. In the 1990s, I began investigating paranormal science cases through a unit of the FBI known as the X-Files. My partner in this pursuit was Agent Dana Scully, a medical doctor and scientist. In 2001, we had a child together...
Scully (quietly): William.
Mulder (O.C.): ...but had to put him up for adoption to hide him from those who wished him harm. In 2002, the FBI closed the X-Files. 14 years later, circumstances have arisen which demand new X-Files investigations...
Mulder (O.C.): Are you saying you have alien DNA?
Mulder (O.C.): ...bringing Scully and I back together.
[SCENE_BREAK]
(electronic whirring)
Female electronic voice: Good day, Dr. Sanjay.
Sanjay: Yeah. Good morning.
(scanner wand squeaking)
Sanjay! (laughs) Oh. You okay? Rough weekend?
Sanjay: A humdinger. Work or pleasure?
Sanjay: I haven't known pleasure for quite some time.
(wry laugh)
(tone ringing)
Are you okay?
Sanjay: It's nothing.
[SCENE_BREAK]
Hill: The Founder looked at the data. He sent a message this morning. "Do over."
Cynthia: That's it? We spent months on those trials. We've tried every new source of pluripotent stem cells, including samples from amniotic fluids. We need more than just pronouncements from above. We need direction! What about a meeting with the man?
Hill: You want the Founder to tell you how terrible your data is face-to-face? The guy is a recluse. No one here's even seen him for years. (distorted): For all we know, he didn't even read the stuff.
Hill (distorted): I can assure you that Augustus Goldman is (slows, distorts): fully engaged. But the Founder has other interests that keep him occupied. Yeah, what about that? Doesn't that creep you out, that he's referred to as "The Founder"?
(Crows fluttering)
(glass rattling)
(Pencil snaps, cracks)
(fingers thudding)
(eyelids shudder and crackle)
Cynthia: ...do it.
Hill: Now. It's necessary.
Data... is the key.
Hill: Don't hesitate. Go. Go now. Go!
(tone ringing)
(distorted): No... no!
(glass rattling, clattering)
Can't anyone hear that?
(tone stops)
Sanjay: (gasps) Sorry. Excuse me.
[SCENE_BREAK]
(typing rapidly)
Cynthia: Do it.
Hill: Now.
Rogers: Data... is the key.
(knock echoing)
Rogers (muffled, distorted): Sanjay! Sanjay!
Hill (O.C.): Sanjay, come on! Open up!
(insistent banging on door)
Hill (muffled): Open the door, Sanjay!
Rogers (distorted): Sanjay! Sanjay, open the door!
Hill: It's not opening!
Rogers (O.C.): Open the door! Sanjay!
Hill: Something's wrong with the system!
Rogers: Sanjay, open the door!
(tone ringing)
(tone intensifies)
(Sanjay whimpers)
(gasping)
(muffled): Sanjay?
(muffled): Sanjay! Sanjay!
(tone continues)
(crackling, squishing)
(brief whimper)
[SCENE_BREAK]
(camera shutter clicking)
Mulder: What do you make of this, Scully?
Scully: Well, it seems that Dr. Sanjay had a psychotic break and committed suicide. Note the letter opener sticking out of his head.
Mulder: Noted.
Scully: All the witnesses I spoke to have consistent accounts.
Mulder: I mean the room. He chose the most secured place in the building to kill himself. He was trying to access something. These are isolated servers, so the only way to get to the data is through this terminal, which is also protected.
Scully: Is that why we're here? You're interested in the server? What are you looking for, Mulder?
Guard: Unhand the hard drive, sir.
Mulder: This is evidence.
Guard: It's classified.
Scully: The reason why we're investigating, rather than the local police is because we have security clearance.
Guard: To be in the room. Not to look inside this. That is property Department of Defense.
Mulder: We need to conduct a few more interviews, then, before we conclude our investigation.
Guard: The individuals pertinent to this incident have already been interviewed by your colleague.
Mulder: We'd like to talk to Augustus Goldman.
Guard: That's impossible. Dr. Goldman was not even on campus when this happened.
Mulder: Well, if you won't let me look at the drive, then I have to talk to Goldman about what the deceased was trying to access before he died.
Guard: I'm not authorized to confirm that I have knowledge of the whereabouts of the Founder.
Scully: Can you confirm that you have security cameras watching over the entire complex? There's that one, and I saw a few more out there.
Guard: Yes.
Scully: In that case, I'd like to see all of the tapes. As soon as possible.
Guard: All right. I'll have those sent over. But for now, remove this body so we can secure this room.
Scully: Sorry, we're not finished--
Mulder: Oh, we are finished. We are finished.
[SCENE_BREAK]
Scully: Mulder, that's not your phone.
Mulder: You know me, Scully. I'm old-school.
Scully: Riley vs. California. The Supreme Court ruled that you needed a warrant to search a mobile phone.
Mulder: That's for a suspect. Sanjay's the victim.
Scully: Well, there is no victim. He killed himself.
Mulder: Well, then, I'm sure he won't mind me talking to some of his friends. Here's someone he talked to every night. "Gupta."
Scully: Dr. Sanjay is from western India. Gupta's a Marathi word. It means "secret."
Mulder: How do you know that?
Scully: I'm old-school, Mulder. Pre-Google.
[SCENE_BREAK]
(blues song playing in background)
♪ tell me, baby... ♪
Mulder: Gupta? Thanks for meeting me. My name is...
Gupta: No... no names, please. You're Sonny's friend?
(no voice)
Gupta: Is that guy bothering you?
Mulder: Not yet.
Gupta: What... do you... want?
Mulder: I want to talk. Can we go somewhere more private?
Gupta: I don't... know you well enough.
Mulder: I'm safe. You can trust me.
Gupta: Come on.
Mulder: Oh, whoa, whoa, no.
Gupta: Well, you said you wanted to "talk."
Mulder: Yes. I-I don't think that means exactly what you think it means. Or... or I'm not...
Gupta: You guys are all alike, you know? You say you want to walk on the wild side, but when it comes down to it... you're repressed. I finally let go of all that, that self-loathing and that judgment and I'm free. Stop tormenting yourself. The truth is in here.
Mulder: Yeah, I've-I've heard something like that. Hey, listen, I-I-I gotta tell you... (clears throat) Sanjay is dead.
[SCENE_BREAK]
[ FBI MORGUE WASHINGTON, D.C. ]
[SCENE_BREAK]
Scully: Deceased is a male, 35 years old, five-foot-eight and three-quarters inches, 180 pounds. (sighs) The probable cause of death is the introduction-- self-propelled-- of a letter opener into the cerebral cortex by way of the ear canal. (sighs, groans) I will now commence with my overall external examination.
[SCENE_BREAK]
Gupta: The last couple of weeks, he was... he was distant. He was... he was troubled. I... I thought it was me, you know? We hadn't gotten together for a while. I mean, he'd call me every night, but nothing...
Mulder: .. physical. Did he talk to you about his problems? About work?
Gupta: Yeah. Yeah, he said he was upset about his kids. He said they were dying.
Mulder: His kids? He was single.
Gupta: I didn't push it. I just tried to make him feel better.
Mulder: Well, I saw where he lived. There was nothing there. He lived an antiseptic life.
Gupta: He lived two lives. In two separate places.
(phone buzzing)
Mulder: Excuse me. Yeah.
Scully: Mulder, you gotta see this.
[SCENE_BREAK]
Scully: I had to break his fingers to pry them open. But he wrote that on the palm of his hand before he died.
Mulder: "Founder's Mutation."
Scully: The Founder is what they called Dr. Goldman at Nugenics. Is that why you wanted to talk to him?
Mulder: I don't think that's the mutation Sanjay was referring to. Did you find anything else on the autopsy?
Scully: Well, there were no abnormalities in Dr. Sanjay's brain. The opener destroyed the acoustic nerve and then went into the cerebral cortex.
Mulder: It's weird, because the opener goes in at 90 degrees and then it veers off at 60 degrees up into his brain, like he was hunting for something.
Scully: Yeah. It ended up in the auditory cortex. You know... he blurted something out at the meeting, before his suicide. He said, "Can't anyone hear that?"
Mulder: Hmm.
Scully: But nobody else could hear a thing.
Mulder: Well, ultimately, hearing is just nerve impulses interpreted by the brain. What if those same impulses could be generated without actual vibrations striking the ear drum?
Scully: Hmm.
Mulder: Well, anyway. If he left a note on his hand, maybe he left other clues.
Scully: But where? We've checked out every square inch of his apartment.
Mulder: Well, he leased a place that only Gupta knew about. I think we should go to where he actually lived.
[SCENE_BREAK]
[ DUPONT CIRCLE WASHINGTON, D.C. ]
[SCENE_BREAK]
(indistinct conversations)
Scully: It's hard to imagine, in 2016, that Sanjay had to keep his lifestyle preferences a secret.
Mulder: Being gay wasn't his only secret.
(tires screech, man grunts)
[SCENE_BREAK]
Scully: Mulder? (distant): I found something.
Mulder: His kids.
Scully: Yeah.
Mulder: Sanjay was afraid they were dying. These kids, they look so young. None of them look older than ten. Look at the backgrounds.
Scully: It's a clinical setting. It looks like it might be a hospital.
(car doors shut in distance)
Scully: The police are coming up. We must have triggered a silent alarm.
Mulder: All right, look around-- he's bound to have kept some information on them somewhere.
(tone ringing)
Mulder: (groans)
Scully: Mulder? Mulder, are you okay?
(footsteps approach)
Scully: They're coming. Mulder.
Man (distant): Police officer!
Officer (distorted): Lady, put your hands where I can see 'em!
Scully (distorted): FBI.
(tone continues ringing)
(nails scraping)
(tone ringing, nails scraping, no voice)
(tone stops)
Scully: (distorted, indistinct, then:) ...find her.
(distorted): Help me.
(distorted): Find her. (echoing): Find her... Find her... Find her...
(tone ringing, increasing in intensity)
[SCENE_BREAK]
Skinner: Do you have anything to add to this, Agent Scully?
