PSI Factor: Chronicles of the Paranormal (1996–2000): Season 1, Episode 20 - Fire Within/Fate - full transcript
The simple case of a farmer turned victim of spontaneous human combustion uncovers a potential conspiracy. Bullied high school student with the powers of telepathy and precognition tries to change the tragic fate of his best friend.
These stories are inspired
by the actual case files
of the Office of Scientific
Investigation and Research.
Are you gonna sum good already?
Oh yeah, take your time.
No need for me to take
all your money right now.
If I gloat any more,
I'll get the IRS down on your sorry butt.
Yeah, as if they aren't already.
As far as I'm concerned,
the government can kiss it.
Hear ! Hear !
Guys, can we just play?
I can drink this whole bottle.
Go ahead.
Martin brought it.
Really?
How come you ain't having any?
Well, I've got my soda.
As far as I'm concerned, you can go
ahead and get as drunk as you want.
Never mind that.
Bastard plays better when he's drunk.
You got to lubricate the gears a little.
Doesn't make you deal any faster, does he?
Come on.
You gotta have at least one with me.
Just a single mop.
Son of a...
Lucky me.
Oh, it's hot in here.
You got any ice in the icebox?
Sure. Sandwich is out there too.
Oh, good !
What I was hoping for.
Bob.
He's a man with a plan.
How long does it take a guy to
get some ice and some sandwiches?
George, we're ready to go in here.
Spontaneous human combustion.
Official fire and arson
investigation manuals
do not include humans in the list of the numerous
substances prone to spontaneous ignition.
There are, however,
many documented and photographed instances
of people appearing to burn
up from the inside out,
incinerating bones that would take
thousands of degrees to reduce to ashes,
with virtually no effect on
the environment around them.
The OSIR has occasionally been summoned
to analyze cases of this nature.
Connor Doyle, case manager.
We're arriving at an isolated ranch where,
according to four witnesses,
a man has completely burned to ashes
in seconds with no apparent cause.
Our contact is County
Coroner Lewis Arnold.
Once saw a man who committed suicide
by drilling himself in the head
with an electric drill 42 times.
Another time saw a man who'd been
bludgeoned to death by his own wife
with a giant wedge of Swiss cheese.
52 years on the job,
I've never seen anything this weird.
Should we look at the remains?
I'm sure I could find
something else to do.
I took lots of pictures for you.
Foot was here.
My hand
still holding on to the handle here.
Where are the remains now?
I figured you wouldn't want
him decomposing too much.
See the stains on the ceiling?
Total water content in the human
body ranges from 75 to 90 percent.
SHC often causes near-instant
vaporization of that fluid.
Turns it to blistering steam.
You mean spontaneous
human combustion?
Or super hyperthermic carbonization.
The fact that the body is made up of mostly water
is what makes SHC fundamentally inconceivable.
Just like Gator bears.
I'll get a sample.
We'll go talk to the owner.
Thank you.
Damn stumps.
Yeah, Alice says she's never
setting foot in that kitchen again.
If I ever want to eat home cooking again,
I'm gonna have to build her a new one.
Was there anything unusual about
George before he went into the kitchen?
No. Same old George.
Or was he happy, angry,
under the weather?
Well, now that you mention it,
he was complaining about the heat.
I remember it was chill
in the room that night.
George, he was sweating.
Went to the fridge, get some ice.
Thanks for the warning.
You should talk to Martin.
He was the first one in the kitchen.
Yeah.
Hi. You Martin?
That's correct.
Where with the OSIR.
Boy, I hate my picture being took.
That's okay.
Can you tell us what
happened the other night?
Yeah, we were playing cards.
We play poker just about every Friday night.
And Bob's wife Alice
made us some sandwiches.
George went into the kitchen
to get some from the fridge.
Were you drinking at all
before George left the room?
Well, most of us had a beer too.
George likes his whiskey.
And then what happened?
George started to scream.
It sounded bad, so we all got
up to go see what was wrong.
And then there was this bright flash.
Hell!
Lucky there's lots more
where that came from.
Yeah, well you got that right.
I got me a deal here.
And I don't pay any tax, either.
The sample of the ashes found in the kitchen
contain no traces of gasoline, kerosene, cordite.
Nothing combustible.
In a typical cremation, a body is subjected to
2,200 degrees Fahrenheit for over three hours.
It can take 40 to 50 gallons of fuel.
Can you imagine what kind of heat would be required
to reduce a body to ashes in a matter of seconds?
Yet our witnesses say that's what happened.
Well, if that's the case, then everything
else in that kitchen should have gone out too.
If it wasn't external, could it be internal?
How are their physicals?
Fine. They're all in generally good health.
Has anyone ever heard of
the X particle theory?
In 1981, a professor, Howard M. Georgi III,
published an article entitled,
A Unified Theory on Elemental
Particles and Forces.
And in it he described a unifying base
particle, which he named the X particle.
Its size is defined as 10 to the
power of minus 29 centimeters.
That's pretty small.
Yeah.
You could fit about 800 trillion
X particles into that one dot.
You probably still have
room to park your RV.
Where are you going with this?
If two quarks come close enough
to exchange an X particle,
it could lead to a chain reaction in
which hydrogen atoms are annihilated,
leaving just gamma rays and photons.
A lightning-quick subatomic chain reaction
that instantly dehydrates the body.
What is the probability
of this happening?
It's slim.
However, high levels of blood alcohol
could cause the hydrogen atoms in the
body's water and glucose to energize.
Most documented SHC cases involve
subjects who have been drinking heavily.
Exactly.
Can you isolate their voices?
I'll see what I can do.
Later on we'll clear out George's place.
What about Friday?
Are they going ahead with the plans?
Not now, Alvin.
People are watching everything we do.
Yeah, so?
So not now.
What plan do you suppose
they're talking about?
Martin said they played poker
together every Friday night.
Maybe they're talking about whether
to continue or not without George.
I thought we should drink a toast
with the whiskey he loves so much.
Good idea.
Yeah.
A toast.
Send him off.
To George.
A man who believed in
what we all believe in.
So deeply that like us he
dedicated his life to the cause.
While we are one fewer today
we must carry on in his honor.
To George.
To George.
Damn.
Get him down!
Case log update.
Dean Matthews remains in serious condition.
To the best of our knowledge,
spontaneous human combustion
has never struck two people
so closely connected.
