Murdoch Mysteries (2008–…): Season 16, Episode 14 - Murdoch at the End of the World - full transcript
It's absurd that you should
have to go to work at this hour.
Well, it's just until
Halley's Comet is set.
It brings out the crazy
in people, you know?
Unhand me, Constable!
I will not be treated as a thief.
I didn't take anything of value.
Uh, what's going on here?
I confiscated some
pills from a charlatan
who claimed they'd provide
protection against the cyanogen
from the comet's tail.
Well, we pass through the
comet's tail tomorrow night.
Yes, but the... the gas will be
way too diffuse to have any effect.
He was just preying on weak minds.
I'll take care of this, Constable.
So, this offended you as a citizen?
It offended me as a
rational human being.
Well, I appreciate
your rationality, sir.
I'll let you off with it this time,
but no more confiscating pills.
People just need to see that
Halley's Comet is this big snowball
that's circling around the sun
and this is our
once-in-a-lifetime privilege
to be able to see it.
Well, it is going to
be a wonderful sight.
You seem to know a lot about it.
Space is an interest of
mine. I'm a scientist.
Oh! So's my father. What field?
Uh, engineering, mostly.
But I'm also a rocket man.
A rocket man?
Yeah, low Earth orbit, mostly.
Circling the Earth every 92 minutes.
It's lonely out in space.
What did I tell you?
People are going mad already.
So long, world.
So long! We're all going to die!
It's lovely, isn't it?
It is.
- I just wish people weren't so...
- Stupid?
Well, that's one word.
Look, I have to check out a break-in
that was reported earlier on Tate St.
Suppose I'll see you at home.
You will.
Mm.
Goodnight, Constable.
- It's the end of the world!
- Sir, wait, let go of me!
- You have to believe me!
- Sir.
It's the end.
- Sir.
- The end.
Just rushed up and grabbed me, sir!
Nearly scared me to death.
He was going on about
the end of the world.
I just assumed it was another
chap gone loony from the comet.
Any witnesses?
Not to his stabbing, sir,
but somebody remembered
seeing him near King and Sumach.
Appears to have been
stabbed at least four times.
Sir, have a look at his knees.
Yes, he was definitely
kneeling in something.
Humber Station to Don Station, 8:15 PM.
Humber Station is just north
of Bolton on the CP line.
So, if he left at 8:15...
He'd have arrived at Don
Station shortly after nine.
And he was killed when?
Roughly 11:30.
So he knocked around
for a couple of hours.
Perhaps he's from
here. Do we have a name?
No name. No witnesses. No motive.
I've asked Henry to pass his
photograph around the area.
If you ask me, it's
all this comet madness.
The whole city's gone crackers.
Thank God it only happens
once every 76 years.
Sirs, look at this.
- What is it, George?
- Well, it's not pertaining to the case directly, sir.
"Mr. Crabtree, your skills as a creative
and original thinker
make you an ideal asset
for a project of great importance
for the future of humanity."
Huh.
"Please attend our presentation.
Convene outside the
Elmwood Arms Hotel at noon."
- Today?
- Not bloody likely.
But, sir, it's regarding the, uh, uh...
future of humanity.
An original thinker?
That's a kind way of putting it.
- You don't know who sent this?
- No, sir.
Well, George, we do
have a case to solve.
- Well, I know, but...
- Good morning, all.
Look, William. This came in the mail.
- Oh, that's just like mine!
- Oh! So it is.
Ha! Curious.
"Dr. Ogden, your skills
in the fields of medicine
and psychology make you an ideal asset
for a project of great importance
for the future of humanity."
They want us to convene at noon.
You're going, then?
Of course we are! We wouldn't
want the future of humanity
to be imperiled by our absence.
My thought exactly, Doctor.
Oh! Look at the time. We should run.
Thank you, sir.
Bloody hell, Murdoch.
You're a soft touch.
Well, I...
Well, this is quite the gathering.
I recognize a few people.
As do I. From the university, mostly.
- George Crabtree!
- Miss Struthers!
Are you also considered indispensable
to the future of humanity?
I'm needed for my innovative
approach to applied mathematics.
Ah! Indeed. Ah, Dr. Ogden,
this is Melody Struthers.
Do you know what this is all about?
Not the foggiest.
And if anyone else
does, they're not saying.
Ladies and gentlemen.
- Thank you for coming.
- Oh my goodness.
Do you know this chap?
That's Mason Bartman,
the philanthropist.
What's all this, then?
The victim had been kneeling
in some kind of solution.
If I can determine what it
is, it could inform our search.
Hence the apparatus.
The a...
Apparatus! Yes.
Yes. Ah, pure water is
conductive, but salt water...
Is more so.
Bloody hell, look at that.
So, if you knew it was
salt, why not just taste it?
Because.
Could have been arsenic.
Genius.
So, he was kneeling in salt?
Brine, I suspect. Fairly
concentrated at that.
Where would that happen?
A salt lick. He was a farmer.
Or meat packing? Lots of salt there.
Most use refrigeration nowadays.
Salt mine.
There's an old brine
well up near Bolton.
Margaret's brother-in-law
used to work there.
Bolton?
Bolton.
There it is.
Less than a mile from Humber station.
That can't be a coincidence.
Probably not.
If we hurry we can make the 12:45.
It looks to be abandoned.
Hm. Doesn't seem operational.
But there were loads of fresh
carriage tracks at the gate.
Oh...
What's this then?
Not as derelict as we assumed.
Looks like an elevator.
But there's no buttons.
There's a ladder here.
How far, do you think?
I can't see the bottom.
If it reaches the saline stratum,
could be several hundred feet.
You go ahead. I'll stay up here.
After you.
- Oh.
- Crikey.
- Names, please.
- Oh, uh, this is Detective Murdoch
and I'm Inspector Brackenreid
of the Toronto Constabulary.
Neither of you is an invitee.
We're here on police business.
You're out of your jurisdiction.
I must ask you to leave.
What are you two doing here?
Oh! I could ask the same.
Uh, sir, we're still
not quite sure, but look:
we've been given these
lovely pocket watches.
Ooh! I'll have one of those.
- Ah, ah, ah, ah.
- Oi.
Perhaps I haven't made myself clear.
We're on a murder investigation.
- Now unless...
- Shush.
The presentation's about to begin.
Hm.
Ladies and gentlemen,
ladies and gentlemen.
Thank you for coming
and welcome to the end of the world.
For 76 years, we knew
this fellow was coming.
We didn't know exactly when or where.
The complexities of orbital mechanics
make such predictions impossible.
But among them was a low probability
that Halley's Comet
would collide with Earth.
It's happened before, more
times than we can count.
The meteor that made this
was 150 feet in diameter.
The resulting crater
was 40 times that size.
Now imagine if Earth
was struck by an object
10 million times as massive.
That's Halley's Comet.
A collision of that magnitude
would destroy every remnant
of human civilization.
I wish I could say that this
was the greatest danger we face.
But with each technology comes
new and more terrible weapons.
We know too much of the
folly of human nature
to believe that we wouldn't
use them against each other
in an orgy of self-annihilation.
So, what are we to do?
While the threats we
face are existential,
their probability is unknowable.
