Fringe s02e12 Episode Script

Yeah, I can hear her crying.
Try that little rock-twist thing I do.
That usually soothes her.
It worked? Ha, look at that.
Hey, sweetheart, I have to go.
Yeah.
Give her a kiss for me, would you? Okay, bye.
Hey there.
Where you headed? What you doing out here all by yourself? What about your parents? Do they know you're out here? - No, sir.
- What's your name, son? Teddy.
Why don't you hop in, Teddy? So you were running away? Yeah.
Well, I took off a few times when I was your age.
But I bet there's people out there worried, looking for you.
And you know what? Doesn't matter what happened.
I'm sure as soon as they see you- Oh, my God.
If I wasn't looking at him, I wouldn't believe we caught one.
I always thought they were nut jobs, people who told those stories.
Heh.
Seeing is believing.
Where'd you pick him up? Just off of 940.
Quarter mile down the road from Edina.
Teddy, I'm gonna take your picture.
Can you, uh, put your juice down and sit up for me? I think we should call the papers.
- He's just a kid.
- He's one of them.
I don't care how old he is.
People have a right to know.
We're not calling until this goes through proper channels.
How much you wanna bet somebody in the proper channels leaks it to-? I'm sorry.
Walter, come on, let's go.
Why do I have to go in there? Because we're out of milk.
And you haven't left the house in over a week.
You can't just stay inside watching old movies all the time.
Look at all those people, Peter.
What if I get lost again? What if he's in there? Walter, he's not in there.
And I promise you I will never let you get kidnapped again.
Okay? No.
No.
I'm learning to appreciate cowardice.
- The lion had a point.
- The lion? Cowardly Lion.
But again, that was just a movie.
And there's no flying monkeys inside the grocery store.
Hey.
Hey.
Can you be ready to go in half an hour? - Why? What's up? - Three dead cops and a missing kid.
- Doesn't sound like our kind of case.
- Yeah, wait till you hear about the kid.
John Pekarski was the senior trooper on duty last night.
He uploaded his report to the state police database sometime after 9.
According to the coroner, Pekarski and the other two were dead within the hour.
And the kid? He was gone? - Whoever did this was coming for him.
- They didn't leave any trail.
We haven't found a single print or shell casing.
And they took the surveillance hard drive.
There was a picture of the kid? Pekarski uploaded it along with his report.
I saw a boy who looked like this once.
He was young, like this child.
And he played the banjo, I think.
It was a haunting melody: Yes.
You saw it too.
Yes, I did.
It's a movie, Walter.
It's called Deliverance.
We saw it together.
Probably not the same boy.
According to this report, this kid looked completely normal when Pekarski picked him up.
Agent Broyles? We found something you might wanna look at.
We found it in their files.
There are 30 or 40 reports in there.
Strange stories about these deformed people.
Well, some of these are 30 years old.
"I saw him change in front of me.
Suddenly he was hideous.
" Like Trooper Pekarski reported.
"Misshapen and deformed.
It looked like a cousin of Bigfoot.
" Well, that's clearly wrong.
This boy bears no resemblance at all to a sasquatch.
Or a yeti, for that matter.
You don't? You don't believe in those creatures? Why shouldn't I? Just because no one has documented flying monkeys or talking lions yet hardly means they don't exist.
Agent Frug, my father's a bit of a shock doc.
Don't let him alarm you.
All of these reports were dismissed.
There was no corroboration and no hard evidence.
But the vast majority of them occurred in the same area.
Just outside Edina.
That's where the boy was picked up, walking out of Edina.
I guess that's where we start looking.
Dunham.
Whatever these things are it seems like they've managed to hide themselves for a while.
From the looks of things they'll do just about anything to keep it that way.
Keep it in mind.
Yes, sir.
I don't think this is a good idea.
It's okay, we're just gonna ask a couple of questions.
- There may be werewolves in these hills.
- Werewolves? That trooper reported that the boy changed in front of his eyes.
So yes, I believe we may be looking for some kind of therianthrope.
It's Greek.
