ReGenesis s02e08 Episode Script
Haze
You better have a hell of a good story.
Someone, somewhere, somehow got creative.
Holy shit.
Who's the asshole who ruined NorBAC's reputation? Wasn't me.
Who was it 'cause that's where I'm going next with a baseball bat.
I didn't send him to Florida, David.
I don't know what you're talking about.
Charringa knew there was a fastidiosa bug on the way so he decided to do a pre-emptive vaccination on his orange groves in Florida.
- Okay, wait a minute.
He had a vaccine? - Oh, yeah, yeah.
No, these people have been using an engineered version of fastidiosa as a vaccination on their grapes in California for 3 years.
You think Charringa did this to himself? I don't think, I know.
Owen.
What are you doing here? I got rid of the weed, and now, the 2 guys who own the weed, well, they want to kill me.
- What? - Who? Look, I just need a place for a bit.
LET ME DIE It's a decision he's had a lot of time to make.
Glenn we're running.
And feel the leaves under our feet.
We're in a forest.
We're just going so fast now that the wind is pinching our ears.
And and our eyes are watering.
We can't even feel our cheeks anymore.
Look up ahead.
There's a There's a There's a meadow.
Can you see it? Oh, now you can run.
What? Excuse me, sir, would you mind turning off your engine? - What? - You're idling.
Yeah.
Thanks, officer.
Are you aware that greenhouse gases caused by the burning of fossil fuels and biomasses are contributing to atmospheric brown clouds that already threaten millions of people all over the world? Looks pretty good to me.
Sir, at this very moment, a cloud of enormous proportions is heading towards Mexico City due to its unique geographical location.
No shit.
The cloud is being made worse by greenhouse gases, such as the ones emanating from your tailpipe.
So, my tailpipe is messing up Mexico City? Yes.
Furthermore, tremors have been detected in the nearby Popocatepetl Mountain.
Carlos.
Ah, this is it? Caroline will fill you in.
She's up in her office.
Okay, I will get David.
- David.
- Hmm? It's here.
Any idea what this is all about? What's in here? No idea.
Good morning.
- Good morning.
- Good morning.
How're things going with Owen? Uh You mean is he still around? Yup, he's still around.
Owen? Is that the kid from the subway? Yeah.
Showed up at my place.
Cold, hungry, and broke.
I told him to go away.
- You're so good with kids - Aren't I? She usually doesn't lock it.
Caroline? Just a minute.
Oh.
Just arrived? Yeah.
Couple of minutes ago.
- You not gonna lock it, are ya? - Didn't realize I had.
So, what are we looking at? Homeland Security has been keeping a close watch on 2 brothers.
Scientists.
Stefan and Vincent Manford.
Any particular reason? They've been ordering viral DNA for their lab in Chicago.
- Private lab? - Yes.
Just the 2 of them.
So they've been ordering viral DNA.
So what? That's what you need if you're studying viruses, Caroline.
There's more, David.
Oh, how nice.
From Homeland Security, for all the good work we've done, no doubt.
No, the Manford brothers sent this to the President of the United States.
- Big fans? - Not at all.
They've been very verbal about how much they dislike the way the President's been handling U.
S.
affairs.
Them and 75% of the rest of the world.
That's what got them on Homeland Security's watch list.
Whatever happened to your constitutional right to speak out against your government? You can but if you're buying viral DNA at the same time you end up on Homeland's radar.
They're thinking these brothers are involved in bioterrorism.
Oh, let's just say, they're not taking any chances.
So Washington ran their own test.
Looks like they took a little nip.
They tested 250 milliliters.
They didn't find anything.
- So what do they want us to do? - They want us to confirm that there's just Cabernet Sauvignon in the bottle.
Pop the cork, let's have a tasting party.
Oh, cut the goddamn sarcasm, David, and get to it.
Absolutely, your Worship.
Is there anything else I can do for you today? - Maybe a foot massage? - Just test the bottle, and then you're No, we are going to Chicago to take a look at their lab.
- Take a look at their lab? - I have my orders, David.
Orders! Since when did we join the fucking army? Orders.
Jesus, this is bullshit! - Are you okay, Caroline? - Yeah.
I'm fine, I'm just tired.
You've had a tough week? Yeah.
We'll get right on this.
Thank you, Carlos.
Got 3 bull's-eyes and a pigeon.
You want a game? No.
You know, this is a difficult time for her.
You know, it's a difficult time for all of us, Carlos.
Ok, I'm sorry about her nephew Glenn.
I'm sorry about Glenn.
I'm sorry I had to hear about it second-goddamn-hand from Bob.
She kept it very personal.
She should keep her nervous breakdown personal, too and not take it out on me, then.
I just think if you were a little bit-- Just do what the lady says and check everything ok? The bottle, the wine, the cork, the label, the fucking glue on the label, we'll bring in a wine expert, find out where the grapes were from.
Wine experts get it wrong more often than not.
Whatever, just go up one side of it, down the other and leave the report in my underwear drawer.
I'll find it someday.
What? I'll get on it.
- Morning.
- Morning.
Why are you doing that? I heard about Glenn.
Bob, I'm sorry.
The cloud.
It's still moving, Bob.
- Are these the latest NOAA maps.
- Hmm-hmm.
Just came in.
See, it's closer.
The western-most tendril is already touching the coast.
It travelled a 100 kilometers overnight.
I put together a program of my own that downloads data from the National Weather Service.
So we've got NEXRAD radar, air quality, satellite views, - speed, altitude - It's only at 5400 meters high? Down from 6500 before it hit the coast.
We have to watch that if it goes down any more How fast is it moving? Well it varies.
Satellite had it going as fast as 55 kilometers an hour and then at a dead stop.
Right now, it's at 23 K.
But still heading toward Mexico City.
Right? The NOAA hasn't given me any models as to where it's going.
Yeah, but looking at it.
It's heading toward Mexico City.
I know, but Bob, I'm not a climatologist.
I know.
I know.
What about the mountain? The mountain, yeah.
Here.
- It just started this morning.
- It's happening.
It seems, yeah.
The Instituto Seismologico is predicting a constant eruption of gases over the next 24 to 36 hours What are they doing? Have they posted smog alerts? - Have they shut down the major industries? - Posted alerts yes.
But getting 18 million people - to respond isn't exactly - We need to get David on this.
I have to show him this.
Please, can you print it? I'll be at my desk.
OK.
Did David talk to you - about Owen? - Not really.
I told him he had to help him.
Ah.
I mean, he couldn't just throw him out in the street, right? No.
I think he's pissed off at me for saying that.
Why don't you talk to David about it? I guess I could talk to David.
OK.
I'll have to do a full run on these.
OK.
Now, you just want a viral gene chip on the wine, right? - Check for all known bacteria.
- You got it.
If you're going to start giving me "orders", you can do a little goddamn respect! and not like I'm some kind of ass kissing subordinate! You always talk to yourself like that? What the hell are you doing here? Let me in and I'll fill you in.
How'd you get around back? It was easy.
I mean, a bit harder than Canadian Customs.
Owen, I'm kind of busy right now.
- Yeah, yeah, you look super busy.