Scully: If you look at the files that we found in Dr. Sanjay's apartment...
Skinner: No, I can't look at those.
Scully: They're right over there.
Murphy: These files are classified. They're the property of the Department of Defense.
Mulder: Well, I've had a look at them. Those files are the medical records of children with grave genetic abnormalities. How those children relate to Dr. Sanjay's suicide is the object of our investigation.
Skinner: Well, considering the fact that you just lost access to those files, your investigation is closed. I'll submit the report on the suicide to the proper authorities. We're done here.
Murphy: (clears throat) Let me remind you, Agents Mulder and Scully, dissemination of any classified material, either internally or publically, will be dealt with harshly.
Mulder: I'm familiar with Edward Snowden.
Skinner: I assume you made copies.
Mulder: I managed some top sheets before the DoD took over. I think those children are failed experiments.
Skinner: So you suspect the Department of Defense is experimenting with genetic modification on humans? What do you think?
Scully: I think there were many troubling details to this case, and, um... if Agent Mulder has nothing more to add...
Mulder: I don't.
Scully: .. then I think we need time to prove his theory.
Skinner: The bureaucracy in the FBI has become increasingly complex and inefficient. It might take days for your incident report and order to close the investigation to make it through the proper channels. Welcome back, you two.
[SCENE_BREAK]
[ FOX MULDER - Special Agent (sign on office door) ]
[SCENE_BREAK]
Mulder: Surveillance footage?
Scully: Yeah, from Nugenics. I've been working on syncing all the cameras to the exact time code of Dr. Sanjay's suicide. (sighing) There. What happened to you at Sanjay's apartment, Mulder? I can understand why you wouldn't want to tell Skinner, but I was there, I saw you on your knees in pain.
Mulder: I heard sounds. It was a high-pitched frequency, like-like a steel spike being driven through my head. And then it focused into two words... "Find her."
Scully: There were no sounds. I didn't hear anything.
Mulder: Look at those birds.
Scully: Maybe they seeded the lawn that morning.
Mulder: Infrasounds, Scully. Vibrations inaudible to the human ear but known to drive the worms up through the soil to the surface, in response to them.
Scully: Mulder, how are these connected? The birds, the suicide, the kids, the genetic anomalies. What are you hiding?
Mulder: Augustus Goldman is the only one who might know how it all fits together. We gotta talk to him. What are you hiding?
(keyboard clacks)
Scully: Sanjay heard sounds... right before he committed suicide. That could be you, Mulder. This is dangerous.
Mulder: (scoffs) When has that ever stopped us before?
Scully: I might know how to get to Goldman.
[SCENE_BREAK]
[ OUR LADY OF SORROWS HOSPITAL WASHINGTON, D.C. ]
[SCENE_BREAK]
Sister Mary: Augustus. Yes, I know him well, but he's a very private person. Some would say reclusive. Without him, we wouldn't have the resources to help these women in need. He's a true champion of the unborn.
Scully: Dr. Goldman is a blessing. That's why we're here today. I've become aware of a situation that I wanted to share with you. Dr. Goldman is under investigation.
Mulder: Obamacare.
Scully: We wanted to spare him the indignity of having the government knock at his door unannounced. I was wondering if we could meet with him in private.
Sister Mary: Dana, I'm afraid Our Lady of Sorrows cannot be a conduit for the FBI to one of our biggest donors.
Scully: Sister Mary, I've worked here for seven years. You know me.
Sister Mary: Yes, and I know your heart's in the right place.
Scully: I wouldn't ask if it weren't important.
Sister Mary: I have a number I can call. I'll agree to relay a message.
Scully: Thank you.
Mulder: Ask Dr. Goldman if he'll talk to us about the Founder's Mutation.
Sister Mary: Stay here.
(tapping on glass)
Agnes: I got to get out of here.
Mulder: What's your name?
Agnes: Agnes. You got a car?
Scully: Do you want to call someone?
Agnes: You think if I could call someone I would be asking you? Just forget it. I knew you weren't gonna help me.
Scully: Agnes. Wait. I'm a doctor. You can tell me anything.
Agnes: I don't belong here. Not with these sheep. I don't care what I signed.
Scully: The hospital is only concerned with the health of the mother and the baby.
Agnes: My baby.
Scully: Of course, your baby.
Agnes: I changed my mind. I'm not giving it up. I don't care if he's sick.
Mulder: Sick?
Agnes: My baby's not right. They saw it on the... ultrasound thing, and I had a feeling, you know, ever since I got pregnant. But everybody here has the same story. Just don't say anything. I was just kidding around, okay?
Mulder: If you ever want to talk.
Sister Mary: I've spoken to Augustus. He said he'd be happy to meet you.
Scully: Thank you.
Mulder: Sister Mary, how are the patients chosen to be here?
Sister Mary: They're homeless, damaged in one way or another. Alcohol, drugs, no fathers in the picture. Men and their lies. No offense. Desire is the devil's pitchfork. But as long as there's a need and an innocent child, we'll provide for each and every one.
[SCENE_BREAK]
Mulder: It's insidious, Scully. A ward for pregnant women paid for by Augustus Goldman, the founder of a company with deep ties to the Department of Defense. This could be another phase of the project-- their experiments in eugenics. Those women in there... could be incubators.
Scully: Mulder... I'm not a fragile little girl.
Mulder: Scully...
Scully: This is what you suspected all along, but were afraid to articulate. Is this what you believe happened to me 15 years ago? When I got pregnant, when I had my baby? Was I just an incubator?
Mulder: You're never "just" anything to me, Scully.
Scully: Do you ever think about William?
Mulder: Yes, of course I do, but I've... I feel like I've had to put that behind me.
Scully: He'd be 15 years old now. And I've missed every single year of his life. And sometimes... I hate myself that I didn't have the courage to stand by him.
Mulder: You did what you did to keep him safe. His adoption is secret, his location is unknown because you had to protect him.
Scully: Do you believe he was an experiment?
Mulder: I don't know.
Scully: What if he's out there somewhere, like one of those kids on Sanjay's wall, fighting for his life?
Mulder: All we can do, Scully, is pull the thread, see what it unravels.
[SCENE_BREAK]
(class bell ringing, student chatting)
Scully: It's the first day of school. Are you nervous? Your hands are sweaty.
William: Ew! That's you.
Scully: (laughs) What's the most important thing to remember?
William: Sit still, listen, say "excuse me" if you fart.
Scully: (laughs) The most important thing to remember is that I love you. That's all you have to remember. Come on, let's go say hi to your teacher. Thank you.
[SCENE_BREAK]
(bell ringing, kids chattering)
William: Hi, Mom. Bye, Mom.
Scully: Be home in time for dinner!
[SCENE_BREAK]
Scully: (quietly): Will...
William: I'm scared.
Scully: You're gonna be fine. You've just broken your arm. Does it hurt anywhere else? Okay, we're gonna get you to the hospital, and take some X-rays to make sure you don't have a concussion, okay, honey?
[SCENE_BREAK]
William: Mom! Mom, please! Mom!
Scully: (gasps)
William: What's happening to me?
[SCENE_BREAK]
[ GOLDMAN TECHNOLOGY WASHINGTON, D.C. ]
[SCENE_BREAK]
Dr. Goldman: "Founder's Mutation." Intriguing message.
Mulder: It's what Sanjay wrote on his hand.
Dr. Goldman: Yes, before his unfortunate act of self-destruction. Very dramatic, but meaningless.
Scully: I've read everything you published, Dr. Goldman. It seems your research deals primarily with genetic manipulation.
Dr. Goldman: Let me try to explain to you what we do here. It's no secret. We're trying to save children. I won't tell you their last names, to protect their privacy, but I can tell you what they are fighting against-- Proteus syndrome... Crouzon syndrome... all kinds of cancerous tumors... epidermal displasia... Pitt-Hawkins syndrome, ichthyosis, Marfan syndrome, among others. We are a cutting-edge research facility for these unfortunate patients. There's absolutely no cost involved to be treated here. Would you like to talk to him?
Scully: Sure.
(switch clicks)
Dr. Goldman: Adam?
Dr. Goldman (over speaker): You have a visitor.
Scully (over speaker): Hi, Adam.
Scully: My name is Dr. Scully. How long have you been here, Adam?
Adam: Forever.
Scully: And where are your parents?
Adam: I don't have any.
Dr. Goldman: He was sent to us as a baby. Adam has a form of Crouzon syndrome.
Scully: And why is he in a sealed room? All of the children. He has a genetic disorder. He's not contagious.
Dr. Goldman: Thank you, Adam. We are working with therapies unavailable anywhere in the world. We need to eliminate the environmental factors that could affect the outcome. I am searching for the key that was the seed to all of these terrible genetic abnormalities.
Scully: Alien DNA? Is that why the Department of Defense is funding your research?
Dr. Goldman: Dr. Scully, I was told that you were the rational one.
Molly: No! Let go!
Man: Molly! Oop!
Molly: Let go of me! No! No! No! No! No!
Dr. Goldman: I'm afraid that that is all the time that I have. Sarah will show you out.
Sarah: This way, please.
Scully: He didn't answer my question.
(Molly screaming)
Molly: Let go of me!
Man: Molly! Molly!
Molly: No! No! No! No!
(Molly continues screaming and yelling)
Scully: Did you see that, Mulder?
Mulder: Interesting.
(beeping)
Mulder: Something's happened to Agnes.
[SCENE_BREAK]
Officer: We found the victim with your card in her pocket. Hit and run-- car was moving pretty fast. Skid marks from back there up to the point of impact.
(siren approaching)
Officer: We're checking cameras in the area. No witnesses.
Scully: What about the baby?
Officer: What are you talking about?
Scully: She was pregnant.
Mulder: The baby's gone.
(siren wailing)
[SCENE_BREAK]
Scully: Mulder...
Mulder: Hmm?
Scully: Agnes died from blunt force trauma. Most likely from the impact of the car. Her right ulna was broken in two places, her lungs were lacerated by broken ribs, and her skull was crushed.
