PSI Factor: Chronicles of the Paranormal (1996–2000): Season 1, Episode 4 - The Creeping Darkness/Power - full transcript
These stories are inspired
by the actual case files
of the Office of Scientific
Investigation and Research.
Did you hear something?
Hear what? You had
too much wine, Miguel.
A sound.
In the livingroom.
Listen...
Somebody's up there.
Diego!
Miguel...
What in the name of God is it?
I don't know.
Be careful.
It's like some kind of shadow.
Diego!
Go call the police. Right away.
Scotophobia, fear of the dark.
In this age, fear of the dark
seems a primitive neurosis,
a throwback to a time of
superstition and unreason.
I mean, really, isn't darkness
just the absence of light?
But what if absence of
light becomes something more?
What if it becomes a darkness visible,
an almost living, growing, absolute form,
threatening to consume our
homes, our town, our world?
File number 771-10.
Case manager, Curtis
Rollins's initial case log.
Federal and local authorities have placed
this complaint at the highest security level.
Our team is proceeding to
the site of this phenomenon.
The initial police report
is fairly inconclusive.
What about the advanced
video footage of the site
that Professor Alvarez has sent us?
It doesn't reveal much.
So far, there's no rational
explanation for the phenomenon.
Note how it appears to
be cut off by the floor.
It seems to originate under the house
and then project up through the floor.
And the professor who shot this
footage didn't offer any theories?
Everything from a bizarre
low-lying cloud formation
to the discovery of neutrinos to
some form of black hole on Earth.
It all adds up to a dense
lack of light reflection
and no apparent cause.
You know, I once did a
paper on photosynthesis,
and we used to run experiments
trying to reduce photon reflection.
It's basically impossible to simulate.
Alvarez's students reached
only one definite conclusion.
And that was?
It appears to be growing.
Doctor Rollins.
Buenos dias.
Alejandro Alvarez.
Professor, nice to put a face ***
We've been reviewing the
footage you videotaped.
That's oncredible, isn't it?
You could say that.
This is so, forgive me,
indescribable, inexplicably.
Total lack of photoreflection.
Unlike anything I have
ever seen or heard of.
I'm going to begin with interviews
and hopefully get a sense of what
we're up against before we go inside.
I was so afraid that Diego
would be swallowed up by it.
Never in my life has seen such a thing.
Total blackness.
Why did it attract him of all of us.
He's just a little boy.
No, it may not sound.
Not at all.
Just a dark wall spreading
out from the floor.
Anything that went into the
darkness was gone without a trace.
Anything.
Why has this happened
to my home, to my family?
Out here, we don't get very
many complicated investigations.
Senior Richard showed my
partner and I to the room
where disturbance was.
I have been an officer
of the law for 15 years,
but nothing could have
prepared me for what I saw.
Huge blackness, like something alive.
When I saw my flashlight at it,
no light was visible through it at all.
Sir, I have seen many things in my time,
but this defies description.
Testimony from the witnesses
is consistent across the board.
This event to them defies comprehension.
Yes, so the stories all seem to match.
They all describe a
growing wall of blackness
impenetrable by light.
And testing, found no toxicity or
buying contamination in any of them.
As a safety precaution
the family will be moved
from their house indefinitely.
But Curtis, have we determined
an initial case objective of this?
The Argentine government
has requested identification
and termination of phenomenon.
The strongest possible
terms, they want this thing gone.
What, just like that?
We don't even know what it is.
Can't we just wait until we
know a little bit more about it?
I know it seems premature,
but we don't have much choice.
They perceive this
complaint as a threat.
Unless we can find a way
to identify and control it,
we have to consider its termination.
Great.
*** this is Rollins.
10-4. I copy koud and clear, Curtis.
Visual is coming to cleanly.
We're inside and proceeding
to the event site.
Any regular readings?
Negative.
Get ready, everyone.
Let's proceed with caution.
You have a visual?
It's totally opaque.
No*** penetration at all.
What are we picking up on the scans?
Minimal readings.
Displacement margins are inconclusive.
There's no chemical components.
No measurable mass.
It's almost beautiful.
Perfect.
Peter, keep your distance.
Are you reading anything
out of the ordinary?
Nothing.
Except...
Confirmed.
It's getting bigger.
These are the results
from the geodetic surveys,
as well as the geothermic and
geomagnetic environmental scans
within 100-kilometer radius.