But as I say,
it's happened before.
Laugh if you must, but this
is what I'm proposing, folks.
A repository of our
accumulated human knowledge
and those humans best
suited to its continuation.
Thanks to our benefactor, Mason Bartman.
And the tireless efforts of the team
tasked with its design and construction,
we have made such an ark here,
in the cavity left by
this old brine well.
Each of you has been chosen
for your skills and expertise
in not just maintaining
the human species,
but of society itself
and accumulated knowledge.
These are more than just party gifts.
In the event of a sudden
catastrophe, an alarm will sound.
Upon hearing this,
you are to return to this facility
with your immediate family.
You will likely never get the call,
but if you do,
the future of mankind
depends on your heeding it.
Thank you.
I'm not sure I want the
responsibility of saving humanity.
I suspect you won't be required
to heed the call anytime soon.
I suppose some of us
are not good enough?
Well, Inspector, I'd invite you,
but you heard what he
SAID: immediate family only.
Mm.
Thank you so much for coming.
- I really appreciate...
- Ah, James! Quite the presentation.
George, Julia. Thank
you so much for coming.
Murdoch and I are just here
on business, apparently.
I'm afraid to ask.
You happen to know this man?
Dear God. That's Kenvyn.
Kenvyn?
Wiley. He worked for me.
He was found stabbed to
death last night in Corktown.
- Corktown.
- Does this surprise you?
Well, I thought he was here last night.
I didn't know that he'd left.
Vagle, what time did Kenvyn sign out?
He didn't. I noted his
absence as I was closing up.
- What time was that?
- Shortly before midnight.
When did you last see him?
Well, at supper. He was dining
with Mr. Pendrick and Bartman.
That's right. About 7:00.
Did you notice anything
unusual in his demeanour?
It was the night before the
launch. I doubt I'd notice.
Thank you.
He had been kneeling in brine.
Where could this have happened?
Above us is 600 feet
of shale and limestone
but flowing over that
is the Humber River.
Water gets in. It's
rare, but it happens.
Is it important?
I don't know yet.
Well, my team is at your disposal.
How can we help you, Detective?
Now that our victim has a name,
I suppose I'd like to
know more about him.
Well, all my personnel files
are kept in the library.
Come with me.
Mr. Pendrick, um, why a brine well?
Well, no excavation was necessary.
We simply moved into an existing space
and salt is an excellent
medium for long-term storage.
And being 600 feet deep,
we're insulated from the
effects of any calamity
that may occur on the surface.
This is your library?
To save space, all documents
are filmed and then projected.
These cabinets contain all
current scientific publications,
plus an assortment of the
great works of literature.
I'm afraid your respective
works have not been included
in spite of their obvious merit.
In your case, a crime-solving manual
would be unnecessary in
a society without crime.
- Wh...
- Is that why William wasn't invited?
Indeed. Although a moot point,
given that he would be included
as a member of your family.
- Ah.
- Where does that leave me?
I'm sorry, Tom, but, um,
friendship alone cannot
be a determining factor.
But Crabtree makes the cut?
Well, George Crabtree sees
things that others don't.
He thinks outside the, um...
Realm of sanity?
Outside the box.
The bloody box? What box?
The box that holds the
way everybody else thinks.
Exactly. Well put.
Sir, I just felt a drop.
Oh, yes. Look at this.
Is this where he kneeled, then?
I believe so.
And if it was,
then it was likely...
How do you know what he was looking for?
Well, this one is out of place.
"Modern Technology
Quarterly, Spring 1906."
Allow me.
Seems the entire issue is dedicated
to the mechanized dispersal
of liquid aerosols.
Ooh. It's a page-turner.
So why was Wiley looking at it?
I have no idea. Excuse me, gentlemen.
Huh.
Kenvyn had a master's degree in biology.
He lived in Parkdale.
His ticket was for the Don Station.
He likely wasn't going home, then.
Oh! He was studying
under Dr. Henry Sandford.
Someone you know?
Well, I did know him.
He died a few years ago.
- He was working on a plague vaccine.
- Sandford.
I've heard it's back.
In India. Maybe China?
An Ernestine Sandford
reported a break-in at her father's lab
at 43 Tate St.
- When was this?
- 9:35 last night, sir.
Maybe that's what Wiley
was doing in Corktown.
I was fetching coal from the bin
when I heard someone
rummaging back here.
They must have entered
through the window.
Did you get a look at him?
I didn't see him at all.
I went back into the house
and telephoned the police.
When I returned, I found the tarp
has been pulled off my father's desk.
His journal was opened
and this box was here.
This appears to be a lab journal.
This looks like it's been in a fire.
Why would someone be looking at these?
No idea. I didn't
follow my father's work.
Your father was researching
the bubonic plague?
Pneumonic, actually.
Is there a difference?
Uh, bubonic is spread by fleas.
Pneumonic is transmissible
between humans
and, in this case, rats.
Oh, my goodness.
What is it?
There was an accidental outbreak.
Rats in separate cages became infected.
Aerosol transmission?
That's unusual for the plague.
Perhaps it was a new strain?
The speed of infection
suggests a transmissibility
equal to or greater than the measles.
My goodness.
You can get the measles from
someone across the street.
He's left instructions that
these vials be burned in a kiln.
Why not do that himself?
Perhaps he realized
that he was infected.
That must be it.
He never told me.
I found the body and he left
instructions to be cremated.
He took his own life?
I never knew why until now.
He's highlighted a
sequence of numbers here.
What are they?
GA-1731
through to GA-1738.
Those are the vials he's
instructed to be incinerated.
These have been incinerated,
but the numbers don't match.
Perhaps the wrong batch was incinerated?
So what happened to the
vials containing the plague?
Is that why Mr. Wiley
was looking at schematics
for aerosol dispersal mechanisms?
William, the pneumonic form
of the plague is 99% fatal.
It seems someone has created
a way of releasing a plague
that would wipe out humanity.
Perhaps it is the end of the world.
Here, look at this.
This is what he was looking at?
Or one just like it.
The entire issue is dedicated
to pressurized liquid
dispersal mechanisms.
For what purpose?
- Artificial pollination.
- Fragrance.
- Paint.
- Paint?
The point is one of these could be used
for the rapid dispersal
of an aerosolized plague.
So what you're saying is that
there's some nutcase out there
hellbent on wiping out humanity.
I honestly don't know
what is happening, sir,
only that we've discovered what
Mr. Wiley himself was seeking.
So was Wiley killed by
someone trying to stop him
from releasing the plague?
I would think it was
the other way around:
that he was trying to stop his
killer from releasing the plague.
How's that?
Well, here he's been
stabbed several times
and instead of finding himself help,
he comes to me to tell me
that it's the end of the world.
You think he was trying to warn you.
Given the potential peril,
we should assume the threat remains.
If the intent is to release a plague,
wouldn't it also come
with a plan to survive it?
The Ark.
Is Pendrick behind this?
Impossible.
Kenvyn Wiley worked with Dr. Sandford.
He also worked on the ark.
I'm not denying the
coincidence of it, Murdoch.
Or the logic. I simply find
it beyond contemplation.
Who knew of the ark project?
Couple of hundred people.
It wasn't a well-kept secret.
