The Outer Limits (1995) s02e13 Episode Script

Let's get this opened up so we can get the machinery in.
Yeah.
Working with just a pickaxe wears me out.
You girls.
How do you think they did it in the old days? - Place gives me the creeps.
- You didn't have to do advance detail.
Hey, I needed the extra cash, OK? The sooner we clear it, the sooner we get our bonus.
Come on.
What the hell? (cough) Oh, man! You guys smell that? Urgh! It's like something died.
- (man) Base camp? - Base camp.
This is Jake.
- We've got a complication down here.
- What is it? - We've broken through to a cavern.
- Tell him about the stench.
Can't be, Jake.
Our geologists did an extensive study.
Shouldn't be any hollows.
- Well, there is definitely a cavern.
- Tell him about the stench.
There's a pretty strong odour.
It smells like something died.
- Shall we explore? - Investigate, but, guyss, be careful.
All right.
Well, that's it.
Let's go.
- All right, boys.
- I don't have a good feeling about this.
What's that? We got a work light? (screaming) (narrator) There is nothing wrong with your television.
Do not attempt to adjust the picture.
We are now controlling the transmission.
We control the horizontal annd the vertical.
We can deluge you with a thousand channels or expand one single image to crystal clarity .
.
and beyond.
We can shape your vision to anything our imagination can conceive.
For the next hour, we will control all that you see and hear.
You are about to experience the awe and mystery which reaches from the deepest inner mind to the outer limits.
(narrator) The Bible says, "Judge not for ye shall be judged.
" If we look beyond the weaknesses of those among us we call feeble, we may find surprising power buried within.
- I'll wrap up some cake for your brother.
- Thanks.
- How's he doing anyway? - Howie's doing good.
He's got a pretty big crush on you.
He's pretty cute.
It's snch a shame.
- I meant with his condition and all.
- His condition? You call not having a mean bone in your body "a condition"? Sheila, I just meant You know.
He's slow, that's all.
Do you know what I think, Charlotte? I think you and everyone else in town could use a little of Howie's "condition".
Then you'd show some compassion.
Calm down, Sheila.
You know I didn't mean anything by it.
I love your brother just as much as you do.
I'm sorry, Charlotte.
I know you do.
I'm just so sick of people's insensitivity about him.
Sheila.
There you are.
- Hi, Charlotte.
- Hi, Howie.
How you doing? - OK, thank you.
- (Sheila) Howie Howie? - Were you looking for me for a reason? - Yeah.
Gunessss what? What? - I was down at the mine - Howie.
- I told you not to go to the mine.
- I know.
I know.
But, unm well I didn't go there on purpose.
I was riding my bike down that road and it just kept on going and - whoop! - there I was at the mine.
They want you to go to the mine.
Guess why? - Mm, does it have anything to do with you? - No.
Guess.
- What? - They found a dinosaur.
- You think I'm lying? - No, Howie, I don't.
I believe you believe that, but it's your imagination.
- You have to know the difference.
- I can.
Mr Johnson wants you to come.
- And what exactly did he say? - That they found a dinosaur.
- I haven't been in here since - Don't worry.
Our safety record's gone way up since your pop died in here.
Stay close, Howie.
Here they are.
The company wanted to pull them out and dump them, but I got the idea they might be some kind of dinosaur or something.
Then I remembered talking to you about what you teach at the community college.
What do you call it? Some kind of biology.
- Palaeobiology.
- Yeah.
So I figured Sheila Morrison would know what these things are.
This is amazing.
I think we have a stegosaur here.
Oh, hey, Jake.
Looks pretty cool in there, huh? Are you mad at me for something? Is this stegosaur worth anything? - To you or the company, probably not.
- Oh.
Then my orders are to get rid of the bones and get back to work.
Get rid of them? Are you kidding? Do you have any idea what these bones are worth to me? This could put my department on the map.
Then you'd best move 'em out.
I got a mine to run.
I need to study them here, to explore how a stegosaur got here.
- Why it's down here.
- How long do you need? - A few weeks.
- (laughs) Look, Sheila.
I'm sorry.
I can't shut down the mine for a day, much less weeks.
The company wants the big equipment up and running.
Then at least give me a couple of days so I can move them properly.
Please.
You got two hours.
I'll get these guys to give you a hand.
Be careful with those.
They're fragile.
- Take care, Sheila.
- Thanks.
Hey, Jake.
- Hey, Sheila.
- Hey, Jake.
- Thanks for your help.
- Yeah.
- You think these are dinosaur bones? - I know they are.
You and me could get together and you could tell me all about dinosaurs.
You've never been interested in anything I do.
I don't know why, but suddenly I'm very interested.
Really? Sign up for my class.
I wasn't thinking about the classroom.
- I was thinking more like the - Jake! Leave me alone! Jake! Leave her alone! It is not polite to touch girls there.
Oh? It's not? - Howie! - Oh! Later, dummy.
- Howie, are you OK? - He shouldn't have done that.
No.
It's not like Jake to behave like that.
- Are you all right? - I'm OK.
- He's OK.
- I'm OK.
You wanna stand up? You're my hero, you know that? - I am? - Yeah.