Mulder: What about the baby?
Scully: Surgically removed. I couldn't tell if the fetus was still alive when it was taken from her womb, but... they took it, Mulder. To get rid of evidence. Agnes wanted to talk. She left the hospital. That baby was the only proof that she was part of Goldman's experiment.
Mulder: What if the baby was still alive?
Scully: Mulder, that car hit her so hard that a, an adult woman with the benefit of a mature skeletal structure wasn't able to survive the impact. It's highly unlikely that the baby would remain viable.
Mulder: Unlikely for human fetuses. In 1973, the Syndicate was convened to assist in a project to colonize the world by creating alien/human hybrids. The project was ultimately unsuccessful. I doubt they ever stopped trying.
Scully: But what you're talking about is changing the genetic makeup of a population. That's the next step in evolution.
Mulder: Every new species begins with a Founder's Mutation. One child with the correct combination of DNA could be a start.
Scully: There was a study published last year in Nature Communications, by Batini and Hallast, that found that Y chromosomes in the majority of European men could be traced back to just three individuals from the Bronze Age.
Mulder: I did some digging around the police archives, looking for anything related to Goldman. 17 years ago, Jackie Goldman was remanded to St. Elizabeth's hospital as a forensics patient. She was adjudicated criminally insane.
Scully: Dr. Goldman's wife?
Mulder: She was convicted of murdering her baby. That body also was never found.
[SCENE_BREAK]
[ SAINT ELIZABETH HOSPITAL WASHINGTON, D.C. ]
[SCENE_BREAK]
Mulder: Mrs. Goldman, we'd like to ask you a few questions about your husband. About his work?
Scully: Mulder, she hasn't said anything in ten minutes.
(yowling)
Mulder: You don't like cats?
Mrs. Goldman: What do you want?
Scully: Can we ask you a few questions, Jackie?
Mrs. Goldman: Not about my husband. He is the one still keeping me here.
Mulder: Do you miss your daughter?
Mrs. Goldman: Molly.
[ Flashback ]
Mrs. Goldman: You should see, uh, that one, that one.
Mrs. Goldman (O.C.): I love my daughter. But... there was... something odd... about her. I felt it from the day she was born. I-I didn't know for sure... until she was two.
Mrs. Goldman: Where's Molly?
Mrs. Goldman (O.C.): She fell in the pool and nobody noticed. Molly was underwater for at least ten minutes. She should've been dead. I never told anyone else this. Not only was she alive... she was breathing in the water.
(muffled exclamation)
[ End Flashback ]
Mrs. Goldman: The other moms thought it was a miracle. But I knew what it was. My husband... did... something to the embryo. He used our own daughter for his research. I was nine months pregnant at the time. I was not about to let him have my son. I had to get away from that monster.
[ Flashback ]
Mrs. Goldman: (gasping)
Dr. Goldman: Please... don't go. I love you.
Mrs. Goldman: I want my daughter, Augustus.
Dr. Goldman: She is safe, so are you, right here with me.
Mrs. Goldman: What did you do to her?!
Dr. Goldman: Jackie! Jackie!
Mrs. Goldman: No! (panting)
[ End Flashback ]
Mrs. Goldman: He took Molly away. He hid her from me. So I got in the car and I drove. I just drove, no idea where to go. I knew there was no chance they would leave me alone. I had another baby in my belly.
Mulder: "They"?
Mrs. Goldman: The government. Augustus worked for them. I couldn't trust anyone. Especially the police. I was so scared. I was going too fast.
[ Flashback ]
Mrs. Goldman (O.C.): And there was an animal in the middle of the road. I-I panicked and I crashed.
(moaning)
(gasping)
(grunting)
(sobs)
(grunting)
Mrs. Goldman (O.C.): I thought I was gonna die.
(rapid gasping)
Mrs. Goldman (O.C.): But that's when I heard the sound.
(tone ringing)
(screams)
[ End Flashback ]
Mrs. Goldman: It was so loud and piercing; it hurt. It was in my head.
[ Flashback ]
(tone ringing)
(screaming)
Mrs. Goldman (O.C.): He was talking to me in the only way that he knew how. And I knew what I had to do.
[ End Flashback ]
Mrs. Goldman: They said I killed my baby. I didn't.
[ Flashback ]
Mrs. Goldman (O.C.): I let him out.
[ End Flashback ]
Scully: Do you know what happened to your son?
Mrs. Goldman: Passed out from loss of blood. Woke up in a hospital. I never saw my boy again. I think about him every day.
Scully: A mother never forgets.
[SCENE_BREAK]
Scully: All my training, everything that I know about psychology tells me that she's delusional, but, Mulder, there's something about her that I trust.
Mulder: She heard a tone in her head, a screech-- that's what happened to me.
Scully: Are you saying that you think the baby that communicated with her communicated with you?
Mulder: Wouldn't be a baby anymore. Excuse me. Uh, you don't work for the hospital, do you? You're a subcontractor?
Man: Yeah. A-1 Janitorial. We're all over the city.
Mulder: Thank you. Thanks.
[SCENE_BREAK]
Mulder: A-1 Janitorial also services Nugenics. You'll recognize the uniform. He's cleaning the office directly above the Secured Servers vault. He's no more than 15 feet away from Dr. Sanjay at the time of his death.
(tapping keys)
Scully: Action, reaction.
(beeping)
Mulder: I made a request for the name of the janitor on duty. Turns out he also worked at St. Elizabeth's last month. High school dropout Kyle Gilligan. We got him.
[SCENE_BREAK]
Scully: I'm Special Agent Scully. This is Special Agent Mulder. We'd like to speak with Kyle Gilligan.
Mrs. Gilligan: I'm his mother.
Mulder: Is he around? We'd like to ask him a few questions about an incident at work.
Mrs. Gilligan: The suicide?
Mulder: You heard about that.
Mrs. Gilligan: There's not a thing that goes on in my son's life that I don't know.
Scully: Well, we'd still like to speak with him.
Mrs. Gilligan: He's got nothing to say.
Scully: Why don't you let us decide that?
Mrs. Gilligan: I don't like to expose my son to stressful situations. It's not good for him. He doesn't understand it. He's simple. And he's a minor. And I won't allow it.
Mulder: You didn't give birth to Kyle.
Scully: (quietly) Mulder...
Mrs. Gilligan: What did you say?
Mulder: After the accident, where'd you find him?
Mrs. Gilligan: Get the hell off my porch.
Mulder: Your son is unique; have you ever wondered why?
Mrs. Gilligan: Get out!
Scully: Mulder, she's making it pretty clear.
(birds cawing, wings fluttering)
(birds screeching, squawking)
Mrs. Gilligan: (quietly) Bad things happen when the birds gather.
(tone ringing)
Mulder: Aah!
(ringing intensifies)
Mulder: Aah... (groaning)
Scully: Mulder...? Mulder! Mulder! (gasps) Where is he?!
(tone ringing intensely)
Mulder: (yelling in pain)
Scully: Where is he?!
(birds squawking)
(mother shouting)
(tone continues ringing)
(tone ringing)
Scully: Whatever you're doing, stop right there.
(inhales)
Mrs. Gilligan: Don't take him! (crying) Don't! Please don't take him! He didn't know what he was doing! He was just trying to protect me!
[SCENE_BREAK]
Mulder: Is that true, Kyle? That you don't know what you're doing? Why did you kill Dr. Sanjay?
Kyle: I didn't want him to die.
Mulder: You made him kill himself.
Kyle: No! I would never. He was... was helping me.
Mulder: You got inside his head. You got inside my head. You can make people hear things. Like you just did; like you did to me in Sanjay's apartment. But you can't control it.
Kyle: I just want to find my sister.
Scully: Molly?
Mulder: At the hospital, where you worked. You heard Jackie's story.
Kyle: She told me that he has her. And Jackie is my real mother, okay? I have to find my sister.
Mulder: Kyle, nobody knows where she is.
Scully: I know who knows.
[SCENE_BREAK]
(switch clicks)
Dr. Goldman: Hmm. Would you mind if I took some blood?
Kyle: Where's Molly?
Dr. Goldman: How do you know that name?
Kyle: My... (gasps, groans) ...mother told me to find her.
Dr. Goldman: And what would you do... once you found her?
Kyle: I don't... know.
Dr. Goldman: I'm gonna let you meet Molly.
[SCENE_BREAK]
Kyle: Molly?
(quiet laugh)
Molly: What's your name?
Kyle: Kyle. (quiet laugh) No. Y-You're not my sister. No!
(clattering, thudding)
Scully: Kyle...?
Kyle: Molly? You're Molly.
Molly (telepathically): I didn't know I had a brother.
Kyle: I can hear you. Are you ready?
(rumbling)
Mulder: Kyle!
(electrical buzzing and crackling)
Dr. Goldman: Molly! No! No!
Molly: Daddy, just let me go!
Dr. Goldman: Get the hell away from her!
(tone ringing, electrical buzzing)
(screaming)
Scully: Kyle!
Mulder: Scully!
(Goldman screaming)
(electrical buzzing)
Mulder: Aah!
(Goldman screams in agony)
(tone ringing intensely)
(Goldman screaming)
[SCENE_BREAK]
Skinner, keep your people behind the red tape.
(helicopter flying over)
Skinner: Department of Defense has control of the facility. It's now classified as top secret. We no longer have jurisdiction here.
Scully: Have they found Molly or Kyle?
Skinner: You were the last one to see them, Agent Mulder.
Mulder: I blacked out after Goldman's eyes popped out of their sockets. Believe me, you can't unsee that.
Skinner: Well, they're gone; there's no trace of them anywhere.
(helicopter flying over)
Scully: Kyle's blood.
Mulder: A trace.
[ Flashback ]
(growls, screeches)
William: Monkeys.
Mulder: Yeah, that's... well, that's early man, William.
(screeching, hooting)
Mulder: And that's the monolith.
William: What's a "momomyth"?
Mulder: Some people think it represents our first contact with aliens. Other people think it represents the beginning of human knowledge. I... I think one day you'll probably have your own ideas about it.