- You need some money? No, I just stopped by because I need some advice.
Not from me, man.
I suck at advice.
Look, David, I don't have anybody else to talk to.
And I mean, it appears that you listen to me.
Yeah, well - I can't go back.
- Sure you can.
I'll get you a bus ticket, I'll get you a plane ticket.
Going back to New York is a good thing.
- You'd be with your people.
- You don't understand.
They'll fucking stick me.
I dumped their dope.
And that shit was worth, like, half a million bucks on the street.
It's good, because Sunshine and everybody, they got better.
David, I have something to show you if you have the Hey, Owen.
What are you? - Where did you? - What is it, Bob? Emissions from cars and factories, trapped by the inversion layer, combined with the mass of pollution moving across the Pacific complicated by the gases emitting out of Mount Popocatepetl.
Theoretically, David, we could be heading towards a perfect pollution storm over Mexico City.
What the hell do you guys do here? OK, well you know the procedure.
Tell Caroline to contact Mexico and find out what their story is and What? - Mexico City is on the line.
- What? I need you on this call.
I need to convince them - that this disaster could happen.
- I can't help you here, Bob.
- I'm not up to speed - David, please! Okay, all right.
Get Carlos in on this, I'll be down in a second.
Excuse me.
Look, Owen, I got a thing and just go get yourself a you know, a hat, and some lunch.
We'll talk later.
Should I go back to your place? Yeah.
Clean the toilets if you don't mind.
Yeah, thanks.
Oh, Owen.
If you can just, you know, let yourself out the way you came in.
This is where the NOAA and other international weather agencies had it one week ago.
All right.
This is 3 days ago.
Less than 3 hours ago.
They're aware of the cloud They don't think it's going to be a problem.
Well, alone it wouldn't be a problem.
But it will still would be unhealthy.
And in combination with the gases emitting from the mountain and the intense inversion layer over Mexico City, I believe they can produce a very intense acid rain.
Excuse me.
Acid rain? - Specifically sulfuric acid.
- Sulfuric? You have data to support this? Right now it's purely theoretical but I Based on this theoretical scenario, what is it that you want us to do? Well, I thought that This is a potentially very dangerous People could die.
This is a very toxic rain that could destroy.
It's got a destructive power.
I think what Dr.
Melnikov is suggesting is that you need to intensify your efforts to reduce emissions in your industry and your transportation.
Dr.
Melnikov, are you a climatologist? Biochemist, biophysicist.
We've been consulting with the NOAA and their climatologists.
- And they agree with you? - Not yet they're still Dr.
Melnikov, I am a climatologist.
Are you familiar with the weather patterns of central and southern Mexico? - To some degree.
- Wind patterns? No.
So wind patterns have not been formulated into your theory? My theory is based on the data.
The mountain gases combining with They think we're overstating our case.
No, listen.
Even if the jet stream were to blow through I don't think that would make a difference The inversion layer is too low.
The emissions from the mountain are trapped.
- Bob.
- Fine! Then I'll just prove it.
But believe me.
You've got to do something about it.
Cut the emissions or it won't be a theory much longer.
Oh, Christ.
Bob.
Bob! You just made the call too soon, Bob.
No David, too late.
They're not seeing what can happen.
- Could happen.
- No.
I can show them exactly what can happen if everything collides over Mexico City - Then show them.
- Why don't they listen? Just Bob, do the science.
Show them.
OK, David.
I'll do the science.
David.
Oh, why do I have to watch this? Because Caroline thinks that it will give you some perspective on the brothers.
So that you know what you're dealing with.
- Why don't you sit down? - I'd rather stand.
That is Stefan Manford, age 30.
He has a Ph.
D.
in Molecular Biology from the University of Chicago.
He does most of the talking.
The other one is his brother Vincent.
in Molecular Biology.
- Also from the University of Chicago.
- Who's the suit? Lew Austiger.
He oversees the Midwest operations.
Can you explain to me why you've been looking into various strains of viral DNA? - How else would we study a virus? - Good answer.
What exactly does that mean? - Dumb question.
Well, Mr Austiger, first we're going to need to explain to you a couple of things about viral DNA.
Yeah, no kidding.
Lew doesn't have a clue.
Well, viruses replicate themselves by entering an intact cell and redirecting the host's biosynthetic proc-- Hold it.
Why am I watching this again? So that you will have some insight into-- How incompetent your G-man is? He doesn't know what they're fucking talking about.
I think that's Caroline's point, David.
He needs your help.
Well, somebody oughta tell the President, you know, somebody ought to explain to him, you know, that if you think you got a couple of bad guy scientists, you don't send a boy scout to talk to them.
I'll be sure to write that down.
You do that, Wes.
Where are we with the wine? Carlos says that he will have a full report ready in a couple of hours.
Well, let's reconvene in a couple of hours, then.
I got a headache.
- Would you like an aspirin? - You got one? No.
I'm injecting the clean clouds with all the elements: gases, chemicals.
Such the ones they're converging on Mexico City.
- Is that a piece of chicken? - Flora, fauna.
Animal, vegetable, mineral.
I need to see how they will react in this environment.
What do think will happen? I think all the elements are there, like all the gases.
The sulfur dioxide in the inversion layer, reinforced by the sulfur dioxide in the brown cloud which will react with the rain to create concentrated sulfuric acid, with pH levels as low as 1.
It may take a while.
Yeah.
Well In that case if you have time would you like to get a coffee? I don't drink coffee.
It dries you out.
Right.
Well, how about a tea.
Same thing.
Bob, I thought maybe we could talk.
- Nothing to say.
- No, there is, Bob.
I mean, we're both Don't you want to talk about it? Because I know I need to.
Not just now.
I have to attend to Have you spoken with the Mexicans? - I have a call in.
- Caroline, they need an evacuation plan.
They need to start moving people out, now.
They're not going to evacuate a entire city based on a theory from a Canadian Biochemist.
Then they're goddamn idiots! Caroline, we are living in a decade of disasters.
Hurricane Katrina, we saw it coming.
The tsunami in Asia, we could have been prepared.
We could have helped millions in Africa who have died of AIDS, who are still dying.
Fed the starving in China.
When are we going to learn that we can prevent people from dying? - I don't know, Bob.
- Sulfuric acid, Caroline.
I know it's going to happen.
At that pH level, it'll would melt things.
Flesh will burn on contact.
The rain will get into the cracks in the foundations of the buildings, they will topple over.
Power lines will corrode.
The entire sewage and water system will be contaminated.
The city will It'll be gone.
Okay, Bob.
It's all right.
All right.
Sorry, I swore just now.
No, I understand.
Caroline.
I keep seeing him.
Yeah.
Me too.
He's running, you know? I see him running and He's going towards me.
He looks so happy.
He is, Bob.
He was so young.
You know, he has so much ahead of him.
Makes you think if I were to die tomorrow, who would miss me? I would.
Sulfuric acid, Caroline.
I know what's going to happen.
At that pH level, it melts things.
Flesh will burn on contact.
The rain will get into the cracks in the foundations of the buildings.
They will topple over.
Power lines will corrode.
