ReGenesis s02e11 Episode Script
Fishy
What do you think is going on around here? Well, Doc, I'll tell you.
This is the middle of America.
Folks around here don't get the big city blues.
We worry about the price of corn, not terrorist attacks.
Wes! I don't want excuses, I don't want theories, I want to know what happened to that research.
I think we should sit down and talk to David.
I think that Connor McGuinn would like that.
That'll get you in anywhere you want to go.
If you find what you're looking for, let me know.
I'm not the enemy.
Fuck! What is that? Concentrated retrovirus in medium.
Shower now! - You think the water might be poisoned? - Could be.
You think that's what killed the deer? Ah shit! Parasitic worms.
- Where are the worms coming from? - They lay their eggs in the water.
Okay, I'll alert the Governor of Arkansas.
You better alert the Governor of Missouri, Iowa, and Illinois while you're at it.
We don't know how far this has spread up the Mississippi.
- I have crystal.
- I'm clean these days.
- Do you mind if I do? - No, go ahead.
Ramona! Come on! Come on! Get up! Come on! She's dead.
- I fucked up.
- Yeah, you did, Owen.
You really did.
David? Dad? Uh, David, uh I don't have to tell you everything I do.
This is exactly why I got you a caregiver in the first place.
She couldn't have done anything about the fire.
She might have found your pipe before it lit up the couch.
No, I got it.
I got it.
I got it.
I got it.
So this is where I'm going to spend the rest of my life? Not bad, eh? A brick box.
If you wanted a suite at the Sutton Place, you should've been nicer to me as a kid.
What? Nothing.
Come on, Dad.
Well, they certainly spared no expense on the decor, did they? Bed's nice and firm.
No bed rails? Drawers don't stick.
Cheap laminate.
Nice.
Oh yeah, those are great.
Well, at least they're flame-retardant! You just won't leave it the hell alone, will you? Dad, you could have been killed in that fire.
Yes And for that one mistake, I will die here surrounded by ugliness.
Jesus What are you looking at?! What? Oh.
Good morning Excuse us.
We'll upgrade you.
I'm sure that suites become available here all the time.
Yes, because people die here all the time.
Whatever survived the fire will be here in a couple of days, all right? We'll get some of your pictures up on the wall, you know? Nice, nice Make the place look just like home.
I have Alzheimer's.
- Did you hear me? - Yeah, I heard you.
I was diagnosed a few weeks before your mother died.
So uh I'll see you soon.
Welcome to Toronto.
Oh, God Do you want to stay with me? I'd like that.
Jesus Christ! What the fuck you doing? Been eatin' that poison for close to three years now.
Not a big fan of halibut myself.
You're the head guy on that panel.
Advised the government: told 'em that genetically modified fish were safe for human consumption.
- Well, everyone but that one.
- Look, I ain't in no mood for your humor.
- I'll take my act somewhere else, then.
- I sent ya a hundred emails.
- Jesus Christ.
- Earl Jordan.
Earl at total email dot ca.
Oh, great.
Look, M.
Jordan, that panel was, like, four years ago.
And we debated genetically modified - I know all about you and your bullshit - Well then you know that we didn't say the fish were safe, we said there was nothing we could find to say the fish was unsafe.
You get the difference? I got something to show you how wrong you are That's my boy, Dr.
Sandstrom.
Perfectly healthy until eight months ago.
One day he's running in the yard, the next he's all crippled up in pain.
Whole body's paralyzed now.
Can't say a word You think that genetically engineered fish did this? My wife ate the fish when she was pregnant.
Now look what happened.
I'm sorry about your kid but there's a hundred They took his blood, they X-rayed his brain, they poked and prodded him with every goddamn surgical tool they got in Newfoundland and nothing They even sent us up to Toronto for tests.
Still nothing.
- I know this is a touchy issue - Don't you patronize me, you son of a bitch, or I'll put you on the windshield.
There's only one reason that the fish farms are allowed to do their business.
'cause the government said it was safe.
Because you told the government it was safe.
- No, I never said-- - Look I know what you said All right.
I get it.
You think I'm an asshole.
Anything else I can do for you today? Yeah.
I got one more thing for you.
Here's my boy's samples.
Blood, urine Look at his charts, his X-rays.
If it ain't the fish that's doing it to him, tell me what is.
You ain't gonna help me, are ya? I kinda figured, driving up here.
I promised his mother I would.
She just stares at Kenny.
Hopes he'll be a healthy little boy again.
Be able to just see him smile at her like the way he used to.
He can't even smile no more.
Seems like none of us can.
Sorry about the windshield, Doc.
Shit! - Hey.
- Hey, boss! - When did they let you out? - About four hours ago.
They decided they needed the bed for a sick person, eh? - That's right.
- Get caught up on your reading? Yeah, and I'm still, like a thousand hours behind on my retrovirus work because of a crappy piece of lab equipment That reminds me What is this? Happy Homecoming.
David A brand new Vortexer.
Ahh! Look at that.
- It's silver.
- Yeah.
It's very sweet of you, thank you.
Yeah Oh.
And there's more You remember that Italian study on reactivation of retroviruses you were wondering about Using the mouse genome? Yeah, they haven't published, yet.
No But they sent me a pre-print copy.
- You're kidding.
- I was going to bring it to you today.
I only looked at the abstract, but I think you're going to find it - pretty interesting.
- Give me that! Wow.
Wow.
Wow.
- Thank you.
Thank you.
- Oh! You're welcome.
- It's good to be back.
- Good to have you back.
It's good to see your back.
Earl Persistant bastard.
Shit.
Once inside the victim, the worms began to secrete phorbol, which in turn activates Protein Kinase C.
What's that? A protein that's been linked to depression in humans.
So where do these worms come from? We found some isolated cases in a remote area of Haiti.
We think they got to New Orleans on the winds of hurricane Katrina.
- So is the condition treatable? - Well we're showing some positive results using an anti-parasitic drug, niclosamide, used in animals to kill tape worms.
- Excuse me.
- Sure.
- Got a sec? - I'm on hold with McGuinn.
- I need to buy a new pencil.
- Can't this wait? Look, something has come up.
It's kind of eatin' at me.
I just need to look into it.
Won't take long.
- You still there? - Yeah.
- So that's okay? - We'll talk later.
Absolutely.
Thanks.
David! - Caroline? - Connor.
When do you think you could get down to Washington? - What are we talking about? - About dinner, a good night's sleep and then we sit down with the Appropriations' Committee chairman, who happens to be from Arkansas and is anxious to hear about your work down there.
- I'm on my way.
- Good work, Caroline.
Thanks.
Something has come up.
It's kind of eatin' at me.
I just need to look into it.
Won't take long.
- You still there? - Yeah.
- So that's okay? - We'll talk later.
Absolutely! Thank you.
David! I just need to borrow this.
The thing is Thank you.
The thing is, some fisherman from Newfoundland just tried to kill me with a 15-pound halibut.
- Fried or baked? - The guy was both, if you ask me.
Morning.
Is that what we're having for dinner tonight? You're coming? Not if that's what we're having for dinner tonight.
- Lamb shanks.
- Lamb shanks.
I love your lamb shanks.
With the herb and garlic rub and the balsamic glaze? - Those'd be mine.
- Awesome.
- I'll pick you up.
- Oh okay.