(hooting, grunting, screeching)
William: Dad...
Mulder: Hmm?
William: My fin broke.
Mulder: Oh.
William: Space is hard.
Mulder: "All great and honorable actions are undertaken with great difficulty." (imitating President Kennedy): "We choose to go to the Moon in this decade and do other things, not because they're easy...
Both: "But because they are hard."
(chuckles)
Mulder: That's right.
William: Come on, let's light this candle. We'll do yours first.
Mulder: Okay. There you go. You ready?
William: Yep.
Mulder: Five, four, three, two, one.
William: Ignition. I'm gonna go up there someday.
William (O.C.): Dad!
Mulder: William!
(rumbling)
William: Dad!
Mulder: No!
(rumbling fades)
[ End Flashback ]
[SCENE_BREAK]
Scully: Right now, we are in deep trouble.
(yells)
Scully: We'll be getting another case, Mulder. It has a monster in it.
(both yelling)
Scully: It's a fresh kill.
Mulder: So we're looking for a man-sized horned lizard with human teeth.
Scully: Mulder, the internet is not good for you.
(growls)
Mulder?!
The X-Files-- all new next Monday on FOX.


[EXT. LAS VEGAS CITY (STOCK) - NIGHT]
[EXT. LAS VEGAS CITY (STOCK) - BARBARY COAST HOTEL-- NIGHT]
[SCENE_BREAK]
[INT. SUV - NIGHT]
(A speeding SUV peals around the corner.)
(Cut to a train running on the tracks.)
(Cut to the SUV speeding down the road. MEGAN TREADWELL, the driver of the SUV, looks to the side and notices the train. She hears the train whistle blow. Still, she steps on the gas, hoping to beat the train across the track.)
Megan Treadwell: (urgently) Come on, come on, come on, come on. Come on, come on!
(The train crossing bell ring a warning. The train is approaching.)
(The SUV brakes screech. The train approaches. MEGAN TREADWELL steps of the breaks again, the car tires screech and still her car moves forward. Her car moves forward slowly, slowly through the crossing guard rail.)
(The SUV stops on the tracks. The train approaches. MEGAN TREADWELL looks out the car window and screams as the train smashes into her car.)
[SCENE_BREAK]
[EXT. TRAIN TRACKS - NIGHT]
(Scene opens with a close up of a power saw cutting through the SUV door.)
(CATHERINE approaches the scene carrying her CSI kit. BRASS turns around when CATHERINE reaches him and starts filling her in on the case.)
Brass: Paramedics pronounced twenty minutes ago. Megan Treadwell. I ran her plates. Thirty-three tomorrow.
Catherine: One-on-one with a train. Did she think that she could beat it?
(CATHERINE looks at BRASS, then heads toward GRISSOM, who is checking the train out. She puts her kit down.)
Catherine: Hey.
(GRISSOM is busy looking at something on the front of the train. CATHERINE leans in for a better look.)
Catherine: Door handle.
Grissom: Point of impact: Passenger-side door.
Catherine: Dead center.
(They look on the side as Forensics carry the bagged body away on a gurney.)
Grissom: Question is: Why did the SUV cross the tracks?
Catherine: (deadpans) To get to the other side.
(GRISSOM looks at CATHERINE.)
HARD CUT TO BLACK. END OF TEASER. ROLL TITLE CREDITS.
[SCENE_BREAK]
[EXT. TRAIN TRACKS -- NIGHT]
(CATHERINE walks down the steps of TRAIN #4009. When she gets to the ground, GRISSOM is on his cell phone. He hangs up.)
Grissom: Sheriff says we're holding up trains all over the country. This entire railroad division depends on keeping the main line open.
Catherine: Well, it's not like we can take this back to the garage.
Grissom: Well, unfortunately, his priority is clearing this train from the tracks. You have two hours.
(GRISSOM turns to leave. CATHERINE calls out to him.)
Catherine: Where are you going?
Grissom: Suspicious circs in town. This one's all yours.
Catherine: Thanks, but you got to give me some guys.
Grissom: Sara's all you get.
Catherine: All I need.
[SCENE_BREAK]
[INT. WESTERN STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY (LIBRARY) -- NIGHT]
(GRISSOM enters the library. He's met up by DET. RAY O'RILEY, who fills him in on the scene. In the background, the alarm continues to ring.)
O'Riley: "Burglary in progress" call. Once we made entry, we found the victim downstairs. Never knew this place existed.
(O'RILEY and GRISSOM continue down the stairs to the lower level.)
Grissom: The Western States Historical Society. It's not on a lot of tourist maps.
(The alarm stops ringing.)
Det. Ray O'Riley: I had them cut the wires.
Grissom: We need to identify the source of the alarm, Ray. Security company said it was downstairs. The body's there, too.
(DET. O'RILEY opens the door and walks in. GRISSOM follows.)
[SCENE_BREAK]
[INT. WESTERN STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY (LIBRARY) - NIGHT -- CONTINUOUS]
(O'RILEY and GRISSOM enter the lower room.)
O'Riley: (looking up at the ceiling) Trying to get them to turn some more lights on in here.
Grissom: There are no more lights, O'Riley. It's a controlled environment. Notice how you're not sweating? It's probably sixty-six degrees in here. Thirty-five percent relative humidity. Too much light, too much heat degrades the books.
(In front of them, two firemen cut try to cut the lock on the cage.)
Grissom: What-- nobody's got a key?
O'Riley: The curator's across town. He's on his way. She looks dead to me.
(The firemen put the cutters away and one gets out a power saw. He starts cutting the lock.)
(The door is unlocked. The fireman opens the door and GRISSOM steps aside for the paramedics.)
Grissom: You got first touch.
(The two paramedics enter the cage. They put their cases down and work on the woman on the floor. GRISSOM also walks inside after them and kneels in close to look at the body.)
Medic: 10:48. MEDIC: Red foam, blue tint.
Grissom: Foam could be from blood in her lungs. Edema. Skin is cyanotic. Maybe a blood disease. Leukemia. Meningitis. We'll know after the post.
(GRISSOM stands and gets out his camera. He starts to take pictures of the body. The camera flashes several times. Behind GRISSOM, outside the cage, a young man protests.)
Aaron Pratt: Don't do that.
Grissom: (turns around) Excuse me?
Aaron Pratt: These are very rare books.
Det. Ray O'Riley: Aaron Pratt. Librarian. Only other person here when the alarm sounded.
Grissom: Did he tell you what he was doing here?
O'Riley: Oh, yeah. Watching her. Set off the alarm, trying to get in the cage.
[SCENE_BREAK]
[INT. WESTERN STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY (LIBRARY) -- NIGHT]
(GRISSOM questions the Librarian, AARON PRATT.)
Aaron Pratt: I wasn't watching her. I always say "good night" to Veronica because I have to leave at 8:03 to catch the 8:10 bus. It's three blocks away. And sometimes the bus comes at 8:08, so I have to rush to catch it.
Grissom: So you went down to the basement to say good night.
Aaron Pratt: "Good night, Veronica." "Good night, Aaron." Sometimes she ... w-walks me to the bus.
Grissom: Did she walk you to the bus tonight?
Aaron Pratt: "Are you coming?" "No. You go ahead without me. I have more work to do."
(AARON gets very serious as he remembers what happens next.)
Aaron Pratt: Then ... a uniball pen ...
(Quick flashback to a camera close up of VERONICA BRADLEY'S hand holding the pen and the pen slipping out from her fingers. This happens in slow motion. The pen falls. The pen rolls across the table.)
Aaron Pratt: (V.O.) rolled across the desk ... fell onto the chair ...
(End of flashback. Resume to present.)
Aaron Pratt: ... hit the floor ...
(Quick flashback to the pen still rolling in slow motion.)
Aaron Pratt: (V.O.) and stopped rolling at the wastebasket.
(The pen stops rolling. End of flashback. Resume to present.)
Aaron Pratt: Then water ... water falls into her eyes.
Grissom: You mean she was sweating?
Aaron Pratt: From her forehead.
(Quick flashback to a veil of water falling from VERONICA'S forehead past her eyes.)
Aaron Pratt: (V.O.) Lots ...
(End of flashback. Resume to present.)
Aaron Pratt: ... and then, she grabs her stomach ... with both hands.
(Quick flashback to VERONICA BRADLEY dropping the book and clutching her abdomen.)
Veronica Bradley: Aaron ...
(End of flashback. Resume to present.)
Aaron Pratt: ... "Aaron" ... Then she put on her new face. Shelley's Frankenstein. Up and d-down ... flopping around like ...
(Quick flashback to VERONICA BRADLEY falling to the floor in seizures.)
Aaron Pratt: (V.O.) ... a salmon on my uncle's fishing boat.
(End of flashback. Resume to present.)
Grissom: She was convulsing.
Aaron Pratt: I ... couldn't help her ... because the cage is locked and I don't have a key.
(NICK approaches the table.)
Nick: Hey, there. Warrick's got three residential burglaries, so ...
Grissom: Mr. Pratt, will you excuse me for a moment?
(NICK and GRISSOM walk to the back of the room..)
Nick: According to O'Riley this guy's body language says he's guilty.
Grissom: I think he's autistic.
Nick: Autistic? You mean like Rain Man?
Grissom: Rain Man was a savant. Extremely rare. Aaron Pratt is a high-functioning autistic man with superior right-brain ability.
Nick: Kind of sounds like you.
Grissom: The crime scene's in the basement.
(NICK leaves to go to the basement.)
[SCENE_BREAK]
[EXT. ROADWAY BY CRASH SITE - NIGHT]
(CATHERINE and SARA walk side-by-side with their eyes glued to the road trying to look for evidence.)
Sara: Man, I hate rushing through a crime scene. Two years from now, no one is going to care that the Sheriff turned this into a "scoop and run."
Catherine: Call was made above our heads. Just document the time in your notes.
Sara: Yeah, well, I'll let you testify on this one.
Catherine: Thanks.
