Scorpion (2014) s03e18 Episode Script
Don't Burst My Bubble
1 HAPPY: âMake sure to use non-synthetic lubricant.
Old parts weren't built for silicone.
â See, that's the kind of detail your regular gearhead would gloss over.
Mm-hmm.
Wouldn't go so far as to say that SparkplugADAptor522 is a mechanical genius, but she is someone who thinks.
I think it's past midnight and we should go home.
Do you understand how long it's been since this '46 E.
L.
Knucklehead engine has drawn breath? Do you understand how long it's been since I've slept? I need my jammies.
HAPPY: Go home.
If SparkplugADAptor522 is working, I am working.
You've been working on this project with her for two months and still no name.
Have you ever spoken to her on the phone or video chat? Neither.
Do you know where she lives? Don't know.
How old? We don't get into personal info.
Although I've asked both questions.
Are you sure she's a she? Women can't be mechanically inclined? No, I-I didn't say that.
But men are deceptively inclined.
Something's fishy here.
Cat-fishy.
You're tired and paranoid, and going home now so I can finish.
(computer chimes) âSending valve specs now.
â Beat it, I got to work.
Okay.
Lock the door behind me.
You're chatting with a possible psychopath.
(yells, Happy screams) Psycho grease monkey here to kill you! Oh, Toby! I said lock the door.
(screams) (metal clatters on floor) (music playing quietly) See that? That's how you flip a flapjack.
Or, as I like to call them, (sizzling) a âDoddcake.
â It's nice to see someone's in a good mood.
Well, I got a beautiful woman by my side, proud of my guy.
Just look at him over there with the voters.
He's certainly had a strong showing these past few days.
Better than Patel has.
Nobody's had a better past few days than me.
I got to tell you, Allie, this time we're spending together, getting to know you, and all of it you're a special person.
I hope Sly's not looking.
'Cause you're about to kiss his opponent's campaign manager.
(clears throat) Sanjay.
It-- uh, good turn out.
Doddcake, Patel? No.
Thank you.
Allie, you forgot the blackberry syrup.
That's why no one's coming to my table.
Syrup's not your problem.
My guy's in the zone.
Thank you, sir.
Hi.
Thank you so much.
The election isn't over yet.
Allie, the syrup please.
(sighs) Your boss is a grade-A tool.
He certainly is, but my paycheck depends on him.
(truck beeping) Good morning.
(gasps) She still hasn't responded.
You're wearing the same clothes as yesterday.
Shh! Did you stay here all night? Busy.
(quietly): Weird.
PAIGE: Okay, Tim.
I-I I guess I understand.
Okay.
Be well.
Bye.
Good morning.
Morning.
Everything all right? I I'm supposed to chaperone another one of Ralph's school trips, but he doesn't want to go.
It's at the beach and he says his legs look skinny in shorts.
Understood.
Yeah.
See what I just did? I asked Paige if she was okay.
When she told me an obvious lie, I let her be.
She clearly doesn't want to get into it.
I'm making progress.
Good for me.
I'm going to Lancaster.
Why? We got nothing on the books until tomorrow.
It's not a good reason for going to Lancaster.
I fell asleep waiting for a response from an Internet chat mechanic.
She said she was sending something over, but when I woke up she still hadn't responded.
Doesn't make any sense.
She's more detail-oriented than you and I put together.
Doubtful, if that were the case, she would've sent you the specs.
She is and she hasn't.
Something's up.
So I hacked the chat site, and found the account attached to the screen name.
Ada Pearce, Lancaster.
Emotional concern for a fellow mechanic.
It's fascinating.
I-I think that we're both evolving.
Good for us.
(crash) PAIGE: Son of a Oh, oh.
Here, here, here.
Here, let me help.
Let me help you.
You okay? Yeah.
Oh.
Yeah, it's the wheel.
I'll see it's fixed.
In the meantime you can use my chair.
I'll stand.
You're not crying about the chair.
Tim accepted an eight-month contract extension in Jordan.
And really, Walter, that's all I want to say about it right now.
Of course.
Hi-Dee-ho, bosserino.
How's tricks? Uh, well, thank you.
Dude, you'd be very impressed with this newfound handle I have on my emotional state.
Now, Paige and Tim are having issues.
It's not a shock.
Distance of 7,600 miles ain't good for love.
Yes, as I was saying, she's hurting, so she needed space and I gave it to her.
I'm making progress.
Good for me.
Where's Happy? We have wedding cake to taste, a wedding band to hear, and she still hasn't given me a guest list despite me being very annoying about it.
Oh, she went to Lancaster to find her gearhead friend.
To track down a nutbar who knows his way around power tools? Did you ever think of convincing her not to go? You need space.
I'm gonna give it to you.
(line ringing) TOBY (over phone): There is a very real possibility.
You've been harassing me for 50 minutes.
I'm hanging up.
Ta, ta, ta, ta, ta, ta, ta, ta! A very real possibility that by failing to respond in the middle of a conversation she is utilizing what predators call âa lure.
â She knows a hell of a lot about Knucklehead engines for a predator.
She is a smart woman who knows her mechanics.
I just want to make sure that everything is (sirens wailing) Everything's what, Happy? Hello? Hello? Oh, man.
- Happy? - I'll call you back.
(indistinct radio chatter) MAN 1: I know, I know.
But this situation isn't really in the handbook, so just patch me through! Hey.
You the chief? Yeah.
What's going on here? (electricity crackles) Storm last night toppled the power line.
Why are you letting it spark on the roof? Cut the power.
Who are you again? Happy Quinn, Department of Homeland Security.
What is Homeland doing here? Not your concern.
What is, though, is cutting the power to that line before the house catches on fire.
Do you also not know how to evacuate a home? Ma'am, we can't clear the house.
And if we cut the power, a girl in there dies.
Now, if you don't mind, I'm trying to get through to NASA.
NASA? Yes, this is Fire Chief Bart Olshanski in Lancaster.
What the hell? MAN 2: But these are the contingencies you need a plan for.
She needs to be moved immediately.
Steel frame, walls of high-optic PVC film.
High Efficiency Particulate Air filtration system.
An autoclave that sterilizes anything that comes in.
This is a gnotobiotic isolator.
You have no immune system.
Who are you? Happy Quinn.
And you're Ada Pearce.
(loud crackle) I'm sorry, what are you doing in here? I'm Sprocketace77.
Oh, my God, Dad, she and I built my engine together.
Your Internet must have gone kaput during the storm.
That's why you cut out.
It's nice to meet you, but you have to go.
We have a major problem right now.
Yeah, you do.
The bubble's threatened by a couple 100 pounds of debris and sparking power lines.
Yes, and if the bubble pops Your sterile environment will be flooded with pollen, dust, branches, leaves, chunks of ceiling and roof that all contain bacteria.
And she would die within minutes.
You can't clear the debris with live power lines, but you can't cut the power because her HEPA filter, it'll stop working.
And I'd have no oxygen.
Going off what the chief said outside, the fire department's at a loss, and the NASA engineers who built the bubble, they're too far away to get here before the house burns down.
(loud crackle) Happy, is there anything you can do to help me? Hey, it's me.
You need to get the guys over here now.
Scorpion 3x18 Don't Burst My Bubble (indistinct radio chatter) Walt, Paige, Toby, David Pearce.
His daughter Ada's inside.
I don't know if your colleague told you, but Ada has Severe immunodeficiency, brought on by acquired pancytopenic aplastic anemia and a subsequent failed bone marrow transplant.
It's covered.
So your daughter can't even fight off the smallest microbe.
That's right.
How long has she been in the bubble? Two and a half years.
Okay, if we're done yakking, can we go in and help her? Follow me.
No extra microbes near this sterile environment.
We already took ours.
It's broad-spectrum antibiotics, antivirals, antiparasitic and antifungal.
Little B12 for pep, too.
Shouldn't Ada be taking the pills? Why am I taking antibiotics? Antibiotics fight infection by working with the immune system.
