PSI Factor: Chronicles of the Paranormal (1996–2000): Season 1, Episode 22 - Perestroika - full transcript

These stories are inspired
by the actual case files

of the Office of Scientific
Investigation and Research.

They don't pay us enough for this job.

What am I saying, Nikolai?
They don't pay us anything.

Watch it, comrade.
You never know who's listening.

No one is listening.
That's the problem.

The valve is stuck again.

Probably icing us loose.
Check it out.

Hey!

Alexei, what are you doing?

Come on, Nikolai,
come on down here!



What for?

****

The best deck in the world!

Alexei, let's finish our ***.

We'll come back tomorrow.

Come on, what's the hurry? Hang on!

Hey !

What do you think it is?

Oh my God !

50,000 years ago, much of the northern
hemisphere was covered by glaciers.

Both early man and animals retreated
before the relentless force of the ice age.

But what if at that time

some presently unknown creature was
caught by this worldwide winter storm

and preserved within the polar ice cap?



What would happen if the ice surrounding
this frozen creature began to melt?

These were the circumstances which the OSIR was
summoned to confront in case number 321-147.

Check, check, check. Gatuf?

Data entry 212, access 41.
Dr. Hanna Guskova speaking.

This transmission is to confirm the claim
directed to our department last week.

Administrator Dolbaranov speaking.

It is some prehistoric creature.

It may have broken over a glacier
and washed ashore in the ice flow.

As of yet, it remains unidentified but
appears to be many thousand years old.

It looks like a found of genuine significance.
It was discovered by...

Nikolai Voitsin.

Alexei Shasharin.

Caretakers of the plant.
Congratulations.

We are going to be famous.

These pictures were sent last week.

****

What does this have to do with us?

They're still having difficulty
identifying the species.

Really?

The transmission originated from an
extremely remote area of northern Russia.

Apparently it's a mothballed
gas liquefaction plant.

It's years out of date.

I want you to get up
there as soon as you can

and find out exactly what it is
these people have discovered.

Put a team together?

Better make it a full
unit just to be thorough.

Are you sure?

The Russians have probably
done all the preliminary work.

I strongly suggest that
you take a full team.

All pertinent background information is in
there as well as specific orders for you, Doyle.

For your eyes only.

And, Connor...

Yes, sir.

Have a safe trip.

Dr. Hannah Duskova speaking.

Special circumcise, gray code.

I repeat, gray code.

Help us !

Please, I beg of someone.

Help us, please,
before it's too late.

I really hate it when these rentals
aren't all they're cracked up to be.

And it sounded so
good in the brochure.

Roomie air condition,
CD Parade adult.

I rented cars one summer
when I was in college.

Actually, I rented one to Raquel Welch.

That was before she
became THE Raquel Welch.

Really? Did she give you a tip?

No, but she still writes.

You hear that, Connor?

Connor?

- I was just thinking.
- About the case?

Love to hear your thoughts.

Yeah, why is a full team sent for a
simple cryptozoological investigation?

Come on, Anton. They're never simple.

Well, other than a few background specifics,
I don't know any more than you do.

I didn't get very much
information from Elsinger.

Connor, what's really going on?

I'm sorry.

There's nothing to tell.

We're stoping

(speaking in Russian)

(speaking in Russian)

Take it easy, Boris.
I don't speak the language.

Why are you here?

I'm going to send you the documents.

Get out, get out.

Come on, come on.

Doyle speaks Russian.

It's news to me.

Well, that was easy.

Too easy.

Is this the investigation site?

No, we got a long way to go yet.

All right, I want you to take the wheel.
We're gonna go in.

I'll take over.

All right.

So where's the welcoming committee?

(speaking in Russian)

Let's do a quick sweep
and secure the perimeter.

(speaking in Russian)

It's like a bomb went off.

No sign of looting,
but sure quite a struggle.

What the hell happened in here?

I don't know, but it probably has
something to do with this. LQ.

It looks like a myelodon.

Meaning what exactly?

A prehistoric ground sloth.
They've been extinct for 60,000 years.

Where is everybody?

Doyle!

Help me turn him.

Oh, my !

He's been dead a few days.

What's that around his mouth?

It appears to have come from inside him.

It has an organic quality,
but it's definitely not human tissue.

Okay, let's get started.