Which of the invitees knew?
I have no idea.
None were told before the launch,
but word gets around.
Who originally conceived of the ark?
- I did, I suppose.
- When?
Three years ago or thereabouts.
Could you be more specific?
If necessary. Why?
Because we're bloody asking, James!
The outbreak in Dr.
Sandford's laboratory
occurred in June 1907.
What we would like to know
is if the idea of the ark
arose subsequent to that.
The discussion was first
broached on the Pendrick Parlour
early in the fall semester.
Someone posted a calculation
of the probability
of Halley's Comet colliding with Earth.
It stirred a vigorous discussion
in which I was an active participant.
Oh, dear God, Murdoch.
Was I manipulated? Have I been duped?
Who else took part in this discussion?
Mason Bartman is the
only one I knew by name.
Most people preferred pseudonyms.
Is there any record
of these discussions?
Yes. The Parlour is closed,
but most of the exchanges
in the public forum
have been archived.
I'll have a portal
delivered immediately.
Sirs.
What have you, George?
I've been going through
Dr. Sandford's research;
a familiar name came up.
Well, spit it out, Crabtree.
All this plague research
was funded by Mason Bartman.
I'm a philanthropist, Detective.
I give to dozens of charities.
Why plague research?
Is that a serious question?
Bubonic plague has devastated
the poor countries of Asia.
And, if I'm being serious, I was
fearful of the outbreak reaching Canada.
Is that why you funded the ark project?
It's one of the reasons.
Whose idea was it to build this ark?
For all I know, it was mine.
I'm a fearful man, Detective.
I fear for my family. I fear
for myself. I fear for...
We fly through the comet's tail tonight.
Scientists predicted that
cyanogen would poison us all.
Apparently that won't happen.
Perhaps,
but I'll be spending tonight in the ark
with my family, just in case.
Sir, I think I've found something.
Thank you for your time, Mr. Bartman.
- Yes, sir.
- Good day.
I've been through the Pendrick archives.
Did you find any relevant discussions?
I did and then I went further
back and I found an exchange
you'll definitely be interested
in between two people:
"Cat Lady" and "LMN 899." LMN writes:
"Population growth is
an exponential function.
Humanity may be the
pinnacle of evolution,
but it is a cancer
on the natural world."
Cat Lady responds: "Well,
perhaps a cull is in order.
What percentage do we eliminate?"
"I say we go back to day one."
Cat Lady: "Make it day two.
We'll need an Adam and an Eve."
"H-a, h-a, h-a."
What is a...
"We'll need an Ark, too, if
we want to ride out the storm."
What date was this exchange?
Sir, August 12, 1907.
So about a month before the
purported ark discussions.
Cat Lady then writes:
"Well, Adam, it's a big
job we have ahead of us.
How do you propose we go about
killing everybody but us?"
And here's the clincher, sir.
He writes, "Well, Eve.
Pneumonic plague is 99% deadly.
I'll take care of that.
You start building the ark."
Oh, we need to find those two.
Sir, I have no idea
who LMN 899 could be,
but I used to work with a woman
whose Parlour name was Cat Lady.
Your pseudonym is Cat Lady?
Yes.
I like cats.
Oh my God.
- I remember this.
- Mm.
You're discussing using pneumonic plague
- to wipe out humanity.
- Yes.
But we weren't serious.
You can't think this
represents an actual plan.
It was a flirtation.
With a perfect stranger. It was...
fun to be so wicked.
For God's sakes!
We're talking about the death
of almost two billion people.
You can't think...
I know nothing about plague science.
But you knew about Mr.
Pendrick's ark project.
Yes. But I didn't know I'd be included.
Who is LMN 899?
I don't know.
That's the truth.
LMN eight double nine.
Could it be a telephone number?
- Or a name?
- What kind of name's that?
Well, initials, sir.
First, middle and last.
Uh, uh, Lucy Maude...
Nontgomery.
And the numbers? 899?
A birth year? Month?
September '89.
If that is it, well the
bugger should be easy to find.
Well, get cracking, Crabtree!
Just a moment.
George, say it again once, quickly.
LMN 899.
Try it now.
LMN 8, 99.
Eliminate 99. As in percent.
That's it. It's got to be.
Eliminate is our man.
Yes, almost definitely, but
he'll be difficult to find.
Eliminate 99 was likely an
invitee to the Pendrick ark.
That should narrow the range.
Look into everything
Eliminate has ever written
on the Pendrick Parlour.
I can help.
August 10, 1907. Is
this his first message?
Read it.
The problem's mathematical.
All population growth is exponential.
It will double per unit time
until it encounters a constraint.
In the case of bacteria
that constraint is often
the death of its host.
And I write back,
"That's kind of like us.
Body is to bacteria as Earth is to us.
It's scale symmetry."
Scale symmetry?
Yes! I was trying to impress
him with my cleverness.
Effie!
I'm sorry. I should have called.
There's been a change of plans?
You could say that.
Constable!
Constable!
You must do something about this!
See the comet through a telescope.
59 Cornwall Street. What's
the problem with that?
It's my telescope.
My address!
This is fascinating.
Is this a reference to
the doubling penny wager?
- Yes.
- The what?
It's an idea meant to convey the
concept of exponential growth.
Would you rather have a million dollars,
or a penny which doubles
every day for a month?
A million dollars.
- Surely that's...
- The same.
But a doubling penny would take...
It takes a week to reach a dollar.
Another week takes
you to a hundred bucks.
Times a hundred each week.
So the third week would
go from a hundred to...
10,000. And the fourth...
A million.
10 more days and you've got a billion.
How much longer to reach two billion?
One more day.
Thanks to modern
medicine and agriculture
we're doubling every 50 years.
In a hundred years, we could
have seven billion people.
Seven billion! That's
hardly sustainable.
W-we'd starve to death first.
There's your constraint.
Want to make the world livable
for another 10,000 years?
Go back a few weeks.
It's logical.
Completely barmy, but logical.
All right, listen up.
You're all on private property
and need to disband immediately!
Oi!
Whoever's still here in 30 seconds
will be wearing these tonight.
If you'd like to live your
final moments in a cell,
I'd be happy to oblige.
What on Earth is that?
Yes. This is definitely one.
There's a triggering device
set to release it at midnight.
Right after the comet is due to set.
The two chambers allow for the
rapid compression of contents
before it's released as a fine aerosol.
The droplet size is 20 microns.
Just one droplet inhaled
could start a pandemic.
Mm-hmm.
So the vial itself
isn't pressurized then?
Mm-hmm.
William.
Please be careful!
GA-1735.
This is one of them.
We need to get it
into a kiln right away!
There's one at the university.
Henry, notify every station house.
Each constable in this city
needs to be on the lookout for these.
There are seven remaining.
They all need to be
found before midnight.
- Hurry!
- Sir.
- The plague must have been released.
- We should hurry.
Someone at the ark was alerted.
Give us a moment, James.
'Course.
I can't go.
I'm not leaving without you.
Julia, you have to.
For Susannah's sake, you have to.
It's all right.
Who triggered the alarm?
I did.
I thought a plague had been released.
And how did you find out?
Mason Bartman arrived with information
I should have received from you.