If you don't have one they're worthless.
Oh, this is incredible.
Wow, it's like a science experiment come to life.
PAIGE: Uh, hi, I'm Paige.
He didn't mean to reduce your life to a science experiment.
ADA: He must be Walter.
Happy said that he was a wackadoodle.
Almost done downloading the imaging software that'll give us a better idea of what's going on with the debris on that bubble.
While you're doing that, I'm gonna post the live numbers as the polling stations close.
I got a good feeling, kid.
Uh, sorry, Alderman.
(computer trilling) Okay, the software is ready.
Start sending photos of the debris.
Ada, David, first things first.
(loud crackling) While avoiding electrocution.
Uh, should address that first.
Walter, I'm running this show.
Okay, the transformer is damaged, but operational.
And it's Ada's only source of juice for her HEPA air filter, unless the fire department can locate a backup generator capable of 50,000 watts.
Not at the local hardware store.
The one we had was flown in from Geneva.
It was crushed under a eucalyptus that went down in the storm.
A transplant tree with no business in California Walt! Your show.
Okay, everyone, just take photos of the room and debris, and send 'em to Sly.
Our biggest issue right now is a piece of debris piercing the bubble.
It's Jenga.
A deadly version, yes.
Walter.
Thankfully, I am a brilliant Jenga player.
HAPPY: And I am better than him, but the computer's better than both of us, That's why Sly's uploading the photos we're sending him to CADD-- Computer Aided Design and Drafting software.
Along with the blueprint of the house, we'll be able to make a 3-D model of the room and the debris on top of it.
Inputting the approximate weight and size of the pieces of debris now, as well as the tensile strength of the power lines.
Once was have all the numbers, we'll decide which piece of debris to remove first.
Hopefully then it will relieve the pressure from the bubble without popping it.
Once the debris is gone, the fire department can crane the transformer and its pole off the roof.
(phone chimes) It's Garland Heights.
They were always leaning towards Patel.
It's no big surprise.
I wouldn't worry about it, kid.
Okay, I've got weights and sizes.
Happy, you linked in? Yeah, it's still running calculations.
(electricity pops) Whew! Uh, darling, you any closer to some guidance? It's kind of incredibly unsafe up here.
O'Brien, to your left, a seven-pound branch of ficus.
HAPPY: Slide it up at 30 degrees, rotate it, and pull it down.
(weight creaking) You call that 30 degrees? I might consider calling her âSnappy,â because she keeps snapping at us.
Toby, you're next.
Three-foot lengths of ceiling 2X4.
Pull it out at a snail's pace.
Careful.
(electrical pop, Toby yelps) (electricity crackles) I'm all good.
We're all good.
It's okay, it's part of the process.
(electricity crackling) The process which you learned from saving the other bubble girls? Well-honed sarcasm.
I heard it a lot during the engine rebuild.
(electricity sizzles) You're a very intuitive mechanic for someone so young.
How'd you get so good? Everything that comes in the bubble has to be disassembled to be sterilized.
And then once it's in here, I have to put it back together.
So I really know how things work.
There it is, the upside to a life in plastic.
(structure creaking) How come you didn't mention this was going on? Not my style to complain.
Not that I don't want to every once in a while.
I'd really love to feel the sun on my face again.
TOBY: Hey, Paige, a little help? HAPPY: Walt, you're up.
Insulation hunk with roofing tile on it.
(clears throat) Careful.
Careful! Please.
Paige? David, can I talk to you outside for a second? I know you're terrified, but they know what they're doing.
No, I'm sure they do.
You just have no idea what it's like to have a child that you worry about every second of every day.
Actually, I do.
Mine's like they are.
Do you feel overwhelmed with guilt on a daily basis? I feel inadequate a few times an hour.
When Ada was a freshman, she got mono.
Which, you know, is a mild disease for most kids.
But for her it turned into acquired aplastic anemia.
We couldn't find a good match for a bone marrow transplant.
Her doctors said that a weak match might take, but it was my call.
Didn't take.
And now she's in there, cut off from the world, from school.
Last week, all her friends went to winter formal, but she just sat in there, alone.
I haven't held my child in almost three years.
You made the best decision you could for her.
Why was it so hard to find a match? TOBY: Finding a donor's based on tissue type, which is much more complex than blood type.
We're having a private conversation.
TOBY: Not if I can hear you.
Best bet is family.
I'm not a match, her mom passed when she was little.
Our genetic heritage originates in a small town in Macedonia.
It's smaller than a local L.
A.
high school.
And I'm assuming you approached the citizens of your town for a donor? No match, so now it's down to finding a remote descendant who could be anywhere in the world.
WALTER: Finding the right needle in a nest of three billion other needles.
They don't understand the âprivate conversationâ concept.
.
But they do understand (phone chimes) the electrocution concept, and with each piece of debris you remove it becomes more dangerous, so stay on your toes.
You know, I think this board is a distraction.
I'm gonna face it in the opposite direction.
If you please.
(wind whooshing) TOBY: Uh, guys, we got wind! (electricity crackling) Debris shifting.
Oh, nice catch.
(electricity crackling) (straining) Kitten, a ceiling joist is jabbing into the plastic-- I can't get to it.
It's gonna pop the bubble.
We can't reach it from the ladders.
What if I push it up and off from inside the bubble? With something soft, or it'll hasten the puncture.
You think? 'Cause I was just gonna throw knives at it.
If we want any more obvious advice, you're our guy.
It's like there's two Happys.
What about Pascal's Principle? Good idea.
Great idea.
Pressure exerted at one point is transmitted to all points equally in an enclosed system.
(air hissing, inflating) TOBY: Great, great.
Great work.
Dad? Yeah? (structure creaking) In case something falls and pops the bubble Nothing's gonna happen.
(softly): Okay.
Okay But in case it does (electricity crackling) I love you.
Yeah, I love you, too, sweetheart.
(structure creaking) HAPPY: Sharp wood is lifting.
There's less pressure on the bubble.
Okay, we're good to go for now.
Yahoos, get back to work.
(ringtone plays) It's from Kaldor.
I need to go look at this link immediately.
From Patel's social media.
I have infinite respect for veterans.
I have disrespect for microbes and bacteria.
Anyone's microbes and bacteria! This is some dirty pool.
There's no way Allie condones this.
(phone chimes) Oh, this is bad.
Uh, that's worse-- the air's leaking from the mattress.
(clatter) WALTER: Debris is shifting.
Look out, look out! The power line snapped.
Her HEPA filter will turn off.
She'll die.
No, only one line's broken.
The other two are intact.
Yeah, but the line is red-hot, and it's right up against the bubble.
PVC melts at 320 degrees.
A live wire easily conducts as much heat.
Okay, given the bubble's thickness, it'll melt through in less than ten minutes.
Then we have no choice, we have to get her out of the bubble now.
What do you mean âget her outâ? I'll die if I'm exposed to unfiltered air.
Especially after a storm.
She could contract hypersensitivity pneumonitis from mold, Coccidioides We get it.
Mr.
Pearce, has she ever been transported before? Never.
There's only one transport protocol, and that's for scheduled surgery, and it takes a week to prepare.
What if we had a space suit? There's no way we're getting NASA there in five minutes.
HAPPY: What if we made our own? Something impermeable that can be sterilized.
There's got to be something on a fire truck that we could use.
Yeah, yeah, we'll get the supplies.
Happy, stay with Ada.
Your connection with her is an asset.
Keep her calm.
Not my wheelhouse, Doc.
You've been doing it since we got here.
Just keep talking to her.
What if we repurpose incubators hospitals use for premies? Neonatal ICUs would have the supplies and the sterile room, but in order to get her there, we need to bypass swarms of germ-laden people.
Well, you're a man of contingencies.
What if biological warfare broke out, what would you do? Freak the heck out.
That's not an option.
Think.
I would find the nearest meat locker or walk-in fridge in a restaurant.