(Off to the side of the road, a little dog comes running toward them. Both CATHERINE and SARA kneel to get the dog.)
Catherine: Aw ...
Sara: Hey, little guy. Hey. Hey. Let's see.
(SARA checks his collar.)
Sara: His name is Maverick. He lives on Martingale Street in Henderson.
Catherine: That's not that far from here.
Sara: Guess I'll go call animal control.
Catherine: Okay.
Sara: I'll be right back.
(SARA picks up the dog.)
Sara: Hey. Come on, boy. Let's get you home.
[SCENE_BREAK]
[EXT. ROADWAY BY CRASH SITE - NIGHT -- CONTINUOUS]
(BRASS questions the TRAIN ENGINEER.)
Brass: So let me get this straight, all you saw was a car trying to beat the signal?
Train Engineer: I'm putting 55 miles an hour. It's dark. I got an oil leak, can't figure out where. I looked up and I saw something.
Brass: The SUV.
Train Engineer: Like I said, it was dark. I thought it was stopping. I turned my head for one second. Next thing I know, it's in the middle of the tracks. With all due respect we've got the right of way out here.
Brass: Thanks for your time.
(BRASS nods. The TRAIN ENGINEER leaves. SARA walks up to BRASS carrying MAVERICK in her arms.)
Brass: That's not yours, is it?
Sara: I am collecting evidence. Do we have an address on the vic yet?
Brass: 855 Martingale.
Sara: Vic had a passenger. Say hello to Maverick.
[SCENE_BREAK]
[INT. CSI - FORENSIC AUTOPSY -- NIGHT]
(GRISSOM walks into the room. ROBBINS is washing his hands. He turns off the faucet.)
Grissom: Have you finished with our lady of the library?
Robbins: As finished as I'm going to be. You were right. Cyanosis. Blood was unable to oxygenate her tissue.
(Quick CGI POV as the camera travels to the deceased's face. The deceased's head rises and eyes open. The camera continues down her mouth as it opens slightly. It travels down her wind pipe where the muscles closes the passage. End of CGI POV. Resume to present.)
Grissom: Explains the blue face. Underlying cause?
Robbins: With blood in her lungs, asphyxiation's out. I found vomit in her throat, bloody stool, hemolysis and some irritation of the mucous membrane on her tongue. I won't know more till I get the blood test back. Could be blood-borne disease.
Grissom: I'm thinking about homicide.
Robbins: Then you know more than I do.
(ROBBINS looks at GRISSOM who's looking at the body. GRISSOM looks up at ROBBINS.)
[SCENE_BREAK]
[INT. WESTERN STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY (LIBRARY) - THE CAGE -- NIGHT]
(NICK is in the cage dusting for prints on the books. In the background, a well-dressed man descends the stairs.)
Officer: Excuse me, sir.
Stanley Hunter: It's fine.
Nick: Whoa, whoa, whoa. Sir, you can't come in here.
Stanley Hunter: I told the officer upstairs. I'm Stanley Hunter.
(At NICK'S blank look, he continues.)
Stanley Hunter: The curator. Do you have any idea the damage you're causing? With your dust, flashbulbs. You see that?
(STANLEY HUNTER points to a book behind NICK. He walks forward toward it to emphasize it's importance.)
Stanley Hunter: Right there, behind you. That is a 17th century text by Johannes Van Den Avelen. It's one of two volumes in the world. Now, do you go to the Louvre and put your hands all over the Raft of the Medusa?
Nick: Officer, Mr. Hunter would like to give a statement to Detective O'Riley.
Stanley Hunter: Statement?
Nick: Mm-hmm.
(Behind them, DET. O'RILEY and GRISSOM enter the room and stand just outside the cage as STANLEY HUNTER continues to talk to NICK.)
Stanley Hunter: I just got here. I don't even know what happened. But what I do know is that these are masterpieces. One of a kind.
Grissom: They're evidence in an active criminal investigation -- also one of a kind.
Det. O'Riley: Mr. Hunter, why don't we go upstairs and talk?
(STANLEY HUNTER leaves with DET. O'RILEY. GRISSOM puts his gloves on and looks around the room.)
(From a round POV, he views the table to the chair to the floor and he sees the pen near the wastebasket. GRISSOM walks over to it and picks it up. He looks at it.)
Grissom: The good news, Nick? We had a camera in here.
Nick: There's no surveillance system.
Grissom: Yeah, there is -- Aaron Pratt. We just have to figure out how to get the film out of his head.
[SCENE_BREAK]
[EXT. ROADWAY BY CRASH SITE - NIGHT]
(The tow truck takes the damaged SUV away. CATHERINE and SARA continue to take photographs of the crime scene.)
(Between evidence markers #16 and #17, there's a piece of glass. CATHERINE picks it up and looks at it.)
Catherine: Filament.
Sara: Train probably busted out her headlights. First thing on our list when we get to the tow yard.
(SARA looks at the treadmarks on the road. Something puzzles her about it.)
Sara: Catherine ... check this out.
(SARA snaps a photo of it.)
Catherine: Two sets of skid marks.
Sara: One set going forward ...
(Quick flashback to the SUV stopping and skidding to a stop. End of flashback. Resume to present.)
Catherine: These skid marks are about seven feet shy of the gate.
(SARA walks over to the next set of skid marks between evidence markers #18 and
Sara: The second set of skid marks are darker more rubber residue.
Catherine: Could be an overlay.
(SARA snaps several photos.)
Sara: Looks like the tires were spinning in place.
(Quick flashback to the SUV burning rubber. Cut to a close up of the tires running in reverse.)
Sara: (V.O.) In reverse.
(End of flashback. Resume to present.)
Catherine: Burning rubber. Going nowhere.
Sara: So ... which set of skid marks are telling the story?
Catherine: Maybe they both are.
[SCENE_BREAK]
[INT. WESTERN STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY (LIBRARY) - THE CAGE -- NIGHT]
(GRISSOM is questioning STANLEY HUNTER inside the cage.)
Grissom: So, all of your chemicals in here are alkaline?
Stanley Hunter: We're not dealing with the far ends of the ph range. See, old book pages are slightly acidic. The acid eats away the paper. We neutralize them by a solution that's slightly basic.
Grissom: To reach "7," the neutral ph.
Stanley Hunter: Exactly. Imidazole. Fifteen percent ammonia. That's the sort of thing we work with here. It's all about preserving the books. No, not that you could even assign a value but do you have any idea how much each of these books is worth?
Grissom: No.
Stanley Hunter: The first printed book was a Gutenberg Bible. It sold at Christie's for $5.3 million. Lewis and Clark's elk skin journal sold for $500,000. We have an illustrated Audubon, The Birds of America, which is worth an estimated $30,000.
Grissom: All of that and you never thought about beefing up your security?
Stanley Hunter: You know, special collections are kept in the vault. Any rare book removed from the vault gets scanned through a coder. If the book is to be read it's delivered to a secure room upstairs. And if Veronica was going to work on it, it stayed down here.
Grissom: Is this one of the books that Veronica was restoring?
Stanley Hunter: Yes. It ... it was published in 1797. The author was a British Botanist. It's worth an estimated $300,000. It's really not a dangerous profession.
[SCENE_BREAK]
[INT. WESTERN STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY (LIBRARY) -- NIGHT]
(AARON PRATT reshelves books. DET. O'RILEY walks up to GRISSOM.)
Det. O'Riley: We got a situation. You know that weird guy?
Grissom: He's not weird, O'Riley, he's autistic.
Det. O'Riley: Whatever. First on the scene, and he's got sticky fingers.
(DET. O'RILEY hands GRISSOM a book.)
[SCENE_BREAK]
[INT. LIBRARY -- NIGHT]
(GRISSOM stands next to AARON PRATT as he works.)
Grissom: "But I will wear my heart upon my sleeve / for daws to peck at. I am not what I am."
Aaron Pratt: Othello, act one, scene one. Line 61 and 62, Iago to Roderigo.
Grissom: Very good, Aaron. Now, you want to tell me how Othello ended up in your briefcase?
(AARON looks around.)
Aaron Pratt: It's my ... favorite Shakespeare tragedy.
Grissom: I like Hamlet myself. And I bet Mr. Hunter is into King Lear. He's very concerned with property rights. He tells me the rare books are kept in the vault and they're not allowed off-site.
Aaron Pratt: Mr. Hunter doesn't like me.
Det. Ray O'Riley: I don't think the rule was made with you in mind.
Aaron Pratt: He breaks the rules all the time.
Grissom: He takes the books home?
Aaron Pratt: No. He... eats his lunch in his office. Carrots, celery tuna on whole wheat ... and Veronica.
Grissom: What do you mean, "and Veronica"?
Aaron Pratt: She's eating and he takes her sandwich ...
(Quick series of flashbacks. Veronica sighing as STANLEY HUNTER kisses her neck. Cut to his hands on her breasts. Cut to his hands running down her thighs. Cut to them kissing at his desk. In the background near the door, AARON PRATT watches.)
Aaron Pratt: (V.O.) and he puts his hand on her breast. And then he puts his tongue ...
Grissom: (V.O.) (interrupting) Aaron ...
(End of flashback. Resume to present.)
Grissom: I get it. Did they know that you were watching them?
(AARON PRATT looks away.)
[SCENE_BREAK]
[EXT. DUMP SITE - NIGHT]
(CATHERINE and SARA check the SUV out after it's been towed. SARA notices something.)
Sara: Hey, you know that filament you picked up?
Catherine: Yeah.
Sara: The lamp cover's smashed, but the filament's intact.
Catherine: So what, the filament's from another car?
Sara: Well, taillights have different filaments, so ... yeah.
(CATHERINE kneels to examine the back bumper. She finds something.)
Catherine: Paint transfer.
Sara: Recent?
Catherine: Hard to say.
(SARA peers inside the car and notices a bag of gourmet doggie treats from "Vegas Finest". They're Bac'n'Chees flavored. SARA gets into the front seat of the car.)
Catherine: You know, this right rear tire's lost a lot of rubber.