Refers to a creature that has, uh, metamorphic ability to shift between being a man and a beast.
Mythological, of course.
I saw one once when I was a young man studying in London.
I was under the influence of a fairly potent blend of hashish.
Guys.
Hang on a second.
Do you hear that? That buzz? Hmm.
Hard artichokes rarely keep Norwegian elephants Singapore sleep Hey, uh-? What are you singing? I've got no idea.
It just popped into my head.
It must be that buzzing.
I can't stop it.
Agent Dunham? Sheriff Velchik.
Hi.
Thank you for meeting us on such short notice.
Oh, of course.
Couldn't help but notice you've gotten acquainted with the Edina hum.
- Yeah, what is that? - Military base five miles down the road.
They have big turbine generators that get loud from time to time.
Well, that's one mystery solved.
Why don't we have some coffee? Maybe I can help you with the other.
So I take it you've heard about what happened last night to the three troopers in Jonestown.
I understand that the perpetrators took a kid.
Yeah.
My God.
You've never seen anything like that before? No.
I've never seen a photograph of one of them.
Then you have heard the stories? Of course.
Telling those stories is a local pastime.
You hear them all over this part of the state.
Well, sheriff, this boy was picked up just outside of your town.
And the state police have 30 or 40 unconfirmed eyewitness reports.
Oh, yeah, we get our fair share of sightings but I've never been able to confirm them.
Nothing like this.
Well, we'd like to see those reports.
Of course.
Anything I can do.
- What is it? - It's nothing.
Joseph? Federal agents came into the diner.
They had a photograph of Teddy.
They were asking questions about the killings.
I told you that wasn't the answer.
- What choice did we have? - Well, what are we gonna do? I don't know yet.
We didn't get anything from the autopsies.
Looks like the troopers were killed with 12-gauge shotgun blasts.
There's probably a shotgun in every house in this part of the state.
You make a good point.
You went through all the sheriff's reports? They've had similar sightings, but nothing conclusive.
Though Velchik did mention a military base down the road.
You floating another government conspiracy theory? You know me.
I never miss a chance for a good conspiracy theory.
Okay, I'll look into it.
God, how far away is the hotel? I'm exhausted.
It's only supposed to be a couple more miles.
Though somebody's already decided to call it a night.
Well, he's had a big day.
You got him out of the house, he's working a case.
Ha, ha.
You know, I understand why he's scared.
But it just doesn't seem like he's able to snap out of it this time.
It reminds me of how he was when we first got him of out of St.
Claire's.
I'm worried he's starting to go backwards.
I think he's starting to appear no less normal than the rest of us.
Heh.
I ran into a guy from high school this morning.
You should've seen the look in his eyes when I told him what I did.
Like chicks with guns turned him on? More like I was a freak.
Like I had suddenly grown a third eye.
Heh.
You ever get the feeling doing this job just makes you less and less normal? Absolutely.
Olivia! Hold on! Olivia? Olivia.
- Are we there yet, Peter? - Walter, get down.
It's generally pretty quiet in this area.
Not much in the way of dead cops and feds being run off the road.
- But you think you shot it? - Maybe.
I don't know.
But it was able to drive off.
Yeah? We'll be right there.
One of our agents found an abandoned truck on the road a mile from here, back towards Edina.
Is that the vehicle? I don't know.
It was heading straight for us.
Do we have a preliminary? No plates, registration.
We have a forensic team on the way.
Have them run the truck's VIN number see if we can track down an owner.
Peter.
Peter.
What? What is it? Large Blue.
Isn’t she magnificent? I've never seen one this big on this continent.
Look, Olivia.
I know a certain lepidopterist who will be simply thrilled.
I have to get my kit from the car.
Ah.
Peter, look.
It's blood.
Over here.
We've got something.
Careful, Peter.
You shot at the creature, right? - Yeah, I- Yeah.
Sure you saw what you think you saw? Agent Frug, what happened here is simple.
My son shot a beast, we found a man.
Obviously, the creature transformed in the interim.
Peter, do you realize the significance of this? We may have found a creature with metamorphic ability.