You overstepped your authority.
I had no knowledge of your whereabouts.
As head of logistics, it was
left to me to make the decision.
It was a rash decision.
The plague has not been released
and we've identified the culprit.
Well, who is it?
He goes by "Eliminate 99."
That's not a name.
We've already discovered
one dispersal device
and the entire constabulary
has been alerted.
I'm confident we'll find the others.
Hm. Indeed.
And how confident are you?
More confident than I
am in you at the moment.
Very well.
If that is your evaluation,
then consider this my resignation.
Oh for God sakes! Ian!
Ian, I misspoke.
It's 10:30.
We have an hour and a half.
Let's not waste it.
Sir?
Somebody rented out a cargo hold.
Of a ship?
Claimed it would be
protected from the cyanogen.
And was there a disperser on board?
They found it in the air intake.
Good Lord.
And the vial?
Ah, taken to the university
as per instruction.
Very good. Which serial number?
Ah...
GA-1737.
Very good, Henry. Um...
- Get back out there.
- Sir.
37...
* It's the end of the world *
- * Lord Lord Lord *
- You check that direction.
- I'll head over here.
- * It's the end of the world dear Lord *
* Well it's the end of the world *
* Lord Lord Lord *
* It's the end of the world dear Lord *
* There's a comet in the sky *
* Coming down on us *
* Raining down a poison from above *
* We done wrecked this old world *
* So we got to pay the price *
* Of fire and death from above *
- * All righty, now *
- * Lord help us *
* Help us indeed *
* It's a-comin *
* No stopping it *
* Help us, now *
* Ooh Lordy! *
* Any day now it's a-comin' *
* All right coming round *
* Raining hellfire *
* Won't you sing along *
* Well it's the end of the world *
* Lord Lord Lord *
* It's the end of the world dear Lord *
* There's a comet in the
sky coming down on us *
* Raining fire and poison from above *
* Let me tell you all about it *
* We done wrecked this old world *
* So we got to pay the price *
* So the fire and death from above *
- * Yes indeed *
- * Well it's the end of the world *
* Lord Lord Lord *
* It's the end of the world dear Lord *
- * Say it again *
- * It's the end of the world Dear Lord *
I don't believe it.
George, you have to see this!
Adam Ivy. Password, Tesla.
It's Pendrick.
- Eliminate 99 is Pendrick!
- What?
I think we should
start at the beginning.
Yes, please.
Eliminate 99's first
chat was August 7th,
but I remember chats from before,
so I conducted a search
for specific words he used.
Clever idea.
And we found this name.
Before he was Eliminate
99, he was Adam Ivy.
- Isn't that a plant?
- Yes.
And Mr. Pendrick had one in his office.
- And that's why you think...
- Shh!
So I checked and every one of his posts
came from inside Pendrick
headquarters, executive suite.
Still.
So I was able to reverse
engineer the passcode.
And it was Tesla. So?
Tesla was the name of
Pendrick's dog at the time.
Coincidence?
Yes, it has to be.
What was your passcode?
Violet.
Who's Violet?
She was my dog.
But this is Pendrick
we're talking about.
I mean, he... he's trying to
save humanity, not destroy it.
Unless this is his
way of saving humanity.
This is testable. What
was Pendrick's passcode?
_
- My God. It can't be.
- _
What is this?
Where was it?
The Academy Theatre, sir.
Take a look at this.
It seems every disperser we've found
had some connection to Halley's Comet.
I suppose that's where the crowds are.
He's a little too
clever for his own good.
Right, then.
So, we're only looking for
things related to the comet.
- That's right.
- Sirs, I've got some names.
Both the cargo hold and the observatory
were rented by Mr. L. M. Nate
and Hugh Manetti.
Well, let's look 'em
up and bring them in.
You won't find them.
If you say both names quickly you get,
"Eliminate humanity."
I really want to get this bugger.
I don't know what to say.
I'm astonished you'd think
me capable of such a crime,
let alone carrying it out.
So you're not Adam Ivy.
No.
His posts came from the executive portal
using your passcode.
If not you, then who?
Anybody on the executive
floor had access.
Well, the critical
point is that he worked
for Pendrick Enterprises
on or before July 1907.
So who's here now that
worked for you then?
There would be several.
Mr. Vagle.
Can't be him. He just
left in high dudgeon.
Ian Vagle.
Initials I.V.
Right. But then Adam?
We should check his personnel file.
Right.
_
My God! It is him.
And he earned his biology
degree the same year as Wiley.
It was Vagle who convinced
me to invite you to the ark.
I always thought he fancied me.
But he just left.
Well, maybe he knew we'd be on to him.
No signal. He's cut the lines.
We'll make the call from Humber Station.
The elevator's not working.
He's shut us in!
Well, there's this ladder.
It's 600 feet straight up!
- I'm claustrophobic. I can't do it.
- I can.
- Excellent.
- I'll go with you.
Seven out of eight.
Only one more to go.
It may as well be a
hundred if we don't find it.
So what now?
We've checked every comet-related event.
We expand our search.
Ah, if only we knew who was behind this.
Have you talked to Pendrick?
I've tried calling but
I can't get through.
If they'd found something,
they would've told us.
- Are you okay?
- Um,
- I'm all right. I'll be right there.
- Okay.
Thank you.
That was station house five.
They've sent constables
down every street
looking for gatherings. Nothing.
I've heard the same from
station houses one and three.
Look, Murdoch, the last
train to Humber Station
leaves in 15 minutes.
Save yourself.
I'm not going anywhere, sir.
We just got a telegram
from Humber Station.
It's a message from George.
Culprit Ian Vagle. Stop.
Bought ticket to Parkdale at 10:17.
Address 1201 Queen Street West.
Do you think he's been here already?
Sir, look.
Clock's about to strike midnight.
The vial's been removed.
Sirs, the landlady saw Vagle
leave about a half an hour ago.
Oh! Look at that.
We pass through the tail tonight.
With a bit of luck, that'll kill
us before the plague gets us.
Look, it's George.
We got the first train we could.
Vagle was gone when we arrived.
He took the plague vial with him.
I think I know where he's gone.
The roof of Pendrick Enterprises.
We used to have lunch there.
It's his favourite place.
Murdoch, you take Miss
Struthers and check it out.
We'll get copies of his photos
out to all the other
station houses. Come on.
Hold it right there, Mr. Vagle.
Ian! Don't.
What are you doing
here? I locked you in!
You shouldn't be here!
Hand me that vial and
we can all walk away.
You don't understand.
We're a cancer.
We'll destroy the planet
and then ourselves.
- It's inevitable!
- It's not!
Look at me.
No children. Maybe that's our future.
If you release the
contents of that vial,
then it's all over.
For everyone.
I can still be Eve to your Adam.
We can go live on an island.
You know it's too late for that.
Stand back.
I don't want to die.
Not like this.
- No!
- Ian, no!
No! Get back, get back.
So that's it then? The world is safe?
For now.
Unless he was right.
Right?
Maybe we're the ones
destroying the planet?
Well, it's our planet, isn't it?
Besides that's for future
generations to worry about.
Oh, my goodness.
It's beautiful.
Look at that, Susannah.
That's Halley's Comet.