We're now striving to understand and prevent
what may be developing into a deadly pattern.
And how did Dean seem at the wake?
Upset.
How's he supposed to feel?
We're just trying to find out what
happened to your friends, Alvin.
Let me tell you this much, ma'am.
Best college course I ever
took was finite mathematics.
And I know that every time
I deal from a clean deck,
I got the same chance of
pulling an ace in a fair game.
But I also know that
nowadays you've got your UN,
and you've got your New World Order,
and you've got your black
helicopters flying over our city.
So don't you go telling me
there's no reason for this.
This is some kind of freaking nature.
No.
Someone dealt George and Dean
a real crappy hand, ma'am.
You're all going to want to see this.
After Peter's on the lecture
on X particles in quartz,
I sent samples of the men's blood
back to the central lab for analysis
under electron microscopes.
This is a computer enhancement
of the atomic action in Dean Matthews'
blood taken after his arm caught fire.
Is this abnormal?
No, but this is.
Whoa, wind that back.
What is it?
It looks inorganic.
The joints appear to be
held together by hinges.
At a subatomic level?
It's a nanite.
Shall I explain that to you?
Nanites are used for manufacturing
at a molecular level.
They're basically microscopic-sized robots.
I always thought this was theoretical.
We're on the threshold
of a major breakthrough,
but I am not aware of anything that's
as advanced as what was on that tape.
Theoretically, what could these nanites do?
Anything.
They're programmed to build things
from the base up, including themselves.
You mean they can self-replicate?
Well, you see, that's the
beauty of nanotechnology.
You build one nanite,
teach it to build itself,
and in no time at all you
have trillions of them.
So these things are actually
exploding inside the subjects?
No, not exactly.
They're actually breaking down and
rebuilding a person's molecular structure,
causing a chemical reaction,
like the one Peter described earlier.
Exactly. Like I said, they
can do just about anything.
Turn a person into a time bomb.
Case file update.
Dean Matthews' condition
has been upgraded to stable.
We are keeping two OSIR medical
technicians at the hospital
and will continue to track his progress.
Unfortunately, conventional
medical and environmental tests
have failed to reveal the
cause of his injuries.
Next communication in six hours. Doyle out.
Help me !
Doyle !
*** Code black !
Help me !
Help me !
Was Dean Matthews the only
one with nanites in his blood?
No, Martin Shaw.
Martin, we need to talk to you.
You again?
Well, I got a lot of work to do here.
It's really important.
We need to run some more tests.
Yeah... I don't think so,
because I've already done that.
We think we know what
actually happened to George and Dean.
We want to stop it
from happening to you.
To me?
What the hell are you talking about?
Mr. Shaw, we have to act quickly.
There may not be much time.
All right, all right.
Just let me finish up here, all right?
You may have been contaminated by that
whiskey that you brought to George.
Go that way !
Connor !
We're trying to save your life.
You don't know what you've started.
Then enlighten me.
Get off me !
Case file update.
We've apprehended Martin Shaw and
we'll question him at a safe house.
I believe Shaw can provide the
hidden link between the five men.
They're all terrorists.
Even Alvin and Bob?
Yeah.
Real American patriots.
They're the group that's
responsible for the fire bomb
on the Washington subway last year.
They're planning another attack next week.
You work undercover for
the U.S. government.
What agency?
Your mission was to
infiltrate their group,
confirm their plans,
and use this new technology
to assassinate them without
them realizing they've been pegged.
Why not just arrest them?
Terrorism's a capital offence.
Why not just give them a platform?
A martyr is infinitely more
destructive than any bomb.
These groups are a smoldering fire,
spreading across America.
They need to be snuffed out
now before they explode.
You know you have nanites in your blood?
Nanites?
How are they activated?
There must be a dormant pair, or you
wouldn't be sitting here right now.
Is it a time delay,
or are they controlled by remote?
What are you talking about?
Can I leave now?
You're not going anywhere
until we confirm your story.
Call Elsinger.
Elsinger ?
He knows about you?
Just call him.
He's privy to Black Ops.
He can help me.
You can't.
Ladies, gentlemen.
As far as our contacts are concerned,
Martin Shaw has never worked for any
aboveboard intelligence or black ops group.
He's unremarkable.
He served in the army.
There is nothing to him.
His entire story has been denied by
all official and unofficial channels.
Well, that's not unusual.
What about the other men?
Are they really terrorists?
All that gasoline,
explosives Bob Guthrie was using?
There's nothing to link them to
any known anti-government militia.
What about the nanites?
None of our sources can confirm the advancement
of nanotechnology to the extent suggested here.
What do you mean suggested?
Well, since all of your samples were destroyed,
we have no way to validate your findings.
I have a couple more questions.
Just wrap it up, Connor.
How does he know you?
- Who?
- Martin Shaw.
You're doing a great job here, Connor.
That's why we were brought in, isn't it?
We were supposed to legitimize events,
make it look like it really was
spontaneous human combustion.
Martin Shaw is as much a pawn in this
as we are.
Why we've been kept in the dark ?
Why don't you ask him ?
How did Martin Shaw pull
Elsinger's name out of the hat?
He didn't get it off the internet.
Well, what next?
We're supposed to turn Shaw over
to the FBI as soon as possible.
They want to question him in
connection with the subway bombing.
And then he'll just
disappear into the system.
What did you find?
Well, I reviewed our background checks.
He moved out here three years
ago after he left the army.
Nothing unusual.
But I did find that he filed
and paid income tax last year.
When you and Peter interviewed him?
He claimed he didn't pay taxes.
Such as his own little protest
against the government?
Or part of his cover.
Sounds like black ops.
If I were a gambling man, I'd bet there's a
new identity being assembled for Martin Shaw.
Maybe for some witness
protection program.
Let's take a drive.
To see Shaw?
Once he's under arrest,
he's entitled to one phone call.
I want him to call me.
Final case log.
We've retested both Bob
Guthrie and Alvin McLaren,
and their blood is perfectly normal.
Mystery still surrounds the
man claiming to be Martin Shaw.
We were unable to identify
the remains found.
No aspect of his story or his
true identity has been confirmed.
The conclusion in this file pointed away
from the spontaneous human
combustion phenomenon
and towards a man-made conspiracy
to eliminate domestic terrorists
employing artificial accelerant combustibles
in order to exact a subversive
and darkly poetic justice.