And do what in it? That can't be sterile.
(snaps fingers) We can make it sterile.
It's airtight, so we can feed filtered oxygen through the refrigeration system.
All we have to do is clear it off and sterilize it.
I'm searching now for a restaurant that fits our requirements.
Oh! A Hazmat suit.
The spun polyethylene and positive air pressure would mimic her bubble.
That'll protect her, but she's gonna need a better breathing apparatus.
A full-size oxygen tank will not fit under a Hazmat suit.
Paige? Grab an extra comm and then tell Ada's father to sterilize it so that she can communicate with us when she's in the Hazmat suit.
Copy that.
I'm gonna take the filter from this regulator, put it in this smaller tank's mask, cover the side vent holes with sterile medical tape, and, voilá Ah-ha! she will be breathing pure air.
Ooh, we can use this Velcro strap to fasten the tank to Ada.
I hope Happy got Ada to calm down.
She's gonna need her head clear to get through this.
Oh, I'm sure she's fine.
You know, people in dire straits often do better when distracted by conversation.
It's one of those examples where you shouldn't give someone their space.
Walter, where do you get this drivel? Who are these experts? You are not the only shrink in the world.
PAIGE: They're also bringing a Hazmat suit and an oxygen mask.
TOBY: No, not bringing, brought.
Mask can go in the autoclave, but its steam will degrade the suit, so we'll sterilize that in here, with ethylene oxide gas.
Less than six minutes till my bubble bursts, literally.
You're not dying.
You're gonna live.
Why start now? HAPPY: What do you mean? I mean, I've spent three years in this plastic prison.
Not living, just, you know, surviving.
Sometimes I wonder what's the point? Well, I'm glad you survived.
'Cause I got to meet you.
DAVID: Ada, get the mask and the comm out of the autoclave.
(air hisses) PAIGE: Is that suit enough to protect her? It's impermeable, it'll do the trick.
And the ethylene oxide will kill any bacteria.
I hope she'll be okay.
Things sterilized in this gas normally ventilate for 36 hours.
Less than five minutes until this thing bursts.
WALTER: Mr.
Pearce, start the exhaust.
I wanted to get her out of her bubble, but not this way.
DAVID: Ada, it's ready.
(air hisses) Ada, you need to go faster.
I'm scared.
It's gonna be okay, I promise.
Just get the suit on.
Oh, no, we were wrong about the five minutes.
The bubble's breaking.
Zip up that suit now.
(wire buzzing) TOBY: The wire's blocking the airlock! Debris is gonna fall on her any second.
Uh, I can't get out! I'm trapped! Okay, not for long.
WALTER: Come out, come out.
(wire continues crackling) It's okay, it's safe.
Come on, Ada.
(whimpers) DAVID: Come on, Ada.
Dad? Oh, sweetheart.
All right, hug's over.
Let's get going.
WALTER: Mr.
Pearce, Ada, your father's gonna go ahead with a car full of supplies, we'll meet him at the meat locker.
The what? (engine revs) I'm still pretty nervous about moving into a meat locker.
It's only temporary.
That's what they said about the bubble.
That word was attached to every crappy group home I was sent to.
It's a bad word.
You know, I kept thinking we'd find a donor.
Kept making plans.
I even bought a dress for winter formal.
My favorite color, purple.
What's your favorite color, Happy? Chrome.
Great answer.
Is it warm in here? No, it's pretty normal.
This suit's itchy.
Uh, Happy? Take a look at Ada's face for a second.
HAPPY: Oh, boy.
Boys, we got issues.
What kind of issues? Uh, not sure.
I just sent you a photo.
Holy hives, that's an allergic reaction if I've ever seen one.
She doesn't have any allergy to the materials in the mask or the suit, so what is she responding to? It's ethylene oxide.
We didn't have time to sufficiently ventilate it.
And with a reaction that strong, we don't have much time before she succumbs to anaphylaxis.
Happy, my throat's getting tight.
We have to get her out of that suit! If we get her out of that suit, she dies.
If we leave her in it, she dies faster! (wheezing) Ada, you have to calm down.
Toby, she's hyperventilating.
Happy, keep her calm or she's gonna inhale that ethylene oxide even faster.
Get her out of that suit or she's gonna go anaphylactic before you can get her to the restaurant.
That'd kill her, unless we get her into something sterile.
She has to be covered, encased and ensconced.
Sly, you're the germophobe.
What's sterile? Disinfectants, detergents TOBY: All right, both loaded with chemicals! She could have sensitivities to those, as well.
Urine.
Gross.
HAPPY: We are not submerging her in a tub of urine.
How would we even get that? I don't know.
Uh, honey? Honey's sterile? Yes, due to its high viscosity, hyperosmolarity, low pH, its natural ability to produce hydrogen peroxide, its antimicrobial and antibacterial properties.
Soldiers have used honey in battle when antibiotics ran low.
Great, but where would we find enough honey to submerge her? Cousin Buzzy's Honey Hut.
One of Ralph's field trips was there.
It's just down the street.
Kid, stay with us! A little more.
Yes, sir.
Much appreciated.
Cousin Buzzy's gonna have everything ready for when they get there.
Excellent.
Mr.
Pearce, if we can't use ethylene oxide, then how are we going to sterilize this meat locker? DAVID: I don't know.
I mean, we can't turn the whole thing into an autoclave.
The only other option is ozone gas, and I don't have any.
And I don't think we have time to get some.
There is a fourth way to sterilize: heat.
Now, hot enough temperatures can kill bacteria and germs.
One problem.
It's a freezer.
Let's light the room on fire.
The room's temperature strength and oxidation resistance make it near-fireproof.
Fire would sterilize the fridge.
We just need fuel we can control, for a precise amount of flame.
I know.
Cooking gel.
Every restaurant I waitressed in put those little metal cans under chaffing dishes for catering.
We'd fill 'em from big buckets.
Perfect.
Now, that kind of denatured and jellied alcohol burns at a cool 185 degrees.
That is hot enough to kill the bacteria, but not the fatal 1,100 degrees of a typical fire.
Why does-- well, why does temperature matter? To keep the room perfectly sterile for Ada, she needs to be in it while it burns.
COUSIN BUZZY: Just got the call from Agent Gallo.
I figured for what you need, you could just use this settling drum.
Perfect, but we need a piece of carpet, too.
- I'll see what I can scare up.
- Carpet? Well, once she takes off the suit, she'll be exposed to contaminants.
But if we create reactive charged particles-- an ionosphere, a force field-- then they'll repel the bacteria and the microbes around her.
Okay, you just stand here.
As soon as they start sanding, Paige and I will get you out.
Ada? You have to trust us or you'll die in the suit.
Okay, you'll have your oxygen tank on the side of this tub until we get you to the meat locker.
Keep your comm in your ear and I will talk you through this the whole way.
Paige, make sure you don't touch her skin, we can't transfer germs.
Okay, let's do this.
(sander whirring) Okay, get in.
Into the honey, honey.
(honey gurgles) (wheezing) Okay, we're set.
Let's go.
Sly, we cured the hives with hives, now it's your turn-o to start an inferno.
SYLVESTER: Affirmative! Nearly done in here.
(phone chimes) Final results are in.
Want me to check 'em, kid? We both know the results.
What we're doing now is much more important than some dumb election.
West Altadenia doesn't deserve you, kid.
HAPPY: I'm doing 92 in a 35! Shaving minutes off.
You'll be out of there soon enough, Ada! I understand why you're speeding, but we can't save her if we die.
You know why you're so worried? She's your friend and you are pushing so hard and being a pill with all of us 'cause you don't want to lose that friend.
She's just someone from a chat room.
You know, I-I've been trying to figure out why it's taken so long to get that guest list from you for the wedding.
It's 'cause you have no friends to invite outside of Scorpion.
That's ridiculous.
Well, you've spent your whole life convinced you are incapable of friendships with humans.
But you bonded with Ada.