The next time you see that
you'll be an old woman.
And the world will be
a very different place.
have to go to work at this hour.
Well, it's just until
Halley's Comet is set.
It brings out the crazy
in people, you know?
Unhand me, Constable!
I will not be treated as a thief.
I didn't take anything of value.
Uh, what's going on here?
I confiscated some
pills from a charlatan
who claimed they'd provide
protection against the cyanogen
from the comet's tail.
Well, we pass through the
comet's tail tomorrow night.
Yes, but the... the gas will be
way too diffuse to have any effect.
He was just preying on weak minds.
I'll take care of this, Constable.
So, this offended you as a citizen?
It offended me as a
rational human being.
Well, I appreciate
your rationality, sir.
I'll let you off with it this time,
but no more confiscating pills.
People just need to see that
Halley's Comet is this big snowball
that's circling around the sun
and this is our
once-in-a-lifetime privilege
to be able to see it.
Well, it is going to
be a wonderful sight.
You seem to know a lot about it.
Space is an interest of
mine. I'm a scientist.
Oh! So's my father. What field?
Uh, engineering, mostly.
But I'm also a rocket man.
A rocket man?
Yeah, low Earth orbit, mostly.
Circling the Earth every 92 minutes.
It's lonely out in space.
What did I tell you?
People are going mad already.
So long, world.
So long! We're all going to die!
It's lovely, isn't it?
It is.
- I just wish people weren't so...
- Stupid?
Well, that's one word.
Look, I have to check out a break-in
that was reported earlier on Tate St.
Suppose I'll see you at home.
You will.
Mm.
Goodnight, Constable.
- It's the end of the world!
- Sir, wait, let go of me!
- You have to believe me!
- Sir.
It's the end.
- Sir.
- The end.
Just rushed up and grabbed me, sir!
Nearly scared me to death.
He was going on about
the end of the world.
I just assumed it was another
chap gone loony from the comet.
Any witnesses?
Not to his stabbing, sir,
but somebody remembered
seeing him near King and Sumach.
Appears to have been
stabbed at least four times.
Sir, have a look at his knees.
Yes, he was definitely
kneeling in something.
Humber Station to Don Station, 8:15 PM.
Humber Station is just north
of Bolton on the CP line.
So, if he left at 8:15...
He'd have arrived at Don
Station shortly after nine.
And he was killed when?
Roughly 11:30.
So he knocked around
for a couple of hours.
Perhaps he's from
here. Do we have a name?
No name. No witnesses. No motive.
I've asked Henry to pass his
photograph around the area.
If you ask me, it's
all this comet madness.
The whole city's gone crackers.
Thank God it only happens
once every 76 years.
Sirs, look at this.
- What is it, George?
- Well, it's not pertaining to the case directly, sir.
"Mr. Crabtree, your skills as a creative
and original thinker
make you an ideal asset
for a project of great importance
for the future of humanity."
Huh.
"Please attend our presentation.
Convene outside the
Elmwood Arms Hotel at noon."
- Today?
- Not bloody likely.
But, sir, it's regarding the, uh, uh...
future of humanity.
An original thinker?
That's a kind way of putting it.
- You don't know who sent this?
- No, sir.
Well, George, we do
have a case to solve.
- Well, I know, but...
- Good morning, all.
Look, William. This came in the mail.
- Oh, that's just like mine!
- Oh! So it is.
Ha! Curious.
"Dr. Ogden, your skills
in the fields of medicine
and psychology make you an ideal asset
for a project of great importance
for the future of humanity."
They want us to convene at noon.
You're going, then?
Of course we are! We wouldn't
want the future of humanity
to be imperiled by our absence.
My thought exactly, Doctor.
Oh! Look at the time. We should run.
Thank you, sir.
Bloody hell, Murdoch.
You're a soft touch.
Well, I...
Well, this is quite the gathering.
I recognize a few people.
As do I. From the university, mostly.
- George Crabtree!
- Miss Struthers!
Are you also considered indispensable
to the future of humanity?
I'm needed for my innovative
approach to applied mathematics.
Ah! Indeed. Ah, Dr. Ogden,
this is Melody Struthers.
Do you know what this is all about?
Not the foggiest.
And if anyone else
does, they're not saying.
Ladies and gentlemen.
- Thank you for coming.
- Oh my goodness.
Do you know this chap?
That's Mason Bartman,
the philanthropist.
What's all this, then?
The victim had been kneeling
in some kind of solution.
If I can determine what it
is, it could inform our search.
Hence the apparatus.
The a...
Apparatus! Yes.
Yes. Ah, pure water is
conductive, but salt water...
Is more so.
Bloody hell, look at that.
So, if you knew it was
salt, why not just taste it?
Because.
Could have been arsenic.
Genius.
So, he was kneeling in salt?
Brine, I suspect. Fairly
concentrated at that.
Where would that happen?
A salt lick. He was a farmer.
Or meat packing? Lots of salt there.
Most use refrigeration nowadays.
Salt mine.
There's an old brine
well up near Bolton.
Margaret's brother-in-law
used to work there.
Bolton?
Bolton.
There it is.
Less than a mile from Humber station.
That can't be a coincidence.
Probably not.
If we hurry we can make the 12:45.
It looks to be abandoned.
Hm. Doesn't seem operational.
But there were loads of fresh
carriage tracks at the gate.
Oh...
What's this then?
Not as derelict as we assumed.
Looks like an elevator.
But there's no buttons.
There's a ladder here.
How far, do you think?
I can't see the bottom.
If it reaches the saline stratum,
could be several hundred feet.
You go ahead. I'll stay up here.
After you.
- Oh.
- Crikey.
- Names, please.
- Oh, uh, this is Detective Murdoch
and I'm Inspector Brackenreid
of the Toronto Constabulary.
Neither of you is an invitee.
We're here on police business.
You're out of your jurisdiction.
I must ask you to leave.
What are you two doing here?
Oh! I could ask the same.
Uh, sir, we're still
not quite sure, but look:
we've been given these
lovely pocket watches.
Ooh! I'll have one of those.
- Ah, ah, ah, ah.
- Oi.
Perhaps I haven't made myself clear.
We're on a murder investigation.
- Now unless...
- Shush.
The presentation's about to begin.
Hm.
Ladies and gentlemen,
ladies and gentlemen.
Thank you for coming
and welcome to the end of the world.
For 76 years, we knew
this fellow was coming.
We didn't know exactly when or where.
The complexities of orbital mechanics
make such predictions impossible.
But among them was a low probability
that Halley's Comet
would collide with Earth.
It's happened before, more
times than we can count.
The meteor that made this
was 150 feet in diameter.
The resulting crater
was 40 times that size.
Now imagine if Earth
was struck by an object
10 million times as massive.
That's Halley's Comet.
A collision of that magnitude
would destroy every remnant
of human civilization.
I wish I could say that this
was the greatest danger we face.
But with each technology comes
new and more terrible weapons.
We know too much of the
folly of human nature
to believe that we wouldn't
use them against each other
in an orgy of self-annihilation.
So, what are we to do?
While the threats we
face are existential,
their probability is unknowable.
But as I say,
it's happened before.
Laugh if you must, but this
is what I'm proposing, folks.