They all indicate a
large, growing black mass
in the vicinity of the Richler Villa.
There's still nothing conclusive
on a possible point of origin.
Do you know, I think we had
to send in a remote probe,
see what kind of direct data we
can get from within the mass itself.
I agree.
Set it up for 1600 hours.
The Argentine government is
anxious to see some progress.
All right, let's keep going.
Okay.
Visuals are up, sensors online.
Anything happen yet?
****So, hazmat, no tox traces,
no abnormal concentrations
of energy fields,
nothing even slightly ***
All right, everybody set ?
Probe entering the phenomenon in three,
two,
one.
Probe has entered the anomaly.
No visuals at all.
Readings are fluctuating.
Oh, we have a problem.
Something's disrupting the signal.
Is it a malfunction?
Probe systems down.
We've lost telemetry.
Bring it back.
I can't. It's gone.
This region has a history of
geophysical and environmental phenomena.
None related in any way
to this particular anomaly.
Keep digging.
But we settle about it.
- Curtis, I want to take a team and...
- Enter the mass ?
Peter, we just lost a probe in there.
We need answers.
We can't afford to
lose any investigators.
Well, fine. I'll go by myself.
There's no evidence we can
maintain content with you.
Then we can't get you
out once you've got in there.
Look, I'll suit up in the full gear.
According to the readings it
should have been a problem.
There are no readings, Peter.
It's too risky.
We should just send in another probe.
Right, and then we'll
just lose it again.
Look, I've logged hundreds of
hours in toxic environments.
It won't be a problem. The
gear will protect me, trust me.
Curtis ?
The ultimate threat this phenomenon poses
overrides any of our personal safety.
Are you sure about this?
I didn't join up to play it safe.
Oh, let's keep going.
I don't know if you're
being brave or just stupid.
Pasha, stop pondering the
imponderables. You're back in a flash.
If you sense anything strange,
zero gravity, vacuumful, anything,
you get the hell out of there, okay?
Relax.
Is the cool stuff scientists get to do?
Hello.
Hacks on, do you copy?
10, 4, copy, loud and clear.
Visuals are good.
We'll keep your vitals online. Any
elevated readings and you're out of there.
Understood.
Okay, let's rock and roll.
Peter, do you copy?
Peter, answer us.
Affirmative.
This radio transmission.
It's clean enough.
What do you see?
Nothing. No depth perception. Light waves
aren't even registering in the environment.
Can't read the instruments.
Any sign of the probe?
I'm sorry. I can't see
myself. I'm coming out.
Sorry, Curtis.
Satisfied, Peter?
Sir, I think you should see this.
It's an uplink transmission.
It's being rerouted to us from
headquarters via satellite.
They found the same phenomenon in China.
Same configuration as ours.
Curtis, are we talking
about an outbreak?
No, not exactly.
Perhaps something much worse.
What do you mean?
Match up number one.
There's no occurrences here.
Ningbo, Gijang Province.
Ningbo is the exact
polar opposite to Hohoi.
Which opens up the possibility that
instead of two separate occurrences,
we could be dealing with...
One very large, very
dangerous phenomenon.
Senior Rollins !
If I may ask, your investigation,
how does it proceed ?
Slowly.
We are trying everything in our power
to understand this manifestation.
It's a little frustrating.
Perhaps this event is something
we are not meant to understand.
Why is that?
You have brought all your
scientific knowledge here
and have found nothing to explain it.
These things take time.
We haven't done everything we can yet.
Believe me, we will find
out what this thing is.
And you won't stop
until you do. Will you?
No, Senior. We won't stop.
I admire your patience, Senior.
That you believe you can find the truth.
And you don't ?
I believe there are some
things we simply cannot know.
File number 77110.
Case log update.
A Bravo team has been dispatched
to study the second occurrence.
They will link their
investigation to ours.
Established operations here.
Data seems to be
identical to Alpha site.
Phenomenon growing at the same rate.
22.6 centimeters per hour
and increasing exponentially.
According to our numbers, Juyuy
will be consumed within seven days?
It's still growing.
Our projections match Alpha.
Seven days to 88% of the
Ingol region in darkness.
Continue monitoring the anomaly.
Next contact in 12 hours.
Alpha team up.
We can't let this phenomenon spread.
The stakes are high.
Zero photosynthesis means
zero sustainable plant life,
which means zero agriculture.