Whether you like it or not, you have a real, normal (horn blaring) non-Scorpion friend.
And that friend has no immune system, and a vat of honey for a home and an oxygen tank with four minutes left on it.
And you don't want to lose her.
Huh? See? You realized what I said was right and that you The restaurant! (tires screech) (groans) (horn honks) SYLVESTER: Careful, careful.
You set up the filter? Yeah, I fixed Ada's HEPA filter a million times at home.
I just followed your specs.
It was easy.
Okay, she's ready.
Ada, I know you can't answer me, I just wanted to, uh wanted to tell you how proud I am of you.
You're the toughest kid I know.
(sighs) I love you, sweetheart.
Okay, Ada, I'm gonna take your oxygen now.
You need to stay in there for a full minute, long enough for the fire to burn out and for the room to fully sterilize.
Just visualize inspecting the engine.
Before you know it, it'll be time.
Okay, pal? Take a deep breath in.
(inhaling) Three, two one! Almost there.
The top of the honey is hardening.
WALTER: It's caramelizing in the fire.
HAPPY: Ada, the honey surface is just thickening a little bit.
We knew this was a possibility, but you'll be able to break through it.
Right now, I just want you to focus on the Knucklehead, run through each part of it through your mind.
Before you know it, this'll be over.
Happy's building up Ada's confidence and keeping her mind off her worries.
It's textbook âgood friendâ technique.
Geez, when this is over, I'm getting to the bottom of your latest insanity.
The fire's dying down.
As soon as it's out, David, turn on the HEPA filter and fill the room with oxygen on my go.
Go! (air hisses) HAPPY: Ada, ten seconds to fill the room with oxygen.
Then answer this question so we know you're all right: in an engine, what mechanism performs a conversion between reciprocating motion and rotational motion? Time! Ada, it's safe.
Get out now.
Come on.
Come on, Ada.
TOBY: Come on, Ada.
Come on.
(exhales) (Ada panting) Conversion between the reciprocating and rotational motion? The crankshaft.
Attagirl.
Oh! Oh, thank God.
Thank God.
(exhales) DAVID: Okay, Ada.
Okay, fresh clothes, air mattress, cell phone, books and a laptop.
All purified with an ozone sterilizer.
No ethylene oxide for you.
I'd say, uh you're set.
Appreciated.
And I reached out to the other Mecan-chicks from the chat site.
They all pitched in, called their friends in the area: mechanics, engineers, contractors.
Your bubble and home will be fully repaired in four days.
That's great.
Wonderful.
Look, I I wish I could do more.
More? More than save my life? Because of you, I got to hug my dad today.
I got to feel the sun on my face.
Don't thank me.
You were brave.
I was impressed.
(chuckles) I was just along for the ride.
You were impressive.
Well, anything for a friend.
I can stay.
No.
You need to go save the world.
And I've got books in here that won't read themselves.
(mechanical whirring) She hasn't moved in an hour.
Just waiting to see if Ada will log in.
WALTER: She's doing the right thing.
One cannot be a friend if one is not available to said friend.
All right, that's it.
Where do you learn this nonsense? It's not nonsense.
It's the Eight Smart Steps Certain to Make You the Perfect Pal.
Where'd you get that, some stupid magazine? Holy Cosmo, you're getting relationship advice from a supermarket checkout rag.
Keep it down, keep it down.
Paige and I have been getting on better since we decided to be caring friends to each other, but I was concerned that I would eventually do something to mess that up, so I did research to avoid that.
The New England Journal of Medicine is research.
You read a periodical with pictures of One Direction.
RALPH: Walter, I finished connecting the new circuitry you asked for.
It works great.
Wow, thank you.
Hey.
My chair's fixed.
WALTER: Oh, yeah.
It was just a broken insert-peg.
I replaced it with some scrap metal from Happy's workstation.
Thank you, Walter.
What a nice surprise.
I have another.
It's a virtual reality headset.
So when you're on with Tim, it will be a much more realistic experience.
The distance won't seem as far.
I-I appreciate it, but I don't think it'll help.
Tim took the promotion because we both realize it isn't gonna work out between us.
Oh.
Sorry.
I I'll give you some space.
Walter.
I know I know what you're doing.
Being a good listener, giving me space, being understanding.
Wait, did you hear us both talking? Because, just because I got I got it from a ladies magazine doesn't mean I'm not sincere.
I-I didn't, I didn't hear anything.
But I appreciate you trying.
And I-I do feel like you're being sincere.
Well, um sincerely, I am sorry that you're sad about Tim.
(door closes) TOBY: Hey, what were you guys doing out back on the phone? We called the vet I shook-wiped earlier to apologize.
He took no offense; he doesn't like sweaty palms either.
CABE: That's not all he said.
He told us how he used to go to the Warlock's Chest storefront when it was a grocery.
Turns out the building is 90 years old.
Old enough to fall under the auspices of the Historic Zoning Commission, so I am filing papers to prevent its destruction.
We may have lost the war, but Sly won the battle.
Speaking of elections (door closes) How's Sly doing? I feel just awful about the veteran thing.
He has perspective.
But your boss is a real S.
O.
B.
I know.
I can't believe he made me put that online.
You put that online? I didn't want to.
He made me.
I I need my job, Cabe.
I know.
I get it, but But what? All these kids, they're my kids.
And they may be brilliant, but they learn from me, too.
And I can't get them to understand a concept like loyalty if I'm spending time with someone who went after one of the team.
Even if I did it unwillingly? I like you, Allie.
But I can't pretend you didn't do what you did.
So now we're done? I think so.
It's because you're this kind of guy that I was attracted to you in the first place.
I understand.
I'm gonna miss you.
(exhales) Good-bye, Cabe.
(sniffles) (door closes) You didn't have to do that.
Course I did.
She was a heck of a girl, though.
Sheesh.
The days normally end on a much higher note around here.
Yeah, well, I got a kid who's sitting alone in a meat freezer, and Cabe and Paige have broken hearts, so what would you prescribe, Doc? Oh! Ralphy-boy.
Find the disco ball! (disco music playing) Spiked punch.
Just like a real prom.
Like you'd know.
Don't drink the punch, Ralph.
You ready? Yeah.
Uh, my dad just gave me the VR headset, totally purified.
Thank you for doing this.
Toby, she's ready.
Get it in gear.
Uno momento.
Can I talk to Ada for a moment? - Yeah.
- Ada? Um, I've been brain-storming preliminary code and I believe that I can create an algorithm to compress worldwide genetic data in such a manner that even if there is only one bone marrow match out there for you, I will find it.
Now, it might take four months or five months, or maybe even double that or even triple that, but it will not take forever.
Thank you.
(very quietly): Thank you.
Hey.
You still there? Yep.
Good, 'cause there's one more clown that wants to talk to you.
Put your headset on.
Yeah, beat the clock Beat the clock ADA: Whoa, guys.
Th-This is incredible! (music stops) Might I have the honor of this dance? Anything for a fellow germophobe.
There she goes An angel in my eyes (chuckles) There she goes I love her passing by (laughs) I love her For she is my dream She is my dream You know, we're doing all this for a girl who'd give anything to go to the beach.
You can't live in a genius bubble forever, Ralph.
I know.
I'll go on the class trip.
Good boy.
Now save the next dance for me, huh? I think I'll go home My future just passed me by There she goes Leave it to me to make the one friend I can't invite to my wedding.
You really think that you can get her out of that bubble one day? I do.
I'll have to defeat human nature, and genetics are the basis for human nature, so human nature's hard to change.
You made great progress with that today.
You seem to be trying, too.
Still, it's a billion to one shot.
The fact that you, me, Toby, Sly are functioning in society, helping people, we're living a billion to one shot.
I think I'll go home Ada's gonna be just fine.
My future just passed me by There she goes An angel in my eyes There she goes I love her passing by All right, ready for the razzle-dazzle? Okay! All right.
You know what-- I'm done.