A repository of our
accumulated human knowledge
and those humans best
suited to its continuation.
Thanks to our benefactor, Mason Bartman.
And the tireless efforts of the team
tasked with its design and construction,
we have made such an ark here,
in the cavity left by
this old brine well.
Each of you has been chosen
for your skills and expertise
in not just maintaining
the human species,
but of society itself
and accumulated knowledge.
These are more than just party gifts.
In the event of a sudden
catastrophe, an alarm will sound.
Upon hearing this,
you are to return to this facility
with your immediate family.
You will likely never get the call,
but if you do,
the future of mankind
depends on your heeding it.
Thank you.
I'm not sure I want the
responsibility of saving humanity.
I suspect you won't be required
to heed the call anytime soon.
I suppose some of us
are not good enough?
Well, Inspector, I'd invite you,
but you heard what he
SAID: immediate family only.
Mm.
Thank you so much for coming.
- I really appreciate...
- Ah, James! Quite the presentation.
George, Julia. Thank
you so much for coming.
Murdoch and I are just here
on business, apparently.
I'm afraid to ask.
You happen to know this man?
Dear God. That's Kenvyn.
Kenvyn?
Wiley. He worked for me.
He was found stabbed to
death last night in Corktown.
- Corktown.
- Does this surprise you?
Well, I thought he was here last night.
I didn't know that he'd left.
Vagle, what time did Kenvyn sign out?
He didn't. I noted his
absence as I was closing up.
- What time was that?
- Shortly before midnight.
When did you last see him?
Well, at supper. He was dining
with Mr. Pendrick and Bartman.
That's right. About 7:00.
Did you notice anything
unusual in his demeanour?
It was the night before the
launch. I doubt I'd notice.
Thank you.
He had been kneeling in brine.
Where could this have happened?
Above us is 600 feet
of shale and limestone
but flowing over that
is the Humber River.
Water gets in. It's
rare, but it happens.
Is it important?
I don't know yet.
Well, my team is at your disposal.
How can we help you, Detective?
Now that our victim has a name,
I suppose I'd like to
know more about him.
Well, all my personnel files
are kept in the library.
Come with me.
Mr. Pendrick, um, why a brine well?
Well, no excavation was necessary.
We simply moved into an existing space
and salt is an excellent
medium for long-term storage.
And being 600 feet deep,
we're insulated from the
effects of any calamity
that may occur on the surface.
This is your library?
To save space, all documents
are filmed and then projected.
These cabinets contain all
current scientific publications,
plus an assortment of the
great works of literature.
I'm afraid your respective
works have not been included
in spite of their obvious merit.
In your case, a crime-solving manual
would be unnecessary in
a society without crime.
- Wh...
- Is that why William wasn't invited?
Indeed. Although a moot point,
given that he would be included
as a member of your family.
- Ah.
- Where does that leave me?
I'm sorry, Tom, but, um,
friendship alone cannot
be a determining factor.
But Crabtree makes the cut?
Well, George Crabtree sees
things that others don't.
He thinks outside the, um...
Realm of sanity?
Outside the box.
The bloody box? What box?
The box that holds the
way everybody else thinks.
Exactly. Well put.
Sir, I just felt a drop.
Oh, yes. Look at this.
Is this where he kneeled, then?
I believe so.
And if it was,
then it was likely...
How do you know what he was looking for?
Well, this one is out of place.
"Modern Technology
Quarterly, Spring 1906."
Allow me.
Seems the entire issue is dedicated
to the mechanized dispersal
of liquid aerosols.
Ooh. It's a page-turner.
So why was Wiley looking at it?
I have no idea. Excuse me, gentlemen.
Huh.
Kenvyn had a master's degree in biology.
He lived in Parkdale.
His ticket was for the Don Station.
He likely wasn't going home, then.
Oh! He was studying
under Dr. Henry Sandford.
Someone you know?
Well, I did know him.
He died a few years ago.
- He was working on a plague vaccine.
- Sandford.
I've heard it's back.
In India. Maybe China?
An Ernestine Sandford
reported a break-in at her father's lab
at 43 Tate St.
- When was this?
- 9:35 last night, sir.
Maybe that's what Wiley
was doing in Corktown.
I was fetching coal from the bin
when I heard someone
rummaging back here.
They must have entered
through the window.
Did you get a look at him?
I didn't see him at all.
I went back into the house
and telephoned the police.
When I returned, I found the tarp
has been pulled off my father's desk.
His journal was opened
and this box was here.
This appears to be a lab journal.
This looks like it's been in a fire.
Why would someone be looking at these?
No idea. I didn't
follow my father's work.
Your father was researching
the bubonic plague?
Pneumonic, actually.
Is there a difference?
Uh, bubonic is spread by fleas.
Pneumonic is transmissible
between humans
and, in this case, rats.
Oh, my goodness.
What is it?
There was an accidental outbreak.
Rats in separate cages became infected.
Aerosol transmission?
That's unusual for the plague.
Perhaps it was a new strain?
The speed of infection
suggests a transmissibility
equal to or greater than the measles.
My goodness.
You can get the measles from
someone across the street.
He's left instructions that
these vials be burned in a kiln.
Why not do that himself?
Perhaps he realized
that he was infected.
That must be it.
He never told me.
I found the body and he left
instructions to be cremated.
He took his own life?
I never knew why until now.
He's highlighted a
sequence of numbers here.
What are they?
GA-1731
through to GA-1738.
Those are the vials he's
instructed to be incinerated.
These have been incinerated,
but the numbers don't match.
Perhaps the wrong batch was incinerated?
So what happened to the
vials containing the plague?
Is that why Mr. Wiley
was looking at schematics
for aerosol dispersal mechanisms?
William, the pneumonic form
of the plague is 99% fatal.
It seems someone has created
a way of releasing a plague
that would wipe out humanity.
Perhaps it is the end of the world.
Here, look at this.
This is what he was looking at?
Or one just like it.
The entire issue is dedicated
to pressurized liquid
dispersal mechanisms.
For what purpose?
- Artificial pollination.
- Fragrance.
- Paint.
- Paint?
The point is one of these could be used
for the rapid dispersal
of an aerosolized plague.
So what you're saying is that
there's some nutcase out there
hellbent on wiping out humanity.
I honestly don't know
what is happening, sir,
only that we've discovered what
Mr. Wiley himself was seeking.
So was Wiley killed by
someone trying to stop him
from releasing the plague?
I would think it was
the other way around:
that he was trying to stop his
killer from releasing the plague.
How's that?
Well, here he's been
stabbed several times
and instead of finding himself help,
he comes to me to tell me
that it's the end of the world.
You think he was trying to warn you.
Given the potential peril,
we should assume the threat remains.
If the intent is to release a plague,
wouldn't it also come
with a plan to survive it?
The Ark.
Is Pendrick behind this?
Impossible.
Kenvyn Wiley worked with Dr. Sandford.
He also worked on the ark.
I'm not denying the
coincidence of it, Murdoch.
Or the logic. I simply find
it beyond contemplation.
Who knew of the ark project?
Couple of hundred people.
It wasn't a well-kept secret.
Which of the invitees knew?
I have no idea.