(SARA finds a cell phone on the driver side floor. She checks it out.)
Sara: I got a cell phone. Battery's dead.
(SARA also notices something else strange.)
Sara: Hey, Catherine ... her emergency brake is still on.
Catherine: Maybe her brakes failed or she had to engage it for some reason you know, I'm thinking that maybe another vehicle was involved.
Sara: Engineer didn't mention anything about a second driver.
Catherine: Maybe he didn't see it.
[SCENE_BREAK]
[INT. CSI - HALLWAY TO LAB -- NIGHT]
(ROBBINS walks down the hallway to the lab where NICK is testing the chemical bottles from the cage. ROBBINS enters the room.)
Robbins: Fifteen minutes before my next post. Bottled chemicals from the library?
(NICK nods his head.)
Robbins: Hey. Great room. Great table. I could use this. Lay out all the body parts. Get a real overview. Is that a light under there?
Nick: Do you have something for me?
Robbins: Oh, your vic. Poisoned. Substance as yet unidentified.
Nick: Well, there's no smoking gun in any of these bottles. What's on the label is what's in the bottle. Isopropyl alcohol ... 15% ammonia solution ... imidazole ... bleach.
(NICK gets up and walks to the doorway.)
Robbins: When you isolate the toxin you'll have a better idea where it came from. Nick ...
Nick: Hmm?
(NICK turns around.)
Robbins: I love this table.
(NICK smiles and nods.)
[SCENE_BREAK]
[INT. CSI -- LAB]
(SARA is looking at the filament that they found on the road. CATHERINE is fiddling with the cell phone.)
Sara: There's no glass on the filament.
Catherine: 10:30 at night?
Sara: Crim 101. If a guy's driving along at night with his lights on ...
(Quick CGI POV to loud tire screetching. The camera heads toward the light glass, through the light and down to the filament. A piece of glass melts.)
Sara: (V.O.) gets in a wreck, glass breaks fuses to the filament.
(End of flashback. Resume to present.)
Sara: Instant evidence. But there's no glass on the filament. His headlights weren't on.
(CATHERINE stands up and walks to the scope to look.)
(Cut to the scope view of the filament with no glass melted on it. CATHERINE thinks about it for a moment.)
Catherine: Black car ... headlights off.
Sara: Easy for an engineer to miss.
Catherine: So he hit our SUV. Accidental or intentional?
Sara: Hard to tell.
Catherine: Maybe not.
(CATHERINE looks down at the cell phone in her hands.)
[SCENE_BREAK]
[INT. AARON PRATT'S RESIDENCE]
(AARON PRATT straightens a picture on the wall, then turns and watches as GRISSOM and NICK go through his things. GRISSOM looks through the books and NICK is looking through his mail.)
Grissom: These books are from the Historical Society.
Aaron Pratt: (nervous) That's my mail.
Grissom: Aaron, what about these books?
Aaron Pratt: Don't ... don't mix those up.
(AARON grabs the mail from NICK and puts them back on the shelf.)
Aaron Pratt: I have two bills due tomorrow -- gas and electric -- and I have to mail them on my way to work. Don't.
(NICK calmly picks the mail up to continue to look through them. AARON grabs them from him again.)
Aaron Pratt: (frustrated) You're messing everything up.
(GRISSOM walks over to them.)
Grissom: (interrupting) Aaron, may I have a glass of water, please?
Aaron Pratt: (immediately) Of course you may.
Grissom: Thank you.
(AARON leaves to go to the kitchen.)
Nick: Is this guy the real deal?
Grissom: I think he's incapable of deception, Nick. We're just witnessing displaced anxiety. I mean, look around. Everything's in precise order.
Nick: Organized by size.
Grissom: Order provides comfort. His life is based on routine. Without it, he can't function.
Nick: I'll check out the bedroom.
(AARON returns and hands GRISSOM a glass of water.)
Aaron Pratt: Mountain spring water, Calistoga, California. Bottled at the source.
Grissom: Thank you.
Aaron Pratt: You're welcome.
(GRISSOM holds up a couple of books.)
Grissom: Now, how did these books get here?
(AARON grabs the books from GRISSOM and reshelves them in its proper order.)
Aaron Pratt: Veronica brought them.
Grissom: She was here.
Aaron Pratt: Yes, she was here. We date.
Grissom: What do you mean you date?
Aaron Pratt: We have dinner -- roast beef, baked potato ... organic broccoli ... acacia pinot noir. Shakespeare in Love. DVD. Miramax. M-c-m-x-c-v-I-I-I.
(Cut to NICK going through AARON PRATT'S dresser drawers.)
(Cut back to AARON PRATT seeing NICK in the bedroom and starting toward him. GRISSOM stops him.)
Grissom: You two were involved with each other?
(AARON turns around.)
Aaron Pratt: Why? Don't you think she would date someone like me?
Grissom: No. You told me Veronica was involved with Mr. Hunter.
Aaron Pratt: I have a masters in library science and an English Degree from UNLV. And some people like Mr. Hunter, treat me like a freak. But Veronica didn't. She ... loved me. Not him.
(In the background, NICK stops searching the drawers and starts back toward GRISSOM.)
Nick: Grissom. You might want to come back here a sec.
(GRISSOM hands the glass of water back to AARON.)
Grissom: Thank you.
(AARON takes the water and smiles.)
[BEDROOM]
(NICK leads GRISSOM back to the bedroom dresser and pulls aside a piece of cloth. Under it is a lipstick, a pair of earrings, a couple of photos and a hair brush.)
Nick: Personal effects. Like some creepy little shrine. Vic's hair. She was seeing Hunter. Aaron got jealous. Incapable of deception, huh? How do you feel about murder?
(GRISSOM picks up a photo of VERONICA BRADLEY.)
Grissom: "Yet she must die else she betray more men. Put out the light, and then put out the light."
(He turns around to look at AARON PRATT standing in the living room behind them.)
[SCENE_BREAK]
[INT. CSI - AUDIO/VISUAL LAB]
(CATHERINE and SARA watch as ARCHIE JOHNSON works his magic on the 911 tape.)
Archie Johnson: Last call on her cell phone was to 911. Reel to reel's already interfaced on my computer.
(Start tape recording.)
Dispatcher: (tape) 911, what's your emergency?
Megan Treadwell: (tape) Oh, god, you've got to help me, please, help me.
Dispatcher: (tape) Ma'am, try to calm down. Where are you?
Megan Treadwell: (tape) I'm in my car. There's this maniac, he's following me ...
Dispatcher: (tape) Ma'am, what's your location?
Megan Treadwell: (tape) Help me, please!
(End of tape recording.)
Catherine: Can you isolate the individual tracks?
Archie Johnson: Yes, ma'am.
Catherine: Good. Lose the dog.
Sara: Train, too, please.
(ARCHIE turns off "TRACK 1: DOG" and "TRACK 2: TRAIN". He leaves "TRACK 3: VICTIM", "TRACK 4: DISPATCH" and "TRACK 5: CAR" on.)
(Start tape recording.)
Dispatcher: (tape) Ma'am, what's your location?
Megan Treadwell: (tape) Help me, please! Oh, my god!
(End tape recording.)
Catherine: She was flooring it.
Sara: With the emergency brake on? It doesn't make any sense.
Catherine: Okay, lose the victim's voice and let's just hear the car.
(He runs the track for a third time.)
Archie Johnson: Two engines.
Catherine: Separate them out.
(He separates the remaining TRACK into two TRACKS. They run the tape again.)
Archie Johnson: SUV -- sounds like any regular four-cylinder.
(ARCHIE fiddles with the panel and runs the tape again.)
Sara: Sounds like the same thing.
Archie Johnson: Hang on.
(ARCHIE runs the tape for a final time.)
Archie Johnson: You hear that? Turbo. Probably diesel.
(That's enough to confirm that there definitely was a second car there. CATHERINE leaves without a word. ARCHIE and SARA watch.)
Sara: She definitely likes you.
(SARA pats ARCHIE on the shoulder and leaves to follow CATHERINE.)
[SCENE_BREAK]
[INT. CSI - DNA LAB]
(GREG is reading the test results.)
Greg: You ever see the attack of the killer tomatoes?
(NICK is also in the lab. GREG shows the results to NICK.)
'Cause there's something in the victim's blood that looks like one of those heirlooms.
Nick: Well, it's not pulling a spectra. It's not a chemical.
Greg: No, it's a large, ugly, globular mass. You know, it's probably a protein 'cause it's the largest mass of anything in the body-- except organs, of course.
Nick: But it's foreign. How did it get in there?
Greg: Cart before the horse, Nick. First you identify it then you figure out where it came from.
(GREG walks to the cabinet and removes a thick book. He leaves through the book and finds what he's looking for.)
Nick: I always thought you kept your p0rn in there.
Greg: I move it around. Okay, now, this is a 66-kilodalton globular protein, composed of two disulfide-linked sub-units, a and B.
Nick: Very impressive.
Greg: And I know what you all think of me -- I'm just another pretty face who got to where I am by sleeping with Catherine.
(GREG starts to draw on the clearboard to illustrate to NICK what he's looking at.)
Greg: But seriously ... Phi Beta Kappa, Stanford. Can I help it if I'm hip?
Nick: Yeah, yeah, which one of your relatives got you in?
Greg: Full ride. Hey, eyes forward. A and B chains link together to form a large three-dimensional structure of these beta sheets and helices.
Nick: Translation ...
Greg: Wait!
Nick: You just drew the molecular structure of a foreign protein. A Plant?
Greg: Correct. But, more specifically, a lectin.
(GREG goes back to the book and looks it up. He gasps.)
Greg: This is nastier than I thought. It's ricin, a biotoxin.
Nick: Biotoxin?
Greg: Yeah. (reading) "B chain binds to glycoside residues which trigger endocytotic uptake of the protein which internalizes the toxin and begins the irreversible effects ... "
Nick: Whoa, whoa, whoa, stop now. Biotoxin, as in anthrax, smallpox? I was at that crime scene for eight hours, man.