Someone else's turn! She is my dream.
Shh! Don't break the fantasy.
Old parts weren't built for silicone.
â See, that's the kind of detail your regular gearhead would gloss over.
Mm-hmm.
Wouldn't go so far as to say that SparkplugADAptor522 is a mechanical genius, but she is someone who thinks.
I think it's past midnight and we should go home.
Do you understand how long it's been since this '46 E.
L.
Knucklehead engine has drawn breath? Do you understand how long it's been since I've slept? I need my jammies.
HAPPY: Go home.
If SparkplugADAptor522 is working, I am working.
You've been working on this project with her for two months and still no name.
Have you ever spoken to her on the phone or video chat? Neither.
Do you know where she lives? Don't know.
How old? We don't get into personal info.
Although I've asked both questions.
Are you sure she's a she? Women can't be mechanically inclined? No, I-I didn't say that.
But men are deceptively inclined.
Something's fishy here.
Cat-fishy.
You're tired and paranoid, and going home now so I can finish.
(computer chimes) âSending valve specs now.
â Beat it, I got to work.
Okay.
Lock the door behind me.
You're chatting with a possible psychopath.
(yells, Happy screams) Psycho grease monkey here to kill you! Oh, Toby! I said lock the door.
(screams) (metal clatters on floor) (music playing quietly) See that? That's how you flip a flapjack.
Or, as I like to call them, (sizzling) a âDoddcake.
â It's nice to see someone's in a good mood.
Well, I got a beautiful woman by my side, proud of my guy.
Just look at him over there with the voters.
He's certainly had a strong showing these past few days.
Better than Patel has.
Nobody's had a better past few days than me.
I got to tell you, Allie, this time we're spending together, getting to know you, and all of it you're a special person.
I hope Sly's not looking.
'Cause you're about to kiss his opponent's campaign manager.
(clears throat) Sanjay.
It-- uh, good turn out.
Doddcake, Patel? No.
Thank you.
Allie, you forgot the blackberry syrup.
That's why no one's coming to my table.
Syrup's not your problem.
My guy's in the zone.
Thank you, sir.
Hi.
Thank you so much.
The election isn't over yet.
Allie, the syrup please.
(sighs) Your boss is a grade-A tool.
He certainly is, but my paycheck depends on him.
(truck beeping) Good morning.
(gasps) She still hasn't responded.
You're wearing the same clothes as yesterday.
Shh! Did you stay here all night? Busy.
(quietly): Weird.
PAIGE: Okay, Tim.
I-I I guess I understand.
Okay.
Be well.
Bye.
Good morning.
Morning.
Everything all right? I I'm supposed to chaperone another one of Ralph's school trips, but he doesn't want to go.
It's at the beach and he says his legs look skinny in shorts.
Understood.
Yeah.
See what I just did? I asked Paige if she was okay.
When she told me an obvious lie, I let her be.
She clearly doesn't want to get into it.
I'm making progress.
Good for me.
I'm going to Lancaster.
Why? We got nothing on the books until tomorrow.
It's not a good reason for going to Lancaster.
I fell asleep waiting for a response from an Internet chat mechanic.
She said she was sending something over, but when I woke up she still hadn't responded.
Doesn't make any sense.
She's more detail-oriented than you and I put together.
Doubtful, if that were the case, she would've sent you the specs.
She is and she hasn't.
Something's up.
So I hacked the chat site, and found the account attached to the screen name.
Ada Pearce, Lancaster.
Emotional concern for a fellow mechanic.
It's fascinating.
I-I think that we're both evolving.
Good for us.
(crash) PAIGE: Son of a Oh, oh.
Here, here, here.
Here, let me help.
Let me help you.
You okay? Yeah.
Oh.
Yeah, it's the wheel.
I'll see it's fixed.
In the meantime you can use my chair.
I'll stand.
You're not crying about the chair.
Tim accepted an eight-month contract extension in Jordan.
And really, Walter, that's all I want to say about it right now.
Of course.
Hi-Dee-ho, bosserino.
How's tricks? Uh, well, thank you.
Dude, you'd be very impressed with this newfound handle I have on my emotional state.
Now, Paige and Tim are having issues.
It's not a shock.
Distance of 7,600 miles ain't good for love.
Yes, as I was saying, she's hurting, so she needed space and I gave it to her.
I'm making progress.
Good for me.
Where's Happy? We have wedding cake to taste, a wedding band to hear, and she still hasn't given me a guest list despite me being very annoying about it.
Oh, she went to Lancaster to find her gearhead friend.
To track down a nutbar who knows his way around power tools? Did you ever think of convincing her not to go? You need space.
I'm gonna give it to you.
(line ringing) TOBY (over phone): There is a very real possibility.
You've been harassing me for 50 minutes.
I'm hanging up.
Ta, ta, ta, ta, ta, ta, ta, ta! A very real possibility that by failing to respond in the middle of a conversation she is utilizing what predators call âa lure.
â She knows a hell of a lot about Knucklehead engines for a predator.
She is a smart woman who knows her mechanics.
I just want to make sure that everything is (sirens wailing) Everything's what, Happy? Hello? Hello? Oh, man.
- Happy? - I'll call you back.
(indistinct radio chatter) MAN 1: I know, I know.
But this situation isn't really in the handbook, so just patch me through! Hey.
You the chief? Yeah.
What's going on here? (electricity crackles) Storm last night toppled the power line.
Why are you letting it spark on the roof? Cut the power.
Who are you again? Happy Quinn, Department of Homeland Security.
What is Homeland doing here? Not your concern.
What is, though, is cutting the power to that line before the house catches on fire.
Do you also not know how to evacuate a home? Ma'am, we can't clear the house.
And if we cut the power, a girl in there dies.
Now, if you don't mind, I'm trying to get through to NASA.
NASA? Yes, this is Fire Chief Bart Olshanski in Lancaster.
What the hell? MAN 2: But these are the contingencies you need a plan for.
She needs to be moved immediately.
Steel frame, walls of high-optic PVC film.
High Efficiency Particulate Air filtration system.
An autoclave that sterilizes anything that comes in.
This is a gnotobiotic isolator.
You have no immune system.
Who are you? Happy Quinn.
And you're Ada Pearce.
(loud crackle) I'm sorry, what are you doing in here? I'm Sprocketace77.
Oh, my God, Dad, she and I built my engine together.
Your Internet must have gone kaput during the storm.
That's why you cut out.
It's nice to meet you, but you have to go.
We have a major problem right now.
Yeah, you do.
The bubble's threatened by a couple 100 pounds of debris and sparking power lines.
Yes, and if the bubble pops Your sterile environment will be flooded with pollen, dust, branches, leaves, chunks of ceiling and roof that all contain bacteria.
And she would die within minutes.
You can't clear the debris with live power lines, but you can't cut the power because her HEPA filter, it'll stop working.
And I'd have no oxygen.
Going off what the chief said outside, the fire department's at a loss, and the NASA engineers who built the bubble, they're too far away to get here before the house burns down.
(loud crackle) Happy, is there anything you can do to help me? Hey, it's me.
You need to get the guys over here now.
Scorpion 3x18 Don't Burst My Bubble (indistinct radio chatter) Walt, Paige, Toby, David Pearce.
His daughter Ada's inside.
I don't know if your colleague told you, but Ada has Severe immunodeficiency, brought on by acquired pancytopenic aplastic anemia and a subsequent failed bone marrow transplant.
It's covered.
So your daughter can't even fight off the smallest microbe.
That's right.
How long has she been in the bubble? Two and a half years.
Okay, if we're done yakking, can we go in and help her? Follow me.
No extra microbes near this sterile environment.
We already took ours.
It's broad-spectrum antibiotics, antivirals, antiparasitic and antifungal.
Little B12 for pep, too.
Shouldn't Ada be taking the pills? Why am I taking antibiotics? Antibiotics fight infection by working with the immune system.
If you don't have one they're worthless.