... the body of Alexander
Byron Harper to the earth.
Let us be consoled in the knowledge
that his spirit soars to heaven,
and he will know peace.
So, ashes to ashes, dust to dust.
Amen.
Come on, Cory, let's go.
You still have to pack up your things.
Just give me a minute, Dad.
Look, I have to be back in Washington, so...
So go!
Cory...
He was my only friend, Dad.
Hey Cory, how are you?
The same I guess.
They're coming for me this afternoon.
Cory, before you go,
could you come talk to us for a while?
Things were kind of rushed before.
I'd like to get your side of the story.
Yeah.
Why not?
He's the one who killed my son.
That kid's a manace.
That's the one who killed Harper.
Some kind of freak.
You're the one who did it.
He got Harper killed.
It was you.
He scares me.
You killed him, man.
Adolescence, the period of human growth
in which the body undergoes
dramatic and accelerated changes.
This degree of physical and emotional
development over such a short period of time
can make it a confusing and
traumatic event for a young person.
In the following case, the OSIR found
that Corey Stillman's adolescence
included the onset of psychic ability.
Final case log entry.
We're engaging in a debriefing session
with case subject Corey Stillman.
By re-examining the case
from Corey's perspective,
we may better understand why this
case ended on such a tragic note.
How are you feeling?
Um, the same.
You look exhausted.
Yeah, well, I can't sleep.
I keep having the vision.
It's the same as before.
Only now it's a memory.
Well, give it time.
Well, I don't really have
much choice where I'm going.
I know there's nothing we can do to bring
Harper back, but we're here to help.
That's all we ever really wanted to do, Corey,
but we never got the full story from you.
Let's start at the beginning.
Harper and I were in the same homeroom, and
we didn't really fit in with the cool crowds.
We hung out a lot together.
I'm gonna get caught.
Oops.
By Bradford? No way.
Man,
that guy is way too slow on the update.
I mean, he doesn't even
notice when I skip his class.
Ah, fair dimes, if this has come out,
I'd be off the king of the Britons.
Hmm, he's cute.
Man, read all that in a comic book with
the classics and thirtythree pages.
Yeah, I hate to tell you,
but the book's a bit different.
Man, that book is like
50,000 pages long. Forget it.
Let's get that test anyway.
What, another headache?
I think that you should
go because he's coming.
Who?
Bradford's coming. Come on.
- Go !
- Stillman, man, what are you saying?
Harper!
Ah, Corey. Nice work on the essay.
Oh, thanks, Mr. Bradford.
I don't mean to sound like
a broken record, but...
I haven't seen him this morning.
He skipped my class today,
and this time I noticed. You sure?
Yeah, I swear my dog's grave.
I haven't seen him all day, sir.
Well, when you do see him,
you tell Mr. Alexander Harper
that if he skips the makeup test today
after school, he fails the course.
Whoa.
Got it?
Got it.
Piece of advice, Corey.
Don't let that slacker pull you down.
You got more brains than that.
Man, how the hell would
you know he was coming?
I mean, man, that was cool.
Oh, man,
my head is totally killing me.
Listen, you have to go to that
makeup test after school today.
Yeah, right, as if I could pass.
You will.
Because I know exactly
what's gonna be on the test.
What, did you pick Bradford's pocket?
Now let me guess, you read his mind.
I read his mind.
I read his mind and
I saw the answers.
You're kidding, right?
Right?
Well done.
We'll discuss this later, Mr. Harper.
I could just see into Bradford's mind.
The answers were all there.
Bradford was sure that
Harper was cheating
and that I was in on it,
but he didn't have any way of proving it.
And the headaches?
They didn't go away.
Corey, did you ever use your
psychic abilities for yourself?
No, I never needed to.
But you kept using your power,
your ability to help Alex Harper.
Wouldn't you?
I mean, it kept him out of trouble.
At first.
Listen, we're gonna get caught.
Bradford knows something's going on.
You've never gotten above
a C in your entire life,
now, suddenly you're a
straight A geek like me.
What, like Bradford the
Betazoid's gonna bust us
for the illegal use of psychic powers?
I mean, come on, man.
Listen, just slow down.
Get a few wrong answers
on purpose now and then.
Yeah, whatever.
Hello class, I'm Ms. Donner.
I'll be your substitute
while Mr. Bradford is away.
So the NARC finally
caught up with that guy.
I'll be picking up where he left off.
Chapter 12, the 20th century.
Corey, Alex, can I speak
with you for a minute?
Move along people,
there's nothing to see here.
I just wanted a chance to meet
Mr. Bradford's two star pupils.
He told me you guys are
the top guns in the class.
That's us, ma'am.
I gotta go.
Corey?
Don't worry about him, ma'am.
He just pulled the non-lighter.
Man, what is with you?
I don't know Harper, I just don't trust her.
Of course you don't, she's a teacher.
Oh and a sweet teacher too.
Corey man, come on.
I couldn't read her, okay?
She was blocking me.
Look, so maybe it'll take a few days, right?
I mean, you'll get a fix on her.
No, she's different.
We got to get out of here.
Smothing bad's going to happen.
Hey Batman, a boy wonder,
we've been looking for you.
Mr. Chandler would like to see
you in his office. Let's go.
Well hello, fellas.
Look, Chandler, if this is
about the party last Saturday...
Shut up, this isn't about you.
It's about him.
I wanna know how Golden
Boy over there does this.
Hey man, what'd you get there?
Shut up.
Like I said, I wasn't talking to you.
So how'd you do it, freak?
Stop it, man.
Look, he just...
Joke Boy over here doesn't have half
the brains to get the marks he does.
And this is definitely perfect marks.
From zero to hero.
So how'd you do it?
How did you cheat for him?
You're crazy, you're crazy.
My dad wants me to go to Harvard, but the
problem is is I just don't have the marks.
But that's gonna change.
Because whatever you do to get this
loser to the top, you're gonna do for me.
So do you get the picture?
Why should he do anything for you?
Let's just get out of here.
Yeah, sure.
After I teach this guy some manners.
Afternoon, boys.
Say, now, aren't you fellas
a little late for class?
Well, what do you know?
We must have lost track of time.
There you go.
I'll catch you guys later.
Hi.
Right.
The janitor...