So Mayko, see if you can dig up any recent public health studies on GMO fish, alright? Why? You think there's something fishy with the fish? Sorry.
I guess we've got other fish to fry.
Stop it! - David, what's going on? - I need to use your station.
Okay.
Why? Oh What do you know about halibut, Bob? They live at or near the bottom of the water and they prefer a temperature of 2 to 5 degrees Celsius.
Okay.
They can travel great distances.
As a matter of fact, one was tagged and then found to have swam 2,500 miles.
Ok, Thanks, Bob.
- Or is it swum? - Bob.
You remember, about four years ago, that panel I was on, about GMO I disagreed with your decision.
Yes, but not with the science.
I mean, we found nothing to say that GMO fish were you know, gonna be the next great plague.
You called me closed-minded and told me I wasn't thinking about the future.
And you hurt my feelings because you didn't understand the point that I was trying to make - about the unknown ramifications.
- Yeah, okay, look.
The fish got bigger and faster and that's all they were supposed to do.
But was it necessary to genetically modify the fish? Well, five years ago, up there in Fox Sound all the waters there had been fished out.
There's no work.
So yeah, it was necessary - I wouldn't say it was necessary.
- The point I'm trying to make is that they have been farming GMO fish in Fox Sound for the last four years.
Pulling them out of the water by the ton every day.
And I just want to make sure that this is the same GMO we approved.
- Why would they be any different? - Well for one thing, the fish that we tested were raised in confined little tanks, right? Now they're raising them in these great big undersea cages.
You know what? Could you just find out if there's anything weird in this DNA, would you? Could you? Do you think you made a mistake? - No.
- So why are you doing this? Because I just want to be - Because I just want to do it, okay? - Whose blood is this, David? Okay, a guy came to me because he thinks his little boy is crippled as a result of of all this mutant fish they've been eating up there.
And you think the fish - altered his DNA? - I don't know, Bob.
I just want to take a look at it, alright.
Okay? Okay.
David, you are feeling guilty about a decision you made years ago.
No.
It's good that you feel guilty.
You do your best work when you're feeling guilty.
There's a one megabase inversion on chromosome 13.
Part of the little boy's DNA is turned backwards.
- What does that mean? - Genetic abnormality? Could be.
Has this inversion ever been written up by anybody before? Not that I know of.
Is there a disease related to that part of our DNA? I can look into it.
- Okay.
- It'll take some time.
Okay, we're talking about a rare genetic disorder.
You are going to have to look at the family's DNA history.
- It's just the one little boy? - So far.
Well, what if there's more? Has anybody checked into that? If there is more than one, it could still be genetic.
Or not.
I mean we're talking about Fox Sound, it's a little fishing village.
They live off the sea.
What if, you know, it's something in the food chain? What if the GMO fish are corrupting other species that we don't even know about? - What? - You want to check every fish - and crustacean off the coast of Newfoundland? - OK, not every one but Knock yourself out.
I just think you're wasting your time.
What about the GMO halibut? I checked its DNA against the wild halibut on the database.
Only one significant change.
What did they modify? Just what they said they were going to modify.
In the addition to the growth hormone gene, they added a strong promoter.
No.
Here, here.
And they switched it "on", suddenly the fish started pumping out growth hormone.
Which is exactly what they were supposed to do.
- Hi! - Hi, quarantine girl.
- Hey, Jill! Hi! - Hi Bob.
Your welcome home dinner can now be served.
Oh, thank you.
Oh, hang on one sec.
David.
.
Hi.
- Hey! - Dad? - What's for dinner? - How did you get here? - Cab.
- By yourself? Cab driver.
Ah, right.
Come in, come in.
You met everybody.
You know Mayko and Bob.
- This is Jill Langston, Carlos Serrano.
- It's nice to meet you.
- Come in.
- Lamb shanks! What I'm saying is that most of the stuff isn't even Okay, we don't know what the effects of these foods would be on - Slow down! - on the average person.
- She's got a point.
- Thank you.
Look, think about it, if we take a gene from an animal and splice it with what? A tomato plant.
- OK, that's really a little extreme.
- Will you let me finish, please? No, look, we've been eating GMO soybeans for years, right? And corn.
This little cotton shirt is probably genetically modified.
None of us have six toes.
David, you know that none of those studies have ever proven that GMOs are safe! - Are you hiding an extra digit? - Maybe.
I'll look later.
The point is, there's no evidence to suggest that GMOs are unsafe.
- is what I'm saying.
- David, there is no evidence that thalidomide would harm fetuses.
A safe morning sickness pill turned into a genetic nightmare.
My point is, we don't know for sure, okay? We're not going to know for sure for years! You call yourself a scientist? Your point is completely emotion-based.
Mayko, biotech companies are about growing food, growing more nutritious food and at the same time, safeguarding the environment.
Gracias amigo.
GMOs are here to stay, they are the future.
- That's a load of horseshit.
- Excuse me? What you're not considering is that this technology invariably goes where it wasn't meant to.
Dad, I consider that all the time, that's my job.
- Really then, you should know - Do your homework.
that GMO fish escape from the farms and mate in the wild.
- Yes - Pollen from GMO farms - drift to non-GMO crops.
- Yes.
Yes.
That can happen - but there are safeguards-- - Okay, and also millions of dollars are spent lobbying the Drug and Food Administration to prevent the labelling of GMO foods.
So if it's so safe, then what are they trying to hide? Because we are the guinea pigs in the biggest science experiment, ever.
Oh, Jesus Christ.
Okay, you know what, you're right.
You're right.
You're absolutely right, it's all one big conspiracy.
And when I come back, I will regale you with the time the Grays kidnapped me and took me up to the mothership.
Guinea pigs.
Okay, I'm sorry, I have to know.
What was he like as a kid? David emerged from the womb fully formed.
He was arrogant, brilliant, charming.
It's taken him far and it's held him back.
He got it all from me.
Let's hope that's all he gets from me.
So, Megan - Oh Mayko.
- Tell me how long have you and my son been married? Hey, Earl Jordan? Yeah, David Sandstrom.
- Who? - David Sandstrom.
- You're kidding.
- Nope.
- Listen, we did some tests.
- I appreciate that, Doc.
All I can tell you is that we didn't find anything linking the GMO fish to your sons' problems.
No It's gotta be the fish.
It's the only thing that's changed up there in the last four years What can I tell you, Earl, we didn't find anything.
I have.
My son.
So what am I supposed to tell his mother, then? You asked me to look into the GMOs and give you my opinion and I did, okay? So that's it then.
You're in the clear.
Thanks for the call.
Wait.
Earl? What your son does have is genetic irregularities.
There's a section of his DNA that seems to be turned around.
Turned around? Why? How? We don't know.
I mean That would take a lot more work.
You're looking into it? Yeah, we're looking into it.
I appreciate it, Dr.
Sandstrom.
You know that.
I do, Earl.
I do.
Yeah, I'm looking for children who exhibit a palsy-like paralysis, but who remain undiagnosed.
Well, if you know of anyone in any of the outports of the Burin Peninsula, could you let me know? Yeah Any other symptoms? Can you just send me everything you have? Yeah, blood would be great.
This is Mayko Tran from It sounds like you have your hands full.
Yeah.
I got your name from Dr.
Moorhead Oh! Okay good.
Yeah.