The entire sewage and water system will be contaminated Yeah Mom.
Carlos, hello my darling.
WHat are you still doing there ? Oh, it's so hot today How is the air in the city? Awful, just awful Look I want you to stay inside and put on the air conditioner.
That's what I'm doing.
I can hear you wheezing a lot.
No, no, I'm fine.
Look, I want you to go to the beach house for a couple a days.
A few days.
Call Manuel.
Oh, Carlos, it's too much trouble.
You really think it's necessary ? Yes, immediately.
Alright, I'll do what you say I love you too I love you a lot, too Hey Owen.
Listen, I've got to go to Chicago.
I might be back late.
No worries.
I'll take care of the place.
Take care, as in, don't trash it.
Gotcha.
Look, I'll take care of the place.
I'll even clean the toilets for you.
- No shit? - None whatsoever.
All right, well, listen.
No guests.
No fucking around.
You break it, you fix it.
You got it? Cool.
Have fun in Chicago.
A full report on the wine.
I appreciate that, Governor, but it the scenario unfolds like we predict it may be too late to do anything.
You have three things converging: the Asian Brown Cloud, the inversion layer and the gases and ash that are coming out of Mt.
Popocatapetl.
I've never been like this I seriously urge you to be prepared to the worst Don't cross tour fingers and hope all this passes by.
Develop an evacuation plan.
Yes, I appreciate it.
Of course, I'll keep you updated.
Goodbye.
Yeah.
Not locking it anymore, eh? What have you got there? Report on the wine.
Jill and Carlos finished the PCR.
You want the long version or the short version? Caroline? Oh sorry, go ahead.
Look, about before I was a complete jerk, and you don't deserve that.
Especially not after everything you've done for me.
And I promise, from now on I'm going to make sure things are different between us.
But why didn't you just tell me about your nephew? I know we go at it from time to time, but I mean Did you think I didn't care about how you felt? Because I do.
Glenn is dead, but you're still very much alive, Caroline.
Maybe you just need to be reminded of that fact.
I am so sorry.
I make things so difficult for you all the time.
Apology accepted.
Apology? Have you heard a word I've said? I'm talking about the fucking wine! - Oh, sorry.
- Apology accepted.
- What? - There's nothing in it.
There's nothing in the wine, nothing in the bottle, nothing in the cork, nothing in the label, nothing in the glue.
There's not even the regular amount of toxins from pesticides that most wine has.
How's that? Because they used organic grapes.
I don't know.
It's plonk, but it's clean.
So? So Let's go to Chicago.
Homeland Security is convinced they're dirty.
Homeland Security is convinced - the Pope is dirty.
- David What? Where's the evidence? They've been watching them for the last 2 years.
Seems they've been trying to get the President's attention.
Picketed 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, visited the ranch Jus.
.
just, I got it.
They showed up at every major speech the President's made.
That's a crime? Two weeks ago the Secret Service approached them.
They were carrying 2 vials with Hepatitis C virus.
You know, that happens.
I've been known to carry a virus from one town to the next.
Couriers are getting expensive.
Look Caroline we went over everything, right? The wine and the cork and the glue on the label.
We backed them up on that.
Yeah, and Austiger searched their lab, their hard drives, their car, their apartment Let me guess, they found nothing.
Right? They didn't find anything.
No.
- Then why are we on this fucking witch hunt? - Because we've been directed to.
David Sandstrom, chief scientist at NorBAC.
Lew Austiger, Homeland Security.
Yeah, I know, I saw the TV show.
I can ask better questions, Lew, but I can't guarantee better answers.
What do you make of it? They look like yeast samples.
You guys check all these out? We did.
David? What is it? It looks like they're working on a vaccine.
- The graph, right? - Yeah, looked like kill curves.
What about the schematic? Oh, I don't know.
- Retrotransposition? - Sure.
Why not? Well, keep looking.
See if you can pick up anything else.
Right.
Later.
What's retrotransposition? Uh It has to do with how a retrovirus like HIV or HepB makes a home in its host genome.
David, got to think these guys are up to something more than just sending wine to the President? I think I'd like to meet them.
This is what's going to happen to Mexico City? If things continue as they are, it's not impossible.
Are they continuing? - Bob, can I? - Yes, of course.
Ah I'm just looking at the latest data from NOAA.
Ok, so the cloud is 97 miles outside of Mexico City.
It hasn't deviated its course.
C02 and S02 have not dissipated in the cloud or the inversion layer.
What are they saying about the prevailing winds? Right now it's calm, but according to the weather service, if there's a gust, anything.
Mexico City is in big trouble.
Why are they not evacuating? I don't think they're putting all the factors together.
The cloud.
The winds.
The inversion layer.
The gases coming out of the mountain Even if they shut down every car, closed down every factory, what's done is done.
It's just a matter of time.
Ok, but we know about it.
We're ahead of the game.
- Can we stop it? - We have to.
Ok Bob, in your tank, you theoretically have duplicated the weather conditions over Mexico, right? Like you have the exact combination of gases that they can expect in 24 hours.
If we could neutralize the Asian Brown Cloud, if we could make it so it has no effect Can we do that? I don't know.
I have to get to work.
I could try to neutralize it with bicarbonate of soda, but I have to test it.
We'll help you and we'll figure this out.
Thanks Carlos.
Could you grab? Yeah.
Let's get to work.
Thanks to Mayko.
- How did you get in here? - Not important.
- Picked the lock.
- Thank you.
- You're welcome.
- Is that legal? We have a warrant.
I wouldn't do that.
This is our lab.
You're violating our space.
We just want to ask you a few questions, Stefan.
What is it that you do at NorBAC, Caroline? I'm Chief Administrator.
- You're not a scientist? - I'm not a scientist.
Well why would you have questions for us? David In 1995, you were at the Newcastle Institute in England, you gave a lecture on proteomics of nuclear receptors in drosophilia.
Oh, yeah, the thing on flies.
- It was very inspiring.
- Thank you.
Why did you send a bottle of wine to the President? How do you feel about the war in Iraq, David? - What? - Do you think the best way to keep the world safe and free from terrorism is to have soldiers in the Middle East? Killing innocent women and children.
- Was there anything in the wine? - Did you find anything in it? Why have you been buying viral DNA? We use it in our experiments.
You didn't really think he was going to drink it, though, did you? The wine? Of course not.
He quit drinking at the age of 40 in 1986.
- Then why'd you send him wine? - We wanted to remind him of the blood of American soldiers who died in Iraq.
We wrote that in our note.
Did he get our note? So this whole thing has just been about protesting the war, eh? We think it's very important.
Let's test the carbonate.
Everything is mixing up in the cloud: Sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide.
The molecules are reacting with water to create sulfuric acid.
- Acid rain? - Yes.
It's all forming.
Here goes the lime.
Ok, so what? Is it working? The sulfuric acid is neutralizing.
What is that? If the cloud receive it too quickly, the acid reacts with the bicarbonate of soda turning it into a solid.
In reality, those concrete pellets would be the size of golf balls.
It's just a question of the proportion, no? I don't think so.
The acid concentration is too strong.
