The Dead Zone s02e04 Episode Script

I had the perfect life until I was in a coma for six years.
And then I woke up and found my fiance married to another man.
My son doesn't know who I am.
Everything has changed including me.
One touch and I can see things things that happened, things that will happen.
You should see what I see.
(crowd laughing) (crowd laughing on TV, "Seinfeld" theme playing) (TV shuts off) - (phone ringing) - (video game sounds) What is it man? I'm saving the universe.
Oh man, I just watched a great one.
Bizarro Jerry? No, it's the one where George's friend says "Yada yada" all the time, and he thinks she's hiding something.
Mm-hmm.
You want to come over and watch some of these or what? They're my tapes, John, I've seen them all.
Maybe when you catch up with "The X-Files.
" I guess this is all like ancient history to you, huh? 1996, 1997? Not ancient history, it's just cooler to you than it is to me.
Guess so! Look at it this way, for me it's nostalgia, for you it's it's more like time travel.
Come on, man! Argh.
That's cool, I can tell you're doing something real important over there.
If you need me to talk to you No, that's cool, man.
I'm about to pass out in a minute, anyway.
All right.
Take it easy.
Woman on TV: It's not that I don't like the way I look, It's that I do like the way I look, and I'd like to keep it that way.
That's why Revivatin is for me.
Announcer: No one can turn back the clock, but we just figured out how to slow it down.
Ask your doctor if Revivatin is right for you.
I started using Revivatin in about April 2005, and I used it pretty steadily for the last four years, until I found out I was pregnant.
Reporter: Her daughter, born six weeks ago, was hanging on, but her future, like the future of thousands of other Revivatin babies, is uncertain.
Early reports indicate that 80% of infants born with the Revivatin birth defect will die within two to three months of birth.
(theme music playing) * Oooh * * Fall in love, fall in love, fall in love * * Fall in love * * Feel no shame for what you are * * Feel no shame for what you are * * Feel no shame for what you are * * Fall in love, fall in love * * Fall in love.
* Revivatin is a Culp & Belling product.
They tell you on their website that it's FDA approved, but get this it only got a class B approval, which means in the absence of human studies, animal studies showed no risk.
It also says "The chance of harm to a human baby is remote, but a possibility.
" A possibility?! They didn't do tests on pregnant women, so they slap a warning label on the side? That's not gonna do the trick.
Gene, This thing is a mass murderer and it ships nationwide in nine days.
- (sighing) - Are you following me? I need a moment to process this.
- What don't you understand, Gene? - It's not that I don't understand, it's that up to now, your visions have taken you into the lives of individuals, and in rare instances into an event that affects a hundred lives like the steakhouse fire.
But this now you're telling me you had a vision that affects thousands? one day it might be the whole planet.
What do you mean? I mean we have to stop this drug from coming out, Gene.
- You're not going public with this? - I don't want to go public.
I need your help in contacting someone at a high level at Culp & Belling.
Johnny, you're talking about major dollar decisions affecting shipping, advertising costs, corporate image major dollar decisions.
It'll cost them a lot more in a class-action lawsuit six years down the line, I'm doing them a favor, Gene.
Somehow, I don't think they're going to see it like that.
I need you to make some calls, pull some strings, get me a meeting.
Their headquarters are in New Hampshire, near Concord.
You're overestimating our connections with the corporate sector.
Gene, if there's one thing I've learned about you, if you don't know the people, you know the people that know the people.
Johnny: How are you doing, sir? My name is John Smith.
I have an appointment with Wendell Hahn.
Identification, sir? (crowd chanting) Stop the killing! - Thank you, Mr.
Smith.
- Thank you.
- Garett Carter.
- Come again? Garett Carter set this up, didn't he? This is payback for Vegas, huh? Come on you can tell me.
Mr.
Hahn, this is not a joke.
Then you really you're a psychic.
Well, uh I know that it's hard to believe, but I actually have a number of references, sir.
The sheriff of Penobscot County, Arthur Markoff, CEO of Arthur Markoff Industries.
Mr.
Roger Chatsworth.
Uh-huh.
Uh-huh.
What do you want, Mr.
Smith? Mr.
Hahn, I want to stop this company from making a terrible mistake.