And the other guy.
Did you know you were under
surveillance at that point?
I wasn't sure.
I had bigger problems.
Yeah, like you and your buddy escaping
from that washroom in one piece.
Um, all I really knew was that Ms. Donner
was different from all the other teachers.
What happened when Chandler
and his gang threatened you?
Things just got worse.
That was when I first had the vision.
I love those guys.
I knew something like this was bad now,
but I knew we were gonna get found out.
Yeah, yeah, Stillman, were right.
Come on, let's just get you home.
More trouble ?
No, nothing.
Come on, let's get out of here.
And, uh, I saw it so clearly.
And I knew then that
Harper was gonna die.
After you were threatened,
we realized you were at risk.
Things were getting dangerous.
We could no longer work covertly.
So we decided to try and approach you
through normal channels to protect you.
Yeah, sorry.
I was a jerk.
Hi.
Oh, uh, go ahead, search it.
I just want to talk to you.
My name's Connor Doyle.
I'm with an independent
investigation organization.
We look into unexplained phenomena.
What do you want?
I know you're special, Cory.
I want to help you if you'll let me.
You know,
I'm really late and I gotta go, so...
Cory?
So, this X-files geek shows up and tells me
I'm special and you think I'm overreacting.
You're being paranoid.
I don't think so.
Where's your smart mouth now,
joke boy?
Listen, seeing as you were so kind to offer
me the test of last week's Chem exam,
I got an even bigger task for you.
I want the SATs by Saturday.
You got that, freak?
Come on, man !
You know,
everything always works out.
Oh, man.
Man, what the hell's wrong with you?
***,
and now you act like as if I'm dead.
Don't say that !
- So, what you see ?
- Nothing !
Look, man, just *** me we'll
never see that jerk again.
I mean, everything will be fine,
right ?
Right ?
Yeah, right...
Why didn;
t you tell Harper what you saw ?
Did you think he
wouldn't believe you ?
No,
the thing is he'd totally believe me.
I mean, everything else I
saw came true, why not this ?
Yes, but he could have paniced,
Corey.
Or worse,
ended his friendship with you.
What if it wasn't true?
If only I could go back in time,
I could warn him and he'd still be alive.
So you weren't certain you
were always seeing the future?
I wasn't sure of anything.
I thought it could still be hit and miss.
I mean, it seemed real,
but what if it was just my imagination?
What changed your mind?
The visions just kept getting stronger.
I mean, really intense.
I thought maybe I could use the visions.
You know, if I could see the future,
why couldn't I...
Alter it?
Yeah, change the future.
I knew if I kept giving the answers to Chandler,
he would never leave me and Harper alone.
But I thought, you know,
I can see the future.
What if I can use this
information to make it different?
That's what made you come to us.
I really thought you guys could help.
I'm ready.
Ready for what?
To talk to your boss.
Your real boss.
Corey...
When did you first start
seeing into people's minds?
About a year ago.
When my mom died,
I started hearing voices in my head.
Other people's voices.
Tell me about the visions.
Are they different?
They're the future.
I can feel danger and I know when
something bad is gonna happen.
How do you feel at the exact...
It seems he has two distinct powers.
Telepathy and precognition.
One reinforcing the other.
That's a lot to handle for a 16-year-old.
So he reads minds and can somehow
see the future of that person?
He sees specific images in other's minds.
What the teacher is planning on
putting on the test, for example.
How can he predict future events?
He seems to know when
things are about to happen.
His power is still developing.
It's similar to his hormonal
and physical development.
He's going through massive changes.
Why do you think he came to us?
Fear.
So let's continue.
Are there any visions that keep recurring?
That's why I came here.
Okay, I can't shut it
out and I can't stop it.
And it's Harper's death and
I can see it so clearly.
That's why I came here.
We have to stop it from happening.
We have to stop Harper from dying.
You know...
I have to go to him.
Hey, have you seen Harper?
Damn it!
Cover the first and second floors.
There's no sign of Harper.
Where'd Corey go?
He just took off.
He said he'd be faster on his own.
He promised to meet us out front.
I don't like this, Lindsay.
Damn it!
Well, thanks for coming.
I like before and after pictures.
Harper?
Where you been?
Busy reading minds, I hope.
That's right, your friend over here says that
you have this power to read the teacher's minds.
Pretty cool, huh?
But I caught you.
Didn't I?
All right, just let him go and I
will tell you anything you want.
Well, now that's exactly
what I wanted to hear.
But first,
never keep me waiting again.
Um, it isn't even loaded.
I know that it is.
Stillman, man...
Forget it, let's go.
No!
- Drop the gun, man.
- No!
You're scared!
I can feel your fear,
and it's all because of me.
Cory, no!
No !
No !
***
It was me.
I pulled the trigger.
You just can't cheat it.
What?
Fate.
You can't.
What do you guys care anyway?
Anyone of you don't have any feelings.
I can't sense a thing from any of you.
We do have feelings.
We just couldn't let you know them.
We were jamming you.
See, that's why we use this.
It's planted just behind the ear.
And sends out a signal that
scrambles the electrical impulses
that are associated
with brainwave activity.
We've used them before
with other telepaths.
Well, there's just one
more thing I want to know.
How did you guys find out
about me and my power?
I told them.
I know I'm not the best dad
in the world, but I know you.
Ever since your mother died,
I could see you'd changed.
I changed into a freak, right?
No. Different. Unique.
Your father, Mr. Bradford,
thought we should investigate. Quietly.
We'd hope to understand your abilities
and help you come to terms with them.
Well, then I did.
Well, then I guess you
did all that you could.
And it was just Harper's
fate or destiny or whatever.
And mine. Right?
But I wish you could have told
me all this in the first place.
He'll adjust fine to the new school.
I hope so.
It's gonna be very different there.
Corey will be fine with us.
There'll be lots of
other kids just like him.
Call us in about a week.
Here's our card.
We'll arrange a visit
as soon as possible.
Thanks, Connor.
We'll be a touch.
Final case log addendum.
Robert Chandler was charged
with felonious assault
and will be sent to a
juvenile detention center.
Corey Stillman will
be going to a place
where his unique abilities
will be better understood.
When we perceive in our
children a particular gift,
a positive ability or skill,
it is natural that we
encourage them to develop it.