Well, I understand that Okay, so none of the kids have the exact same symptoms, and Earl's kid has it the worst.
But a lot of them seem to have muscle development problems.
So I think I might have something here.
But there are two others I want to check in on.
Henry Harbour and Scott's Bay.
You want to tell me why this isn't a wild goose chase? OK, well if this is one in a million, you want to tell me why there are kids at either side of the same peninsula? Some guy in San Francisco once won the lottery twice in one day.
What about the rest of these kids, what if they have the genetic inversion? What are the odds of that? Okay, here's what we need to do.
Medical records on all the kids.
- DNA from all the families.
- It'll be here tomorrow.
And a lot more seafood.
I got samples from the fishermen from all around the Fox Sound area.
You are not giving up on this whole GMO link, are you? David look, I checked into their dietary patterns, okay? And on average 75% of their food intake comes from the sea.
Come on, don't you think we should take another look at what they're eating? Absolutely.
If there's something in the food that's causing all this we need to find out what it is.
But it's not the GMO fish.
Ah! New cologne, Wes? - Does someone write those for you? - No.
You just inspire me.
- Okay, so here's what I got-- - Let's get the whole gang in on this Wes, why don't you be a doll, go round up the usual suspects, tell them to meet us in the conference room.
Let me show you something.
All department heads to the conference room please.
That's not half as much fun as watching you running around looking for people.
It is for me.
So what's on the menu? Okay I've got lobster, cod, halibut, squid, mussels, snow crab, - human DNA-- - Everything but dessert.
Come on.
I'm sorry, Caroline.
But this seems to take priority - over the Appropriations Committee.
- What happened? Actually, it's more about what's happening.
Last week a National Guard unit in Canton, Ohio, was doing a routine endurance course.
These are troops ramping up for Iraq.
Excellent condition.
They all came down with the same symptoms.
Double vision, upper body weakness, - muscle pain.
- How many are we talking about? They're not responding to any treatment.
I got an update just before you arrived.
Five appear to be comatose.
Any clue what we're dealing with? Homeland Security is hearing chatter.
Credible threats by a group linked to Al-Qaeda.
More or less to the effect they're going to attack "America's Heartland".
Okay, any evidence this is connected? We have every reason to believe there is a cell operating in Ohio.
- Any leads on that? - We're checking into it.
Vigorously.
FBI! Put your hands where I can see them! - What are you doing? - Don't move! - What's going on? - Stay calm! I can have my people working on this immediately.
Good.
I'm not signing this.
It's just a standard release form absolving NorBAC of any responsibility for your accident.
- Jill.
- Yeah? We're waiting for you in the conference room.
Okay, I'll be right there.
- Everything all right? - Yeah, it's fine.
- ASAP.
- Okay.
It wasn't an accident.
An accident implies I made a mistake - and I did not make a mistake.
- That's not the general consensus.
I don't give a shit about the general consensus.
- I did not fuck up.
- Jill, what difference does it make? Mistakes were made.
You were exposed to an unknown retrovirus.
I need you to sign these forms that NorBAC is not legally responsible.
You think I'm going to sue you? I don't know what you're going to do, Jill.
Jesus! Wes, I'll tell you what.
I'll sign those papers as soon as you start doing your job around here.
- And what is that supposed to mean? - That means: figure out why things are going missing.
Find out who's fucking around with my lab equipment.
Actually manage the lab instead of covering your ass with release forms.
- Jill! - Save it.
I got a meeting.
Here.
Here's the background.
Basically, we got a group of kids with muscle development problems.
We're looking into their family histories, DNA samples, all of that.
When do you expect to receive them? - It's right here.
- Ah! OK.
I'll start running the DNA profiles on the new fish samples.
- Bob, you do toxicology? - I'll run an Ames test, see what I can find.
- Get Jill to help you do it.
- Help you do what? - Analyze the seafood for any toxins.
- Okay.
I'm going to get an epidemiologist to look at what I have.
OK, get these DNA samples to Scherer at Sick Kids.
Everybody know what they're doing? - What are you doing? - I got some catching up to do.
- Jill - Sorry.
Caroline.
- What? - Hey, David.
There'a military plane waiting for you at Downsview.
Get there as soon as possible.
Where am I going? I can't tell you.
NATIONAL GUARD FACILITY, OHIO These guys aren't fucking around, are they? Full quarantine as of last week.
This isn't out to anyone, David.
Next of keen, wives, parents of soldiers think they're on a extended exercise.
How many are we talking about? Out of 32 members in the unit don't really know about.
- What are they? AWOL? - They don't really know.
They haven't reported to the base in two weeks.
They sleep 24/7.
If we wake 'em, all they want to do is go back to sleep.
Now some are slipping into comas.
- Treatment? - We've tried everything.
- Any success? - Quiet, isn't it? OK, we're going to need a full array of tests.
Find out how contagious it is.
If it's airborne? Waterborne? - We've already tried that, we got nothing.
- Oh, shit.
We're going to have to take a look at everything you've got.
Absolutely, I'll show you where you can work.
Wait a minute, wait a minute.
I'd like to talk them if I could.
By all means.
Only there is only a few left who can talk to you.
Sam Hi, Sam, I'm David.
Can you tell me how you're feeling? It's so hot in the Bradley tank.
Hot.
Sam? You're still here.
Where were you? You said you were in a Bradley? Desert Patrol - We - What desert? It's snowing, isn't it? Yeah Yeah, it's snowing.
So you just stay warm, okay? You'll be all right.
Any of these soldiers have relatives or friends who are sick with the same thing? No, only the guards have symptoms.
Okay.
We're going to need a complete timetable of everything they did together.
They were on manoeuvers.
Not in contact with anyone but each other.
Well, we're going to have to find someone who knows what's going on.
Well, that's the problem.
There is only a few left conscious.
Anyone who knows is lying in that room! - Were these guys in Iraq? - They weren't.
- Are they all hallucating like this? - There's some psychosis, yeah.
Besides the psychosis, what have we got? Couple of guys came complaining of headaches, - flu-like symptoms.
- Fever? Mild, but then there was blurred vision, weak upper body strength, severe muscle pains.
What about their physical and mental responses? Getting slower, then there was psychosis, then unconsciousness.
It all happened pretty quickly.
- How quickly? - From perfect health to this? Five days.
So we ran DNA profiles on a variety of different species of the fish.
No obvious abnormalities.
So it's possible that these kids' chromosomal abnormalities are linked to inherited diseases.
Okay, but we won't know that for sure until I get the arrays from Sick Kids'.
Guys I got something.
Bacterial counts for the fish.
- Radiodurans? - What? There is a predominance of a particular species: - D.
Radiodurans.
- What are Radiodurans? The cockroach of all bacteria.
This shit's going to be around when the sun swallows us up.
They can fix themselves, even after being blasted with radioactivity.
Doesn't radioactivity kill most bacteria? Exactly, so when you have an abundance of 'durans, and little or no other bacteria It could mean that there are high levels of radioactivity.
- Got it, OK.
- And radioactivity has been known to alter DNA, cause abnormalities.
But only in high dosages, Bob.
Let's test the fish for radioactivity.
Yeah.
Trace amounts of radioactivity.
- Where are the mussels from? - Same area as the halibut.
Off the coast of Port Big Horn.
Okay, wait.
So, why more radiation in the mussels? Well, mussels are natural filters, trapping whatever passes through their bodies.