Because you had a premonition? At least have your scientists re-examine the research.
They do that every day, Mr.
Smith, without being prompted to by a psychic.
But thank you very much for bringing this to my attention.
I'll get right on this.
In the meantime, you'll understand, anything you say in this office, said outside, will be considered slander.
This company has a responsibility! Woman: expressed in yesterday's sessions the aim of this subcommittee is not to determine if mistakes, judgment errors or oversights were made, but when they were made, why they were made, and by whom? This same sentiment was expressed to me this very morning by Vice-President Stillson as well as Surgeon General Raer.
Dr.
Berke, as the leading genetic authority on the Revivatin Crisis, can you shed any light on these questions? Thank you, Senator Maitland, members of the committee.
I can give you names of the various groups involved.
I can give you dates of clinical trials, FDA approvals.
But in the end I can only tell you that at the time Revivatin was developed, the technology to identify the mutating agent was not available.
I completed the development of the Anza program in April 2008, a year after the initial birth defects first began to appear from then-unknown causes.
Anza is a computer model which allows for virtual in vitro testing, which at the time was considered a revolutionary process.
It certainly was not available to researchers in 2003, otherwise, Revivatin would never have been released.
Thomas Berke, we have to find Dr.
Thomas Berke! Let go of me! He's the one that'll prove Revivatin causes birth defects, but it'll take five years.
And you have five seconds to back out of my office.
Woman: Whoa.
Dana: All right.
All right, I got it.
Did you find it? "Well, hello, Dana, it's nice to see you again.
What's going on?" I'm sorry, you're right.
It's just really important.
Okay, level with me.
What the hell's going on? I already told you, I can't.
Give and take is the foundation for any working relationship.
- Okay, I'll be honest, there's a story.
- No, really? It's a big story.
Be a better story if I can find this Dr.
Berke, 'cause he can prove what I've seen.
Right now it's my word against theirs.
Theirs? The second I can tell you, I will.
Right now, I can't.
Did you find him? Dr.
Thomas Berke, cardiovascular surgeon, lives in New York, celebrated his 65th birthday last week.
This can't be right.
The doctor I'm looking for is young, he's in his early 30s.
Does this guy have a son? Daughter and her name isn't Thomas.
He's the only Thomas Berke registered at the AMA, but My guy doesn't have a doctorate yet? Or maybe he's not a medical doctor.
The answer is both.
A guy named Thomas Berke graduated MIT in '92 with his bachelor's degree in computer science.
Went straight into the grad program to pursue his doctorate degree.
- So now he's in Boston? - No, Vancouver.
He quit MIT, never completed his degree.
Believe me, Johnny, this guy was harder to track down than you are nowadays.
Doesn't even have an unlisted phone number.
- But you found him in Vancouver? - Used every trick I got and some I made up.
I think I have to go to a Celtics game with an assistant professor.
Oh, here's the address.
- How do you do that? - It's what I do.
How do you do that "dead zone" thing? You owe me one again.
I owe you a lot more than one.
- Good luck.
Call me if you need me.
- All right, Reverend.
How're you doing, sir? (faint voices arguing in Chinese) (arguing louder) (faint voices arguing) (faint rock music playing) - Thomas Berke? - (man speaking Chinese) - It's about Anza? - Excuse me? I'm sorry, I mean to say it's about your Biotech software that's supposed to model complex chemical reactions and maybe do some gene mapping on the side.
(shouting in Chinese) (speaks Chinese) You found me, huh? I don't know how you did it, but you found me.
You're from MIT? Who sent you? McClusker.
McClusker.
What, the flight was too much for him? I know that fat bastard hates to fly.
- You got the wrong idea, Mr.
Berke.
- Yeah, I know, okay? Everyone knows that.
If I had the right idea, they wouldn't have pulled the grant from under me, and stabbed me in the back.
But you know something? It was my wrong idea, not theirs, and if they think they could just fly someone up here and buy my data back from me, they're wrong.
Wrong.
It's okay.
Shh, it's okay.
It's okay.
You can tell them that I'm not working on Anza anymore.
Virtual Bonsai Gardening.
Much more rewarding.
Look, I'm not from MIT.
And I'm not buying or selling anything.
My name is John Smith.