These are the blueprints
to the facility.

They're dated, but they should help.

Also, there's some background
information and photographs

of the two men stationed here, as well
as the investigating Russian scientists.

That first picture is Nikolai Boitsin,
the dead man, formerly a structural engineer.

The other caretaker is Alexei Shasharin.

He's 35, he holds a PhD
in electrical engineering.

The other missing Russians are Dr. Hannah
Guskova, 31, she's a paleontologist,

Dolph Baranov, 35,
he's an administrative officer,

and Boris Novic, 50,
he's a genetic specialist.

Sounds like one of our teams.

Claire, I want you to
find out why Nikolai died.

And Cooper, I need you to
confirm that this is in fact a...

What did you call it?

What ? It's a myelodon.

Anton, I need you to assist Claire,

and see what equipment you can
scrounge up that might help us.

And the rest of us?

Let's find the missing Russians.

I'd say this place hasn't
been operational in years.

It's a hell of a joint
to be stationed in.

What did this plant do exactly?

Press natural gas into liquid
form so it could be shipped.

Guess that means that no
smoking ban is in effect.

- The motion detector's working ?
- Yeah.

Hold it.

There. Check the range.
100 meters.

Good.

It looks like we're here.

These stairs should take
us to the lower levels.

Hold on.

I'm picking up something.

What is it?

Low-level gamma ray emissions.

Radiation in here?

Is it dangerous?

Not yet.

I don't want to build my
dream house here, though.

Radiation levels are dropping off.

Conner, have a look at this.

Jesus!

What the hell did this?

Managed to find a
microscope back there.

You determine what it is?

Well, it's definitely a myelodon.

But how it got way up here's
another question altogether.

How do you mean?

Well, they were native to South America,
not Russia.

Interesting.

This is unreal.

Something attached itself to the inner
wall of what's left of this man's stomach.

Puncture marks are circular.

And about an inch in diameter,
you see?

It resembles the mark a leech would
make after it was removed from flesh.

The way the tissue's constricted, I would say
that something was sucking for all it was worth.

And that something ate its insides out.

But I guess it doesn't
like liver either.

Hold it. I've got motion.

Something moving quickly.
That way about 20 meters. Let's go!

- Where?
- This way, moving away from us.

- Which way?
- I'm losing it. Over here.

Is it me or is it colder down here?

Come on !

What was that ?

He's definitely human. Let's find him.

Freeze!

Both of you !

No, no, don't shoot!

Stop!

Don't move!

Americans?

Are you FBI, CIA?

Idiot!

They have come for us, haven't you?

Oh, thank God!

Thank God!

Dr. Guskova?

Yes, Hannah.

I'm sorry,
I was getting *** and I thought...

That's a Alexi, the other caretaker.

Yes, he is very sick.

Please, help us.

Why are you hiding down here?

Something is loose in the facility.

Some kind of animal.

It's hunting us.

I don't believe it.

What have you found?

Here, take a look for yourself.

There's something living in
the flesh of the myelodon.

Well, it can't be.

I mean, it must be tens of thousands of years
old and dead at least that long, I hope.

Well, I extracted these
from the intestinal area.

I don't know, they look like...

Well, they look like parasite eggs.

Parasite eggs?

- Anton!
- You know, you might be right.

They do appear to be
functioning at a primary level.

Everyone is accounted for.

What about Axon and Donahue?

They're bringing the other scientists.

He's dead.

This one's not doing so good.

You're not doing so good.

Start with him.

Let me get you some ice.

I'll get some blankets.

Anton, ***

It's from the glacier.

Thanks.

Poor Nikolai.

Did you see what happened to him?

No.

We were out examining the ice
flow and when we returned...

Was he sick?

Was he coughing or vomiting?

No.

He just seemed to be in a lot of pain.

The next morning, though,
his pain was over.

We found him like that with that
stuff running out of his mouth.

The next afternoon, in the generator
area, the pipes came alive.

What do you mean?

Something attacked Boris like
a snake but with no head.

Did you see that?

We got Alexei and moved
to where you found us.

It was cold but we seemed to be safe.

Why didn't you radio for help?

But we did.

That's why you are here, isn't it?

What's wrong?

What's happening to him?

5cc stat.

Cooper?

He's very cold.

Hold his arm.