See we have mussels from all over the peninsula.
We should use them as our standard measuring tool, seeing where the concentrations are the highest.
Okay, let's do it.
Okay.
These are higher.
Off the coast of St.
Lawrence.
It's like a roadmap, pointing directly towards St.
Pierre and Miquelon.
Which, as you know, are part of France.
Yes, thank you, Bob.
Okay, look at this.
These little symbols, right there.
What are those? - What do they stand for? - Oil wells.
When oil is dug up in the ocean, you get NORM.
Naturally Occurring Radioactive Material.
So could that be where the radiation originates from? No, the radiation is too high.
Okay, so what else? I'm not a specialist in nuclear biology but I'd say we'd have to be looking for something, - concentrations of-- - Oh shit, Bob.
Are you saying that something was dumped there? Okay, so who do we go after? Who are the biggest shits in the nuclear world? Russians? Americans? No.
Oh, my God.
French.
Comatose soldiers.
What do we got? So I spoke with Gary Katz, at the Mayo Clinic.
One of the best diagnosticians out there - and he didn't have a clue.
- Blood work? The white blood cell count is sky high.
Cytokines also way up there.
The immune system is in overdrive.
It's definitely an infection.
- Bacterial? - I doubt it.
What about virology? Well we scanned for all known viruses: nothing.
But here's a weird one: we found what looked like weak hits on all the retroviruses.
Can't tell if it's background or what? Do you think something in the blood could be cross-reacting - with retroviruses on the array? - Maybe.
- Maybe you didn't clean off the array very well.
- True.
All right.
Let's assume it's a retrovirus.
- Okay.
- If it is, we might find a cause for this syndrome.
So let's keep looking at that angle.
Thanks guys.
- David, when are you coming back? - Why, what's up? Well, we think we may have something on the problem in Newfoundland.
What? Radioactivity in the fish.
Bob and Mayko think they have a line on where it's coming from.
Enough to cause damage to the genetic code? You're gonna have to convince me of that one guys.
We're working on it.
All right, I'll be back tonight.
- Ready to go? - Yeah, let's do it.
- You don't have any food! - Jesus! Shit, Dad.
You know, don't be surprised if they put a bolt on your door.
What you got there? I went looking for matches.
I found this in your desk.
You know, it's funny I can get lost between my suite and the dining hall.
I memorized this piece of paper in ten minutes.
You know what it says? I already know.
"To Dad.
I am taking Mom someplace better so you can never make her feel bad again.
You treat us like a big monster.
You breathe fire that hurts us.
I want to pick up a big sword and cut your head off.
But I don't have one, so goodbye.
I hate you.
From David.
" What did I do? It doesn't matter anymore.
I was such a selfish prick.
It was always about me.
I never thought anything else mattered.
I miss your mother.
Me too, Dad.
I wish it could have been me instead.
I'm glad you're here, Dad.
I have Alzheimer's disease.
I know.
I don't want it.
I don't want to just fade away as somebody no one recognizes.
I don't want you to have it either.
From perfect health to this.
Getting slower There's some psychosis.
They came complaining of headaches, flu-like symptoms.
It all happened pretty quickly.
There was blurred vision, weak upper body strength, severe muscle pain, unconsciousness.
Fuck, go away.
Can't you at least say please? This thing is driving me crazy.
Everybody says there's no such disease.
But I have seen this somewhere before.
Two of the soldiers flatlined last night.
They got 'em back but it's not looking good.
I'm working on it, Caroline.
You're not helping.
Yeah, you're working on it but what's your staff doing? - They're on it.
- What does a map of Newfoundland and a bunch of fish have to do with 30 sick National Guardsmen? Ah, fuck.
What, Bob? I know you're thinking and busy, but do you just have a minute for the other thing? A minute is about all you have, David.
Look, I told you about this in your office.
No, we said we'd talk about it later.
Well, I've had my mind on other things.
Talk to me now.
I'll be right there, Bob.
I was looking into GMO fish, to see if they were fucking people up! - And? - They're not.
We don't know what it is.
I'm still looking.
Tell your staff this is going on the back burner.
Why don't we tell them together? Sure.
Greenpeace had it all.
Well we're going to have to put it on hold for a while.
Put it on hold, that doesn't make any sense.
We know where the nuclear rods are, we need to get them out of there before-- Bob, we've got more important things to think about right now.
I would say a completely contaminated food chain is kind of important to deal with, David.
- Yeah, well, Mayko.
- Mayko's got a point.
You really want us to stop working on this.
Caroline? Okay, I'll make some calls.
I'll make the French aware of the problem, ask them to clean up after themselves and then then we refocus.
It's not that simple.
There was a territorial dispute with France over the islands and the Canadians took it to an arbitration panel.
So in 1992, Canada won the territorial waters where the French dumped the fuel rods.
The French won't clean up something that isn't in their waters.
Okay, I'll deal with it I'll deal with it, and I want you all to deal with an immobilized National Guard unit.
- Caroline, we can't do both.
- I know you can't, David.
But just think what you can do if you focused on one thing.
Right.
You're absolutely right.
Thank you.
Good work, guys.
Okay, here's the deal.
I don't think we've got enough radiation to cause what we're talking about here and if we did have enough radiation, why isn't everyone showing the same symptoms, you know? Why isn't everyone showing signs of radiation sickness? Nausea, exhaustion, hair loss.
You're right.
You've got to look at the symptoms.
The symptoms don't lie.
The symptoms, shit! - Jill! - Yeah? I need your brain on this National Guardmen's thing for a second.
- OK.
What's up? - Symptoms, OK, we just keep an open mind, but we got headaches, flu-like symptoms, mild fever.
That turns into muscle pain, slow physical and mental responses, sleepiness, right? - Okay.
- Sleepiness into coma.
- Coma? - Yeah Encephalitis Lethargica? Highly contagious.
Over 5 million people got it, no one ever figured it out.
No.
David, it hasn't been around since 1928.
Spanish flu hadn't been around for a long time, either.
If Al Qaeda's got it and you're right We're screwed.
Yes, Sir.
It's Wes.
I see.
I will.
Yes, Sir.
- Is that the DNA for the National Guard? - No, for the Newfoundland families.
I thought we were finished with that? Apparently not.
So, the fish couldn't have caused a genetic mutation.
- No.
- And the nuclear rods were dumped in the 1950s? So the radiation didn't cause any damage either.
I believe this meeting is called: "the Ohio virus".
Guardsmen.
They're getting better.
- What? - What, you've got the cure? I do, indeed.
I just don't know what it was we did cure.
I would really love to take a look at what's in that vial.
Can you get up here? I am just as interested in this as you are, Doctor.
- I can be up there tomorrow.
- Great, I'll see you then.
David, I'm having a hard time finding Henshaw.
The guy has a cure for Lethargica, Wes.
Just find him.
- Something strange is going on.
- And that is? We keep getting hits on the same piece of DNA.
It looks harmless, but all the Guardsmen, their bodies are producing the same obscure DNA fragment over and over again.
Altered? - You mean weaponized? - They make the perfect weapon.
Something we've ignored for the better part of a century.
Something we haven't got a clue how to fight.
Things are getting a little tense inside the lab.
Everyone's working hard.
So make sure you log in for this week's mission.
I'm counting on you.