I need another chemical.
Less than 22 hours.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * Stubborn woman.
You've ordered retroviral DNA from time to time, why? - We're scientists.
- Yeah, I know.
For what purpose? - We use it in our work.
- What work? You want me to tell you what we're working on? - Yeah.
- David.
She's not a scientist.
No, she's not.
Neither is he.
They'll never understand.
Hey, easy.
Are you trying to find drugs to inhibit retrotransposition? No.
Then what are you trying to do? David, can I talk to you for a second? We have any idea what they're up to.
I mean, they're definitively up to something, but these guys could be cooking up anything from a viral pandemic to a cure for cancer.
David, we need to find out.
- They're not going to talk to us, Caroline.
- No, but they're going to talk to you.
Not with Dick Tracy in the room.
They don't trust him.
He's "outside our domain.
" Yeah, well, I think they feel the same about me, so They're all yours.
Wha? Wait a minute.
- Are you married? - No.
Makes sense.
What's that suppose to mean? Your shoes are polished.
Your shirt came from a laundry, but you have a spot on your tie.
You have people to look after your hygiene but nobody to look at you.
Your wife would have seen the spot.
Agent Austiger, how about I buy you a beer? - Ooh.
A beer sounds good.
- We make our own.
Now.
Yeah.
Why don't you guys come back in like an hour.
So guys What are you doing? Oh, shit.
Hang on.
Hold that thought.
I've got to I've been waiting for Yeah, it's my lab, I've got to take this.
What? - Mexico City is in trouble, David.
- What? General Carvajale called extremely apologetic.
A lot of good that does us now.
It seems in the mountains, outside the city, slightly acidic rain is beginning to fall.
If I'm right, concentrated sulfuric acid - will hit before daylight.
- You are right, Bob.
You've been right every step of the way.
David, I've tried to neutralize the cloud with bicarbonate of soda.
- The acid is too concentrated? - Yes.
And I don't have enough time to test every other base.
Okay, we got one shot at this.
Hang on a second.
What's the best way to neutralize sulfuric acid ? A strong alkaline solution.
- But if the acid's too strong, the combination could explode.
- Up in the atmosphere.
- Ammonia.
- Oh geez! Yeah.
Bob, ammonia.
I mean, I know it's volatile.
I know it's toxic but it's a hell of an alkali.
- May I? - That's true.
Bob, I'm going to put you on speaker.
What's the sulfuric acid content in the atmosphere right now? According to the NOAA, 14 million tons.
- 14 million tons.
- That's a lot.
Okay.
How much ammonia do we have to add? - To neutralize it? - Yeah.
What's the molecular weight of sulfuric acid ? - H2SO4.
Sulphur is 35.
- 4 Oxygens is 64.
And 2 Hydrogens 101.
Okay.
Molecular weight of ammonia? - 2.
356 Million tons.
- That's a lot of ammonia.
Worst case scenario, Bob, if we can't get it in the clouds? Well, if we don't get enough in there the acid rain comes down - in a monsoon.
- Jesus.
Anybody got any better ideas? - A catalyst to reduce the acid? - A platinum catalyst transformation - But that would take ten years.
- And a lot of money Go with the ammonia, Bob.
- Good work.
- Okay.
Bye.
- What was that? - There's this cloud hanging over Mexico City chock full of SO2, and one of my guys thinks it's about to dump concentrated sulfuric acid down on everything.
He's been tracking it for a week.
I got taken off the case because Homeland Security thinks that two brilliant scientists are trying to kill the President - of the United States.
- That's not true.
We're sorry for taking you away from your clouds.
Don't worry about it.
We're taking a chance, but we think we got it.
It's sad.
How we destroy our planet.
Anyway, going back to what you were saying about retrotransposition.
All these yeast samples in your lab.
Are you proposing to use yeast as a model for retrovirus life cycle? Come on guys.
Am I going to have to test everything in your lab? because that's what they want me to do and that's what these morons are going to make me do, test every goddamn thing right down to your pipettes.
- You don't have to do that.
- Then tell me what you're trying to do? Are you trying to make a drug to inhibit retrotransposition? I'm on your side, guys.
Well.
We're hoping the yeast will give us different ways to combat HIV.
So you're You're testing for HIV inhibitors in a yeast model? Not testing.
Not exactly.
- The yeast is more of a vector.
- A delivery system.
You see, the world doesn't need more HIV drugs.
What the world needs is a way to prevent people - from getting sick in the first place.
- A vaccine.
Yes.
But, look at Hepatitis vaccines.
They exist.
They're available, but do the poor and disenfranchised get them? - We're thinking of something a little different.
- Vincent.
It's alright.
- Please.
- No, no.
Vincent.
Vincent, keep going.
So, you're making a vaccine in yeast.
How is that going to help? There's a lot of vaccines made in yeast and that doesn't make them more available to the poor.
I'm not talking about a vaccine in yeast.
- I'm talking about yeast.
- Vincent, please! I'm just pondering, perhaps the method of delivery for hepatitis vaccines is inefficient.
What? Like what, there's not enough needles? Oh! No fucking way.
You guys are trying to find a way to put a vaccine in bread? That is fucking brilliant! Wai-wai-wait.
What about thermostability? How is the vaccine going to survive the baking? Come on, guys, tell me, I'm not gonna fucking scoop you! Tell me! I figured that part out long ago.
With everything I saw in their lab, their idea makes perfect sense.
Actually, it makes perfect brilliant sense.
I can see why they weren't keen to share.
I know plenty of scientists who would scoop them in a second.
Are you satisfied with this? It's not a question of my own satisfaction.
They missed it, Vincent.
We knew they would, Stefan.
Yeah, we just landed.
No, she took a cab home.
What's going on? Well, it doesn't sound like there's anything I can do about it tonight so Yeah, well I'll be home if anything changes, okay Bob? Oh.
And Bob if you can, try to get some sleep.
I said if you can, Bob.
Bob, have you got the results? - It's not going to work, Carlos? - Why? The ammonia, we can't get enough of it.
It'll rain acid.
It's not going to work.
We only have a few hours left.
Forget it, we're not going to get enough ammonia.
No, even if we tapped into US supplies and got them here in time.
bring the pH of the cloud up to 2.
5.
So, we need something else.
This chick called last night, said, Harlan died.
I think Harlan left us something.
He said what he was working on could be a potential moneymaker.
He said even millions.
Actually I think these genes have to do with sexual reproduction.
Multiple orgasms, I'd pay for that.
A fifty percent increase in suicides? And you don't think it's related to the hurricane damage Katrina caused? Suicides don't spread.
- Usually, there are different suicide rates for males and females.
- Different races.
- True, but in the counties in the 50% zone, the results are the same across all demographics.
Even kids.
Two hundred bucks missing from my wallet.
- Owen? - No, elves.
I saw him about an hour ago and he was flying.
- On what? - Meth.
What did you do? Rob a Starbucks? - I'm I'm sick, man.
I-- - What do you want, Owen? It's cold on the street, and I know I need to get better.
I don't want you to get hurt by Owen, okay? You can't trust him.
There is so much going on through our website.