Greg: Relax, man. It takes, like, two hours for ricin symptoms to show and, like, 48 more to kill you.
Nick: (worried) What kind of symptoms are we talking about, here?
Greg: Um ... sweats? Cramps?
Nick: No.
Greg: Convulsions?
Nick: Mm-mm. [Translation: No.]
Greg: Then you're fine.
Greg: And where did you say this woman worked?
Nick: Western State Historical Society.
[SCENE_BREAK]
[INT. CSI -- LAB]
(GRISSOM walks in through the double doors and catches ROBBINS.)
Grissom: Hey.
(ROBBINS looks up and stops.)
Grissom: I just got the word on our library victim. How does ricin grab you?
Robbins: Well, ricin. I never would have gone there but it explains the irritation of the mucous membrane on her tongue.
(Quick POV flash to the victim with her mouth open and tongue hanging out to show a close up of the irritation. End of POV.)
Grissom: So you think she ate the poison.
Robbins: I don't know about ate but the ricin made contact with the tongue which means you're probably looking for a powder.
(GRISSOM nods.)
[SCENE_BREAK]
[INT. WESTERN STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY (LIBRARY) - THE CAGE]
(A couple of suited up guys return back to the cage. NICK puts his CSI kit down, opens it and takes out a large piece of equipment.)
(Dissolve to Inside the Cage where NICK gathers and bags anything that looks like powder.
(Dissolve to NICK bagging some small glass containers and handing them to the other guy there with him. He turns to continue looking.)
(Several dissolves as NICK looks.)
(Dissolve to NICK opening up VERONICA BRADLEY 'S make-up compact.)
[SCENE_BREAK]
[INT. CSI -- LAB]
(CATHERINE walks into the lab. SARA is already there where she has the contents of MEGAN TREADWELL'S car spread out in front of her on the table.)
Catherine: Day in the life.
Sara: Megan Treadwell wakes up at home on Martingale street puts the dog in the car, heads to work at her desk by 9:00 A.M.
Catherine: We know this how?
Sara: Brass. Talked to her boss.
Catherine: Why the dog?
Sara: Dog went with her, every day.
Catherine: So she works till six?
Sara: Eight, actually. Hard worker.
Catherine: Finishes packs up and leaves the office.
Sara: Except she doesn't go home. She runs an errand. I found these in the front seat of her SUV. There's only one store in Las Vegas that makes them.
(SARA lifts up the bag of Bac'n'Cheez doggie treats from "Vegas' Finest.)
[SCENE_BREAK]
[INT. THE PET PLACE -- NIGHT]
(SARA, CATHERINE and BRASS question the workers there.)
Worker 1 (red-haired): Yeah, it happens all the time. Parking spaces are too narrow, and at a premium now that the restaurant moved in. This guy was out of line, almost... psycho.
Brass: Because of this woman?
(BRASS holds out a photo of MEGAN TREADWELL. The worker immediately knows her by her dog.)
Worker 1 (red-haired): Yeah. Maverick's owner. I think her name was, um, something with an M.
Sara: Megan.
(CATHERINE is in the back looking around the shop. She turns around when she hears Megan's name.)
Worker 1 (red-haired): Yeah. And this guy yelled so loud. I came out here just to check it out. He said something like ...
Worker 2 (dark-haired): "You could have kill me, bitch!" I heard it, too.
Brass: Did you see it?
Worker 2 (dark-haired): Kind of. I mean, I didn't hear a crash or anything, just brakes. It seemed like she backed out, didn't see him. Happened right over there.
(The WORKER points to a place outside in the parking lot. CATHERINE and SARA book look at the direction.)
(Quick flashback to MEGAN in her car and starting her car. Cut to MR. CROFT walking past the car as it slowly backs up.)
Mr. Croft: Whoa, whoa, hey, hey!
(End of flashback. Resume to present.)
Catherine: And that set him off.
Worker 2 (dark-haired): The last thing this guy needed was coffee.
(Quick flashback resumes as MR. CROFT and MEGAN TREADWELL start yelling at each other.)
Mr. Croft: Hey!
Megan Treadwell: What?
Mr. Croft: Pull your head out of your ass and use your mirror!
(End of flashback. Resume to present.)
Catherine: Was he a regular?
Worker 2 (dark-haired): Double latte, tall Monday through Friday between 8:30 and 9:00.
Brass: Does Mr. Double Latte have a name?
Worker 2 (dark-haired): I think it's Croft. Works right down the street - CPA. He's always telling us how to streamline our business.
Sara: How did Megan react to Mr. Croft?
Worker 1 (red-haired): She told him to go to hell.
(Quick flashback to MEGAN and MR. CROFT yelling at each other.)
Megan Treadwell: Go to hell!
Mr. Croft: No, you go to hell!
(MEGAN drives off.)
Mr. Croft: You're an ass!
(End of flashback. Resume to present.)
Worker 2 (dark-haired): And then just drove off.
Catherine: And what about Mr. Croft?
Worker 1 (red-haired): Everyone was just staring at him and then he got in his car and peeled out.
(SARA nods her head slowly. CATHERINE turns to look at SARA.)
[SCENE_BREAK]
[INT. CSI - GRISSOM'S OFFICE]
(GRISSOM is reading up on ricin. He has the book open flat on the table to a page with a picture on it. GREG walks in.)
Greg: Ricinus communis. Castor beans, like castor oil.
Grissom: Well, botanically speaking, it's a spurge, not a bean. Ricin is made from the husk. Castor oil is made from what's inside.
Greg: Hmm, which makes two people who know that -- you and the guy who wrote the book.
Grissom: Three, actually. Someone knew how to turn this spurge into a poison.
(NICK walks into the room.)
Nick: Hey, guys. That's Aaron's book, right?
Grissom: Mm-hmm.
Nick: Shouldn't you be looking at that under a fume hood?
Grissom: We brought this from his apartment, not his office.
Nick: What makes you think there's a difference? He probably cooked up that ricin in his kitchen.
Grissom: Our guys didn't find anything there.
Nick: So he cleans up well. What, you're not feeling sorry for this guy, now, are you?
Greg: Hey, man, he is autistic.
Nick: Anybody else would be in a cell right now.
(GRISSOM looks at NICK who definitely has a point. GRISSOM grabs his jacket and leaves the room.)
[SCENE_BREAK]
[INT. POLICE DEPARTMENT - INTERROGATION ROOM]
(GRISSOM and O'RILEY question AARON PRATT.)
Aaron Pratt: Yes, I've heard of ricin. Georgy Markov, 1978. Bulgarian political refugee in London assassinated by injection with a ricin pellet shot out of a black umbrella. Died two days later.
Grissom: Not that different from the way Veronica died, is it?
(GRISSOM stands. He carries the book to AARON and puts it on the table open to the page on Ricinus Communis.)
Grissom: I found this book in your apartment. What if I also told you that I found your fingerprint on this page?
Aaron Pratt: Page 153. I don't touch that book anymore.
Grissom: But you did touch it.
Aaron Pratt: Why are you mad at me?
O'Riley: Answer the question.
Aaron Pratt: I don't touch this book anymore. It doesn't feel right.
O'Riley: Ever since you killed Veronica.
Aaron Pratt: I loved Veronica.
(GRISSOM sits down next to AARON.)
Grissom: What do you mean, it doesn't feel right?
Aaron Pratt: Like a new bus pass. Smooth. Feel the page. It used to feel like my bus pass after a month. Now ... it's rough.
Grissom: Did you tell anyone that the illustrations felt different?
Aaron Pratt: Yes. I told Veronica and I told Mr. Hunter. She said that sometimes the books feel that way after they've been restored.
Grissom: What did Mr. Hunter say?
Aaron Pratt: He said, "Get out of my office, Aaron, I'm having my lunch!"
(AARON stands up and walks over to the window.)
Grissom: Was Mr. Hunter having lunch with Veronica again?
Aaron Pratt: Hard-boiled egg, celery, fruit salad, iced tea. Veronica was on a diet. She had to lose three pounds.
Grissom: Was this lunch different from the other lunches you told me about?
Aaron Pratt: Yes.
Grissom: How?
Aaron Pratt: They fought.
Grissom: Aaron, I want you to be very specific. Tell me what you saw.
(AARON looks out the window and remembers.)
(Quick flashback to STANLEY HUNTER'S office and his lunch with VERONICA BRADLEY. They're arguing.)
Stanley Hunter: You did what?
(He hits her.)
Stanley Hunter: All I have is my reputation and I'm not going to let you ruin it for me!
(End of flashback. Resume to present.)
Aaron Pratt: Veronica started crying. Mr. Hunter stopped yelling. He sat down. He started eating. He cut the hard-boiled egg in half.
(VERONICA is crying.)
Aaron Pratt: (V.O.) He reached in the drawer and pulled out the salt shaker.
(VERONICA BRADLEY stops him from adding salt to the egg. End of flashback. Resume to present.)
Aaron Pratt: No s*x, no food, no salt.
(AARON turns back to look at GRISSOM.)
[EXT. LAS VEGAS CITY (STOCK) - NIGHT]
[SCENE_BREAK]
[INT. WESTERN STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY (LIBRARY) - STANLEY HUNTER'S OFFICE --
[SCENE_BREAK]
NIGHT]
(NICK is in full gear and back at the library this time in STANLEY HUNTER'S office. He opens the drawer and picks up the the salt shaker.)
(Camera close up of the salt shaker. Hold on NICK.)
HARD CUT TO BLACK.
[SCENE_BREAK]
[INT. POLICE DEPARTMENT - INTERROGATION ROOM - DAY]
(GRISSOM and O'RILEY question STANLEY HUNTER.)
Stanley Hunter: Poison? What are you talking about?
Grissom: We're talking about ricin. The toxin that killed Veronica Bradley. You were dating her. You ate lunch together.
O'Riley: Opportunity. So, you mix up a batch of ricin put it in a salt shaker. Next time you're breaking bread, she asks for the salt ...
Stanley Hunter: It never happened.
Grissom: We have a witness who says he saw you try to kill her.