Let's not give up, Peter.
We haven't asked quite
enough questions yet.
For one, why would it start here?
It is the time of the Putin Pacha.
First came the stars and board right
through the living heart of our world.
Creating stone and fire.
Night and day.
Light and dark.
Power.
As old as the sun itself.
But sent to us to steal the sun away.
To bring darkness to the land.
In the local Kishwa dialect,
Pacha Mama means goddess of the Earth.
And Putin Pacha, I believe,
means time of darkness.
But there's no evidence that
what this woman's talking about
has anything to do with the phenomenon.
I think we should run a series
of advanced eradication procedures
ELF, positive ions, acoustics.
- Flux the environment.
- Absolutely.
Should we just discount
the folklore angle?
I mean, the Spaniards have been writing
about this stuff since the 1600s.
They recorded the Kishwa
belief that eclipses
had something to do with
this time of darkness.
I think there might be more of
these legends than just fiction.
Tasha, it is intriguing,
but the current rate of expansion
we don't have time to
chase down ancient myths.
Run the tests.
For now, let's go with the ELF.
But if all procedures fail,
we go with a linear accelerator.
File number 777110, case log update.
We've tried various
eradication procedures,
temperature decrease, oxygen removal,
and microwave bombardment
without success.
We are now attempting
to flux the environment
with ELF transmissions.
3900 angstroms and steady.
Turn up the frequency.
It's been hours.
Still no change in the phenomenon.
Prep the PLA.
Inform evacuation of surrounding area.
Curtis.
Are you sure about this?
We have to try every option.
I know it's risky, but
I don't have a choice.
As long as all the civilians are clear.
Well, it's your call.
Scares the hell out of me.
The situation is getting pretty tense.
Chinese authorities are dealing
with it as a military emergency.
They've closed the area and
expelled all foreign journalists.
We're working under
extremely close supervision,
so there's no time to lose.
We have a green light here
for the PLA Bravo team.
Understood.
Stand binding, Bull.
Case manager's log.
We've cleared the area of
all personnel to protect them
from the effects of the
Portable Linear Accelerator.
Erodation to commence
at almost 600 hours.
PLA in position.
Request clearance to begin countdown.
Commence countdown sequence.
You're all set, Peter?
Three minutes till Linear Acceleration.
*** fingers crossed.
Hold countdown PLA.
We've got a problem.
It's the probe indicators.
Hang on.
Remote probe is back online.
Alpha, this is Bravo !
Do you copy ?
Curtis, Bravo team is reporting,
but it doesn't make sense.
The phenomenon has disappeared.
Copy, Alpha team.
The anomaly has disappeared.
Shut the accelerator down now.
Bravo team confirm.
We have not repeat not
run Linear Acceleration.
Do you copy?
Powering down.
Copy, Alpha team.
Sir, reading is fluctuating
on all scans of the area.
Let's take a look.
Just like that.
File number 77110.
Case manager Curtis Rollins.
Final log entry.
Theories ask to the origin
of the phenomenon in range
from a being of bizarre
geological anomaly
to the possibility of
extraterrestrial phenomena.
One theory speculates a rare
non-gravitational black hole
originating inside the Earth's core.
But we have found no conclusive evidence
as to how the manifestation
actually occurred.
Curtis Rollins out.
Was this phenomenon man-made
or truly supernatural?
What was this growing blackness?
Well, the Office of Scientific
Investigation and Research
never could determine the exact cause
of this amazing occurrence.
And was it merely an isolated event
or was it an introduction
of something more to come?
Perhaps those of us who
are afraid of the dark
have very good reason to be.
When I talked to you last week,
I thought I made that clear.
Yeah.
No, I know. I know.
Because I promised to take my
daughter to the park, that's why.
Look, why can't you organize a schedule
that gives me more than
one day off at a time?
Look, look, I have to go.
Yeah, I know. I'll
see you tomorrow, bye.
Mommy, I'm home!
Here you go.
Do you know what time it is?
Barbecue tips in a chocolate bar.
You've fed her candy for supper?
She also had a hamburger.
Time for bed, sweetie.
I have to be at work at seven tomorrow.
That means that Lisa has to
be at the daycare at 6.30.
Mornings are hard enough as it is.
You just screwed up her
whole sleep schedule.
Yeah, well, if you were a proper
mother and had stayed at home
and then this scheduling crap
wouldn't be a problem, would it?