None were told before the launch,
but word gets around.
Who originally conceived of the ark?
- I did, I suppose.
- When?
Three years ago or thereabouts.
Could you be more specific?
If necessary. Why?
Because we're bloody asking, James!
The outbreak in Dr.
Sandford's laboratory
occurred in June 1907.
What we would like to know
is if the idea of the ark
arose subsequent to that.
The discussion was first
broached on the Pendrick Parlour
early in the fall semester.
Someone posted a calculation
of the probability
of Halley's Comet colliding with Earth.
It stirred a vigorous discussion
in which I was an active participant.
Oh, dear God, Murdoch.
Was I manipulated? Have I been duped?
Who else took part in this discussion?
Mason Bartman is the
only one I knew by name.
Most people preferred pseudonyms.
Is there any record
of these discussions?
Yes. The Parlour is closed,
but most of the exchanges
in the public forum
have been archived.
I'll have a portal
delivered immediately.
Sirs.
What have you, George?
I've been going through
Dr. Sandford's research;
a familiar name came up.
Well, spit it out, Crabtree.
All this plague research
was funded by Mason Bartman.
I'm a philanthropist, Detective.
I give to dozens of charities.
Why plague research?
Is that a serious question?
Bubonic plague has devastated
the poor countries of Asia.
And, if I'm being serious, I was
fearful of the outbreak reaching Canada.
Is that why you funded the ark project?
It's one of the reasons.
Whose idea was it to build this ark?
For all I know, it was mine.
I'm a fearful man, Detective.
I fear for my family. I fear
for myself. I fear for...
We fly through the comet's tail tonight.
Scientists predicted that
cyanogen would poison us all.
Apparently that won't happen.
Perhaps,
but I'll be spending tonight in the ark
with my family, just in case.
Sir, I think I've found something.
Thank you for your time, Mr. Bartman.
- Yes, sir.
- Good day.
I've been through the Pendrick archives.
Did you find any relevant discussions?
I did and then I went further
back and I found an exchange
you'll definitely be interested
in between two people:
"Cat Lady" and "LMN 899." LMN writes:
"Population growth is
an exponential function.
Humanity may be the
pinnacle of evolution,
but it is a cancer
on the natural world."
Cat Lady responds: "Well,
perhaps a cull is in order.
What percentage do we eliminate?"
"I say we go back to day one."
Cat Lady: "Make it day two.
We'll need an Adam and an Eve."
"H-a, h-a, h-a."
What is a...
"We'll need an Ark, too, if
we want to ride out the storm."
What date was this exchange?
Sir, August 12, 1907.
So about a month before the
purported ark discussions.
Cat Lady then writes:
"Well, Adam, it's a big
job we have ahead of us.
How do you propose we go about
killing everybody but us?"
And here's the clincher, sir.
He writes, "Well, Eve.
Pneumonic plague is 99% deadly.
I'll take care of that.
You start building the ark."
Oh, we need to find those two.
Sir, I have no idea
who LMN 899 could be,
but I used to work with a woman
whose Parlour name was Cat Lady.
Your pseudonym is Cat Lady?
Yes.
I like cats.
Oh my God.
- I remember this.
- Mm.
You're discussing using pneumonic plague
- to wipe out humanity.
- Yes.
But we weren't serious.
You can't think this
represents an actual plan.
It was a flirtation.
With a perfect stranger. It was...
fun to be so wicked.
For God's sakes!
We're talking about the death
of almost two billion people.
You can't think...
I know nothing about plague science.
But you knew about Mr.
Pendrick's ark project.
Yes. But I didn't know I'd be included.
Who is LMN 899?
I don't know.
That's the truth.
LMN eight double nine.
Could it be a telephone number?
- Or a name?
- What kind of name's that?
Well, initials, sir.
First, middle and last.
Uh, uh, Lucy Maude...
Nontgomery.
And the numbers? 899?
A birth year? Month?
September '89.
If that is it, well the
bugger should be easy to find.
Well, get cracking, Crabtree!
Just a moment.
George, say it again once, quickly.
LMN 899.
Try it now.
LMN 8, 99.
Eliminate 99. As in percent.
That's it. It's got to be.
Eliminate is our man.
Yes, almost definitely, but
he'll be difficult to find.
Eliminate 99 was likely an
invitee to the Pendrick ark.
That should narrow the range.
Look into everything
Eliminate has ever written
on the Pendrick Parlour.
I can help.
August 10, 1907. Is
this his first message?
Read it.
The problem's mathematical.
All population growth is exponential.
It will double per unit time
until it encounters a constraint.
In the case of bacteria
that constraint is often
the death of its host.
And I write back,
"That's kind of like us.
Body is to bacteria as Earth is to us.
It's scale symmetry."
Scale symmetry?
Yes! I was trying to impress
him with my cleverness.
Effie!
I'm sorry. I should have called.
There's been a change of plans?
You could say that.
Constable!
Constable!
You must do something about this!
See the comet through a telescope.
59 Cornwall Street. What's
the problem with that?
It's my telescope.
My address!
This is fascinating.
Is this a reference to
the doubling penny wager?
- Yes.
- The what?
It's an idea meant to convey the
concept of exponential growth.
Would you rather have a million dollars,
or a penny which doubles
every day for a month?
A million dollars.
- Surely that's...
- The same.
But a doubling penny would take...
It takes a week to reach a dollar.
Another week takes
you to a hundred bucks.
Times a hundred each week.
So the third week would
go from a hundred to...
10,000. And the fourth...
A million.
10 more days and you've got a billion.
How much longer to reach two billion?
One more day.
Thanks to modern
medicine and agriculture
we're doubling every 50 years.
In a hundred years, we could
have seven billion people.
Seven billion! That's
hardly sustainable.
W-we'd starve to death first.
There's your constraint.
Want to make the world livable
for another 10,000 years?
Go back a few weeks.
It's logical.
Completely barmy, but logical.
All right, listen up.
You're all on private property
and need to disband immediately!
Oi!
Whoever's still here in 30 seconds
will be wearing these tonight.
If you'd like to live your
final moments in a cell,
I'd be happy to oblige.
What on Earth is that?
Yes. This is definitely one.
There's a triggering device
set to release it at midnight.
Right after the comet is due to set.
The two chambers allow for the
rapid compression of contents
before it's released as a fine aerosol.
The droplet size is 20 microns.
Just one droplet inhaled
could start a pandemic.
Mm-hmm.
So the vial itself
isn't pressurized then?
Mm-hmm.
William.
Please be careful!
GA-1735.
This is one of them.
We need to get it
into a kiln right away!
There's one at the university.
Henry, notify every station house.
Each constable in this city
needs to be on the lookout for these.
There are seven remaining.
They all need to be
found before midnight.
- Hurry!
- Sir.
- The plague must have been released.
- We should hurry.
Someone at the ark was alerted.
Give us a moment, James.
'Course.
I can't go.
I'm not leaving without you.
Julia, you have to.
For Susannah's sake, you have to.
It's all right.
Who triggered the alarm?
I did.
I thought a plague had been released.
And how did you find out?
Mason Bartman arrived with information
I should have received from you.
You overstepped your authority.
I had no knowledge of your whereabouts.