So why not promote the same degree
of support and encouragement,
even if the ability is
an unconventional one,
beyond the immediate powers
of our understanding.
I'm Dan Aykroyd for Psi Factor.
Subtitle made by Adr1an
by the actual case files
of the Office of Scientific
Investigation and Research.
Are you gonna sum good already?
Oh yeah, take your time.
No need for me to take
all your money right now.
If I gloat any more,
I'll get the IRS down on your sorry butt.
Yeah, as if they aren't already.
As far as I'm concerned,
the government can kiss it.
Hear ! Hear !
Guys, can we just play?
I can drink this whole bottle.
Go ahead.
Martin brought it.
Really?
How come you ain't having any?
Well, I've got my soda.
As far as I'm concerned, you can go
ahead and get as drunk as you want.
Never mind that.
Bastard plays better when he's drunk.
You got to lubricate the gears a little.
Doesn't make you deal any faster, does he?
Come on.
You gotta have at least one with me.
Just a single mop.
Son of a...
Lucky me.
Oh, it's hot in here.
You got any ice in the icebox?
Sure. Sandwich is out there too.
Oh, good !
What I was hoping for.
Bob.
He's a man with a plan.
How long does it take a guy to
get some ice and some sandwiches?
George, we're ready to go in here.
Spontaneous human combustion.
Official fire and arson
investigation manuals
do not include humans in the list of the numerous
substances prone to spontaneous ignition.
There are, however,
many documented and photographed instances
of people appearing to burn
up from the inside out,
incinerating bones that would take
thousands of degrees to reduce to ashes,
with virtually no effect on
the environment around them.
The OSIR has occasionally been summoned
to analyze cases of this nature.
Connor Doyle, case manager.
We're arriving at an isolated ranch where,
according to four witnesses,
a man has completely burned to ashes
in seconds with no apparent cause.
Our contact is County
Coroner Lewis Arnold.
Once saw a man who committed suicide
by drilling himself in the head
with an electric drill 42 times.
Another time saw a man who'd been
bludgeoned to death by his own wife
with a giant wedge of Swiss cheese.
52 years on the job,
I've never seen anything this weird.
Should we look at the remains?
I'm sure I could find
something else to do.
I took lots of pictures for you.
Foot was here.
My hand
still holding on to the handle here.
Where are the remains now?
I figured you wouldn't want
him decomposing too much.
See the stains on the ceiling?
Total water content in the human
body ranges from 75 to 90 percent.
SHC often causes near-instant
vaporization of that fluid.
Turns it to blistering steam.
You mean spontaneous
human combustion?
Or super hyperthermic carbonization.
The fact that the body is made up of mostly water
is what makes SHC fundamentally inconceivable.
Just like Gator bears.
I'll get a sample.
We'll go talk to the owner.
Thank you.
Damn stumps.
Yeah, Alice says she's never
setting foot in that kitchen again.
If I ever want to eat home cooking again,
I'm gonna have to build her a new one.
Was there anything unusual about
George before he went into the kitchen?
No. Same old George.
Or was he happy, angry,
under the weather?
Well, now that you mention it,
he was complaining about the heat.
I remember it was chill
in the room that night.
George, he was sweating.
Went to the fridge, get some ice.
Thanks for the warning.
You should talk to Martin.
He was the first one in the kitchen.
Yeah.
Hi. You Martin?
That's correct.
Where with the OSIR.
Boy, I hate my picture being took.
That's okay.
Can you tell us what
happened the other night?
Yeah, we were playing cards.
We play poker just about every Friday night.
And Bob's wife Alice
made us some sandwiches.
George went into the kitchen
to get some from the fridge.
Were you drinking at all
before George left the room?
Well, most of us had a beer too.
George likes his whiskey.
And then what happened?
George started to scream.
It sounded bad, so we all got
up to go see what was wrong.
And then there was this bright flash.
Hell!
Lucky there's lots more
where that came from.
Yeah, well you got that right.
I got me a deal here.
And I don't pay any tax, either.
The sample of the ashes found in the kitchen
contain no traces of gasoline, kerosene, cordite.
Nothing combustible.
In a typical cremation, a body is subjected to
2,200 degrees Fahrenheit for over three hours.
It can take 40 to 50 gallons of fuel.
Can you imagine what kind of heat would be required
to reduce a body to ashes in a matter of seconds?
Yet our witnesses say that's what happened.
Well, if that's the case, then everything
else in that kitchen should have gone out too.
If it wasn't external, could it be internal?
How are their physicals?
Fine. They're all in generally good health.
Has anyone ever heard of
the X particle theory?
In 1981, a professor, Howard M. Georgi III,
published an article entitled,
A Unified Theory on Elemental
Particles and Forces.
And in it he described a unifying base
particle, which he named the X particle.
Its size is defined as 10 to the
power of minus 29 centimeters.
That's pretty small.
Yeah.
You could fit about 800 trillion
X particles into that one dot.
You probably still have
room to park your RV.
Where are you going with this?
If two quarks come close enough
to exchange an X particle,
it could lead to a chain reaction in
which hydrogen atoms are annihilated,
leaving just gamma rays and photons.
A lightning-quick subatomic chain reaction
that instantly dehydrates the body.
What is the probability
of this happening?
It's slim.
However, high levels of blood alcohol
could cause the hydrogen atoms in the
body's water and glucose to energize.
Most documented SHC cases involve
subjects who have been drinking heavily.
Exactly.
Can you isolate their voices?
I'll see what I can do.
Later on we'll clear out George's place.
What about Friday?
Are they going ahead with the plans?
Not now, Alvin.
People are watching everything we do.
Yeah, so?
So not now.
What plan do you suppose
they're talking about?
Martin said they played poker
together every Friday night.
Maybe they're talking about whether
to continue or not without George.
I thought we should drink a toast
with the whiskey he loves so much.
Good idea.
Yeah.
A toast.
Send him off.
To George.
A man who believed in
what we all believe in.
So deeply that like us he
dedicated his life to the cause.
While we are one fewer today
we must carry on in his honor.
To George.
To George.
Damn.
Get him down!
Case log update.
Dean Matthews remains in serious condition.
To the best of our knowledge,
spontaneous human combustion
has never struck two people
so closely connected.
We're now striving to understand and prevent
what may be developing into a deadly pattern.
And how did Dean seem at the wake?
Upset.