Maybe she'd be better
off living with me.
Mommy !
****
What's going on?
The Office of Scientific
Investigation and Research
has logged hundreds of hours researching
psychokinesis, the ability to move
objects without physically touching them.
Now, psychokinetic ability would, for
most of us, be an extraordinary gift.
But for Elena Bostwick, an overworked single
mother, trying to balance the conflicting
demands of parenthood and career,
this power, which she always took
for granted, had become unwelcome.
Now when Elena lost control of her psychokinetic
ability, it, in fact, became an extreme hazard,
and it came to threaten the elements in
her life, which she most deeply cared about.
The safety and custody
of her daughter, Lisa.
If Brian was my only problem,
maybe I could hang on,
but nothing much else
seems to be going right.
With the cutbacks of the hospital,
I have to work double shifts.
On top of that, I have
to be a mother to Lisa.
I do the laundry, make the meals, and
then every so often, just to antagonize me,
Brian, he threatens to
took the custody of Lisa.
That must be very upsetting.
He hasn't been part of my
life for a long time now.
He's never made a
single support payment.
It's a power trip.
His way of getting back at me.
Oh, no.
Now I'm afraid that if
he finds out about it,
he'll use it as ammunition
to take Lisa away from me.
He hates me enough to do that.
If he finds out about what ?
I can move objects around without
touching them, turn things off and on.
It's never been a big deal.
I've always been able to control it.
It's just that a couple of nights ago, things
went crazy, dishes exploded, glass was flying.
Lisa could have been hurt,
but you have to believe me, I
would never do anything to hurt her.
I don't understand.
You move things around?
I've always kept it to myself,
especially now with Lisa.
I don't want people to think that her
mother's odd, some kind of freak.
Do you hear voices also?
Voices?
No, of course not.
You think I'm crazy?
Psychotic?
I don't know.
Sometimes the mind reacts
to stress in odd ways.
It runs away with itself.
Delusions.
Good Lord !
Look, can't you just give me some medication
to calm me down, help keep things under control?
Elena, I would like to help you, but I have
never handled anything like this before.
I'm heading for work.
Elena, I know of an organization that
could analyze this part of yours tested.
I work 65 hours a week, I have
a little girl to take care of.
I don't have time to run off to
some lab to be picked and probed.
Great, great, great,
now we need a new radiator.
Cookies.
Lisa, no, not before dinner time honey.
I want cookies.
No, honey ! How about some
spaghetti and meatballs, huh?
That's a good protein.
Protein !
Oh, no, no, Lisa, no, no,
not the tomato sauce ! Lisa!
Just come here !
Dr. Haynes?
Yes.
This is Elena Bostwick.
That organization you told me about?
File 10106, case
manager, Marian Smithy.
We're exploring claims of psychokinetic
activity by Elena Bostwick, age 31.
We're examining the subject's
house and immediate terrain.
Preliminary interviews
are underway to be followed
with psychological and
physiological assessments.
My daughter has always been special.
Had this power, I guess you'd
call it, ever since she was a kid.
Don't talk about it much.
We brought her up better.
One of the surgeons was giving
Elena a really hard time.
You know, wanted her to
be in three places at once.
The surgeon really laid into her,
suddenly the water cooler starts bubbling.
Power like that can mess
up a kid's mind real good.
Then the whole tank just
exploded, freaked all of us out.
Elena most of all.
I thought she'd kind of forgotten about
using it, but lately she says it's been almost
on a control of wearing her plenty.
Better convincing.
Now seismic tests show no anomalous
geological activity or disturbances whatsoever.
It's a solid as a rock.
The things were flying
around that house,
it wasn't due to any earth tremor.
Dr. Carlyce, what's your
impression of Miss Bostwick?
Excessive workload and being a single mother
all adds up to massive personal tension.
Any indication of fraud or hoxes ?
She seems to be able to control
certain aspects of her environment.
We still need to determine
the extent of her power.
And that glass didn't break from impact.
It imploded on its own.
That's assessor abilities on
the more controlled conditions.
I'll contact headquarters,
set up a test site.
Thanks for taking care of
Lisa while I'm gone, Dad.
Oh, she's no problem.
You sure you want to do this?
I'm not sure about anything anymore.
The only thing I know
is that I need help.
Professional help.
But you kept it under control before?
Well, it's not under control now.
Bye, Dad.