I've made some videos to get you up to speed.
Every week, I'll post another one.
Remember: only you know the whole story.
Visit regenesistv.
com.
Someone, somewhere, somehow got creative.
Holy shit.
Who's the asshole who ruined NorBAC's reputation? Wasn't me.
Who was it 'cause that's where I'm going next with a baseball bat.
I didn't send him to Florida, David.
I don't know what you're talking about.
Charringa knew there was a fastidiosa bug on the way so he decided to do a pre-emptive vaccination on his orange groves in Florida.
- Okay, wait a minute.
He had a vaccine? - Oh, yeah, yeah.
No, these people have been using an engineered version of fastidiosa as a vaccination on their grapes in California for 3 years.
You think Charringa did this to himself? I don't think, I know.
Owen.
What are you doing here? I got rid of the weed, and now, the 2 guys who own the weed, well, they want to kill me.
- What? - Who? Look, I just need a place for a bit.
LET ME DIE It's a decision he's had a lot of time to make.
Glenn we're running.
And feel the leaves under our feet.
We're in a forest.
We're just going so fast now that the wind is pinching our ears.
And and our eyes are watering.
We can't even feel our cheeks anymore.
Look up ahead.
There's a There's a There's a meadow.
Can you see it? Oh, now you can run.
What? Excuse me, sir, would you mind turning off your engine? - What? - You're idling.
Yeah.
Thanks, officer.
Are you aware that greenhouse gases caused by the burning of fossil fuels and biomasses are contributing to atmospheric brown clouds that already threaten millions of people all over the world? Looks pretty good to me.
Sir, at this very moment, a cloud of enormous proportions is heading towards Mexico City due to its unique geographical location.
No shit.
The cloud is being made worse by greenhouse gases, such as the ones emanating from your tailpipe.
So, my tailpipe is messing up Mexico City? Yes.
Furthermore, tremors have been detected in the nearby Popocatepetl Mountain.
Carlos.
Ah, this is it? Caroline will fill you in.
She's up in her office.
Okay, I will get David.
- David.
- Hmm? It's here.
Any idea what this is all about? What's in here? No idea.
Good morning.
- Good morning.
- Good morning.
How're things going with Owen? Uh You mean is he still around? Yup, he's still around.
Owen? Is that the kid from the subway? Yeah.
Showed up at my place.
Cold, hungry, and broke.
I told him to go away.
- You're so good with kids - Aren't I? She usually doesn't lock it.
Caroline? Just a minute.
Oh.
Just arrived? Yeah.
Couple of minutes ago.
- You not gonna lock it, are ya? - Didn't realize I had.
So, what are we looking at? Homeland Security has been keeping a close watch on 2 brothers.
Scientists.
Stefan and Vincent Manford.
Any particular reason? They've been ordering viral DNA for their lab in Chicago.
- Private lab? - Yes.
Just the 2 of them.
So they've been ordering viral DNA.
So what? That's what you need if you're studying viruses, Caroline.
There's more, David.
Oh, how nice.
From Homeland Security, for all the good work we've done, no doubt.
No, the Manford brothers sent this to the President of the United States.
- Big fans? - Not at all.
They've been very verbal about how much they dislike the way the President's been handling U.
S.
affairs.
Them and 75% of the rest of the world.
That's what got them on Homeland Security's watch list.
Whatever happened to your constitutional right to speak out against your government? You can but if you're buying viral DNA at the same time you end up on Homeland's radar.
They're thinking these brothers are involved in bioterrorism.
Oh, let's just say, they're not taking any chances.
So Washington ran their own test.
Looks like they took a little nip.
They tested 250 milliliters.
They didn't find anything.
- So what do they want us to do? - They want us to confirm that there's just Cabernet Sauvignon in the bottle.
Pop the cork, let's have a tasting party.
Oh, cut the goddamn sarcasm, David, and get to it.
Absolutely, your Worship.
Is there anything else I can do for you today? - Maybe a foot massage? - Just test the bottle, and then you're No, we are going to Chicago to take a look at their lab.
- Take a look at their lab? - I have my orders, David.
Orders! Since when did we join the fucking army? Orders.
Jesus, this is bullshit! - Are you okay, Caroline? - Yeah.
I'm fine, I'm just tired.
You've had a tough week? Yeah.
We'll get right on this.
Thank you, Carlos.
Got 3 bull's-eyes and a pigeon.
You want a game? No.
You know, this is a difficult time for her.
You know, it's a difficult time for all of us, Carlos.
Ok, I'm sorry about her nephew Glenn.
I'm sorry about Glenn.
I'm sorry I had to hear about it second-goddamn-hand from Bob.
She kept it very personal.
She should keep her nervous breakdown personal, too and not take it out on me, then.
I just think if you were a little bit-- Just do what the lady says and check everything ok? The bottle, the wine, the cork, the label, the fucking glue on the label, we'll bring in a wine expert, find out where the grapes were from.
Wine experts get it wrong more often than not.
Whatever, just go up one side of it, down the other and leave the report in my underwear drawer.
I'll find it someday.
What? I'll get on it.
- Morning.
- Morning.
Why are you doing that? I heard about Glenn.
Bob, I'm sorry.
The cloud.
It's still moving, Bob.
- Are these the latest NOAA maps.
- Hmm-hmm.
Just came in.
See, it's closer.
The western-most tendril is already touching the coast.
It travelled a 100 kilometers overnight.
I put together a program of my own that downloads data from the National Weather Service.
So we've got NEXRAD radar, air quality, satellite views, - speed, altitude - It's only at 5400 meters high? Down from 6500 before it hit the coast.
We have to watch that if it goes down any more How fast is it moving? Well it varies.
Satellite had it going as fast as 55 kilometers an hour and then at a dead stop.
Right now, it's at 23 K.
But still heading toward Mexico City.
Right? The NOAA hasn't given me any models as to where it's going.
Yeah, but looking at it.
It's heading toward Mexico City.
I know, but Bob, I'm not a climatologist.
I know.
I know.
What about the mountain? The mountain, yeah.
Here.
- It just started this morning.
- It's happening.
It seems, yeah.
The Instituto Seismologico is predicting a constant eruption of gases over the next 24 to 36 hours What are they doing? Have they posted smog alerts? - Have they shut down the major industries? - Posted alerts yes.
But getting 18 million people - to respond isn't exactly - We need to get David on this.
I have to show him this.
Please, can you print it? I'll be at my desk.
OK.
Did David talk to you - about Owen? - Not really.
I told him he had to help him.
Ah.
I mean, he couldn't just throw him out in the street, right? No.
I think he's pissed off at me for saying that.
Why don't you talk to David about it? I guess I could talk to David.
OK.
I'll have to do a full run on these.
OK.
Now, you just want a viral gene chip on the wine, right? - Check for all known bacteria.
- You got it.
If you're going to start giving me "orders", you can do a little goddamn respect! and not like I'm some kind of ass kissing subordinate! You always talk to yourself like that? What the hell are you doing here? Let me in and I'll fill you in.
How'd you get around back? It was easy.
I mean, a bit harder than Canadian Customs.
Owen, I'm kind of busy right now.