And remember: only you know the whole story.
Go online to regenesistv.
com.
This is the middle of America.
Folks around here don't get the big city blues.
We worry about the price of corn, not terrorist attacks.
Wes! I don't want excuses, I don't want theories, I want to know what happened to that research.
I think we should sit down and talk to David.
I think that Connor McGuinn would like that.
That'll get you in anywhere you want to go.
If you find what you're looking for, let me know.
I'm not the enemy.
Fuck! What is that? Concentrated retrovirus in medium.
Shower now! - You think the water might be poisoned? - Could be.
You think that's what killed the deer? Ah shit! Parasitic worms.
- Where are the worms coming from? - They lay their eggs in the water.
Okay, I'll alert the Governor of Arkansas.
You better alert the Governor of Missouri, Iowa, and Illinois while you're at it.
We don't know how far this has spread up the Mississippi.
- I have crystal.
- I'm clean these days.
- Do you mind if I do? - No, go ahead.
Ramona! Come on! Come on! Get up! Come on! She's dead.
- I fucked up.
- Yeah, you did, Owen.
You really did.
David? Dad? Uh, David, uh I don't have to tell you everything I do.
This is exactly why I got you a caregiver in the first place.
She couldn't have done anything about the fire.
She might have found your pipe before it lit up the couch.
No, I got it.
I got it.
I got it.
I got it.
So this is where I'm going to spend the rest of my life? Not bad, eh? A brick box.
If you wanted a suite at the Sutton Place, you should've been nicer to me as a kid.
What? Nothing.
Come on, Dad.
Well, they certainly spared no expense on the decor, did they? Bed's nice and firm.
No bed rails? Drawers don't stick.
Cheap laminate.
Nice.
Oh yeah, those are great.
Well, at least they're flame-retardant! You just won't leave it the hell alone, will you? Dad, you could have been killed in that fire.
Yes And for that one mistake, I will die here surrounded by ugliness.
Jesus What are you looking at?! What? Oh.
Good morning Excuse us.
We'll upgrade you.
I'm sure that suites become available here all the time.
Yes, because people die here all the time.
Whatever survived the fire will be here in a couple of days, all right? We'll get some of your pictures up on the wall, you know? Nice, nice Make the place look just like home.
I have Alzheimer's.
- Did you hear me? - Yeah, I heard you.
I was diagnosed a few weeks before your mother died.
So uh I'll see you soon.
Welcome to Toronto.
Oh, God Do you want to stay with me? I'd like that.
Jesus Christ! What the fuck you doing? Been eatin' that poison for close to three years now.
Not a big fan of halibut myself.
You're the head guy on that panel.
Advised the government: told 'em that genetically modified fish were safe for human consumption.
- Well, everyone but that one.
- Look, I ain't in no mood for your humor.
- I'll take my act somewhere else, then.
- I sent ya a hundred emails.
- Jesus Christ.
- Earl Jordan.
Earl at total email dot ca.
Oh, great.
Look, M.
Jordan, that panel was, like, four years ago.
And we debated genetically modified - I know all about you and your bullshit - Well then you know that we didn't say the fish were safe, we said there was nothing we could find to say the fish was unsafe.
You get the difference? I got something to show you how wrong you are That's my boy, Dr.
Sandstrom.
Perfectly healthy until eight months ago.
One day he's running in the yard, the next he's all crippled up in pain.
Whole body's paralyzed now.
Can't say a word You think that genetically engineered fish did this? My wife ate the fish when she was pregnant.
Now look what happened.
I'm sorry about your kid but there's a hundred They took his blood, they X-rayed his brain, they poked and prodded him with every goddamn surgical tool they got in Newfoundland and nothing They even sent us up to Toronto for tests.
Still nothing.
- I know this is a touchy issue - Don't you patronize me, you son of a bitch, or I'll put you on the windshield.
There's only one reason that the fish farms are allowed to do their business.
'cause the government said it was safe.
Because you told the government it was safe.
- No, I never said-- - Look I know what you said All right.
I get it.
You think I'm an asshole.
Anything else I can do for you today? Yeah.
I got one more thing for you.
Here's my boy's samples.
Blood, urine Look at his charts, his X-rays.
If it ain't the fish that's doing it to him, tell me what is.
You ain't gonna help me, are ya? I kinda figured, driving up here.
I promised his mother I would.
She just stares at Kenny.
Hopes he'll be a healthy little boy again.
Be able to just see him smile at her like the way he used to.
He can't even smile no more.
Seems like none of us can.
Sorry about the windshield, Doc.
Shit! - Hey.
- Hey, boss! - When did they let you out? - About four hours ago.
They decided they needed the bed for a sick person, eh? - That's right.
- Get caught up on your reading? Yeah, and I'm still, like a thousand hours behind on my retrovirus work because of a crappy piece of lab equipment That reminds me What is this? Happy Homecoming.
David A brand new Vortexer.
Ahh! Look at that.
- It's silver.
- Yeah.
It's very sweet of you, thank you.
Yeah Oh.
And there's more You remember that Italian study on reactivation of retroviruses you were wondering about Using the mouse genome? Yeah, they haven't published, yet.
No But they sent me a pre-print copy.
- You're kidding.
- I was going to bring it to you today.
I only looked at the abstract, but I think you're going to find it - pretty interesting.
- Give me that! Wow.
Wow.
Wow.
- Thank you.
Thank you.
- Oh! You're welcome.
- It's good to be back.
- Good to have you back.
It's good to see your back.
Earl Persistant bastard.
Shit.
Once inside the victim, the worms began to secrete phorbol, which in turn activates Protein Kinase C.
What's that? A protein that's been linked to depression in humans.
So where do these worms come from? We found some isolated cases in a remote area of Haiti.
We think they got to New Orleans on the winds of hurricane Katrina.
- So is the condition treatable? - Well we're showing some positive results using an anti-parasitic drug, niclosamide, used in animals to kill tape worms.
- Excuse me.
- Sure.
- Got a sec? - I'm on hold with McGuinn.
- I need to buy a new pencil.
- Can't this wait? Look, something has come up.
It's kind of eatin' at me.
I just need to look into it.
Won't take long.
- You still there? - Yeah.
- So that's okay? - We'll talk later.
Absolutely.
Thanks.
David! - Caroline? - Connor.
When do you think you could get down to Washington? - What are we talking about? - About dinner, a good night's sleep and then we sit down with the Appropriations' Committee chairman, who happens to be from Arkansas and is anxious to hear about your work down there.
- I'm on my way.
- Good work, Caroline.
Thanks.
Something has come up.
It's kind of eatin' at me.
I just need to look into it.
Won't take long.
- You still there? - Yeah.
- So that's okay? - We'll talk later.
Absolutely! Thank you.
David! I just need to borrow this.
The thing is Thank you.
The thing is, some fisherman from Newfoundland just tried to kill me with a 15-pound halibut.
- Fried or baked? - The guy was both, if you ask me.
Morning.
Is that what we're having for dinner tonight? You're coming? Not if that's what we're having for dinner tonight.
- Lamb shanks.
- Lamb shanks.
I love your lamb shanks.
With the herb and garlic rub and the balsamic glaze? - Those'd be mine.
- Awesome.
- I'll pick you up.
- Oh okay.
So Mayko, see if you can dig up any recent public health studies on GMO fish, alright? Why? You think there's something fishy with the fish? Sorry.