Oh, this is incredible.
Wow, it's like a science experiment come to life.
PAIGE: Uh, hi, I'm Paige.
He didn't mean to reduce your life to a science experiment.
ADA: He must be Walter.
Happy said that he was a wackadoodle.
Almost done downloading the imaging software that'll give us a better idea of what's going on with the debris on that bubble.
While you're doing that, I'm gonna post the live numbers as the polling stations close.
I got a good feeling, kid.
Uh, sorry, Alderman.
(computer trilling) Okay, the software is ready.
Start sending photos of the debris.
Ada, David, first things first.
(loud crackling) While avoiding electrocution.
Uh, should address that first.
Walter, I'm running this show.
Okay, the transformer is damaged, but operational.
And it's Ada's only source of juice for her HEPA air filter, unless the fire department can locate a backup generator capable of 50,000 watts.
Not at the local hardware store.
The one we had was flown in from Geneva.
It was crushed under a eucalyptus that went down in the storm.
A transplant tree with no business in California Walt! Your show.
Okay, everyone, just take photos of the room and debris, and send 'em to Sly.
Our biggest issue right now is a piece of debris piercing the bubble.
It's Jenga.
A deadly version, yes.
Walter.
Thankfully, I am a brilliant Jenga player.
HAPPY: And I am better than him, but the computer's better than both of us, That's why Sly's uploading the photos we're sending him to CADD-- Computer Aided Design and Drafting software.
Along with the blueprint of the house, we'll be able to make a 3-D model of the room and the debris on top of it.
Inputting the approximate weight and size of the pieces of debris now, as well as the tensile strength of the power lines.
Once was have all the numbers, we'll decide which piece of debris to remove first.
Hopefully then it will relieve the pressure from the bubble without popping it.
Once the debris is gone, the fire department can crane the transformer and its pole off the roof.
(phone chimes) It's Garland Heights.
They were always leaning towards Patel.
It's no big surprise.
I wouldn't worry about it, kid.
Okay, I've got weights and sizes.
Happy, you linked in? Yeah, it's still running calculations.
(electricity pops) Whew! Uh, darling, you any closer to some guidance? It's kind of incredibly unsafe up here.
O'Brien, to your left, a seven-pound branch of ficus.
HAPPY: Slide it up at 30 degrees, rotate it, and pull it down.
(weight creaking) You call that 30 degrees? I might consider calling her âSnappy,â because she keeps snapping at us.
Toby, you're next.
Three-foot lengths of ceiling 2X4.
Pull it out at a snail's pace.
Careful.
(electrical pop, Toby yelps) (electricity crackles) I'm all good.
We're all good.
It's okay, it's part of the process.
(electricity crackling) The process which you learned from saving the other bubble girls? Well-honed sarcasm.
I heard it a lot during the engine rebuild.
(electricity sizzles) You're a very intuitive mechanic for someone so young.
How'd you get so good? Everything that comes in the bubble has to be disassembled to be sterilized.
And then once it's in here, I have to put it back together.
So I really know how things work.
There it is, the upside to a life in plastic.
(structure creaking) How come you didn't mention this was going on? Not my style to complain.
Not that I don't want to every once in a while.
I'd really love to feel the sun on my face again.
TOBY: Hey, Paige, a little help? HAPPY: Walt, you're up.
Insulation hunk with roofing tile on it.
(clears throat) Careful.
Careful! Please.
Paige? David, can I talk to you outside for a second? I know you're terrified, but they know what they're doing.
No, I'm sure they do.
You just have no idea what it's like to have a child that you worry about every second of every day.
Actually, I do.
Mine's like they are.
Do you feel overwhelmed with guilt on a daily basis? I feel inadequate a few times an hour.
When Ada was a freshman, she got mono.
Which, you know, is a mild disease for most kids.
But for her it turned into acquired aplastic anemia.
We couldn't find a good match for a bone marrow transplant.
Her doctors said that a weak match might take, but it was my call.
Didn't take.
And now she's in there, cut off from the world, from school.
Last week, all her friends went to winter formal, but she just sat in there, alone.
I haven't held my child in almost three years.
You made the best decision you could for her.
Why was it so hard to find a match? TOBY: Finding a donor's based on tissue type, which is much more complex than blood type.
We're having a private conversation.
TOBY: Not if I can hear you.
Best bet is family.
I'm not a match, her mom passed when she was little.
Our genetic heritage originates in a small town in Macedonia.
It's smaller than a local L.
A.
high school.
And I'm assuming you approached the citizens of your town for a donor? No match, so now it's down to finding a remote descendant who could be anywhere in the world.
WALTER: Finding the right needle in a nest of three billion other needles.
They don't understand the âprivate conversationâ concept.
.
But they do understand (phone chimes) the electrocution concept, and with each piece of debris you remove it becomes more dangerous, so stay on your toes.
You know, I think this board is a distraction.
I'm gonna face it in the opposite direction.
If you please.
(wind whooshing) TOBY: Uh, guys, we got wind! (electricity crackling) Debris shifting.
Oh, nice catch.
(electricity crackling) (straining) Kitten, a ceiling joist is jabbing into the plastic-- I can't get to it.
It's gonna pop the bubble.
We can't reach it from the ladders.
What if I push it up and off from inside the bubble? With something soft, or it'll hasten the puncture.
You think? 'Cause I was just gonna throw knives at it.
If we want any more obvious advice, you're our guy.
It's like there's two Happys.
What about Pascal's Principle? Good idea.
Great idea.
Pressure exerted at one point is transmitted to all points equally in an enclosed system.
(air hissing, inflating) TOBY: Great, great.
Great work.
Dad? Yeah? (structure creaking) In case something falls and pops the bubble Nothing's gonna happen.
(softly): Okay.
Okay But in case it does (electricity crackling) I love you.
Yeah, I love you, too, sweetheart.
(structure creaking) HAPPY: Sharp wood is lifting.
There's less pressure on the bubble.
Okay, we're good to go for now.
Yahoos, get back to work.
(ringtone plays) It's from Kaldor.
I need to go look at this link immediately.
From Patel's social media.
I have infinite respect for veterans.
I have disrespect for microbes and bacteria.
Anyone's microbes and bacteria! This is some dirty pool.
There's no way Allie condones this.
(phone chimes) Oh, this is bad.
Uh, that's worse-- the air's leaking from the mattress.
(clatter) WALTER: Debris is shifting.
Look out, look out! The power line snapped.
Her HEPA filter will turn off.
She'll die.
No, only one line's broken.
The other two are intact.
Yeah, but the line is red-hot, and it's right up against the bubble.
PVC melts at 320 degrees.
A live wire easily conducts as much heat.
Okay, given the bubble's thickness, it'll melt through in less than ten minutes.
Then we have no choice, we have to get her out of the bubble now.
What do you mean âget her outâ? I'll die if I'm exposed to unfiltered air.
Especially after a storm.
She could contract hypersensitivity pneumonitis from mold, Coccidioides We get it.
Mr.
Pearce, has she ever been transported before? Never.
There's only one transport protocol, and that's for scheduled surgery, and it takes a week to prepare.
What if we had a space suit? There's no way we're getting NASA there in five minutes.
HAPPY: What if we made our own? Something impermeable that can be sterilized.
There's got to be something on a fire truck that we could use.
Yeah, yeah, we'll get the supplies.
Happy, stay with Ada.
Your connection with her is an asset.
Keep her calm.
Not my wheelhouse, Doc.
You've been doing it since we got here.
Just keep talking to her.
What if we repurpose incubators hospitals use for premies? Neonatal ICUs would have the supplies and the sterile room, but in order to get her there, we need to bypass swarms of germ-laden people.
Well, you're a man of contingencies.
What if biological warfare broke out, what would you do? Freak the heck out.
That's not an option.
Think.
I would find the nearest meat locker or walk-in fridge in a restaurant.
And do what in it? That can't be sterile.
(snaps fingers) We can make it sterile.