- Yeah, yeah, you look super busy.
- You need some money? No, I just stopped by because I need some advice.
Not from me, man.
I suck at advice.
Look, David, I don't have anybody else to talk to.
And I mean, it appears that you listen to me.
Yeah, well - I can't go back.
- Sure you can.
I'll get you a bus ticket, I'll get you a plane ticket.
Going back to New York is a good thing.
- You'd be with your people.
- You don't understand.
They'll fucking stick me.
I dumped their dope.
And that shit was worth, like, half a million bucks on the street.
It's good, because Sunshine and everybody, they got better.
David, I have something to show you if you have the Hey, Owen.
What are you? - Where did you? - What is it, Bob? Emissions from cars and factories, trapped by the inversion layer, combined with the mass of pollution moving across the Pacific complicated by the gases emitting out of Mount Popocatepetl.
Theoretically, David, we could be heading towards a perfect pollution storm over Mexico City.
What the hell do you guys do here? OK, well you know the procedure.
Tell Caroline to contact Mexico and find out what their story is and What? - Mexico City is on the line.
- What? I need you on this call.
I need to convince them - that this disaster could happen.
- I can't help you here, Bob.
- I'm not up to speed - David, please! Okay, all right.
Get Carlos in on this, I'll be down in a second.
Excuse me.
Look, Owen, I got a thing and just go get yourself a you know, a hat, and some lunch.
We'll talk later.
Should I go back to your place? Yeah.
Clean the toilets if you don't mind.
Yeah, thanks.
Oh, Owen.
If you can just, you know, let yourself out the way you came in.
This is where the NOAA and other international weather agencies had it one week ago.
All right.
This is 3 days ago.
Less than 3 hours ago.
They're aware of the cloud They don't think it's going to be a problem.
Well, alone it wouldn't be a problem.
But it will still would be unhealthy.
And in combination with the gases emitting from the mountain and the intense inversion layer over Mexico City, I believe they can produce a very intense acid rain.
Excuse me.
Acid rain? - Specifically sulfuric acid.
- Sulfuric? You have data to support this? Right now it's purely theoretical but I Based on this theoretical scenario, what is it that you want us to do? Well, I thought that This is a potentially very dangerous People could die.
This is a very toxic rain that could destroy.
It's got a destructive power.
I think what Dr.
Melnikov is suggesting is that you need to intensify your efforts to reduce emissions in your industry and your transportation.
Dr.
Melnikov, are you a climatologist? Biochemist, biophysicist.
We've been consulting with the NOAA and their climatologists.
- And they agree with you? - Not yet they're still Dr.
Melnikov, I am a climatologist.
Are you familiar with the weather patterns of central and southern Mexico? - To some degree.
- Wind patterns? No.
So wind patterns have not been formulated into your theory? My theory is based on the data.
The mountain gases combining with They think we're overstating our case.
No, listen.
Even if the jet stream were to blow through I don't think that would make a difference The inversion layer is too low.
The emissions from the mountain are trapped.
- Bob.
- Fine! Then I'll just prove it.
But believe me.
You've got to do something about it.
Cut the emissions or it won't be a theory much longer.
Oh, Christ.
Bob.
Bob! You just made the call too soon, Bob.
No David, too late.
They're not seeing what can happen.
- Could happen.
- No.
I can show them exactly what can happen if everything collides over Mexico City - Then show them.
- Why don't they listen? Just Bob, do the science.
Show them.
OK, David.
I'll do the science.
David.
Oh, why do I have to watch this? Because Caroline thinks that it will give you some perspective on the brothers.
So that you know what you're dealing with.
- Why don't you sit down? - I'd rather stand.
That is Stefan Manford, age 30.
He has a Ph.
D.
in Molecular Biology from the University of Chicago.
He does most of the talking.
The other one is his brother Vincent.
in Molecular Biology.
- Also from the University of Chicago.
- Who's the suit? Lew Austiger.
He oversees the Midwest operations.
Can you explain to me why you've been looking into various strains of viral DNA? - How else would we study a virus? - Good answer.
What exactly does that mean? - Dumb question.
Well, Mr Austiger, first we're going to need to explain to you a couple of things about viral DNA.
Yeah, no kidding.
Lew doesn't have a clue.
Well, viruses replicate themselves by entering an intact cell and redirecting the host's biosynthetic proc-- Hold it.
Why am I watching this again? So that you will have some insight into-- How incompetent your G-man is? He doesn't know what they're fucking talking about.
I think that's Caroline's point, David.
He needs your help.
Well, somebody oughta tell the President, you know, somebody ought to explain to him, you know, that if you think you got a couple of bad guy scientists, you don't send a boy scout to talk to them.
I'll be sure to write that down.
You do that, Wes.
Where are we with the wine? Carlos says that he will have a full report ready in a couple of hours.
Well, let's reconvene in a couple of hours, then.
I got a headache.
- Would you like an aspirin? - You got one? No.
I'm injecting the clean clouds with all the elements: gases, chemicals.
Such the ones they're converging on Mexico City.
- Is that a piece of chicken? - Flora, fauna.
Animal, vegetable, mineral.
I need to see how they will react in this environment.
What do think will happen? I think all the elements are there, like all the gases.
The sulfur dioxide in the inversion layer, reinforced by the sulfur dioxide in the brown cloud which will react with the rain to create concentrated sulfuric acid, with pH levels as low as 1.
It may take a while.
Yeah.
Well In that case if you have time would you like to get a coffee? I don't drink coffee.
It dries you out.
Right.
Well, how about a tea.
Same thing.
Bob, I thought maybe we could talk.
- Nothing to say.
- No, there is, Bob.
I mean, we're both Don't you want to talk about it? Because I know I need to.
Not just now.
I have to attend to Have you spoken with the Mexicans? - I have a call in.
- Caroline, they need an evacuation plan.
They need to start moving people out, now.
They're not going to evacuate a entire city based on a theory from a Canadian Biochemist.
Then they're goddamn idiots! Caroline, we are living in a decade of disasters.
Hurricane Katrina, we saw it coming.
The tsunami in Asia, we could have been prepared.
We could have helped millions in Africa who have died of AIDS, who are still dying.
Fed the starving in China.
When are we going to learn that we can prevent people from dying? - I don't know, Bob.
- Sulfuric acid, Caroline.
I know it's going to happen.
At that pH level, it'll would melt things.
Flesh will burn on contact.
The rain will get into the cracks in the foundations of the buildings, they will topple over.
Power lines will corrode.
The entire sewage and water system will be contaminated.
The city will It'll be gone.
Okay, Bob.
It's all right.
All right.
Sorry, I swore just now.
No, I understand.
Caroline.
I keep seeing him.
Yeah.
Me too.
He's running, you know? I see him running and He's going towards me.
He looks so happy.
He is, Bob.
He was so young.
You know, he has so much ahead of him.
Makes you think if I were to die tomorrow, who would miss me? I would.
Sulfuric acid, Caroline.
I know what's going to happen.
At that pH level, it melts things.
Flesh will burn on contact.
The rain will get into the cracks in the foundations of the buildings.