Artichokes rarely keep Norwegian elephants Singapore sleep There was no ID on the guy, so we're gonna run some prints.
And you had no choice.
First time I killed someone, the guy was a trained killer.
If I hadn't pulled the trigger, I'd be dead.
I still didn't sleep that night.
Or the next.
I'm just saying, the first time's rough.
Take the ramp down to the left.
You're good.
Just follow the mooing.
- Dunham.
- Everyone okay there? - More or less.
Thanks.
- I got a call from our military liaison.
There's something to the rumors of military testing at Edina.
The Army was there in the late '70s conducting classified experiments.
- Anything to do with metamorphic ability? - Not that I can tell.
The Pentagon files have been almost entirely redacted.
I've put a call in to the DOD.
In the meantime, I'm faxing you what we have.
Right down here.
Just put it right here.
Perfect.
Thanks, fellas.
Agent Farnsworth, help me with my kit.
I have to get to work, but there's a wonderful specimen there for my favorite fan of four-winged fauna.
I think you'll be quite tickled.
Peter, look at this.
The military experiment they did in Edina was called Project Elephant.
Walter's song.
Walter, were you involved in any military testing in Edina? Not that I recall.
I'm sure I'd remember something as exciting as human metamorphosis.
It's another one that won't unzip.
Ugh.
Walter, it's very sweet of you to remember how much I love butterflies but you forgot how much I hate moths.
What have you done to it? Excuse me? You saw it, Peter.
It was an astounding creature.
Nothing like this.
Its wing is deformed.
Walter, if that's your idea of a joke it's really not very funny.
Oh, my.
You'll want to add some wild thyme to the jar, dear.
It's possible we could get the moth to transform back.
It really was the most beautiful butterfly.
I'll believe that when I see it.
I understand what you're saying about the moth and man transforming the same way.
I don't understand how it's possible.
It's likely that both developed the ability in response to the same experimental stimulus.
Slide.
- You mean the military testing? - Exactly.
Well, why would the military be testing a butterfly? Butterfly has two stages of life.
It's one of the few creatures with a demonstrated ability to abruptly change its body structure.
Makes it a wonderful alpha-test subject.
- That's odd.
- What? There's no sign of histolysis or histogenesis.
Nothing to suggest a metamorphic ability.
I just don't understand how he could possibly have transformed himself.
So we didn't get a match on the fingerprints.
We did get a hit with the VIN number.
It was registered to Joe Falls.
The address on the registration was old.
The house had been torn down.
- But he was from Edina? - Yeah.
Joe Falls? He worked at the mill.
Still does odd jobs now and then.
That thing that tried to run you off the road you think that could be him? It's possible.
There was no photo on his file so we haven't been able to make a positive ID.
Do you have any idea where he's been living recently? Well, the last I heard, uh he'd moved to the outskirts of town, but I couldn't say where.
I mean, I'm happy to ask around for you.
We'd also like to have a look at the town records.
See if we can find a last known address or a photo so that we can ID him.
Sure.
I'll take you over to town hall.
Did you finish the analysis on the blood sample from the moth? Yes, I did.
It had some sort of genetic disorder.
Ah.
Germ-line mutation, just as I thought.
This man has the exact same disorder.
Is that what you think lets them transform? No, the mutation is what makes them deformed.
I have no idea what makes them transform.
- Walter? - It's curious.
I have this strange feeling that I've seen this mutation before.
Please, not that song again.
It's giving me a headache.
Ah, yeah.
Hard artichokes rarely keep Norwegian elephants Singapore sleep The testing at Edina.
Project Elephant.
I think that's where I've seen this mutation before.
Maybe I did work on Project Elephant, like Agent Dunham said.
Hmm.
So why did I put them to a song? Mm-mm.
Wait a second.
Walter, what are the words again? Hard artichokes rarely keep Norwegian elephants Singapore sleep Singapore sleep.
Uh, does "Harkness" mean anything to you? Harkness is a library at the law school.
The song is a mnemonic, yes? You must have done it on purpose, Walter.
Yes.