As head of logistics, it was
left to me to make the decision.
It was a rash decision.
The plague has not been released
and we've identified the culprit.
Well, who is it?
He goes by "Eliminate 99."
That's not a name.
We've already discovered
one dispersal device
and the entire constabulary
has been alerted.
I'm confident we'll find the others.
Hm. Indeed.
And how confident are you?
More confident than I
am in you at the moment.
Very well.
If that is your evaluation,
then consider this my resignation.
Oh for God sakes! Ian!
Ian, I misspoke.
It's 10:30.
We have an hour and a half.
Let's not waste it.
Sir?
Somebody rented out a cargo hold.
Of a ship?
Claimed it would be
protected from the cyanogen.
And was there a disperser on board?
They found it in the air intake.
Good Lord.
And the vial?
Ah, taken to the university
as per instruction.
Very good. Which serial number?
Ah...
GA-1737.
Very good, Henry. Um...
- Get back out there.
- Sir.
37...
* It's the end of the world *
- * Lord Lord Lord *
- You check that direction.
- I'll head over here.
- * It's the end of the world dear Lord *
* Well it's the end of the world *
* Lord Lord Lord *
* It's the end of the world dear Lord *
* There's a comet in the sky *
* Coming down on us *
* Raining down a poison from above *
* We done wrecked this old world *
* So we got to pay the price *
* Of fire and death from above *
- * All righty, now *
- * Lord help us *
* Help us indeed *
* It's a-comin *
* No stopping it *
* Help us, now *
* Ooh Lordy! *
* Any day now it's a-comin' *
* All right coming round *
* Raining hellfire *
* Won't you sing along *
* Well it's the end of the world *
* Lord Lord Lord *
* It's the end of the world dear Lord *
* There's a comet in the
sky coming down on us *
* Raining fire and poison from above *
* Let me tell you all about it *
* We done wrecked this old world *
* So we got to pay the price *
* So the fire and death from above *
- * Yes indeed *
- * Well it's the end of the world *
* Lord Lord Lord *
* It's the end of the world dear Lord *
- * Say it again *
- * It's the end of the world Dear Lord *
I don't believe it.
George, you have to see this!
Adam Ivy. Password, Tesla.
It's Pendrick.
- Eliminate 99 is Pendrick!
- What?
I think we should
start at the beginning.
Yes, please.
Eliminate 99's first
chat was August 7th,
but I remember chats from before,
so I conducted a search
for specific words he used.
Clever idea.
And we found this name.
Before he was Eliminate
99, he was Adam Ivy.
- Isn't that a plant?
- Yes.
And Mr. Pendrick had one in his office.
- And that's why you think...
- Shh!
So I checked and every one of his posts
came from inside Pendrick
headquarters, executive suite.
Still.
So I was able to reverse
engineer the passcode.
And it was Tesla. So?
Tesla was the name of
Pendrick's dog at the time.
Coincidence?
Yes, it has to be.
What was your passcode?
Violet.
Who's Violet?
She was my dog.
But this is Pendrick
we're talking about.
I mean, he... he's trying to
save humanity, not destroy it.
Unless this is his
way of saving humanity.
This is testable. What
was Pendrick's passcode?
_
- My God. It can't be.
- _
What is this?
Where was it?
The Academy Theatre, sir.
Take a look at this.
It seems every disperser we've found
had some connection to Halley's Comet.
I suppose that's where the crowds are.
He's a little too
clever for his own good.
Right, then.
So, we're only looking for
things related to the comet.
- That's right.
- Sirs, I've got some names.
Both the cargo hold and the observatory
were rented by Mr. L. M. Nate
and Hugh Manetti.
Well, let's look 'em
up and bring them in.
You won't find them.
If you say both names quickly you get,
"Eliminate humanity."
I really want to get this bugger.
I don't know what to say.
I'm astonished you'd think
me capable of such a crime,
let alone carrying it out.
So you're not Adam Ivy.
No.
His posts came from the executive portal
using your passcode.
If not you, then who?
Anybody on the executive
floor had access.
Well, the critical
point is that he worked
for Pendrick Enterprises
on or before July 1907.
So who's here now that
worked for you then?
There would be several.
Mr. Vagle.
Can't be him. He just
left in high dudgeon.
Ian Vagle.
Initials I.V.
Right. But then Adam?
We should check his personnel file.
Right.
_
My God! It is him.
And he earned his biology
degree the same year as Wiley.
It was Vagle who convinced
me to invite you to the ark.
I always thought he fancied me.
But he just left.
Well, maybe he knew we'd be on to him.
No signal. He's cut the lines.
We'll make the call from Humber Station.
The elevator's not working.
He's shut us in!
Well, there's this ladder.
It's 600 feet straight up!
- I'm claustrophobic. I can't do it.
- I can.
- Excellent.
- I'll go with you.
Seven out of eight.
Only one more to go.
It may as well be a
hundred if we don't find it.
So what now?
We've checked every comet-related event.
We expand our search.
Ah, if only we knew who was behind this.
Have you talked to Pendrick?
I've tried calling but
I can't get through.
If they'd found something,
they would've told us.
- Are you okay?
- Um,
- I'm all right. I'll be right there.
- Okay.
Thank you.
That was station house five.
They've sent constables
down every street
looking for gatherings. Nothing.
I've heard the same from
station houses one and three.
Look, Murdoch, the last
train to Humber Station
leaves in 15 minutes.
Save yourself.
I'm not going anywhere, sir.
We just got a telegram
from Humber Station.
It's a message from George.
Culprit Ian Vagle. Stop.
Bought ticket to Parkdale at 10:17.
Address 1201 Queen Street West.
Do you think he's been here already?
Sir, look.
Clock's about to strike midnight.
The vial's been removed.
Sirs, the landlady saw Vagle
leave about a half an hour ago.
Oh! Look at that.
We pass through the tail tonight.
With a bit of luck, that'll kill
us before the plague gets us.
Look, it's George.
We got the first train we could.
Vagle was gone when we arrived.
He took the plague vial with him.
I think I know where he's gone.
The roof of Pendrick Enterprises.
We used to have lunch there.
It's his favourite place.
Murdoch, you take Miss
Struthers and check it out.
We'll get copies of his photos
out to all the other
station houses. Come on.
Hold it right there, Mr. Vagle.
Ian! Don't.
What are you doing
here? I locked you in!
You shouldn't be here!
Hand me that vial and
we can all walk away.
You don't understand.
We're a cancer.
We'll destroy the planet
and then ourselves.
- It's inevitable!
- It's not!
Look at me.
No children. Maybe that's our future.
If you release the
contents of that vial,
then it's all over.
For everyone.
I can still be Eve to your Adam.
We can go live on an island.
You know it's too late for that.
Stand back.
I don't want to die.
Not like this.
- No!
- Ian, no!
No! Get back, get back.
So that's it then? The world is safe?
For now.
Unless he was right.
Right?
Maybe we're the ones
destroying the planet?
Well, it's our planet, isn't it?
Besides that's for future
generations to worry about.
Oh, my goodness.
It's beautiful.
Look at that, Susannah.
That's Halley's Comet.
The next time you see that
you'll be an old woman.
And the world will be
a very different place.