I'm from a small town in Maine Cleaves Mills.
About seven years ago, I was involved in a near-fatal car accident, and the trauma altered my brain chemistry.
So now when I touch someone or something, I can see into the future or the past.
- It's like clairvoyance.
- Clairvoyance.
Why didn't you say so? That is so much more interesting.
I've seen your future.
- Anza is going to work.
- Yeah.
You want some chamomile tea? Yeah.
I don't know how or when or what's gonna inspire your breakthrough, but it will come.
Unfortunately, it's gonna be too late to prevent a side effect from a drug called Revivatin.
That's why I came here today 'cause I want to help you to do it sooner.
Okay, let me get this straight.
You're gonna poke your head into the future, and then you're going to bypass the whole 99% perspiration for that 1% inspiration and then warp on back here and give me the answer.
You don't believe a word I'm saying.
It doesn't matter what I believe, it just doesn't happen that way.
Tea? Yeah.
Come on, Claire, come on.
Push! Doing great.
Push, okay.
Push! Come on, Claire! Push! - Keep breathing.
Push.
- (baby crying) - You did it! - (crying continuing) Get Dr.
Murkav.
I'm sorry.
We have reports of this syndrome in other hospitals.
Right now, we're not sure of the cause.
(crying continuing) Are you okay? What just happened? The drug I told you about, Revivatin? It's gonna cause severe birth defects in a few years.
And you're gonna have a child who suffers from that defect.
I don't know what your deal is, but that's really not funny.
In about five years.
It must be what motivates you to find the cause.
Your wife has brown eyes and brown hair.
My wife.
I can't even get a girl to look at me, let alone procreate.
- You called her Claire.
- Claire? I don't know anyone named Claire.
I think you should go right now, because I have some serious bonsai gardening to do.
We can't wait five years to find the proof.
Please leave.
The drug's coming out next week, Thomas.
You know something? This isn't something you solve in a week.
I have been working on this for five years no results.
It's called failure.
Failure.
I can't help you.
I'm truly sorry.
(cat meows) Let yourself out.
Please don't let the cats out, thank you.
It's okay, guys.
It's okay.
It's okay.
And Dana, it's John.
You expect me to print this? Thousand of babies, Sam.
How can we not print it? Just because this Smith guy says something's gonna happen, - doesn't mean it's gonna happen.
- Cathy's Steakhouse, the Dodd killing - When the lawyers see this - I ran it by the lawyers.
- They don't think we're gonna be sued? - They think we're crazy.
The question is whether you, me and the lawyers will be able to live with ourselves once those birth defects start showing up and we didn't warn anyone.
And guess who starts to sue us then? - Page four.
- Page four?! This story's Page four.
Radio: Most modern prophets like to make predictions about the end of the world, but here's one who just wants to warn you about a very dangerous wrinkle cream.
Reporter: After a month-long upward trend, Culp & Belling stock has dropped almost 2% this morning.
This after yesterday's curious news of Cleaves Mills, Maine, where self-proclaimed psychic John Smith predicted their new wonder drug Revivatin would cause birth defects.
Nervous investors apparently affected by the Smith factor, Cindy.
Where was this fellow during Enron? Revivatin has been subjected to rigorous clinical trials and has been given full approval by the FDA.
I plan on using it myself.
You have any direct comments on Johnny Smith? We feel Mr.
Smith doesn't warrant any comment or consideration.
We are, however, taking appropriate action.
Slander, libel, defamation, industrial espionage! - It's half what they're suing me for.
- Forgive me, you are not an institution whose purpose is to set a moral example.
Of course something this bizarre is going to get some coverage.
But is anyone going to take him seriously? In my opinion, no.
His claims are specific but he doesn't have a leg of proof to stand on.
- I just did what I had to do, Gene.
- You certainly did.
But to what end? You have disrupted the present, but have you changed the future? Have you really changed anything? That's all of it? - Okay, thanks.
- You're welcome.
Woman: I need some Revivatin - Man: She's looking for Revivatin - Man #2: My wife loves it.
I just made it worse.
You can't tell that by two pharmacies.
Come on, John.
I just helped spread the word about Revivatin.
Keep strong, man.
Things get worse before they get better.
Hey, you need to see me, Sam? - Close the door.