Ow! Hey, boys.
You're out late tonight.
- Nah, the night's still young.
- There's still plenty to do.
- How are you doing, Charlotte? - I'm fine.
Thanks for asking.
- How's Ralph? - Ralph's fine.
We don't see each other with him working days and me working nights.
Must be lonely.
Jake, you're not supposed to be here.
You must be getting pretty horny.
- I think you'd better leave now.
- Not before you give me a kiss.
- Jake, let me go.
- What's going on? Stay out of this.
I'm gonna make you very happy now.
Aagh! (screams) Well this is definitely a stegosaur.
It was probably only a couple of years old.
This is definitely a slimy slug.
Probably a couple of years old.
I wonder what these holes are from.
It's like it had some kind of a disease.
Yeah.
This specimen's got some disease too.
Howie? What are you doing? - I'm pouring salt on it.
- Oh.
Why? Dad taught me a trick.
It melts the little bugger.
Watch.
I think I'll miss this experiment, but thanks.
OK.
- Ah.
- Hm.
- Sheila? - Yeah.
- Dad was really smart, wasn't he? - Yes, he was.
Then why was he stupid enough to blow himself up in the mine? Howie There was something wrong with the explosive.
It wasn't Dad's fault.
Yeah, that's what I thought.
I just I don't remember him so good any more.
- I wish I did, though.
- Yeah.
Well, he died a long time ago.
- Hey, are you hungry? - Yeah.
Why don't you go to Taylor's and get us something to eat? OK.
Just tell Charlotte to put it on my account.
- OK.
- Don't be long.
Slugs.
Come on, man! Hey, Morrison.
How are you doing? Hey, no hard feelings.
Right, Morrison? - How's your face? - It hurts a bit.
Join the party.
Buy you a piece of chocolate cake.
You'd like that, wouldn't you? - (door slams) - Howie, that was fast.
Bring the food in here.
Howie? Howie? Howie? God! Evan, what happened to you? - A fight with Jake over you.
- What? Jake says you're a frigid bookworm.
I says no you ain't.
I says you're just waiting for the right guy to come along.
Introduce you to the wonders that a real man can show you.
I think you should go home to your wife, Evan.
No.
My wife can go to hell.
Evan You love your wife.
You really believe a man can love just one woman his whole life? Hell, no.
I've wanted you since I was 13 years old.
But, oh no I had to hold it inside.
- I had to be a good boy.
- What are you talking about? - I'll show you what I'm talking about.
- Oh, my God! - Sheriff's office? - (man) Yes, ma'am.
- I'm Sheila Morrison.
I need help.
- What's the problem? A friend of mine has completely lost his mind.
He's drunk, he's crazy, he's violent.
Please send help.
Lost his mind? - What exactly does that mean? - What are you laughing at? - This is the sheriff's office? - Yes, ma'am.
It sure is.
Aagh! (screams) - Sheila, something's going on in town - Howard.
You're back.
- What happened? Did you get lost? - No.
Oh.
Too bad.
What happened to your clothes? Why? You don't approve? What? (mocking hhm) What? What? Sheila It hurts.
Oh, Howie.
Stop being such a baby.
Sheila I'll show you.
Where is everyone? Sheila! Mrs Peal? Mrs Peal, wait.
It's me.
It's Howie.
(screams) Oh, no.
Oh, no.
Oh, no.
Oh, my.
Mrs Peal - Hi, Howard.
- Hi, Charlotte.
- Don't you want to join us? - Join you where? I'm sorry, Charlotte.
Howie, baby.
Sheila What? - I don't understand.
- Of course you don't.
And you know what? I don't have to explain anything to you any more.
I don't have to be responsible for you any more.
- What? Are you leaving? - Yeah.
Like Mom and Dad? No, Howie.
Not like Mom and Dad did.
They died.
I'm just leaving.
- Why? Did I do something wrong? - As a matter of fact, yeah.
Being born.
Now would you get lost? Sheila Howie? Howie? Howard Morrison, what have you done? I was afraid you'd run away, but you'll get better when the sun comes up.
Get better from what? You untie me this instant! No one wanted to come outside until it got dark.
What are you talking about? And the slug thing that came out of me died when it hit the sun, so Howie, you are not making any sense.
Now untie me.
Do it! Howard Morrison, you obey me! Howie Come on, sweetie.
It's better for both of us.
You know that.
Come on, honey, untie me and we can forget this ever happened.
After the sun comes up.
Howie! Come back here, you dummy! Howie! Howie, you untie me.
Do it now! You obey me, Howard Morrison.
Howie! Howie! Come back here, you dummy! Howie! Howie! Come back! Howie.
Howie, come on, sweetie.
Howie! (screaming and crying) Howie, please! How can you do this to me? I went through the same thing, but Oh, my Sheila, are you OK? Howie? What happened? I'm sorry.
- Hey.
You feeling better? - Much better, thanks.
Gotta phone CDC or County Health.
It's dead.
God.
Would you look at this place? - I didn't do it, I swear.
- I know you didn't, Howie.
- Do you remember? - Some.
Not much.