How's he supposed to feel?
We're just trying to find out what
happened to your friends, Alvin.
Let me tell you this much, ma'am.
Best college course I ever
took was finite mathematics.
And I know that every time
I deal from a clean deck,
I got the same chance of
pulling an ace in a fair game.
But I also know that
nowadays you've got your UN,
and you've got your New World Order,
and you've got your black
helicopters flying over our city.
So don't you go telling me
there's no reason for this.
This is some kind of freaking nature.
No.
Someone dealt George and Dean
a real crappy hand, ma'am.
You're all going to want to see this.
After Peter's on the lecture
on X particles in quartz,
I sent samples of the men's blood
back to the central lab for analysis
under electron microscopes.
This is a computer enhancement
of the atomic action in Dean Matthews'
blood taken after his arm caught fire.
Is this abnormal?
No, but this is.
Whoa, wind that back.
What is it?
It looks inorganic.
The joints appear to be
held together by hinges.
At a subatomic level?
It's a nanite.
Shall I explain that to you?
Nanites are used for manufacturing
at a molecular level.
They're basically microscopic-sized robots.
I always thought this was theoretical.
We're on the threshold
of a major breakthrough,
but I am not aware of anything that's
as advanced as what was on that tape.
Theoretically, what could these nanites do?
Anything.
They're programmed to build things
from the base up, including themselves.
You mean they can self-replicate?
Well, you see, that's the
beauty of nanotechnology.
You build one nanite,
teach it to build itself,
and in no time at all you
have trillions of them.
So these things are actually
exploding inside the subjects?
No, not exactly.
They're actually breaking down and
rebuilding a person's molecular structure,
causing a chemical reaction,
like the one Peter described earlier.
Exactly. Like I said, they
can do just about anything.
Turn a person into a time bomb.
Case file update.
Dean Matthews' condition
has been upgraded to stable.
We are keeping two OSIR medical
technicians at the hospital
and will continue to track his progress.
Unfortunately, conventional
medical and environmental tests
have failed to reveal the
cause of his injuries.
Next communication in six hours. Doyle out.
Help me !
Doyle !
*** Code black !
Help me !
Help me !
Was Dean Matthews the only
one with nanites in his blood?
No, Martin Shaw.
Martin, we need to talk to you.
You again?
Well, I got a lot of work to do here.
It's really important.
We need to run some more tests.
Yeah... I don't think so,
because I've already done that.
We think we know what
actually happened to George and Dean.
We want to stop it
from happening to you.
To me?
What the hell are you talking about?
Mr. Shaw, we have to act quickly.
There may not be much time.
All right, all right.
Just let me finish up here, all right?
You may have been contaminated by that
whiskey that you brought to George.
Go that way !
Connor !
We're trying to save your life.
You don't know what you've started.
Then enlighten me.
Get off me !
Case file update.
We've apprehended Martin Shaw and
we'll question him at a safe house.
I believe Shaw can provide the
hidden link between the five men.
They're all terrorists.
Even Alvin and Bob?
Yeah.
Real American patriots.
They're the group that's
responsible for the fire bomb
on the Washington subway last year.
They're planning another attack next week.
You work undercover for
the U.S. government.
What agency?
Your mission was to
infiltrate their group,
confirm their plans,
and use this new technology
to assassinate them without
them realizing they've been pegged.
Why not just arrest them?
Terrorism's a capital offence.
Why not just give them a platform?
A martyr is infinitely more
destructive than any bomb.
These groups are a smoldering fire,
spreading across America.
They need to be snuffed out
now before they explode.
You know you have nanites in your blood?
Nanites?
How are they activated?
There must be a dormant pair, or you
wouldn't be sitting here right now.
Is it a time delay,
or are they controlled by remote?
What are you talking about?
Can I leave now?
You're not going anywhere
until we confirm your story.
Call Elsinger.
Elsinger ?
He knows about you?
Just call him.
He's privy to Black Ops.
He can help me.
You can't.
Ladies, gentlemen.
As far as our contacts are concerned,
Martin Shaw has never worked for any
aboveboard intelligence or black ops group.
He's unremarkable.
He served in the army.
There is nothing to him.
His entire story has been denied by
all official and unofficial channels.
Well, that's not unusual.
What about the other men?
Are they really terrorists?
All that gasoline,
explosives Bob Guthrie was using?
There's nothing to link them to
any known anti-government militia.
What about the nanites?
None of our sources can confirm the advancement
of nanotechnology to the extent suggested here.
What do you mean suggested?
Well, since all of your samples were destroyed,
we have no way to validate your findings.
I have a couple more questions.
Just wrap it up, Connor.
How does he know you?
- Who?
- Martin Shaw.
You're doing a great job here, Connor.
That's why we were brought in, isn't it?
We were supposed to legitimize events,
make it look like it really was
spontaneous human combustion.
Martin Shaw is as much a pawn in this
as we are.
Why we've been kept in the dark ?
Why don't you ask him ?
How did Martin Shaw pull
Elsinger's name out of the hat?
He didn't get it off the internet.
Well, what next?
We're supposed to turn Shaw over
to the FBI as soon as possible.
They want to question him in
connection with the subway bombing.
And then he'll just
disappear into the system.
What did you find?
Well, I reviewed our background checks.
He moved out here three years
ago after he left the army.
Nothing unusual.
But I did find that he filed
and paid income tax last year.
When you and Peter interviewed him?
He claimed he didn't pay taxes.
Such as his own little protest
against the government?
Or part of his cover.
Sounds like black ops.
If I were a gambling man, I'd bet there's a
new identity being assembled for Martin Shaw.
Maybe for some witness
protection program.
Let's take a drive.
To see Shaw?
Once he's under arrest,
he's entitled to one phone call.
I want him to call me.
Final case log.
We've retested both Bob
Guthrie and Alvin McLaren,
and their blood is perfectly normal.
Mystery still surrounds the
man claiming to be Martin Shaw.
We were unable to identify
the remains found.
No aspect of his story or his
true identity has been confirmed.
The conclusion in this file pointed away
from the spontaneous human
combustion phenomenon
and towards a man-made conspiracy
to eliminate domestic terrorists
employing artificial accelerant combustibles
in order to exact a subversive
and darkly poetic justice.
... the body of Alexander
Byron Harper to the earth.