- All right.
What's up? - Are you sleeping with him? - I beg your pardon? Are you sleeping with Johnny Smith? Since when is that any business of yours? Since Culp & Belling made it the publisher's business, - and they made it my business.
- Sons of bitches.
You're writing stories on the guy and sleeping with him, and you don't find that a conflict of interest? No.
When I slept with you to get this job, that was a conflict of interest.
I slept with you after I hired you, there's a big difference.
- You're on suspension.
- What? Trust me, it could have been worse.
They say you're using the paper to promote his abilities.
They also say he went down to Culp & Belling last week threatening to release the story to you if he wasn't hired as a consultant.
That is crap and you know it! Tell your friend Culp & Belling will do everything they can to discredit this story.
They'll dig up every secret they can find on this guy.
Fine.
(doorbell rings) I've been suspended.
What? Culp & Belling dug up the fact that we've been sleeping together.
They're calling our relationship conflict of interest.
I need a drink.
Dana, I'm sorry.
As though we have a relationship.
The question is now do they know about you and Sarah? - What about me and - Please.
- Look, Sarah and I - Johnny, I know.
I don't have to be a reporter, just a woman.
I see it in your faces every time the two of you get within 50 feet of one another.
I'm here to warn you that you're vulnerable and so is she.
If you used your credit card for some secret hideaway, they will know.
- If you - Look, it's not like that, okay? Really.
Okay, I warned you.
Jesus! Have you been eating? - I don't know.
- Come on, let me make you a sandwich.
That will be our new relationship.
- I'll come over and I'll feed you.
- (phone rings) - Berke? - You really believe this stuff? - Where are you? - Downtown Cleaves Mills.
All right, why don't you make your way over here? - 6251 Cecil Green Park Road.
- Okay, I'll see you soon.
So after you left, I started thinking.
And then after I saw the story about you on TV, I started working.
Back to the drawing board, trying to crack the algorithm.
And? There are two days left till Revivatin hits the shelves.
Well, there's something else that you said about my future.
You said that there was a girl named Claire, and I said that I didn't know anyone by that name.
Right.
Yeah, I do know someone named Claire at MIT.
Claire Eisenhaus she had brown hair and brown eyes.
We actually co-authored a thesis together.
What? I kind of had a crush on her.
He said he didn't know anybody named Claire.
- I heard.
- We haven't spoken in three years.
And I don't even think she was into me then, so and he's telling me we're gonna get married.
That's not in the realm of possibility, right? Where is she now, Thomas? Okay, that's the thing, 'cause when I called MIT to find out where she was working I knew I had to come.
(phone ringing) - Eisenhaus.
- Hello, Claire? - Yes.
- Thomas Berke.
- Thomas? Where are you? - Hi! A lot of places nowadays.
But right now I'm near you I mean in the vicinity and I thought, you know, I'd give you a call.
Long time no see.
Long time? You dropped off the face of the earth.
Yeah, I did.
I guess I did, so But I'm working a lot, mostly for the government.
- Lunch.
Lunch.
- Yeah.
Anyway late notice, short actually no notice I was wondering what you were if you had any lunch plans or anything? No, not at all.
Okay sure, yeah.
Sounds 1:00.
Okay.
Oh yeah, terrific.
Okay, so wow, can't wait to catch up.
Okay, bye bye.
"Can't wait to catch up.
" I can't do this.
- You can do this.
- What if she doesn't like me? Thomas, she's gonna have your baby.
Just be yourself.
You'll be fine, okay.
Guys, pep talk outside in the car.
We gotta get a move on if we're gonna make it.
Oh Johnny, do you have any hair clippers? - Yeah upstairs.
- Why? You gotta lose the hair, hon.
Come on.
Your future depends on it.
Oh! - Hey! Wow.
- Hi.
- Claire, hi.
- Hi.
Whoa.
Two, please? Okay.
Go ahead.
Okay, here we go.
It is hard to believe that guy's future wife works for the company you're trying to stop.
It's too much of a coincidence.
Take anything that's inevitable, and move it back a couple of years, it becomes a coincidence.
The stars just haven't aligned yet.
And you're going to line them up.
He's a scientist, she's a scientist.
He's always had a crush on her.