Case log update.
After initial testing,
we felt it necessary to control Elena's
environment down to the smallest detail.
A full range of experiments should
determine the extent of the subject's power.
We'll be using a controlled IO chamber to monitor the
subject's reactions during intense psychokinetic testing.
All this for me ?
Elena, we'll be with you
every step of the way.
You'll be fine.
File 10106 case manager,
Marian Smithy, case log update.
We've completed 16 separate
phases of site testing,
including physiological
and psychological stimuli,
altered environments, and
electro matrix interaction.
E-L-E-N-A.
That's very impressive, Elena.
I used to do this in the
playground when I was a child.
I spent a lot of time alone as a kid.
Dr. Corliss, is that with one S or two?
Two.
Thank you very much.
But there's something else I'd
like you to do for me first.
Standing by.
What's this?
It's for flying debris.
We don't want you to get hurt.
I don't understand.
We need to see you
consciously create an outburst,
implode a cup and saucer
like you did at home,
and we're going to
monitor your bio stats.
Oh, okay.
If I can.
Anytime you're ready.
Got it on tape.
Your skills are quite powerful.
Have you always had this much
control over your PK abilities?
I've never tried to do
so many things before.
But we need to know exactly why
the volatile outbursts happen.
We're fairly sure the outburst
stem from various forms
of subconscious stress in your life.
We're going to run some more tests.
So you can help me ?
We will certainly try.
Doctor, with her PK ability, what
about a level nine visual stress test?
Can she handle that, Doctor?
I believe so, as long as we can regress
her into a deep enough hypnotic state.
Then let's proceed.
We'll begin tomorrow.
Hi, Dad.
I know.
I'll pay them when I get home.
Oh, and if the hospital calls again,
tell them I'll make
up my shifts next week.
I know it'll have to wait.
Brian's lawyer ?
No, no, I'll deal with
it when I get back.
Dad, just stall them. Please?
OK, bye.
Elena, remember you
must try to stay calm.
How do these images make you feel?
Try to be specific for each picture.
Happyness.
Joy.
Pride.
Love.
Sadness.
Bitterness.
Anger.
Resentment.
Pressure.
Irritation, frustration.
It's such a hard job.
Why won't anybody give me any peace?
It is hard, isn't it?
Her heart rates increases.
Nobody wants to make it
easy for you, do they?
I know.
I'm doing my best.
Oh, God, why does it all
have to seem so impossible?
Elena, stay focused.
I can't.
Focus.
I can't.
I got an overload here.
We got an overload !
Oh, I can't !
- Watch out !
- Everybody down !
Oh, no, not again.
Sorry, I trashed your lab.
Well, it was worth it in a way.
It gave us some insight as
to why these events occur.
Everyone reacts differently to anger.
Your psychokinetic rages are directly
linked to stresses in your life.
It is possible that your subconscious
accesses your PK abilities.
And the things go nuts.
That's right.
So, can you cure me?
There is really no such thing as a cure.
But we can help you to
maintain control of your power.
I want this power gone.
Eliminated.
Elena, I know the power terrifies you,
but it's also a part of who you are.
What you have is special.
I don't want to be special.
I want to be a mother and
a nurse, a normal person.
File 10106, case log update.
Elena has been undergoing stress management
training, visualization techniques,
combined with meditation
exercises supervised by Dr. Corliss.
Our goal is to help her find methods by which
she can maintain control over her abilities
in any given situation.
Bubbles to the surface.
Let it go.
You are working your third
night shift in emergency.
They bring in a cardiac
patient and severe distress.
You immediately prepare
half a milligram of digoxin.
The attending physician
misreads the chart
and orders you to
administer triple the dosage.
He insists.
If you speak up, you lose your job.
Your daughter's welfare
depends on that paycheck.
But a patient's life is on the line.
What do you do?
I would rather lose my job
before allowing a patient to die.
Good.
Keep breathing out.
Two, three, four.
She's worked hard.
Let's hope it pays off.
This is the big one.
Indeed.
I remember all these faces.
My friends.
I've spent so long
since I saw any of them.
And you feel lonely?
Deserted?
I do.
But it's okay.
I have myself.
And Lisa.
Stand by.
Status is going out great.
That's it.
Breathe.
Relax your hands.
Open your mind.
Good work, Elena.
Case 101-0106.
Case manager Marian Smithy.
Case log update.