Stanley Hunter: What? Aaron? Are you sure you trust him?
Grissom: Normally an eyewitness is the least reliable evidence we have. But in this case, it's the most reliable. Veronica knew about the forgeries. A career-ender, huh, Stanley?
Stanley Hunter: For her, not for me. She's the forger.
(This surprises GRISSOM.)
Stanley Hunter: Oh, Aaron, Aaron, Aaron. I suppose he indicted me for that, too? He's the one who came to me. Told me about the illustrations. Said they felt like his bus pass. Whatever that means.
Grissom: Go on.
Stanley Hunter: He even knew the page numbers. So, I checked it out and he was right. Veronica was using me and mea culpa.
Grissom: Why didn't you tell us about the forgeries earlier?
Stanley Hunter: When she died, I thought the problem was solved. In this business, all you have is your reputation. There was a dozen books. I was going to remove them from the collection inform the board, collect the insurance and cut my losses. If you don't believe me go ask your very reliable witness.
(Camera holds on GRISSOM.)
[SCENE_BREAK]
[INT. WESTERN STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY (LIBRARY) - THE CAGE -- NIGHT]
(GRISSOM is standing on the inside of the cage. AARON PRATT is on the outside looking in.)
Grissom: Tell me again, what did you see?
Aaron Pratt: Uniball pen rolls across the desk. Falls on the chair, hits the floor and stops rolling at the wastebasket. Then water falls into Veronica's eyes ...
Grissom: (interrupting) Aaron, when you look at things you see pictures in your mind. Tell me the first picture you see of Veronica in this cage.
Aaron Pratt: I already told you.
Grissom: Tell me something you haven't told me. Tell me what Veronica was doing before you said good night.
Aaron Pratt: She pulled out a canvas bag. Then she looked around.
Grissom: Why was she looking around?
Aaron Pratt: She was deciding something.
Grissom: Tell me what "Veronica deciding something" looks like.
(Quick flashback to VERONICA BRADLEY crouching down and removing a book from the table. Cut to VERONICA standing up and picking a book off of the table. Cut to her opening the book and flipping a page. Cut to her biting the end of the pen. Camera close up of VERONICA BRADLEY biting the end of her pen. End of flashback. Resume to present.)
Grissom: Thank you, Aaron.
(AARON looks back at GRISSOM.)
[SCENE_BREAK]
[INT. CSI -- LAB]
(NICK is going through the pens they picked up from VERONICA BRADLEY'S house.)
Nick: Veronica Bradley must have loved uniballs. She had about a dozen at her house. Plus every known piece of forgery equipment.
(GRISSOM puts a swab in its box.)
Grissom: Some people bite their nails; she bit her pens. Bad habit.
(GRISSOM swabs the end of another pen.)
Nick: I also found this under her refrigerator. Funny how people don't think to clean there.
(NICK holds out an evidence bag for GRISSOM to take. GRISSOM looks at it. Camera close up of a single castor bean.)
Grissom: Castor bean. Ricinus communis.
(Quick flashback to VERONICA BRADLEY cooking in her kitchen. She takes some of the solid and grinds it into a powder. She puts the powder into the salt shaker. Camera close up of some of the ricin powder falling onto her notebook and pen.)
Nick: (V.O.) But if we find Ricin on any of the pens from her house ...
(End of flashback. Resume to present.)
Nick: ... we'll know where she cooked up the castor beans.
Grissom: And maybe how she died.
(GRISSOM hands a tray full of boxed swabs to NICK.)
Grissom: Get these to Greg right away. We need the results of the ricin elisa test.
(NICK leaves.)
[SCENE_BREAK]
[INT. POLICE DEPARTMENT - INTERROGATION ROOM]
(CATHERINE and BRASS question MR. CROFT.)
Mr. Croft: I came home straight from work. I don't know what you're talking about.
Catherine: You want to submit to a lineup?
Mr. Croft: A lineup? What for?
(SARA opens the door and enters the room.)
Sara: His car, out in the parking lot, it's a rental. Rented this morning.
Catherine: Let's just cut the B.S. Where's your car?
Mr. Croft: I sold it.
Catherine: You got proof of sale?
(He shakes his head.)
Catherine: An accountant who doesn't keep receipts.
Mr. Croft: Hey, you don't know anything about me.
Catherine: I know you've got a temper.
(Camera holds on MR. CROFT.)
[SCENE_BREAK]
[EXT. (STOCK) - NIGHT]
[SCENE_BREAK]
[INT. CSI - GARAGE]
(CATHERINE enters the GARAGE. SARA is already there with MR. CROFT'S car.)
Sara: Hey. Brass did the legwork and rushed the warrant. Found it in a body shop a mile from his house.
(CATHERINE looks at the car.)
Catherine: Black Excursion. Turbo diesel.
(CATHERINE walks to the front of the car and looks at the broken headlight.)
Catherine: Gutted.
Sara: Gets better. Vic's SUV was silver.
(SARA shows silver paint on the car's front bumper.)
Sara: What do you think?
Catherine: Well, this is a lot more than a fender bender.
Sara: Sustained contact.
Catherine: Get some scrapings.
Sara: Yeah.
(SARA puts her flashlight aside. CATHERINE opens the car's front passenger-side door and looks around. She sees the coffee on the front dash and seat.)
(Cut to SARA getting the scraping.)
(Cut back to CATHERINE climbing into the car and sitting down. She finds the empty coffee cup on the driver-side floor. She picks it up.)
Catherine: I think I may know what ...
(She smells it.)
Catherine: set this guy off.
(SARA looks up.)
Catherine: He spilled his coffee.
(CATHERINE looks around and finds the coffee lid with lipstick on the cap.)
(SARA walks around to the driver side.)
Catherine: (shaking her head) Not a good color for Croft.
(They're both putting the pieces together. CATHERINE also notices the coffee on the driver-side window. She rolls the window up to show the coffee stain.)
Catherine: Coffee on the outside, coffee on the inside. Lipstick on the lid.
Sara: She threw her coffee at him.
(Quick flashback to MEGAN in her car. MR. CROFT pulls up beside her. He yells at her. She yells back.)
Catherine: (V.O.) Croft chases her from the parking lot caught up to her at the light.
(End of flashback. Resume to present.)
Catherine: They said their "screw you, screw you's." I think I know the word that made her throw the coffee.
Sara: I hate that word.
(Quick flashback to CROFT swearing at MEGAN. MEGAN throws her coffee cup at CROFT. It hits him square.)
Sara: (V.O.) Those lids never fit. She nailed him.
(She drives off. End of flashback. Resume to present.)
Sara: Light turns green and the chase is on.
(Quick flashback resumes as MEGAN peals off when the light changes.)
Catherine: (V.O.) And now she's got a problem.
(CROFT pursues. Cut to a car chase between the two cars. End of flashback.)
Sara: She's got a pursuit on her hands.
Catherine: And she's the pursued. So, she dials 9-1-1.
(Quick flashback to MEGAN on her cell.)
Operator: (over phone) 9-1-1. What's your emergency?
Megan Treadwell: (to phone) Oh, my god, you've got help me, please. Help me!
(End of flashback.)
Catherine: Somehow she loses him.
Sara: And she's still spooked. All she wants now is to get home.
(Quick flashback to MEGAN turning the corner and scared. She stops when the track guard bell rings and the rail lowers.)
Megan Treadwell: Please ... pl-please.
(She checks her rear-view mirror and sighs when she doesn't see the car. She turns around and looks at her dog.)
Megan Treadwell: Hey, sweetie ...
(Then from behind her, the car hits her full speed. She starts to inch forward. The train whistle blows in the distance. Her brakes screech. She slowly inches forward toward the guard rail. Behind her MR. CROFT looks very smug behind the wheel of his car. The train whistle blows.)
Megan Treadwell: Oh, god, no! Help me!
(She puts her emergency brakes on. End of flashback.)
Catherine: That's why she had the emergency brake on.
(Quick flashback to the car still inching forward and MR. CROFT mercilessly pushes the car forward. The train whistle blows. The car breaks through the rail and onto the track. End of flashback.)
Catherine: She could have jumped out.
Sara: Not without her dog.
(Quick flashback to MEGAN being pushed all the way to the middle of the train track.)
Megan Treadwell: Help!
(Her tires squeal; the train whistle blows. CROFT pushes the car forward, then goes in reverse once the car's in place. MEGAN tries to start her car, but the engine won't turn.)
Megan Treadwell: No!
(The train makes impact with the car. CROFT sits in his car and watches. End of flashback.)
Catherine: And that's why you always cut the other driver some slack.
Sara: I'll call Brass, tell him to make the arrest.
(CATHERINE nods.
[SCENE_BREAK]
[INT. CSI - GRISSOM'S OFFICE]
(GRISSOM watches as AARON PRATT nervously arranges the items on his shelf.)
Grissom: Veronica removed the original illustrations from the books and replaced them with forgeries which she then left at your house so that she could point the finger at you if it ever came to that. She never thought that you'd find out but you did. And you told Mr. Hunter.
Aaron Pratt: "All you have in this business is your reputation."
Grissom: So, Veronica tried to save hers but instead of killing Mr. Hunter she ended up killing herself.
(AARON knocks down the containers he was straightening.)
Aaron Pratt: Oh. Sorry.
(GRISSOM rushes over to help him pick them up.)
Grissom: That's okay.
(AARON nervously giggles.)
Grissom: (quietly) I like order.
Aaron Pratt: Me, too. That's why I was scared.
Grissom: Scared?
Aaron Pratt: Of Veronica. Of being in love. I was stupid. I thought she loved me.
(Quick flashback to VERONICA kissing AARON. End of flashback.)
Aaron Pratt: "Then must you speak of one that loved not wisely ...
Grissom: ... but too well."
Aaron Pratt: Othello, act five, scene two, lines 343 and 344.
Grissom: But Othello killed Desdemona.
Aaron Pratt: I didn't kill Veronica.
Grissom: (quietly) No, you didn't.
(GRISSOM smiles.)