It's airtight, so we can feed filtered oxygen through the refrigeration system.
All we have to do is clear it off and sterilize it.
I'm searching now for a restaurant that fits our requirements.
Oh! A Hazmat suit.
The spun polyethylene and positive air pressure would mimic her bubble.
That'll protect her, but she's gonna need a better breathing apparatus.
A full-size oxygen tank will not fit under a Hazmat suit.
Paige? Grab an extra comm and then tell Ada's father to sterilize it so that she can communicate with us when she's in the Hazmat suit.
Copy that.
I'm gonna take the filter from this regulator, put it in this smaller tank's mask, cover the side vent holes with sterile medical tape, and, voilá Ah-ha! she will be breathing pure air.
Ooh, we can use this Velcro strap to fasten the tank to Ada.
I hope Happy got Ada to calm down.
She's gonna need her head clear to get through this.
Oh, I'm sure she's fine.
You know, people in dire straits often do better when distracted by conversation.
It's one of those examples where you shouldn't give someone their space.
Walter, where do you get this drivel? Who are these experts? You are not the only shrink in the world.
PAIGE: They're also bringing a Hazmat suit and an oxygen mask.
TOBY: No, not bringing, brought.
Mask can go in the autoclave, but its steam will degrade the suit, so we'll sterilize that in here, with ethylene oxide gas.
Less than six minutes till my bubble bursts, literally.
You're not dying.
You're gonna live.
Why start now? HAPPY: What do you mean? I mean, I've spent three years in this plastic prison.
Not living, just, you know, surviving.
Sometimes I wonder what's the point? Well, I'm glad you survived.
'Cause I got to meet you.
DAVID: Ada, get the mask and the comm out of the autoclave.
(air hisses) PAIGE: Is that suit enough to protect her? It's impermeable, it'll do the trick.
And the ethylene oxide will kill any bacteria.
I hope she'll be okay.
Things sterilized in this gas normally ventilate for 36 hours.
Less than five minutes until this thing bursts.
WALTER: Mr.
Pearce, start the exhaust.
I wanted to get her out of her bubble, but not this way.
DAVID: Ada, it's ready.
(air hisses) Ada, you need to go faster.
I'm scared.
It's gonna be okay, I promise.
Just get the suit on.
Oh, no, we were wrong about the five minutes.
The bubble's breaking.
Zip up that suit now.
(wire buzzing) TOBY: The wire's blocking the airlock! Debris is gonna fall on her any second.
Uh, I can't get out! I'm trapped! Okay, not for long.
WALTER: Come out, come out.
(wire continues crackling) It's okay, it's safe.
Come on, Ada.
(whimpers) DAVID: Come on, Ada.
Dad? Oh, sweetheart.
All right, hug's over.
Let's get going.
WALTER: Mr.
Pearce, Ada, your father's gonna go ahead with a car full of supplies, we'll meet him at the meat locker.
The what? (engine revs) I'm still pretty nervous about moving into a meat locker.
It's only temporary.
That's what they said about the bubble.
That word was attached to every crappy group home I was sent to.
It's a bad word.
You know, I kept thinking we'd find a donor.
Kept making plans.
I even bought a dress for winter formal.
My favorite color, purple.
What's your favorite color, Happy? Chrome.
Great answer.
Is it warm in here? No, it's pretty normal.
This suit's itchy.
Uh, Happy? Take a look at Ada's face for a second.
HAPPY: Oh, boy.
Boys, we got issues.
What kind of issues? Uh, not sure.
I just sent you a photo.
Holy hives, that's an allergic reaction if I've ever seen one.
She doesn't have any allergy to the materials in the mask or the suit, so what is she responding to? It's ethylene oxide.
We didn't have time to sufficiently ventilate it.
And with a reaction that strong, we don't have much time before she succumbs to anaphylaxis.
Happy, my throat's getting tight.
We have to get her out of that suit! If we get her out of that suit, she dies.
If we leave her in it, she dies faster! (wheezing) Ada, you have to calm down.
Toby, she's hyperventilating.
Happy, keep her calm or she's gonna inhale that ethylene oxide even faster.
Get her out of that suit or she's gonna go anaphylactic before you can get her to the restaurant.
That'd kill her, unless we get her into something sterile.
She has to be covered, encased and ensconced.
Sly, you're the germophobe.
What's sterile? Disinfectants, detergents TOBY: All right, both loaded with chemicals! She could have sensitivities to those, as well.
Urine.
Gross.
HAPPY: We are not submerging her in a tub of urine.
How would we even get that? I don't know.
Uh, honey? Honey's sterile? Yes, due to its high viscosity, hyperosmolarity, low pH, its natural ability to produce hydrogen peroxide, its antimicrobial and antibacterial properties.
Soldiers have used honey in battle when antibiotics ran low.
Great, but where would we find enough honey to submerge her? Cousin Buzzy's Honey Hut.
One of Ralph's field trips was there.
It's just down the street.
Kid, stay with us! A little more.
Yes, sir.
Much appreciated.
Cousin Buzzy's gonna have everything ready for when they get there.
Excellent.
Mr.
Pearce, if we can't use ethylene oxide, then how are we going to sterilize this meat locker? DAVID: I don't know.
I mean, we can't turn the whole thing into an autoclave.
The only other option is ozone gas, and I don't have any.
And I don't think we have time to get some.
There is a fourth way to sterilize: heat.
Now, hot enough temperatures can kill bacteria and germs.
One problem.
It's a freezer.
Let's light the room on fire.
The room's temperature strength and oxidation resistance make it near-fireproof.
Fire would sterilize the fridge.
We just need fuel we can control, for a precise amount of flame.
I know.
Cooking gel.
Every restaurant I waitressed in put those little metal cans under chaffing dishes for catering.
We'd fill 'em from big buckets.
Perfect.
Now, that kind of denatured and jellied alcohol burns at a cool 185 degrees.
That is hot enough to kill the bacteria, but not the fatal 1,100 degrees of a typical fire.
Why does-- well, why does temperature matter? To keep the room perfectly sterile for Ada, she needs to be in it while it burns.
COUSIN BUZZY: Just got the call from Agent Gallo.
I figured for what you need, you could just use this settling drum.
Perfect, but we need a piece of carpet, too.
- I'll see what I can scare up.
- Carpet? Well, once she takes off the suit, she'll be exposed to contaminants.
But if we create reactive charged particles-- an ionosphere, a force field-- then they'll repel the bacteria and the microbes around her.
Okay, you just stand here.
As soon as they start sanding, Paige and I will get you out.
Ada? You have to trust us or you'll die in the suit.
Okay, you'll have your oxygen tank on the side of this tub until we get you to the meat locker.
Keep your comm in your ear and I will talk you through this the whole way.
Paige, make sure you don't touch her skin, we can't transfer germs.
Okay, let's do this.
(sander whirring) Okay, get in.
Into the honey, honey.
(honey gurgles) (wheezing) Okay, we're set.
Let's go.
Sly, we cured the hives with hives, now it's your turn-o to start an inferno.
SYLVESTER: Affirmative! Nearly done in here.
(phone chimes) Final results are in.
Want me to check 'em, kid? We both know the results.
What we're doing now is much more important than some dumb election.
West Altadenia doesn't deserve you, kid.
HAPPY: I'm doing 92 in a 35! Shaving minutes off.
You'll be out of there soon enough, Ada! I understand why you're speeding, but we can't save her if we die.
You know why you're so worried? She's your friend and you are pushing so hard and being a pill with all of us 'cause you don't want to lose that friend.
She's just someone from a chat room.
You know, I-I've been trying to figure out why it's taken so long to get that guest list from you for the wedding.
It's 'cause you have no friends to invite outside of Scorpion.
That's ridiculous.
Well, you've spent your whole life convinced you are incapable of friendships with humans.
But you bonded with Ada.
Whether you like it or not, you have a real, normal (horn blaring) non-Scorpion friend.