Day 9.
Having successfully completed
20 separate psychokinetic tests,
and stress reduction techniques,
we have concluded that Elena
Bostwick's ability to control her power
is for now within acceptable margins.
She has agreed to remain in
regular contact with our office.
I agree.
Okay.
It's orange.
A nice gentle cat.
And how about some little whiskers?
Okay.
Sweetie, why don't you
play in the other room?
Hi, Daddy.
Hey, Lisa.
There is a doorbell, you know.
Put that cigarette out.
There you go again.
Telling me what to do.
When you're in my house, yes.
I'm suing for custody of Lisa.
Do what you want.
Huh?
You want to take me to court?
Take me to court.
I have to give Lisa a bath.
Close the door behind you.
There we go.
Is everything gonna be alright, Mommy?
Yes, it will.
You won't get anything
break anymore, will you?
No.
Mommy, what about Rocky?
Through her work with the OSIR, Elena
Bostwick learned how to manage her anger
and in turn control her
psychokinetic outbursts.
But far more importantly for
Elena, she empowered herself
to deal effectively with the
kinds of stresses that we all face
and ensure that her
most precious loved one,
her daughter, Lisa,
will always be with her.
I'm Dan Acroid for Psi Factor.
by the actual case files
of the Office of Scientific
Investigation and Research.
Did you hear something?
Hear what? You had
too much wine, Miguel.
A sound.
In the livingroom.
Listen...
Somebody's up there.
Diego!
Miguel...
What in the name of God is it?
I don't know.
Be careful.
It's like some kind of shadow.
Diego!
Go call the police. Right away.
Scotophobia, fear of the dark.
In this age, fear of the dark
seems a primitive neurosis,
a throwback to a time of
superstition and unreason.
I mean, really, isn't darkness
just the absence of light?
But what if absence of
light becomes something more?
What if it becomes a darkness visible,
an almost living, growing, absolute form,
threatening to consume our
homes, our town, our world?
File number 771-10.
Case manager, Curtis
Rollins's initial case log.
Federal and local authorities have placed
this complaint at the highest security level.
Our team is proceeding to
the site of this phenomenon.
The initial police report
is fairly inconclusive.
What about the advanced
video footage of the site
that Professor Alvarez has sent us?
It doesn't reveal much.
So far, there's no rational
explanation for the phenomenon.
Note how it appears to
be cut off by the floor.
It seems to originate under the house
and then project up through the floor.
And the professor who shot this
footage didn't offer any theories?
Everything from a bizarre
low-lying cloud formation
to the discovery of neutrinos to
some form of black hole on Earth.
It all adds up to a dense
lack of light reflection
and no apparent cause.
You know, I once did a
paper on photosynthesis,
and we used to run experiments
trying to reduce photon reflection.
It's basically impossible to simulate.
Alvarez's students reached
only one definite conclusion.
And that was?
It appears to be growing.
Doctor Rollins.
Buenos dias.
Alejandro Alvarez.
Professor, nice to put a face ***
We've been reviewing the
footage you videotaped.
That's oncredible, isn't it?
You could say that.
This is so, forgive me,
indescribable, inexplicably.
Total lack of photoreflection.
Unlike anything I have
ever seen or heard of.
I'm going to begin with interviews
and hopefully get a sense of what
we're up against before we go inside.
I was so afraid that Diego
would be swallowed up by it.
Never in my life has seen such a thing.
Total blackness.
Why did it attract him of all of us.
He's just a little boy.
No, it may not sound.
Not at all.
Just a dark wall spreading
out from the floor.
Anything that went into the
darkness was gone without a trace.
Anything.
Why has this happened
to my home, to my family?
Out here, we don't get very
many complicated investigations.
Senior Richard showed my
partner and I to the room
where disturbance was.
I have been an officer
of the law for 15 years,
but nothing could have
prepared me for what I saw.
Huge blackness, like something alive.
When I saw my flashlight at it,
no light was visible through it at all.
Sir, I have seen many things in my time,
but this defies description.
Testimony from the witnesses
is consistent across the board.
This event to them defies comprehension.
Yes, so the stories all seem to match.
They all describe a
growing wall of blackness
impenetrable by light.
And testing, found no toxicity or
buying contamination in any of them.
As a safety precaution
the family will be moved
from their house indefinitely.
But Curtis, have we determined
an initial case objective of this?