They get together in three years.
I bet both of them will figure this out.
I need to speed up the timeline a little bit, you know? - Like by Sunday? - You got a better idea? The last thing I heard, you up and left McClusker's group a few months short of your doctorate.
Yeah, McClusker.
McClusker.
You know how I felt about doctorates, right? I always felt if I became one, I don't know how I'd forgive myself.
Actually, what happened is an opportunity came around and I had to take it.
This would be the government thing? - Right.
Right, yeah.
- Can you tell me about it? No.
No, not really.
You know Whatever it is, it looks like it agrees with you.
You used to be unraveling at the seams.
Claire you look exactly the same.
Hey, cheers! Mmm! Oh God, you have a crack in the glass right here.
I'll get you another one.
Hang on one second.
He's getting up, there's something wrong.
- Touch it! Just touch this.
- What are you doing? I told her that she has a crack in her glass and I'd replace it.
Touch it.
- I need to know what she's thinking.
- Thomas.
- You gotta get back in there.
- Come on, okay? I need to know.
Okay, okay, okay.
Hold on.
Hold on.
What? Thomas, she is into you, okay? There's not a problem, you're gonna be fine.
Go back in there.
Your breath is fine, you're MIT get in there, go! You're fine.
Just be yourself.
- She's into me? - She's into you.
Go! So? Did you really see something? I just hope the kid who washes the glass is gay.
There.
All good.
What did the guy at the bar want? What guy? I saw you in the mirror.
You stopped and talked to them.
Oh, that guy.
He just directions.
To the interstate.
Let's talk about you, Claire.
You guys have been in the news a lot lately.
Oh, God.
Isn't that crazy? Some nut job comes out of the woodwork and makes these crazy accusations, and the press actually reports it.
Have you guys looked into his claims at all, on your side? We went through regular clinical testing for a year and a half.
FDA approved us without even batting an eye.
To tell you the truth I'm thinking of using the stuff myself.
Don't do that.
I mean, you don't need it.
You don't, 'cause you're so beautiful.
Thank you.
But you know, 30 is just around the corner and I have a couple of lines already starting to make their attack, and I don't know if I'm ready to wave goodbye to my 20s.
But aren't you worried about the future? You know, children, possible birth defects, at all? Can we talk about something else? Yeah, I'm sorry.
I'm so sorry.
Okay, umm I just don't want you to regret anything in the future.
Thomas, where is this coming from? I don't know.
Oh my God.
That's the guy.
And you were talking to him.
What's going on? - Okay.
- Why is he here? Claire, I can explain.
Explain what?! Do you know him? - L - What is this? - I have to go.
- Can you wait? I don't know what's going on here, but I cannot be here.
Can you just give me Claire! Claire! Claire! Wait I think I just Claire! Thomas, what happened? See for yourself.
We don't get together anymore, do we? I'll get the car.
I knew it.
I knew this wouldn't work out.
- Look, there's still time.
- Time? Yeah, you're the man who can change time.
Have you considered that maybe time would get along fine without you? Without her help, I may never solve the algorithm.
How many more babies' lives is that gonna cost us, John? How much worse did we make the future today? (phone ringing) Johnny's voice: Hi, no one's home.
Please leave a message.
Woman's voice: Mr.
Smith, My name's Claire Eisenhaus.
I work for Culp & Belling.
- I think you know who I am.
- Hello, Claire? It's Thomas.
Thomas, I'm in trouble.
- They saw me at the restaurant.
- Who saw you? The company.
They suspect an insider has been working with Johnny Smith.
I'm now under investigation.
I'm sorry, Claire.
I told Smith about you.
- Why? - Because he found me in Vancouver, and he said he said a lot of things.
- Vancouver? - Yeah, that's where I live now, in a 400-square foot apartment in the one bad part of the city.
Claire, I don't work for anyone.
I don't work for the government.
A couple months ago, I was working at Starbucks.
And what else? I've been in love with you since school.
What? I told Johnny it was a crush, but that's a lie, okay? Because that would be taking love for granted, and I don't ever, ever want to take you for granted Claire but I don't know, I guess I screwed that up like always.
What did this psychic guy do to you? No, he didn't.
He's just trying to do the right thing.