Sheila, you don't think I'm a dummy, do you? God, did I say that? - I'm so sorry.
- Answer the question.
No.
I don't think you're a dummy.
You figured out how to get that thing out of me, didn't you? - So am I still your hero? - Oh, yes.
You're still my hero.
More than ever.
Now I gotta figure out what's going on.
- What are you looking up? - Human brain chemistry.
- Why? - Well I'm guessing we're dealing with some kind of parasite that affects the human brain.
- Maybe they feed off the neuro-transmitters.
-That's what I thounght.
There.
"Dopamine and acetylcholine imbalances have been linked to Tourette's Syndrome and schizophrenia.
" So if the parasite is consuming those chemicals, that explains the loss of inhibitions.
So they're eating people's brains? Sort of.
They're eating some of the chemicals that the brain needs.
That explains why the parasite rejected you as a host.
- Why? - Howie Remember when I told you how you're different? How when you were in Mom's tummy and she was drinking, that made your brain different? Your brain doesn't produce enough of those neuro-transmitters.
- So it couldn't eat my brain.
- Yeah.
Something like that.
Howie, I need you to think really hard.
Did the parasite that came from you look like the one that came from me? No.
No, yours was lots bigger and it looked redder.
So they change as they feed.
I don't understand.
The longer they're in people's brains, the more they feed and the bigger they get until they kill the people they're in.
It means that if we don't stop this in time, they could kill everyone.
Where's the van? Damn it! Howie, I'm sorry, sweetheart.
I didn't mean to scare you.
Sheila, do you feel like you aren't free 'cause of me? Whatever gave you that idea? Howie, you can't believe anything I said when I was infested.
- I love you.
You know that - But you're trapped.
You can't leave 'cause you know I can't get along without you.
Howie, I can't leave because I can't get along without you.
I'm glad your body rejected that parasite.
OK.
It's OK.
Looks like this stegosaur was carrying a lot of them.
- I wonder if that's what killed the dinosaurs.
- I'll bet it is.
Those parasites must have been hibernating for millions of years, waiting for another susceptible species.
- So? - So that means they found it.
Us.
- You and me? - No, Howie.
People.
If the entire town's infested, they're out of hosts.
OK.
What does that mean? You and I are the only uninfested people left, Howie, and the entire town is gonna be looking for us.
Come on.
We've gotta go.
What? - It's our van.
- Oh.
I guess we won't be driving anywhere.
Oh, boy.
- I told you no one would be here.
- But where are they? It's dead.
Great.
There's no way to leave town and no way to call for help.
- I don't know what to do.
- We could walk to Charlesburg.
Honey, it would take us two days and it's freezing outside.
We have to figure out where everyone is.
Do you remember where you went yesterday? Sort of.
I remember being crowded in some place, but I can't remember where.
- How about you? - What? Is there anything about yesterday you forgot? Anything about the parasite? No.
- Was the parasite dead? - Yeah.
Till I put the salt in.
Why did you do that? I I'm sorry.
I thought it would melt it, like the slug, but it brought it back to life.
- The salt did? - Yeah.
It made it better.
Maybe they eat salt.
Come on.
Let's go to the salt mines.
- There's nobody here either.
- Shh! Listen.
Come back in.
Join us.
- Why don't you come out, Jake? - You'd love it with us.
If you come out, we can help you.
I don't need your help, but you'll be needing mine tonight.
It's OK.
No known nematodes can hibernate for that long.
The only thing I can figure is that the larval version of these things live off of salt when they're in stasis.
There must be some kind of chemicals that they need to mature into adulthood.
Does that help ss? Well, assuming I'm right .
.
if we can get the people away from the salt or find some way to force them into the sun.
.
Sheila, they're coming.
There's a whole bunch and they're coming to get us! Oh, no.
What are we gonna do? Aagh! Help! - Howie! - Sheila! Whatever you do, don't let them in the mine in the morning! Don't let them in the mine in the morning! Go, Howie, run! (screaming) Don't let them in the mine.
Don't let them in the mine.
Don't let them in the mine.
Don't - Sheila? - Howie.
- Are you OK? - Yeah.
Are you? Yeah.
They tried to infest me again but the second worm wouldn't take.
- How come? - Well, I guess it's like a virus.
Once you've had it, your body builds up an immunity.
OK.
- What are you doing? - You told me not to let anybody in.
- Yeah, but, Howie, not like this.
- Why not? It's dangerous.
You could blow us up with it.
I know how to do it.
Dad showed me.
Howie, Dad blew himself up with that stuff.
I want you to listen to me, sweetie.
You know I know what's best.
Give me the torch.
- How do I know you don't have a parasite? - I told you, it didn't take.
- How do I know? - Don't you trust me? - If I blow it up then no one can come in.
- If you blow it up, you'll kill us.
Think, you dummy! Howie Howie! Get out of the way! Time for work! - Oh, God! - Aagh! Sheila, are you OK? - You did the right thing, Howie.
- I did? Yeah.
You're a hero.
(narrator) Mankind puts the strong, the athletic, the genius on a pedestal.
If we treated the less fortunate among us as equals, we would see that they can also become heroes.