- What is that?
- Vodka. Should help.

I think...

...that's better.

Do something!

Help him!

God ! What...

Everyone back.

Cooper, get it!

What is it?

Is he alright?

Doyle, Connor,
requesting secure line status.

Relink through OSIR SATCOM,
clearance code number 014451.

Connor, good to hear from you.

It's amazing technology, isn't it?

From the middle of nowhere,
as clear as a bell.

And a secure line, too.

Yes, sir.
I need to update you on our status.

Of course.

Sir, there have been
three Russian fatalities.

We think the myelodon these people found
contains some sort of a parasitic creature.

A parasite?
Has anyone from the team been injured?

Uh, not seriously, no.

Then you'd better upgrade the investigation.

This, uh, parasite looks
like it needs further study.

Our central lab will be waiting.

You want us to bring it back?

Of course. A new life form is
extremely rare, wouldn't you agree?

See that it happens without fail.

Understood, sir, but...

Unfortunately, the weather conditions
make road access difficult.

Yes, sir.

Sir, can I ask you a question?

Of course.

Were you aware of or did you receive any
distress transmissions from this facility?

Yes. Unfortunately, we were
unable to confirm its legitimacy.

I thought the additional information
might influence your line of inquiry.

I'm sorry, Connor.

Helsinger out.

Son-of-a...

A new life form...

Great.

Well, Alexei has similar internal
organ damage to Nikolai.

What sense?

Whatever this thing is,
it grew inside them

and eventually did enough
damage to kill them.

Well, what killed that?

Well, I really don't know, but
something drove it from Alexei's body.

Now, it may have been the alcohol,
but I'm gonna have to run some tests.

LQ, I've never heard of a
parasite using the human body

in such a dominant manner.

Well, theoretically it is possible.

There are several species,

specifically from the Phyla
nematoda and Platyhelminthus

that have been found in the human body,
but they are not nearly as aggressive,

nor as large as these.

Cooper, could you walk us
through the life cycle?

Okay.

Well, it's a two-step process, really.

First, the parasite eggs are deposited
in what we call the intermediate host.

In this case, they were flash-frozen
in the goth, the myelodon.

Why flash-frozen?

Well, Connor, it's the only way I can
explain the quality of the preservation.

Then, upon thawing, the parasite eggs have to be
transmitted to what we call the definitive host.

In this case, Alexei and Nikolai.

All right.

Upon entering the definitive host,

they attach themselves to the inner wall
of the stomach or the intestine,

and they begin to feed off the host.

On maturity, it leaves the body,

effectively killing the host,

and becomes a fully self-sufficient,
free-living adult life form.

So the parasite that emerged from Nikolai
could have attacked and killed this man?

And still be out there.

Claire, does this man
have any internal damage?

Yes, but nothing like Alexei's or Nikolai's.

Boris's wound is consistent with the
external attack of a lamprey eel.

How could something that
small do this much damage?

It must be growing.

Whatever it was that
attached itself to Boris

had to be 20 times the size
of the specimen in the jar.

Excuse me, aren't we forgetting
an important question?

How is this thing getting inside
people's bodies in the first place?

I don't know.

Any one of us could have one of those
things growing inside us right now.

Connor.

You okay?

Yeah, I just haven't slept much.

Well, try to pace yourself.

We need to have you sharp.

Yes, sir.

So all we gotta do is shut down the heating
and the lighting in this half of the plant.

Along this axis.
We can keep it away from the living quarters.

Right,
and interested in the area we're in.

Could be done.

Assuming we can isolate it,
we're gonna need a lot of liquid nitrogen

and a remote trigger mechanism.

Excuse me, what are you talking about?

You want to shut the power down?
Why?

We want to trap the creature
and we think it likes heat.

Heat as in electricity
or heat as in humans?

Probably both.

This setup looks pretty standard.

Just don't touch these switches here.
We'll activate compressors.

And then what?

Very dangerous. Natural gas buildup.

Eventually, boom!

It'll blow us all sky high.

Russian technology, pretty standard.

Hannah had her suspicions about
this mission right from the start.

I told you what I know.

Why do we have to
keep going over it ?

A lot of things aren't making sense.

And there are more than a
few unanswered questions.

What answers do you want to hear?

What about your mission?

What did your government tell
you before you were sent here?