I guess we've got other fish to fry.
Stop it! - David, what's going on? - I need to use your station.
Okay.
Why? Oh What do you know about halibut, Bob? They live at or near the bottom of the water and they prefer a temperature of 2 to 5 degrees Celsius.
Okay.
They can travel great distances.
As a matter of fact, one was tagged and then found to have swam 2,500 miles.
Ok, Thanks, Bob.
- Or is it swum? - Bob.
You remember, about four years ago, that panel I was on, about GMO I disagreed with your decision.
Yes, but not with the science.
I mean, we found nothing to say that GMO fish were you know, gonna be the next great plague.
You called me closed-minded and told me I wasn't thinking about the future.
And you hurt my feelings because you didn't understand the point that I was trying to make - about the unknown ramifications.
- Yeah, okay, look.
The fish got bigger and faster and that's all they were supposed to do.
But was it necessary to genetically modify the fish? Well, five years ago, up there in Fox Sound all the waters there had been fished out.
There's no work.
So yeah, it was necessary - I wouldn't say it was necessary.
- The point I'm trying to make is that they have been farming GMO fish in Fox Sound for the last four years.
Pulling them out of the water by the ton every day.
And I just want to make sure that this is the same GMO we approved.
- Why would they be any different? - Well for one thing, the fish that we tested were raised in confined little tanks, right? Now they're raising them in these great big undersea cages.
You know what? Could you just find out if there's anything weird in this DNA, would you? Could you? Do you think you made a mistake? - No.
- So why are you doing this? Because I just want to be - Because I just want to do it, okay? - Whose blood is this, David? Okay, a guy came to me because he thinks his little boy is crippled as a result of of all this mutant fish they've been eating up there.
And you think the fish - altered his DNA? - I don't know, Bob.
I just want to take a look at it, alright.
Okay? Okay.
David, you are feeling guilty about a decision you made years ago.
No.
It's good that you feel guilty.
You do your best work when you're feeling guilty.
There's a one megabase inversion on chromosome 13.
Part of the little boy's DNA is turned backwards.
- What does that mean? - Genetic abnormality? Could be.
Has this inversion ever been written up by anybody before? Not that I know of.
Is there a disease related to that part of our DNA? I can look into it.
- Okay.
- It'll take some time.
Okay, we're talking about a rare genetic disorder.
You are going to have to look at the family's DNA history.
- It's just the one little boy? - So far.
Well, what if there's more? Has anybody checked into that? If there is more than one, it could still be genetic.
Or not.
I mean we're talking about Fox Sound, it's a little fishing village.
They live off the sea.
What if, you know, it's something in the food chain? What if the GMO fish are corrupting other species that we don't even know about? - What? - You want to check every fish - and crustacean off the coast of Newfoundland? - OK, not every one but Knock yourself out.
I just think you're wasting your time.
What about the GMO halibut? I checked its DNA against the wild halibut on the database.
Only one significant change.
What did they modify? Just what they said they were going to modify.
In the addition to the growth hormone gene, they added a strong promoter.
No.
Here, here.
And they switched it "on", suddenly the fish started pumping out growth hormone.
Which is exactly what they were supposed to do.
- Hi! - Hi, quarantine girl.
- Hey, Jill! Hi! - Hi Bob.
Your welcome home dinner can now be served.
Oh, thank you.
Oh, hang on one sec.
David.
.
Hi.
- Hey! - Dad? - What's for dinner? - How did you get here? - Cab.
- By yourself? Cab driver.
Ah, right.
Come in, come in.
You met everybody.
You know Mayko and Bob.
- This is Jill Langston, Carlos Serrano.
- It's nice to meet you.
- Come in.
- Lamb shanks! What I'm saying is that most of the stuff isn't even Okay, we don't know what the effects of these foods would be on - Slow down! - on the average person.
- She's got a point.
- Thank you.
Look, think about it, if we take a gene from an animal and splice it with what? A tomato plant.
- OK, that's really a little extreme.
- Will you let me finish, please? No, look, we've been eating GMO soybeans for years, right? And corn.
This little cotton shirt is probably genetically modified.
None of us have six toes.
David, you know that none of those studies have ever proven that GMOs are safe! - Are you hiding an extra digit? - Maybe.
I'll look later.
The point is, there's no evidence to suggest that GMOs are unsafe.
- is what I'm saying.
- David, there is no evidence that thalidomide would harm fetuses.
A safe morning sickness pill turned into a genetic nightmare.
My point is, we don't know for sure, okay? We're not going to know for sure for years! You call yourself a scientist? Your point is completely emotion-based.
Mayko, biotech companies are about growing food, growing more nutritious food and at the same time, safeguarding the environment.
Gracias amigo.
GMOs are here to stay, they are the future.
- That's a load of horseshit.
- Excuse me? What you're not considering is that this technology invariably goes where it wasn't meant to.
Dad, I consider that all the time, that's my job.
- Really then, you should know - Do your homework.
that GMO fish escape from the farms and mate in the wild.
- Yes - Pollen from GMO farms - drift to non-GMO crops.
- Yes.
Yes.
That can happen - but there are safeguards-- - Okay, and also millions of dollars are spent lobbying the Drug and Food Administration to prevent the labelling of GMO foods.
So if it's so safe, then what are they trying to hide? Because we are the guinea pigs in the biggest science experiment, ever.
Oh, Jesus Christ.
Okay, you know what, you're right.
You're right.
You're absolutely right, it's all one big conspiracy.
And when I come back, I will regale you with the time the Grays kidnapped me and took me up to the mothership.
Guinea pigs.
Okay, I'm sorry, I have to know.
What was he like as a kid? David emerged from the womb fully formed.
He was arrogant, brilliant, charming.
It's taken him far and it's held him back.
He got it all from me.
Let's hope that's all he gets from me.
So, Megan - Oh Mayko.
- Tell me how long have you and my son been married? Hey, Earl Jordan? Yeah, David Sandstrom.
- Who? - David Sandstrom.
- You're kidding.
- Nope.
- Listen, we did some tests.
- I appreciate that, Doc.
All I can tell you is that we didn't find anything linking the GMO fish to your sons' problems.
No It's gotta be the fish.
It's the only thing that's changed up there in the last four years What can I tell you, Earl, we didn't find anything.
I have.
My son.
So what am I supposed to tell his mother, then? You asked me to look into the GMOs and give you my opinion and I did, okay? So that's it then.
You're in the clear.
Thanks for the call.
Wait.
Earl? What your son does have is genetic irregularities.
There's a section of his DNA that seems to be turned around.
Turned around? Why? How? We don't know.
I mean That would take a lot more work.
You're looking into it? Yeah, we're looking into it.
I appreciate it, Dr.
Sandstrom.
You know that.
I do, Earl.
I do.
Yeah, I'm looking for children who exhibit a palsy-like paralysis, but who remain undiagnosed.
Well, if you know of anyone in any of the outports of the Burin Peninsula, could you let me know? Yeah Any other symptoms? Can you just send me everything you have? Yeah, blood would be great.
This is Mayko Tran from It sounds like you have your hands full.
Yeah.
I got your name from Dr.
Moorhead Oh! Okay good.
Yeah.
Well, I understand that Okay, so none of the kids have the exact same symptoms, and Earl's kid has it the worst.