So, what's at the law-school library? Come along, Astrid.
Let's find out.
There's nothing in the housing records on a Joe Falls.
There's nothing in the tax records either.
The whole "F" section is gone.
Anyone whose last name starts with "F.
" You can't just check these records out.
No, but you can steal them.
Let's check the federal records.
If he lived here, he must be on the census.
This is it.
I remember it.
Hey, Walter? What happened to you in Edina? You're like a different person since you got back.
I've always found work to be restorative.
When Peter was sick, it was the only thing that kept me going.
Amazing how it heals the soul.
Oh, look.
Devil Dogs.
I love these.
Walter, we can get you a fresh one.
Oh, my.
They're deformed.
Just like that man in the lab.
I understand now.
There's nothing on Joe Falls in 1990.
- Anything in 2000? - Mm-mm.
There anything in there on the current population of Edina? Uh, nineteen hundred and forty-three.
It was on the sign.
Why? I don't know.
There's just something strange about these census numbers.
Between the years of 1990 and 2000, That's the only change in the population.
Sheriff.
Uh, some of your tax files are missing.
Uh, all of the section "F," including Falls.
I might know who's responsible.
The tax collector said that Falls had moved out to the edge of town.
He's living in a trailer with his wife and his son.
- How old is the boy? - He said he was 7 or 8.
- I've got an address, if you wanna meet.
- Yeah.
That would be great.
Thanks.
We'll see you there.
They don't know anything.
There's nothing to worry about.
It's going to be fine.
You're wrong, Paul.
They found out.
Rose, I know you have a special interest in this but they don't know anything.
They have a photograph.
They have proof.
Others have come before.
I'm going to take care of this.
I'll make it all go away.
So the man and the moth didn't transform at all? No.
This was something else entirely.
In the late '70s, the Army became obsessed with finding a new way to camouflage soldiers.
They started experimenting with electromagnetic pulses.
- For camouflage? - Mm, yeah.
The eye converts electromagnetic energy into something the brain can understand.
That's how vision works.
The Army thought if they could generate a massive electromagnetic pulse then they could effectively scramble the optic nerve and, at the right frequency make the soldiers invisible to the naked eye.
- And you consulted on this project.
- Briefly.
It was after I left that they realized that prolonged exposure to the pulse has a horrible side effect.
An incurable genetic disorder.
This moth and that deformed man are the victims, or the children of the victims, of that experiment.
So how does that explain their ability to change, Walter? Here.
Stop, stop, stop.
Stop here.
- Come, come.
Leave the lights on.
Walter.
Walter, what are you doing? What do you see? I see the moth.
Come here, please.
Now what do you see? A friend of mine once wrote that sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.
- How is it doing that? - It isn't.
The man and the moth don't change at all.
What changes is our perception of them.
Walter, Walter, slow down.
You're saying that this pulse allows us to see these deformed people as if they were normal? Yes.
Somebody must have perfected the military's camouflage technology to hide the deformities that the first tests created.
Then so long as we stay within range of the pulse- Then these poor souls appear totally normal.
So that's the Edina hum.
That's the sound that the pulse makes.
Yes.
Yes, I believe so.
Walter, do you know who could have perfected this technology? Well, no, no.
It would be extremely difficult.
Apart from Cobb, no one else would have the expertise.
Cobb? Who's Cobb? Edward Cobb was the scientist who dreamed up Project Elephant.
He would be the only one with the imagination and the know-how.
Walter, I want you and Astrid to head back home.
- But given my knowledge- - Walter, listen to me.
Somebody has a lot invested in keeping this a secret.
They've killed people, tried to kill us.
I don't wanna worry about you.
Oh, well, that's very sweet of you, son.
I'll see you back at home.
What did Peter say? He wants us to head into town to try and find the source of the electromagnetic pulse.
There's been too much bloodshed.
It's just making things worse.
You got your boy back.
Would you rather we let them keep him? You're killing innocent people.
It's time to give this up.
There are real consequences.
Sure.
There are real stakes here.
You gotta let me do my job and keep this town safe.