I already explained that.

Well, let's go over it again.

I don't have to talk to you.

Hannah, please.
We need more information.

What's the problem, Lindsay?

Just trying to thaw out relations.

We all want to know the truth.

The only truth is our imminent death
if we don't get out of here soon.

Could you give us a minute?

Sure. I'll be in the communications
room if you need me.

Thanks.

I don't like that woman.
She has so many questions.

She's a friend.

I suppose the next thing you're going to
say is that she's also good at her job.

Yeah, she's that too.

So don't talk to me about your orders.

Okay.

Everything I touched,

anything I ate or drank,

it could have infected me
like it did the others.

Then I am as good as dead.

Maybe not.

Maybe there's a way to save a
person by removing the eggs.

I like your optimism, Doyle.

It's very American.

Very can-do.

But if I knew for certain that
I was host to that thing, I'd...

i'd...

You'd what ?

I'd rather die than give that thing life.

Hannah...

Temperatures dropping
rapidly seems to be working.

Soviet engineering.

It's the one that kept up with
the arms race all these years.

Ray, get that valve, will you ?

Alright, the sector is finished.

Let's move on.

What ?

Did you hear something?

Peter, look out !

Did you hit it?

I don't know.

Did you get a look at it?

Big and ugly,
like Cooper said.

We better let Doyle know about this.

We are the Forgotten Ones.

We're all sent up here
because we're expendable.

Look, my government must have
known about this thing,

about this monster we unleashed.

That's why Hannah and I were sent here.

That's why your team was sent.

Think about it, Dr. Hendricks.

We're not being set up, Dolph.

When we came here,
everything that happened, the deaths,

that was all an unfortunate accident.

My friend, in my experience,

very little that happens in
this life is an accident.

Look, get some rest.

I'll talk to you in the morning.

- Good night.
- Good night...

I can't take it any longer.

I'm tired of it.

Come on, come on.

What is it Doyle?
I'm in the middle of a status 6 debriefing.

I'm sorry, sir.

There's a situation developing
here that warrants reevaluation.

I don't think we should be
forced to proceed further.

What are you saying?

A plan is underway to try to
recapture the parasitic creature.

But I don't agree with your request
to bring it back to Central Lab.

Are you challenging my decision, Doyle?

Yes sir, I suppose I am. Doyle out.

Connor. Connor?

Look how happy we were.

I couldn't have known.

Let's tell Doyle.

Connor.

The parasite eggs in the myelodon require
a warm, wet environment to survive.

Now once exposed directly to the air,
they die within seconds.

Well how did Nikolai
and Alexei get infected?

Well, I'm assuming that no one
actually ate any part of the myelodon.

You said that the eggs were also in
the ice surrounding the myelodon.

Yeah.

Go back.

Yeah. Alexei and Nikolai.

They used the ice in their drinks.

But I thought the parasites
reacted violently to alcohol.

We all saw what happened to Alexei.

The parasite eggs were still in a form of
stasis when they were frozen in the ice.

Oh my God !

Is there any way we could tell if
one of those things was inside us?

Not here.

Back of the lab I could do
an ultrasound or an MRI.

A saliva test might indicate something
but it wouldn't be conclusive.

Hannah ?

Did you drink with them?

I did.

I just didn't choose the ice.

I thought it was disgusting.

Did you touch the ice?

Put your hand to your mouth afterwards?

I can't remember.

Is there anything that we could do

for someone who had one of these
parasites already growing inside them?

I won't know until I have a
chance to research it more.

This is the most violent
specimen I've ever seen.

Any luck?

The plan should have worked.

We had it isolated to three areas
where it could have survived.

It... it just disappeared.

What?

Nothing on the motion detector,
nothing on infrared.

It should be there.

It's not.

About how big is it right now?

Last time I saw it, five or six feet.

Something is accelerating its growth.

Well, we picked up radiation
all through the lower levels.

We could be sitting on a uranium deposit.

- Or illegally stored nuclear waste.
- Yeah.

Let's ask Dolph.

He should be able to answer
some of these questions.

Where is Dolph?

Well, last time I saw him,
is when I looked in on him last night.

Go find him.

Where'd Hannah go?

What are you doing?

I told you. I'd rather die.

You heard what they said.
It's too late.

That's not true.

No !