But a lot of them seem to have muscle development problems.
So I think I might have something here.
But there are two others I want to check in on.
Henry Harbour and Scott's Bay.
You want to tell me why this isn't a wild goose chase? OK, well if this is one in a million, you want to tell me why there are kids at either side of the same peninsula? Some guy in San Francisco once won the lottery twice in one day.
What about the rest of these kids, what if they have the genetic inversion? What are the odds of that? Okay, here's what we need to do.
Medical records on all the kids.
- DNA from all the families.
- It'll be here tomorrow.
And a lot more seafood.
I got samples from the fishermen from all around the Fox Sound area.
You are not giving up on this whole GMO link, are you? David look, I checked into their dietary patterns, okay? And on average 75% of their food intake comes from the sea.
Come on, don't you think we should take another look at what they're eating? Absolutely.
If there's something in the food that's causing all this we need to find out what it is.
But it's not the GMO fish.
Ah! New cologne, Wes? - Does someone write those for you? - No.
You just inspire me.
- Okay, so here's what I got-- - Let's get the whole gang in on this Wes, why don't you be a doll, go round up the usual suspects, tell them to meet us in the conference room.
Let me show you something.
All department heads to the conference room please.
That's not half as much fun as watching you running around looking for people.
It is for me.
So what's on the menu? Okay I've got lobster, cod, halibut, squid, mussels, snow crab, - human DNA-- - Everything but dessert.
Come on.
I'm sorry, Caroline.
But this seems to take priority - over the Appropriations Committee.
- What happened? Actually, it's more about what's happening.
Last week a National Guard unit in Canton, Ohio, was doing a routine endurance course.
These are troops ramping up for Iraq.
Excellent condition.
They all came down with the same symptoms.
Double vision, upper body weakness, - muscle pain.
- How many are we talking about? They're not responding to any treatment.
I got an update just before you arrived.
Five appear to be comatose.
Any clue what we're dealing with? Homeland Security is hearing chatter.
Credible threats by a group linked to Al-Qaeda.
More or less to the effect they're going to attack "America's Heartland".
Okay, any evidence this is connected? We have every reason to believe there is a cell operating in Ohio.
- Any leads on that? - We're checking into it.
Vigorously.
FBI! Put your hands where I can see them! - What are you doing? - Don't move! - What's going on? - Stay calm! I can have my people working on this immediately.
Good.
I'm not signing this.
It's just a standard release form absolving NorBAC of any responsibility for your accident.
- Jill.
- Yeah? We're waiting for you in the conference room.
Okay, I'll be right there.
- Everything all right? - Yeah, it's fine.
- ASAP.
- Okay.
It wasn't an accident.
An accident implies I made a mistake - and I did not make a mistake.
- That's not the general consensus.
I don't give a shit about the general consensus.
- I did not fuck up.
- Jill, what difference does it make? Mistakes were made.
You were exposed to an unknown retrovirus.
I need you to sign these forms that NorBAC is not legally responsible.
You think I'm going to sue you? I don't know what you're going to do, Jill.
Jesus! Wes, I'll tell you what.
I'll sign those papers as soon as you start doing your job around here.
- And what is that supposed to mean? - That means: figure out why things are going missing.
Find out who's fucking around with my lab equipment.
Actually manage the lab instead of covering your ass with release forms.
- Jill! - Save it.
I got a meeting.
Here.
Here's the background.
Basically, we got a group of kids with muscle development problems.
We're looking into their family histories, DNA samples, all of that.
When do you expect to receive them? - It's right here.
- Ah! OK.
I'll start running the DNA profiles on the new fish samples.
- Bob, you do toxicology? - I'll run an Ames test, see what I can find.
- Get Jill to help you do it.
- Help you do what? - Analyze the seafood for any toxins.
- Okay.
I'm going to get an epidemiologist to look at what I have.
OK, get these DNA samples to Scherer at Sick Kids.
Everybody know what they're doing? - What are you doing? - I got some catching up to do.
- Jill - Sorry.
Caroline.
- What? - Hey, David.
There'a military plane waiting for you at Downsview.
Get there as soon as possible.
Where am I going? I can't tell you.
NATIONAL GUARD FACILITY, OHIO These guys aren't fucking around, are they? Full quarantine as of last week.
This isn't out to anyone, David.
Next of keen, wives, parents of soldiers think they're on a extended exercise.
How many are we talking about? Out of 32 members in the unit don't really know about.
- What are they? AWOL? - They don't really know.
They haven't reported to the base in two weeks.
They sleep 24/7.
If we wake 'em, all they want to do is go back to sleep.
Now some are slipping into comas.
- Treatment? - We've tried everything.
- Any success? - Quiet, isn't it? OK, we're going to need a full array of tests.
Find out how contagious it is.
If it's airborne? Waterborne? - We've already tried that, we got nothing.
- Oh, shit.
We're going to have to take a look at everything you've got.
Absolutely, I'll show you where you can work.
Wait a minute, wait a minute.
I'd like to talk them if I could.
By all means.
Only there is only a few left who can talk to you.
Sam Hi, Sam, I'm David.
Can you tell me how you're feeling? It's so hot in the Bradley tank.
Hot.
Sam? You're still here.
Where were you? You said you were in a Bradley? Desert Patrol - We - What desert? It's snowing, isn't it? Yeah Yeah, it's snowing.
So you just stay warm, okay? You'll be all right.
Any of these soldiers have relatives or friends who are sick with the same thing? No, only the guards have symptoms.
Okay.
We're going to need a complete timetable of everything they did together.
They were on manoeuvers.
Not in contact with anyone but each other.
Well, we're going to have to find someone who knows what's going on.
Well, that's the problem.
There is only a few left conscious.
Anyone who knows is lying in that room! - Were these guys in Iraq? - They weren't.
- Are they all hallucating like this? - There's some psychosis, yeah.
Besides the psychosis, what have we got? Couple of guys came complaining of headaches, - flu-like symptoms.
- Fever? Mild, but then there was blurred vision, weak upper body strength, severe muscle pains.
What about their physical and mental responses? Getting slower, then there was psychosis, then unconsciousness.
It all happened pretty quickly.
- How quickly? - From perfect health to this? Five days.
So we ran DNA profiles on a variety of different species of the fish.
No obvious abnormalities.
So it's possible that these kids' chromosomal abnormalities are linked to inherited diseases.
Okay, but we won't know that for sure until I get the arrays from Sick Kids'.
Guys I got something.
Bacterial counts for the fish.
- Radiodurans? - What? There is a predominance of a particular species: - D.
Radiodurans.
- What are Radiodurans? The cockroach of all bacteria.
This shit's going to be around when the sun swallows us up.
They can fix themselves, even after being blasted with radioactivity.
Doesn't radioactivity kill most bacteria? Exactly, so when you have an abundance of 'durans, and little or no other bacteria It could mean that there are high levels of radioactivity.
- Got it, OK.
- And radioactivity has been known to alter DNA, cause abnormalities.
But only in high dosages, Bob.
Let's test the fish for radioactivity.
Yeah.
Trace amounts of radioactivity.
- Where are the mussels from? - Same area as the halibut.
Off the coast of Port Big Horn.
Okay, wait.
So, why more radiation in the mussels? Well, mussels are natural filters, trapping whatever passes through their bodies.