Killing federal officers is the best way to put a stop to this? It did the last time.
That federal marshal a few years ago? No one came looking for him, did they? We've all got jobs to do, Rose.
Stick to the machine.
That's your job.
Walter, what kind of device are we looking for? Any number of things could transmit the pulse.
A large capacitor bank or some form of compression generator.
What about a satellite dish? They have them all over town.
Those are for television, dear.
Given how little there is to do here, I imagine they watch a lot of it.
What we're looking for is something that could relay the discharge from a microwave conversion of large energy pulses.
What about a big antenna? Yes, yes.
That would do, I suppose.
Something like that? Well done, Asterisk.
Are you sure we should just knock on the door like this? Rose.
That was Edward's daughter.
He used to carry her around the lab on his shoulders.
Oh, hello.
Is your mother home? - No.
- Ah.
Your mother is Rose? And your grandfather, his name was Edward Cobb? Who are you? I'm Walter Bishop.
Your grandfather was a friend of mine.
May we come in? Oh, look.
That's Edward Cobb.
And that's Rose.
Do you have any more recent pictures of your mother? - We don't own a camera.
- No, of course.
Cameras have no optic nerve.
The photos would only show their deformities.
You have to go.
I'm not supposed to have strangers in the house.
Quite right.
But may I use your bathroom? You know, my mother will be home soon.
You should go.
We will.
First I'll go, and then we'll go.
But where is the bathroom? - Down the hall.
Second door on the left.
- Thank you.
Is that Operation? Agh.
I love this game.
Joe Falls is in his 30s.
He's too young to be one of the soldiers they tested.
Yeah, it would have had to have been his father.
I guess folks with that kind of deformity don't tend to leave home.
You still stuck on that census data? There's just something weird about these numbers.
I went back 30 years, and the only time the population goes down is when somebody dies.
What about when people move? No, that's just it.
They don't.
Nobody ever leaves this town.
Are you saying that you think they're-? That everyone in Edina is one of them? Get down! We can take cover in the barn.
Go, go! - Whoops.
- My turn.
Going for the wishbone.
Oh, my.
Easy.
Easy.
It's just me.
Drop the gun.
I said, drop the gun.
- Paul.
- Go home, Rose.
The original pulse deformed the whole town.
My father couldn't live with himself afterwards.
He couldn't leave all those people like that.
According to our files, your father resigned from his commission in 1979.
Yes.
He came back to Edina and worked tirelessly on his machine until he perfected it.
Then he offered the inhabitants a choice.
A choice? Live as you are, deformed but free to roam the world or confine yourself to Edina where the pulse would allow you to hide in broad daylight.
And the people voted to stay.
They realized the pulse would allow them to look beyond their deformities and see each other for who they really were.
They chose the only normal life they could have.
And your father? He chose to stay among you? He chose because of you, didn't he, Rose? Last time I saw you, you were a little girl.
A perfectly healthy little girl.
My mother and I, we lived in Edina.
- We were part of the experiment.
- Your father experimented on you? No.
The Army never told him they were expanding the scope of the test.
Rose.
I remember your father fondly.
He believed that invisibility would save lives and he finally solved the problem.
My father tried to create a good life for me here for all of us, and he succeeded.
Doctor Bishop.
You can't make this public, Agent Broyles.
We need to let them keep their secret.
Dr.
Bishop, three state troopers were killed.
And those responsible were brought to justice.
But the rest of these people you have no idea what will happen to them.
Doctor Bishop- They'll have no choice but to study these people.
To examine them, to test them, to humiliate them.
Doctor Bishop, did you find the machine? The one that transforms them? Please.
Agent Broyles.
These people have been harmed enough.
- We simply can't- - Doctor Bishop.
I don't think you're understanding me.
If you didn't find the machine there's nothing to report.
Thank you.
Remarkable how Rose was willing to expose her secret to right a wrong.
So very brave of her.
You did something brave too.
The way you spoke up for those people, you didn't have to do that, Walter.
I'm proud of you.
I'm glad you choose to see me the way you do.
Very glad indeed.