The Argentine government
has requested identification
and termination of phenomenon.
The strongest possible
terms, they want this thing gone.
What, just like that?
We don't even know what it is.
Can't we just wait until we
know a little bit more about it?
I know it seems premature,
but we don't have much choice.
They perceive this
complaint as a threat.
Unless we can find a way
to identify and control it,
we have to consider its termination.
Great.
*** this is Rollins.
10-4. I copy koud and clear, Curtis.
Visual is coming to cleanly.
We're inside and proceeding
to the event site.
Any regular readings?
Negative.
Get ready, everyone.
Let's proceed with caution.
You have a visual?
It's totally opaque.
No*** penetration at all.
What are we picking up on the scans?
Minimal readings.
Displacement margins are inconclusive.
There's no chemical components.
No measurable mass.
It's almost beautiful.
Perfect.
Peter, keep your distance.
Are you reading anything
out of the ordinary?
Nothing.
Except...
Confirmed.
It's getting bigger.
These are the results
from the geodetic surveys,
as well as the geothermic and
geomagnetic environmental scans
within 100-kilometer radius.
They all indicate a
large, growing black mass
in the vicinity of the Richler Villa.
There's still nothing conclusive
on a possible point of origin.
Do you know, I think we had
to send in a remote probe,
see what kind of direct data we
can get from within the mass itself.
I agree.
Set it up for 1600 hours.
The Argentine government is
anxious to see some progress.
All right, let's keep going.
Okay.
Visuals are up, sensors online.
Anything happen yet?
****So, hazmat, no tox traces,
no abnormal concentrations
of energy fields,
nothing even slightly ***
All right, everybody set ?
Probe entering the phenomenon in three,
two,
one.
Probe has entered the anomaly.
No visuals at all.
Readings are fluctuating.
Oh, we have a problem.
Something's disrupting the signal.
Is it a malfunction?
Probe systems down.
We've lost telemetry.
Bring it back.
I can't. It's gone.
This region has a history of
geophysical and environmental phenomena.
None related in any way
to this particular anomaly.
Keep digging.
But we settle about it.
- Curtis, I want to take a team and...
- Enter the mass ?
Peter, we just lost a probe in there.
We need answers.
We can't afford to
lose any investigators.
Well, fine. I'll go by myself.
There's no evidence we can
maintain content with you.
Then we can't get you
out once you've got in there.
Look, I'll suit up in the full gear.
According to the readings it
should have been a problem.
There are no readings, Peter.
It's too risky.
We should just send in another probe.
Right, and then we'll
just lose it again.
Look, I've logged hundreds of
hours in toxic environments.
It won't be a problem. The
gear will protect me, trust me.
Curtis ?
The ultimate threat this phenomenon poses
overrides any of our personal safety.
Are you sure about this?
I didn't join up to play it safe.
Oh, let's keep going.
I don't know if you're
being brave or just stupid.
Pasha, stop pondering the
imponderables. You're back in a flash.
If you sense anything strange,
zero gravity, vacuumful, anything,
you get the hell out of there, okay?
Relax.
Is the cool stuff scientists get to do?
Hello.
Hacks on, do you copy?
10, 4, copy, loud and clear.
Visuals are good.
We'll keep your vitals online. Any
elevated readings and you're out of there.
Understood.
Okay, let's rock and roll.
Peter, do you copy?
Peter, answer us.
Affirmative.
This radio transmission.
It's clean enough.
What do you see?
Nothing. No depth perception. Light waves
aren't even registering in the environment.
Can't read the instruments.
Any sign of the probe?
I'm sorry. I can't see
myself. I'm coming out.
Sorry, Curtis.
Satisfied, Peter?
Sir, I think you should see this.
It's an uplink transmission.
It's being rerouted to us from
headquarters via satellite.
They found the same phenomenon in China.
Same configuration as ours.
Curtis, are we talking
about an outbreak?
No, not exactly.
Perhaps something much worse.
What do you mean?
Match up number one.
There's no occurrences here.
Ningbo, Gijang Province.
Ningbo is the exact
polar opposite to Hohoi.
Which opens up the possibility that
instead of two separate occurrences,
we could be dealing with...
One very large, very
dangerous phenomenon.
Senior Rollins !
If I may ask, your investigation,
how does it proceed ?
Slowly.
We are trying everything in our power
to understand this manifestation.
It's a little frustrating.