Let us be consoled in the knowledge
that his spirit soars to heaven,
and he will know peace.
So, ashes to ashes, dust to dust.
Amen.
Come on, Cory, let's go.
You still have to pack up your things.
Just give me a minute, Dad.
Look, I have to be back in Washington, so...
So go!
Cory...
He was my only friend, Dad.
Hey Cory, how are you?
The same I guess.
They're coming for me this afternoon.
Cory, before you go,
could you come talk to us for a while?
Things were kind of rushed before.
I'd like to get your side of the story.
Yeah.
Why not?
He's the one who killed my son.
That kid's a manace.
That's the one who killed Harper.
Some kind of freak.
You're the one who did it.
He got Harper killed.
It was you.
He scares me.
You killed him, man.
Adolescence, the period of human growth
in which the body undergoes
dramatic and accelerated changes.
This degree of physical and emotional
development over such a short period of time
can make it a confusing and
traumatic event for a young person.
In the following case, the OSIR found
that Corey Stillman's adolescence
included the onset of psychic ability.
Final case log entry.
We're engaging in a debriefing session
with case subject Corey Stillman.
By re-examining the case
from Corey's perspective,
we may better understand why this
case ended on such a tragic note.
How are you feeling?
Um, the same.
You look exhausted.
Yeah, well, I can't sleep.
I keep having the vision.
It's the same as before.
Only now it's a memory.
Well, give it time.
Well, I don't really have
much choice where I'm going.
I know there's nothing we can do to bring
Harper back, but we're here to help.
That's all we ever really wanted to do, Corey,
but we never got the full story from you.
Let's start at the beginning.
Harper and I were in the same homeroom, and
we didn't really fit in with the cool crowds.
We hung out a lot together.
I'm gonna get caught.
Oops.
By Bradford? No way.
Man,
that guy is way too slow on the update.
I mean, he doesn't even
notice when I skip his class.
Ah, fair dimes, if this has come out,
I'd be off the king of the Britons.
Hmm, he's cute.
Man, read all that in a comic book with
the classics and thirtythree pages.
Yeah, I hate to tell you,
but the book's a bit different.
Man, that book is like
50,000 pages long. Forget it.
Let's get that test anyway.
What, another headache?
I think that you should
go because he's coming.
Who?
Bradford's coming. Come on.
- Go !
- Stillman, man, what are you saying?
Harper!
Ah, Corey. Nice work on the essay.
Oh, thanks, Mr. Bradford.
I don't mean to sound like
a broken record, but...
I haven't seen him this morning.
He skipped my class today,
and this time I noticed. You sure?
Yeah, I swear my dog's grave.
I haven't seen him all day, sir.
Well, when you do see him,
you tell Mr. Alexander Harper
that if he skips the makeup test today
after school, he fails the course.
Whoa.
Got it?
Got it.
Piece of advice, Corey.
Don't let that slacker pull you down.
You got more brains than that.
Man, how the hell would
you know he was coming?
I mean, man, that was cool.
Oh, man,
my head is totally killing me.
Listen, you have to go to that
makeup test after school today.
Yeah, right, as if I could pass.
You will.
Because I know exactly
what's gonna be on the test.
What, did you pick Bradford's pocket?
Now let me guess, you read his mind.
I read his mind.
I read his mind and
I saw the answers.
You're kidding, right?
Right?
Well done.
We'll discuss this later, Mr. Harper.
I could just see into Bradford's mind.
The answers were all there.
Bradford was sure that
Harper was cheating
and that I was in on it,
but he didn't have any way of proving it.
And the headaches?
They didn't go away.
Corey, did you ever use your
psychic abilities for yourself?
No, I never needed to.
But you kept using your power,
your ability to help Alex Harper.
Wouldn't you?
I mean, it kept him out of trouble.
At first.
Listen, we're gonna get caught.
Bradford knows something's going on.
You've never gotten above
a C in your entire life,
now, suddenly you're a
straight A geek like me.
What, like Bradford the
Betazoid's gonna bust us
for the illegal use of psychic powers?
I mean, come on, man.
Listen, just slow down.
Get a few wrong answers
on purpose now and then.
Yeah, whatever.
Hello class, I'm Ms. Donner.
I'll be your substitute
while Mr. Bradford is away.
So the NARC finally
caught up with that guy.
I'll be picking up where he left off.
Chapter 12, the 20th century.
Corey, Alex, can I speak
with you for a minute?
Move along people,
there's nothing to see here.
I just wanted a chance to meet
Mr. Bradford's two star pupils.
He told me you guys are
the top guns in the class.
That's us, ma'am.
I gotta go.
Corey?
Don't worry about him, ma'am.
He just pulled the non-lighter.
Man, what is with you?
I don't know Harper, I just don't trust her.
Of course you don't, she's a teacher.
Oh and a sweet teacher too.
Corey man, come on.
I couldn't read her, okay?
She was blocking me.
Look, so maybe it'll take a few days, right?
I mean, you'll get a fix on her.
No, she's different.
We got to get out of here.
Smothing bad's going to happen.
Hey Batman, a boy wonder,
we've been looking for you.
Mr. Chandler would like to see
you in his office. Let's go.
Well hello, fellas.
Look, Chandler, if this is
about the party last Saturday...
Shut up, this isn't about you.
It's about him.
I wanna know how Golden
Boy over there does this.
Hey man, what'd you get there?
Shut up.
Like I said, I wasn't talking to you.
So how'd you do it, freak?
Stop it, man.
Look, he just...
Joke Boy over here doesn't have half
the brains to get the marks he does.
And this is definitely perfect marks.
From zero to hero.
So how'd you do it?
How did you cheat for him?
You're crazy, you're crazy.
My dad wants me to go to Harvard, but the
problem is is I just don't have the marks.
But that's gonna change.
Because whatever you do to get this
loser to the top, you're gonna do for me.
So do you get the picture?
Why should he do anything for you?
Let's just get out of here.
Yeah, sure.
After I teach this guy some manners.
Afternoon, boys.
Say, now, aren't you fellas
a little late for class?
Well, what do you know?
We must have lost track of time.
There you go.
I'll catch you guys later.
Hi.
Right.
The janitor...
And the other guy.
Did you know you were under
surveillance at that point?
I wasn't sure.
I had bigger problems.
Yeah, like you and your buddy escaping
from that washroom in one piece.