They will topple over.
Power lines will corrode.
The entire sewage and water system will be contaminated Yeah Mom.
Carlos, hello my darling.
WHat are you still doing there ? Oh, it's so hot today How is the air in the city? Awful, just awful Look I want you to stay inside and put on the air conditioner.
That's what I'm doing.
I can hear you wheezing a lot.
No, no, I'm fine.
Look, I want you to go to the beach house for a couple a days.
A few days.
Call Manuel.
Oh, Carlos, it's too much trouble.
You really think it's necessary ? Yes, immediately.
Alright, I'll do what you say I love you too I love you a lot, too Hey Owen.
Listen, I've got to go to Chicago.
I might be back late.
No worries.
I'll take care of the place.
Take care, as in, don't trash it.
Gotcha.
Look, I'll take care of the place.
I'll even clean the toilets for you.
- No shit? - None whatsoever.
All right, well, listen.
No guests.
No fucking around.
You break it, you fix it.
You got it? Cool.
Have fun in Chicago.
A full report on the wine.
I appreciate that, Governor, but it the scenario unfolds like we predict it may be too late to do anything.
You have three things converging: the Asian Brown Cloud, the inversion layer and the gases and ash that are coming out of Mt.
Popocatapetl.
I've never been like this I seriously urge you to be prepared to the worst Don't cross tour fingers and hope all this passes by.
Develop an evacuation plan.
Yes, I appreciate it.
Of course, I'll keep you updated.
Goodbye.
Yeah.
Not locking it anymore, eh? What have you got there? Report on the wine.
Jill and Carlos finished the PCR.
You want the long version or the short version? Caroline? Oh sorry, go ahead.
Look, about before I was a complete jerk, and you don't deserve that.
Especially not after everything you've done for me.
And I promise, from now on I'm going to make sure things are different between us.
But why didn't you just tell me about your nephew? I know we go at it from time to time, but I mean Did you think I didn't care about how you felt? Because I do.
Glenn is dead, but you're still very much alive, Caroline.
Maybe you just need to be reminded of that fact.
I am so sorry.
I make things so difficult for you all the time.
Apology accepted.
Apology? Have you heard a word I've said? I'm talking about the fucking wine! - Oh, sorry.
- Apology accepted.
- What? - There's nothing in it.
There's nothing in the wine, nothing in the bottle, nothing in the cork, nothing in the label, nothing in the glue.
There's not even the regular amount of toxins from pesticides that most wine has.
How's that? Because they used organic grapes.
I don't know.
It's plonk, but it's clean.
So? So Let's go to Chicago.
Homeland Security is convinced they're dirty.
Homeland Security is convinced - the Pope is dirty.
- David What? Where's the evidence? They've been watching them for the last 2 years.
Seems they've been trying to get the President's attention.
Picketed 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, visited the ranch Jus.
.
just, I got it.
They showed up at every major speech the President's made.
That's a crime? Two weeks ago the Secret Service approached them.
They were carrying 2 vials with Hepatitis C virus.
You know, that happens.
I've been known to carry a virus from one town to the next.
Couriers are getting expensive.
Look Caroline we went over everything, right? The wine and the cork and the glue on the label.
We backed them up on that.
Yeah, and Austiger searched their lab, their hard drives, their car, their apartment Let me guess, they found nothing.
Right? They didn't find anything.
No.
- Then why are we on this fucking witch hunt? - Because we've been directed to.
David Sandstrom, chief scientist at NorBAC.
Lew Austiger, Homeland Security.
Yeah, I know, I saw the TV show.
I can ask better questions, Lew, but I can't guarantee better answers.
What do you make of it? They look like yeast samples.
You guys check all these out? We did.
David? What is it? It looks like they're working on a vaccine.
- The graph, right? - Yeah, looked like kill curves.
What about the schematic? Oh, I don't know.
- Retrotransposition? - Sure.
Why not? Well, keep looking.
See if you can pick up anything else.
Right.
Later.
What's retrotransposition? Uh It has to do with how a retrovirus like HIV or HepB makes a home in its host genome.
David, got to think these guys are up to something more than just sending wine to the President? I think I'd like to meet them.
This is what's going to happen to Mexico City? If things continue as they are, it's not impossible.
Are they continuing? - Bob, can I? - Yes, of course.
Ah I'm just looking at the latest data from NOAA.
Ok, so the cloud is 97 miles outside of Mexico City.
It hasn't deviated its course.
C02 and S02 have not dissipated in the cloud or the inversion layer.
What are they saying about the prevailing winds? Right now it's calm, but according to the weather service, if there's a gust, anything.
Mexico City is in big trouble.
Why are they not evacuating? I don't think they're putting all the factors together.
The cloud.
The winds.
The inversion layer.
The gases coming out of the mountain Even if they shut down every car, closed down every factory, what's done is done.
It's just a matter of time.
Ok, but we know about it.
We're ahead of the game.
- Can we stop it? - We have to.
Ok Bob, in your tank, you theoretically have duplicated the weather conditions over Mexico, right? Like you have the exact combination of gases that they can expect in 24 hours.
If we could neutralize the Asian Brown Cloud, if we could make it so it has no effect Can we do that? I don't know.
I have to get to work.
I could try to neutralize it with bicarbonate of soda, but I have to test it.
We'll help you and we'll figure this out.
Thanks Carlos.
Could you grab? Yeah.
Let's get to work.
Thanks to Mayko.
- How did you get in here? - Not important.
- Picked the lock.
- Thank you.
- You're welcome.
- Is that legal? We have a warrant.
I wouldn't do that.
This is our lab.
You're violating our space.
We just want to ask you a few questions, Stefan.
What is it that you do at NorBAC, Caroline? I'm Chief Administrator.
- You're not a scientist? - I'm not a scientist.
Well why would you have questions for us? David In 1995, you were at the Newcastle Institute in England, you gave a lecture on proteomics of nuclear receptors in drosophilia.
Oh, yeah, the thing on flies.
- It was very inspiring.
- Thank you.
Why did you send a bottle of wine to the President? How do you feel about the war in Iraq, David? - What? - Do you think the best way to keep the world safe and free from terrorism is to have soldiers in the Middle East? Killing innocent women and children.
- Was there anything in the wine? - Did you find anything in it? Why have you been buying viral DNA? We use it in our experiments.
You didn't really think he was going to drink it, though, did you? The wine? Of course not.
He quit drinking at the age of 40 in 1986.
- Then why'd you send him wine? - We wanted to remind him of the blood of American soldiers who died in Iraq.
We wrote that in our note.
Did he get our note? So this whole thing has just been about protesting the war, eh? We think it's very important.
Let's test the carbonate.
Everything is mixing up in the cloud: Sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide.
The molecules are reacting with water to create sulfuric acid.
- Acid rain? - Yes.
It's all forming.
Here goes the lime.
Ok, so what? Is it working? The sulfuric acid is neutralizing.
What is that? If the cloud receive it too quickly, the acid reacts with the bicarbonate of soda turning it into a solid.
In reality, those concrete pellets would be the size of golf balls.
It's just a question of the proportion, no? I don't think so.