See we have mussels from all over the peninsula.
We should use them as our standard measuring tool, seeing where the concentrations are the highest.
Okay, let's do it.
Okay.
These are higher.
Off the coast of St.
Lawrence.
It's like a roadmap, pointing directly towards St.
Pierre and Miquelon.
Which, as you know, are part of France.
Yes, thank you, Bob.
Okay, look at this.
These little symbols, right there.
What are those? - What do they stand for? - Oil wells.
When oil is dug up in the ocean, you get NORM.
Naturally Occurring Radioactive Material.
So could that be where the radiation originates from? No, the radiation is too high.
Okay, so what else? I'm not a specialist in nuclear biology but I'd say we'd have to be looking for something, - concentrations of-- - Oh shit, Bob.
Are you saying that something was dumped there? Okay, so who do we go after? Who are the biggest shits in the nuclear world? Russians? Americans? No.
Oh, my God.
French.
Comatose soldiers.
What do we got? So I spoke with Gary Katz, at the Mayo Clinic.
One of the best diagnosticians out there - and he didn't have a clue.
- Blood work? The white blood cell count is sky high.
Cytokines also way up there.
The immune system is in overdrive.
It's definitely an infection.
- Bacterial? - I doubt it.
What about virology? Well we scanned for all known viruses: nothing.
But here's a weird one: we found what looked like weak hits on all the retroviruses.
Can't tell if it's background or what? Do you think something in the blood could be cross-reacting - with retroviruses on the array? - Maybe.
- Maybe you didn't clean off the array very well.
- True.
All right.
Let's assume it's a retrovirus.
- Okay.
- If it is, we might find a cause for this syndrome.
So let's keep looking at that angle.
Thanks guys.
- David, when are you coming back? - Why, what's up? Well, we think we may have something on the problem in Newfoundland.
What? Radioactivity in the fish.
Bob and Mayko think they have a line on where it's coming from.
Enough to cause damage to the genetic code? You're gonna have to convince me of that one guys.
We're working on it.
All right, I'll be back tonight.
- Ready to go? - Yeah, let's do it.
- You don't have any food! - Jesus! Shit, Dad.
You know, don't be surprised if they put a bolt on your door.
What you got there? I went looking for matches.
I found this in your desk.
You know, it's funny I can get lost between my suite and the dining hall.
I memorized this piece of paper in ten minutes.
You know what it says? I already know.
"To Dad.
I am taking Mom someplace better so you can never make her feel bad again.
You treat us like a big monster.
You breathe fire that hurts us.
I want to pick up a big sword and cut your head off.
But I don't have one, so goodbye.
I hate you.
From David.
" What did I do? It doesn't matter anymore.
I was such a selfish prick.
It was always about me.
I never thought anything else mattered.
I miss your mother.
Me too, Dad.
I wish it could have been me instead.
I'm glad you're here, Dad.
I have Alzheimer's disease.
I know.
I don't want it.
I don't want to just fade away as somebody no one recognizes.
I don't want you to have it either.
From perfect health to this.
Getting slower There's some psychosis.
They came complaining of headaches, flu-like symptoms.
It all happened pretty quickly.
There was blurred vision, weak upper body strength, severe muscle pain, unconsciousness.
Fuck, go away.
Can't you at least say please? This thing is driving me crazy.
Everybody says there's no such disease.
But I have seen this somewhere before.
Two of the soldiers flatlined last night.
They got 'em back but it's not looking good.
I'm working on it, Caroline.
You're not helping.
Yeah, you're working on it but what's your staff doing? - They're on it.
- What does a map of Newfoundland and a bunch of fish have to do with 30 sick National Guardsmen? Ah, fuck.
What, Bob? I know you're thinking and busy, but do you just have a minute for the other thing? A minute is about all you have, David.
Look, I told you about this in your office.
No, we said we'd talk about it later.
Well, I've had my mind on other things.
Talk to me now.
I'll be right there, Bob.
I was looking into GMO fish, to see if they were fucking people up! - And? - They're not.
We don't know what it is.
I'm still looking.
Tell your staff this is going on the back burner.
Why don't we tell them together? Sure.
Greenpeace had it all.
Well we're going to have to put it on hold for a while.
Put it on hold, that doesn't make any sense.
We know where the nuclear rods are, we need to get them out of there before-- Bob, we've got more important things to think about right now.
I would say a completely contaminated food chain is kind of important to deal with, David.
- Yeah, well, Mayko.
- Mayko's got a point.
You really want us to stop working on this.
Caroline? Okay, I'll make some calls.
I'll make the French aware of the problem, ask them to clean up after themselves and then then we refocus.
It's not that simple.
There was a territorial dispute with France over the islands and the Canadians took it to an arbitration panel.
So in 1992, Canada won the territorial waters where the French dumped the fuel rods.
The French won't clean up something that isn't in their waters.
Okay, I'll deal with it I'll deal with it, and I want you all to deal with an immobilized National Guard unit.
- Caroline, we can't do both.
- I know you can't, David.
But just think what you can do if you focused on one thing.
Right.
You're absolutely right.
Thank you.
Good work, guys.
Okay, here's the deal.
I don't think we've got enough radiation to cause what we're talking about here and if we did have enough radiation, why isn't everyone showing the same symptoms, you know? Why isn't everyone showing signs of radiation sickness? Nausea, exhaustion, hair loss.
You're right.
You've got to look at the symptoms.
The symptoms don't lie.
The symptoms, shit! - Jill! - Yeah? I need your brain on this National Guardmen's thing for a second.
- OK.
What's up? - Symptoms, OK, we just keep an open mind, but we got headaches, flu-like symptoms, mild fever.
That turns into muscle pain, slow physical and mental responses, sleepiness, right? - Okay.
- Sleepiness into coma.
- Coma? - Yeah Encephalitis Lethargica? Highly contagious.
Over 5 million people got it, no one ever figured it out.
No.
David, it hasn't been around since 1928.
Spanish flu hadn't been around for a long time, either.
If Al Qaeda's got it and you're right We're screwed.
Yes, Sir.
It's Wes.
I see.
I will.
Yes, Sir.
- Is that the DNA for the National Guard? - No, for the Newfoundland families.
I thought we were finished with that? Apparently not.
So, the fish couldn't have caused a genetic mutation.
- No.
- And the nuclear rods were dumped in the 1950s? So the radiation didn't cause any damage either.
I believe this meeting is called: "the Ohio virus".
Guardsmen.
They're getting better.
- What? - What, you've got the cure? I do, indeed.
I just don't know what it was we did cure.
I would really love to take a look at what's in that vial.
Can you get up here? I am just as interested in this as you are, Doctor.
- I can be up there tomorrow.
- Great, I'll see you then.
David, I'm having a hard time finding Henshaw.
The guy has a cure for Lethargica, Wes.
Just find him.
- Something strange is going on.
- And that is? We keep getting hits on the same piece of DNA.
It looks harmless, but all the Guardsmen, their bodies are producing the same obscure DNA fragment over and over again.
Altered? - You mean weaponized? - They make the perfect weapon.
Something we've ignored for the better part of a century.
Something we haven't got a clue how to fight.
Things are getting a little tense inside the lab.
Everyone's working hard.
So make sure you log in for this week's mission.
I'm counting on you.
And remember: only you know the whole story.
Go online to regenesistv.
com.