He truly believes that this Revivatin is unsafe.
He says Anza's gonna prove it.
And you believe him? I just don't want to take any chances, not with you.
Not with us.
Man: Subject approaching from the north.
Woman: I've got him.
- Hi.
- Hi.
Just got back into town.
I got your message.
What's wrong? Someone's asking questions, Johnny about us.
- Getting audio drop-off from one.
- Woman: I'll try to get closer.
They talked to half the mothers on Johnny's soccer team.
One of them finally called to let me know.
- I just I can't believe it.
- Can't believe what? That Walt would actually hire a private detective.
- Number two, stay with them.
- Woman: I'm on it.
Why would Walt hire a private detective? It's not Walt.
It's this drug company.
- It's Culp & Belling.
- What? Johnny! I think he's made you, number one.
Time to go.
Excuse me.
Whoa! Dude, look, you really don't want to be in here.
Anything you do I'll report.
Come on! It's just a job, you know? What do you want me to tell you?! Leave me alone! Leave the laptop alone! It's mine I built it.
Come on, look! Oh God! Have a good night! God! Oh man! Thomas: No, I understand what you're saying.
Listen, to me, Claire no, it doesn't make any sense.
(voices muffled) Claire, I'm telling you, it's too high.
It doesn't make sense.
- Claire: I want to see that.
- Okay.
Are you sure? - That's the one.
Hey.
- Mm-hmm.
Hey! Hi.
- Your computer needs more memory.
- Sorry we made a mess.
- But Claire figured it out.
- Actually, Thomas figured it out.
- You generated the thesis.
- You were the impetus.
Noted.
Please continue.
Revivatin was run through extensive tests on humans and found to be safe.
But of course Culp & Belling didn't test on pregnant women, - because that would be unethical.
- But they did test pregnant animals? Rats and rabbits and their offspring were normal, which is why they earned a class B approval, where the chance of fetal harm is remote.
The labeling inside the Revivatin package also says that animal studies are not always predictive of human response.
And according to Anza in this specific case, humans are not like animals.
We plugged the human gene map into Anza and created an interaction model using the Revivatin data.
See? There.
Right there.
After the fertilized egg first starts dividing into multiple cells.
The embryo is susceptible to mutation early on, before the woman even knows she's pregnant.
(doorbell rings) Proof would Anza be considered proof? The FDA doesn't need a full answer if you can give them a big enough question mark.
Thomas: And this a huge question mark.
Hey, Walt.
What the hell are you doing busting up a security van? It's a long story, I'll talk to you about it later.
You gotta to talk to me about it now, because I've got to take you downtown.
They filed a criminal complaint.
Excuse us.
John, should we maybe call your friend Dana and get her to stop the presses? - No.
- Both: No? No, we'll call Culp & Belling and give them a chance to decide.
These are major dollars decisions here.
I'm telling you, I've got the data to back it up.
I'm faxing it to you right now.
I'm willing to bet my career that this will cost the life of thousands of babies.
I'll look into it.
Man: What the hell is Anza?! And who the hell's this Thomas?! How come we didn't know about him? It's his computer model that produced this.
This could cost us millions! (rings) It's for you, boss.
Jack? Emergency recall.
All trucks back to base.
Done.
Hey, Mike, this is gonna be the shortest run you ever had.
- There's been a recall.
Come on back.
- Copy that.
All right, boys, follow me.
We're going on home.
(sighs) Thank you for agreeing to meet me here on such short notice.
Culp & Belling has agreed to cease all legal action against you and the Faith Heritage Alliance, provided you keep quiet about this development and allow us to control the manner in which the recall is presented to the public.
If you continue to speak out on this matter, we will refute all your claims, even if they are deemed to be in good faith.
And we will continue to sue you.
- Do you understand? - Mm-hmm.
Wendell! You're welcome.
Announcer: A Culp & Belling spokeswoman denied that the delay was due to the recent predictions by an alleged psychic that the skin cream might cause birth defects.
In fact, the spokeswoman said Culp & Belling found an opportunity during recent tests to improve the product and reduce its cost of production.
No new date for the release will be announced.
Announcer #2: That's it for us, stay tuned for (voice fades) (baby crying) (theme music playing) - No no! - Yes yes! You're grounded.