The acid concentration is too strong.
I need another chemical.
Less than 22 hours.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * Stubborn woman.
You've ordered retroviral DNA from time to time, why? - We're scientists.
- Yeah, I know.
For what purpose? - We use it in our work.
- What work? You want me to tell you what we're working on? - Yeah.
- David.
She's not a scientist.
No, she's not.
Neither is he.
They'll never understand.
Hey, easy.
Are you trying to find drugs to inhibit retrotransposition? No.
Then what are you trying to do? David, can I talk to you for a second? We have any idea what they're up to.
I mean, they're definitively up to something, but these guys could be cooking up anything from a viral pandemic to a cure for cancer.
David, we need to find out.
- They're not going to talk to us, Caroline.
- No, but they're going to talk to you.
Not with Dick Tracy in the room.
They don't trust him.
He's "outside our domain.
" Yeah, well, I think they feel the same about me, so They're all yours.
Wha? Wait a minute.
- Are you married? - No.
Makes sense.
What's that suppose to mean? Your shoes are polished.
Your shirt came from a laundry, but you have a spot on your tie.
You have people to look after your hygiene but nobody to look at you.
Your wife would have seen the spot.
Agent Austiger, how about I buy you a beer? - Ooh.
A beer sounds good.
- We make our own.
Now.
Yeah.
Why don't you guys come back in like an hour.
So guys What are you doing? Oh, shit.
Hang on.
Hold that thought.
I've got to I've been waiting for Yeah, it's my lab, I've got to take this.
What? - Mexico City is in trouble, David.
- What? General Carvajale called extremely apologetic.
A lot of good that does us now.
It seems in the mountains, outside the city, slightly acidic rain is beginning to fall.
If I'm right, concentrated sulfuric acid - will hit before daylight.
- You are right, Bob.
You've been right every step of the way.
David, I've tried to neutralize the cloud with bicarbonate of soda.
- The acid is too concentrated? - Yes.
And I don't have enough time to test every other base.
Okay, we got one shot at this.
Hang on a second.
What's the best way to neutralize sulfuric acid ? A strong alkaline solution.
- But if the acid's too strong, the combination could explode.
- Up in the atmosphere.
- Ammonia.
- Oh geez! Yeah.
Bob, ammonia.
I mean, I know it's volatile.
I know it's toxic but it's a hell of an alkali.
- May I? - That's true.
Bob, I'm going to put you on speaker.
What's the sulfuric acid content in the atmosphere right now? According to the NOAA, 14 million tons.
- 14 million tons.
- That's a lot.
Okay.
How much ammonia do we have to add? - To neutralize it? - Yeah.
What's the molecular weight of sulfuric acid ? - H2SO4.
Sulphur is 35.
- 4 Oxygens is 64.
And 2 Hydrogens 101.
Okay.
Molecular weight of ammonia? - 2.
356 Million tons.
- That's a lot of ammonia.
Worst case scenario, Bob, if we can't get it in the clouds? Well, if we don't get enough in there the acid rain comes down - in a monsoon.
- Jesus.
Anybody got any better ideas? - A catalyst to reduce the acid? - A platinum catalyst transformation - But that would take ten years.
- And a lot of money Go with the ammonia, Bob.
- Good work.
- Okay.
Bye.
- What was that? - There's this cloud hanging over Mexico City chock full of SO2, and one of my guys thinks it's about to dump concentrated sulfuric acid down on everything.
He's been tracking it for a week.
I got taken off the case because Homeland Security thinks that two brilliant scientists are trying to kill the President - of the United States.
- That's not true.
We're sorry for taking you away from your clouds.
Don't worry about it.
We're taking a chance, but we think we got it.
It's sad.
How we destroy our planet.
Anyway, going back to what you were saying about retrotransposition.
All these yeast samples in your lab.
Are you proposing to use yeast as a model for retrovirus life cycle? Come on guys.
Am I going to have to test everything in your lab? because that's what they want me to do and that's what these morons are going to make me do, test every goddamn thing right down to your pipettes.
- You don't have to do that.
- Then tell me what you're trying to do? Are you trying to make a drug to inhibit retrotransposition? I'm on your side, guys.
Well.
We're hoping the yeast will give us different ways to combat HIV.
So you're You're testing for HIV inhibitors in a yeast model? Not testing.
Not exactly.
- The yeast is more of a vector.
- A delivery system.
You see, the world doesn't need more HIV drugs.
What the world needs is a way to prevent people - from getting sick in the first place.
- A vaccine.
Yes.
But, look at Hepatitis vaccines.
They exist.
They're available, but do the poor and disenfranchised get them? - We're thinking of something a little different.
- Vincent.
It's alright.
- Please.
- No, no.
Vincent.
Vincent, keep going.
So, you're making a vaccine in yeast.
How is that going to help? There's a lot of vaccines made in yeast and that doesn't make them more available to the poor.
I'm not talking about a vaccine in yeast.
- I'm talking about yeast.
- Vincent, please! I'm just pondering, perhaps the method of delivery for hepatitis vaccines is inefficient.
What? Like what, there's not enough needles? Oh! No fucking way.
You guys are trying to find a way to put a vaccine in bread? That is fucking brilliant! Wai-wai-wait.
What about thermostability? How is the vaccine going to survive the baking? Come on, guys, tell me, I'm not gonna fucking scoop you! Tell me! I figured that part out long ago.
With everything I saw in their lab, their idea makes perfect sense.
Actually, it makes perfect brilliant sense.
I can see why they weren't keen to share.
I know plenty of scientists who would scoop them in a second.
Are you satisfied with this? It's not a question of my own satisfaction.
They missed it, Vincent.
We knew they would, Stefan.
Yeah, we just landed.
No, she took a cab home.
What's going on? Well, it doesn't sound like there's anything I can do about it tonight so Yeah, well I'll be home if anything changes, okay Bob? Oh.
And Bob if you can, try to get some sleep.
I said if you can, Bob.
Bob, have you got the results? - It's not going to work, Carlos? - Why? The ammonia, we can't get enough of it.
It'll rain acid.
It's not going to work.
We only have a few hours left.
Forget it, we're not going to get enough ammonia.
No, even if we tapped into US supplies and got them here in time.
bring the pH of the cloud up to 2.
5.
So, we need something else.
This chick called last night, said, Harlan died.
I think Harlan left us something.
He said what he was working on could be a potential moneymaker.
He said even millions.
Actually I think these genes have to do with sexual reproduction.
Multiple orgasms, I'd pay for that.
A fifty percent increase in suicides? And you don't think it's related to the hurricane damage Katrina caused? Suicides don't spread.
- Usually, there are different suicide rates for males and females.
- Different races.
- True, but in the counties in the 50% zone, the results are the same across all demographics.
Even kids.
Two hundred bucks missing from my wallet.
- Owen? - No, elves.
I saw him about an hour ago and he was flying.
- On what? - Meth.
What did you do? Rob a Starbucks? - I'm I'm sick, man.
I-- - What do you want, Owen? It's cold on the street, and I know I need to get better.
I don't want you to get hurt by Owen, okay? You can't trust him.
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