And that friend has no immune system, and a vat of honey for a home and an oxygen tank with four minutes left on it.
And you don't want to lose her.
Huh? See? You realized what I said was right and that you The restaurant! (tires screech) (groans) (horn honks) SYLVESTER: Careful, careful.
You set up the filter? Yeah, I fixed Ada's HEPA filter a million times at home.
I just followed your specs.
It was easy.
Okay, she's ready.
Ada, I know you can't answer me, I just wanted to, uh wanted to tell you how proud I am of you.
You're the toughest kid I know.
(sighs) I love you, sweetheart.
Okay, Ada, I'm gonna take your oxygen now.
You need to stay in there for a full minute, long enough for the fire to burn out and for the room to fully sterilize.
Just visualize inspecting the engine.
Before you know it, it'll be time.
Okay, pal? Take a deep breath in.
(inhaling) Three, two one! Almost there.
The top of the honey is hardening.
WALTER: It's caramelizing in the fire.
HAPPY: Ada, the honey surface is just thickening a little bit.
We knew this was a possibility, but you'll be able to break through it.
Right now, I just want you to focus on the Knucklehead, run through each part of it through your mind.
Before you know it, this'll be over.
Happy's building up Ada's confidence and keeping her mind off her worries.
It's textbook âgood friendâ technique.
Geez, when this is over, I'm getting to the bottom of your latest insanity.
The fire's dying down.
As soon as it's out, David, turn on the HEPA filter and fill the room with oxygen on my go.
Go! (air hisses) HAPPY: Ada, ten seconds to fill the room with oxygen.
Then answer this question so we know you're all right: in an engine, what mechanism performs a conversion between reciprocating motion and rotational motion? Time! Ada, it's safe.
Get out now.
Come on.
Come on, Ada.
TOBY: Come on, Ada.
Come on.
(exhales) (Ada panting) Conversion between the reciprocating and rotational motion? The crankshaft.
Attagirl.
Oh! Oh, thank God.
Thank God.
(exhales) DAVID: Okay, Ada.
Okay, fresh clothes, air mattress, cell phone, books and a laptop.
All purified with an ozone sterilizer.
No ethylene oxide for you.
I'd say, uh you're set.
Appreciated.
And I reached out to the other Mecan-chicks from the chat site.
They all pitched in, called their friends in the area: mechanics, engineers, contractors.
Your bubble and home will be fully repaired in four days.
That's great.
Wonderful.
Look, I I wish I could do more.
More? More than save my life? Because of you, I got to hug my dad today.
I got to feel the sun on my face.
Don't thank me.
You were brave.
I was impressed.
(chuckles) I was just along for the ride.
You were impressive.
Well, anything for a friend.
I can stay.
No.
You need to go save the world.
And I've got books in here that won't read themselves.
(mechanical whirring) She hasn't moved in an hour.
Just waiting to see if Ada will log in.
WALTER: She's doing the right thing.
One cannot be a friend if one is not available to said friend.
All right, that's it.
Where do you learn this nonsense? It's not nonsense.
It's the Eight Smart Steps Certain to Make You the Perfect Pal.
Where'd you get that, some stupid magazine? Holy Cosmo, you're getting relationship advice from a supermarket checkout rag.
Keep it down, keep it down.
Paige and I have been getting on better since we decided to be caring friends to each other, but I was concerned that I would eventually do something to mess that up, so I did research to avoid that.
The New England Journal of Medicine is research.
You read a periodical with pictures of One Direction.
RALPH: Walter, I finished connecting the new circuitry you asked for.
It works great.
Wow, thank you.
Hey.
My chair's fixed.
WALTER: Oh, yeah.
It was just a broken insert-peg.
I replaced it with some scrap metal from Happy's workstation.
Thank you, Walter.
What a nice surprise.
I have another.
It's a virtual reality headset.
So when you're on with Tim, it will be a much more realistic experience.
The distance won't seem as far.
I-I appreciate it, but I don't think it'll help.
Tim took the promotion because we both realize it isn't gonna work out between us.
Oh.
Sorry.
I I'll give you some space.
Walter.
I know I know what you're doing.
Being a good listener, giving me space, being understanding.
Wait, did you hear us both talking? Because, just because I got I got it from a ladies magazine doesn't mean I'm not sincere.
I-I didn't, I didn't hear anything.
But I appreciate you trying.
And I-I do feel like you're being sincere.
Well, um sincerely, I am sorry that you're sad about Tim.
(door closes) TOBY: Hey, what were you guys doing out back on the phone? We called the vet I shook-wiped earlier to apologize.
He took no offense; he doesn't like sweaty palms either.
CABE: That's not all he said.
He told us how he used to go to the Warlock's Chest storefront when it was a grocery.
Turns out the building is 90 years old.
Old enough to fall under the auspices of the Historic Zoning Commission, so I am filing papers to prevent its destruction.
We may have lost the war, but Sly won the battle.
Speaking of elections (door closes) How's Sly doing? I feel just awful about the veteran thing.
He has perspective.
But your boss is a real S.
O.
B.
I know.
I can't believe he made me put that online.
You put that online? I didn't want to.
He made me.
I I need my job, Cabe.
I know.
I get it, but But what? All these kids, they're my kids.
And they may be brilliant, but they learn from me, too.
And I can't get them to understand a concept like loyalty if I'm spending time with someone who went after one of the team.
Even if I did it unwillingly? I like you, Allie.
But I can't pretend you didn't do what you did.
So now we're done? I think so.
It's because you're this kind of guy that I was attracted to you in the first place.
I understand.
I'm gonna miss you.
(exhales) Good-bye, Cabe.
(sniffles) (door closes) You didn't have to do that.
Course I did.
She was a heck of a girl, though.
Sheesh.
The days normally end on a much higher note around here.
Yeah, well, I got a kid who's sitting alone in a meat freezer, and Cabe and Paige have broken hearts, so what would you prescribe, Doc? Oh! Ralphy-boy.
Find the disco ball! (disco music playing) Spiked punch.
Just like a real prom.
Like you'd know.
Don't drink the punch, Ralph.
You ready? Yeah.
Uh, my dad just gave me the VR headset, totally purified.
Thank you for doing this.
Toby, she's ready.
Get it in gear.
Uno momento.
Can I talk to Ada for a moment? - Yeah.
- Ada? Um, I've been brain-storming preliminary code and I believe that I can create an algorithm to compress worldwide genetic data in such a manner that even if there is only one bone marrow match out there for you, I will find it.
Now, it might take four months or five months, or maybe even double that or even triple that, but it will not take forever.
Thank you.
(very quietly): Thank you.
Hey.
You still there? Yep.
Good, 'cause there's one more clown that wants to talk to you.
Put your headset on.
Yeah, beat the clock Beat the clock ADA: Whoa, guys.
Th-This is incredible! (music stops) Might I have the honor of this dance? Anything for a fellow germophobe.
There she goes An angel in my eyes (chuckles) There she goes I love her passing by (laughs) I love her For she is my dream She is my dream You know, we're doing all this for a girl who'd give anything to go to the beach.
You can't live in a genius bubble forever, Ralph.
I know.
I'll go on the class trip.
Good boy.
Now save the next dance for me, huh? I think I'll go home My future just passed me by There she goes Leave it to me to make the one friend I can't invite to my wedding.
You really think that you can get her out of that bubble one day? I do.
I'll have to defeat human nature, and genetics are the basis for human nature, so human nature's hard to change.
You made great progress with that today.
You seem to be trying, too.
Still, it's a billion to one shot.
The fact that you, me, Toby, Sly are functioning in society, helping people, we're living a billion to one shot.
I think I'll go home Ada's gonna be just fine.
My future just passed me by There she goes An angel in my eyes There she goes I love her passing by All right, ready for the razzle-dazzle? Okay! All right.
You know what-- I'm done.
Someone else's turn! She is my dream.
Shh! Don't break the fantasy.