Um, all I really knew was that Ms. Donner
was different from all the other teachers.
What happened when Chandler
and his gang threatened you?
Things just got worse.
That was when I first had the vision.
I love those guys.
I knew something like this was bad now,
but I knew we were gonna get found out.
Yeah, yeah, Stillman, were right.
Come on, let's just get you home.
More trouble ?
No, nothing.
Come on, let's get out of here.
And, uh, I saw it so clearly.
And I knew then that
Harper was gonna die.
After you were threatened,
we realized you were at risk.
Things were getting dangerous.
We could no longer work covertly.
So we decided to try and approach you
through normal channels to protect you.
Yeah, sorry.
I was a jerk.
Hi.
Oh, uh, go ahead, search it.
I just want to talk to you.
My name's Connor Doyle.
I'm with an independent
investigation organization.
We look into unexplained phenomena.
What do you want?
I know you're special, Cory.
I want to help you if you'll let me.
You know,
I'm really late and I gotta go, so...
Cory?
So, this X-files geek shows up and tells me
I'm special and you think I'm overreacting.
You're being paranoid.
I don't think so.
Where's your smart mouth now,
joke boy?
Listen, seeing as you were so kind to offer
me the test of last week's Chem exam,
I got an even bigger task for you.
I want the SATs by Saturday.
You got that, freak?
Come on, man !
You know,
everything always works out.
Oh, man.
Man, what the hell's wrong with you?
***,
and now you act like as if I'm dead.
Don't say that !
- So, what you see ?
- Nothing !
Look, man, just *** me we'll
never see that jerk again.
I mean, everything will be fine,
right ?
Right ?
Yeah, right...
Why didn;
t you tell Harper what you saw ?
Did you think he
wouldn't believe you ?
No,
the thing is he'd totally believe me.
I mean, everything else I
saw came true, why not this ?
Yes, but he could have paniced,
Corey.
Or worse,
ended his friendship with you.
What if it wasn't true?
If only I could go back in time,
I could warn him and he'd still be alive.
So you weren't certain you
were always seeing the future?
I wasn't sure of anything.
I thought it could still be hit and miss.
I mean, it seemed real,
but what if it was just my imagination?
What changed your mind?
The visions just kept getting stronger.
I mean, really intense.
I thought maybe I could use the visions.
You know, if I could see the future,
why couldn't I...
Alter it?
Yeah, change the future.
I knew if I kept giving the answers to Chandler,
he would never leave me and Harper alone.
But I thought, you know,
I can see the future.
What if I can use this
information to make it different?
That's what made you come to us.
I really thought you guys could help.
I'm ready.
Ready for what?
To talk to your boss.
Your real boss.
Corey...
When did you first start
seeing into people's minds?
About a year ago.
When my mom died,
I started hearing voices in my head.
Other people's voices.
Tell me about the visions.
Are they different?
They're the future.
I can feel danger and I know when
something bad is gonna happen.
How do you feel at the exact...
It seems he has two distinct powers.
Telepathy and precognition.
One reinforcing the other.
That's a lot to handle for a 16-year-old.
So he reads minds and can somehow
see the future of that person?
He sees specific images in other's minds.
What the teacher is planning on
putting on the test, for example.
How can he predict future events?
He seems to know when
things are about to happen.
His power is still developing.
It's similar to his hormonal
and physical development.
He's going through massive changes.
Why do you think he came to us?
Fear.
So let's continue.
Are there any visions that keep recurring?
That's why I came here.
Okay, I can't shut it
out and I can't stop it.
And it's Harper's death and
I can see it so clearly.
That's why I came here.
We have to stop it from happening.
We have to stop Harper from dying.
You know...
I have to go to him.
Hey, have you seen Harper?
Damn it!
Cover the first and second floors.
There's no sign of Harper.
Where'd Corey go?
He just took off.
He said he'd be faster on his own.
He promised to meet us out front.
I don't like this, Lindsay.
Damn it!
Well, thanks for coming.
I like before and after pictures.
Harper?
Where you been?
Busy reading minds, I hope.
That's right, your friend over here says that
you have this power to read the teacher's minds.
Pretty cool, huh?
But I caught you.
Didn't I?
All right, just let him go and I
will tell you anything you want.
Well, now that's exactly
what I wanted to hear.
But first,
never keep me waiting again.
Um, it isn't even loaded.
I know that it is.
Stillman, man...
Forget it, let's go.
No!
- Drop the gun, man.
- No!
You're scared!
I can feel your fear,
and it's all because of me.
Cory, no!
No !
No !
***
It was me.
I pulled the trigger.
You just can't cheat it.
What?
Fate.
You can't.
What do you guys care anyway?
Anyone of you don't have any feelings.
I can't sense a thing from any of you.
We do have feelings.
We just couldn't let you know them.
We were jamming you.
See, that's why we use this.
It's planted just behind the ear.
And sends out a signal that
scrambles the electrical impulses
that are associated
with brainwave activity.
We've used them before
with other telepaths.
Well, there's just one
more thing I want to know.
How did you guys find out
about me and my power?
I told them.
I know I'm not the best dad
in the world, but I know you.
Ever since your mother died,
I could see you'd changed.
I changed into a freak, right?
No. Different. Unique.
Your father, Mr. Bradford,
thought we should investigate. Quietly.
We'd hope to understand your abilities
and help you come to terms with them.
Well, then I did.
Well, then I guess you
did all that you could.
And it was just Harper's
fate or destiny or whatever.
And mine. Right?
But I wish you could have told
me all this in the first place.
He'll adjust fine to the new school.
I hope so.
It's gonna be very different there.
Corey will be fine with us.
There'll be lots of
other kids just like him.
Call us in about a week.
Here's our card.
We'll arrange a visit
as soon as possible.
Thanks, Connor.
We'll be a touch.
Final case log addendum.
Robert Chandler was charged
with felonious assault
and will be sent to a
juvenile detention center.
Corey Stillman will
be going to a place
where his unique abilities
will be better understood.
When we perceive in our
children a particular gift,
a positive ability or skill,
it is natural that we
encourage them to develop it.
So why not promote the same degree
of support and encouragement,
even if the ability is
an unconventional one,
beyond the immediate powers
of our understanding.
I'm Dan Aykroyd for Psi Factor.
Subtitle made by Adr1an