Connor, better have a look at this.

There's no blood.

Well, the parasite probably
sucked a lot of him like a leech.

We thought he might still be alive, but take
a look at the size of the hole in his chest.

This one's more severe and much
larger than the one Boris suffered.

I don't understand.
What was he doing down here?

He was scared and he was cold.

He's going to kill us all, one by one.

Doyle?

- Are you okay ?
- Yeah, I'm fine.

Connor?

Peter, I'm alright.

We have to contain this thing.

Stop it from laying any more eggs.

If it gets out, we could have a
much larger disaster on our hands.

How's it gonna get out?
It doesn't like the cold, remember?

We don't know that for certain.

You said yourself it just disappeared.

We have to stop it.

Destroy it.

Destroy it? What happened to
capturing it and studying it?

What good could come from
understanding something like this?

I want to make sure it
never leaves this place.

Elsinger's not gonna like that.

Doyle?

We're starting the autopsy.

Cooper, mask.

Stop it !

Oh my God !

Get it off !
Get it off !

Cooper!

Help Cooper !

Peter !

No !
No !

Doyle, get it off him !

Now !

Cooper! Cooper! Look at me!

It's okay. It's okay.

Get him down.

It's okay. It's okay.

Told you it needed a warm
wet and fire and wet...

Is he dead?

No, not yet.

How bad is he?

He's in shock. He needs a hospital.
I can't treat this here. A hospital now!

Get him on the truck.
We're pulling out. Go!

Okay, you're gonna be okay.
Take care of him.

Where are you going?

The power grid that opens the loading bay doors.
I'll turn it back on and I'll meet you outside.

Okay, give me a stretcher.

- I'm going with you.
- And a blanket.

No. I can handle it.

But Connor...

Lindsay, I'm giving you an order.
Leave, now !

Okay, one, two, three, lift.

Lindsay, come and take this quarter.

What is it?

Something I left behind.

Make sure Connor's all right!

Oh no !

Hand it of to me.

Careful !

I got him.

- Is he gonna make it ?
- Not if we don't hurry.

Come on ! Come on !

What's that sound ?

Compressors coming on.
They don't sound healthy.

We've got to get out of here.

Connor!

Connor!

Go, Peter. Get out of here.

- You're coming with me.
- No.

We'll get you back to headquarters.
We'll get that thing out of you.

Too late.

Are the loading doors open?

I don't know.

Damn, I forgot.

Over here. One of these switches
will open the loading doors.

And you can get Cooper to a hospital.

Come on !

We got it !

Come on !
Come on !

Connor and Peter
they're still in there!

This place is gonna blow!
Get in !

Lindsay !

Get Cooper out of here!
Let's go!

No, Conner ! No !

Remember what Dolph said
about the compressor?

I know.

I got movement.

There.

There.

There.

They're trying to surround us.

I'll hold them off and give you cover.

Now go, that's an order.

No.

Peter, I'll never survive the trip.

But this thing might.

- Connor...
- They're starting to breed outside their hosts.

Somebody has to take that information out.

I refuse to let anyone
else die under my command.

Now go.

Go !

It's Peter !

- Peter !
- Peter !

- Here !
- Right here, Peter !

Are you all right ?

Where's Connor ?

Where is he?

Final case log,
Peter Axon reporting.

Cooper's well on his
way to a full recovery.

We've completed a thorough
search of the facility.

No evidence of the
parasitic creature,

nor any of its eggs have been found.

Nor were Connor Doyle's
remains recovered.

A memorial will be held
next week in his honor.

Axon out.

Addendum to file.

OSIR is suspending indefinitely the
investigation into the mysterious circumstances

surrounding the death of
our friend and colleague,

Connor Doyle.

Until further notification,
file number 321147 is officially closed.

Hellsinger out.

We have recently been fascinated
with the techniques of cryogenics,

the study of very low temperatures
and their effects on organic matter,

the concept of suspended animation.

Now amphibians have been frozen
and successfully revived,

but what the OSIR encountered in the Russian
North went far beyond modest experiments.

Theories ranged from a parasite of
extraterrestrial origin to a native species

mutated by badly stored nuclear material.

Whatever the cause, the effect
as we saw was truly unfortunate.

I'm Dan Aykroyd for PSI Factor.

Subtitle made by Adr1an