Perhaps this event is something
we are not meant to understand.
Why is that?
You have brought all your
scientific knowledge here
and have found nothing to explain it.
These things take time.
We haven't done everything we can yet.
Believe me, we will find
out what this thing is.
And you won't stop
until you do. Will you?
No, Senior. We won't stop.
I admire your patience, Senior.
That you believe you can find the truth.
And you don't ?
I believe there are some
things we simply cannot know.
File number 77110.
Case log update.
A Bravo team has been dispatched
to study the second occurrence.
They will link their
investigation to ours.
Established operations here.
Data seems to be
identical to Alpha site.
Phenomenon growing at the same rate.
22.6 centimeters per hour
and increasing exponentially.
According to our numbers, Juyuy
will be consumed within seven days?
It's still growing.
Our projections match Alpha.
Seven days to 88% of the
Ingol region in darkness.
Continue monitoring the anomaly.
Next contact in 12 hours.
Alpha team up.
We can't let this phenomenon spread.
The stakes are high.
Zero photosynthesis means
zero sustainable plant life,
which means zero agriculture.
Let's not give up, Peter.
We haven't asked quite
enough questions yet.
For one, why would it start here?
It is the time of the Putin Pacha.
First came the stars and board right
through the living heart of our world.
Creating stone and fire.
Night and day.
Light and dark.
Power.
As old as the sun itself.
But sent to us to steal the sun away.
To bring darkness to the land.
In the local Kishwa dialect,
Pacha Mama means goddess of the Earth.
And Putin Pacha, I believe,
means time of darkness.
But there's no evidence that
what this woman's talking about
has anything to do with the phenomenon.
I think we should run a series
of advanced eradication procedures
ELF, positive ions, acoustics.
- Flux the environment.
- Absolutely.
Should we just discount
the folklore angle?
I mean, the Spaniards have been writing
about this stuff since the 1600s.
They recorded the Kishwa
belief that eclipses
had something to do with
this time of darkness.
I think there might be more of
these legends than just fiction.
Tasha, it is intriguing,
but the current rate of expansion
we don't have time to
chase down ancient myths.
Run the tests.
For now, let's go with the ELF.
But if all procedures fail,
we go with a linear accelerator.
File number 777110, case log update.
We've tried various
eradication procedures,
temperature decrease, oxygen removal,
and microwave bombardment
without success.
We are now attempting
to flux the environment
with ELF transmissions.
3900 angstroms and steady.
Turn up the frequency.
It's been hours.
Still no change in the phenomenon.
Prep the PLA.
Inform evacuation of surrounding area.
Curtis.
Are you sure about this?
We have to try every option.
I know it's risky, but
I don't have a choice.
As long as all the civilians are clear.
Well, it's your call.
Scares the hell out of me.
The situation is getting pretty tense.
Chinese authorities are dealing
with it as a military emergency.
They've closed the area and
expelled all foreign journalists.
We're working under
extremely close supervision,
so there's no time to lose.
We have a green light here
for the PLA Bravo team.
Understood.
Stand binding, Bull.
Case manager's log.
We've cleared the area of
all personnel to protect them
from the effects of the
Portable Linear Accelerator.
Erodation to commence
at almost 600 hours.
PLA in position.
Request clearance to begin countdown.
Commence countdown sequence.
You're all set, Peter?
Three minutes till Linear Acceleration.
*** fingers crossed.
Hold countdown PLA.
We've got a problem.
It's the probe indicators.
Hang on.
Remote probe is back online.
Alpha, this is Bravo !
Do you copy ?
Curtis, Bravo team is reporting,
but it doesn't make sense.
The phenomenon has disappeared.
Copy, Alpha team.
The anomaly has disappeared.
Shut the accelerator down now.
Bravo team confirm.
We have not repeat not
run Linear Acceleration.
Do you copy?
Powering down.
Copy, Alpha team.
Sir, reading is fluctuating
on all scans of the area.
Let's take a look.
Just like that.
File number 77110.
Case manager Curtis Rollins.
Final log entry.
Theories ask to the origin
of the phenomenon in range
from a being of bizarre
geological anomaly
to the possibility of
extraterrestrial phenomena.
One theory speculates a rare
non-gravitational black hole
originating inside the Earth's core.
But we have found no conclusive evidence
as to how the manifestation
actually occurred.
Curtis Rollins out.
Was this phenomenon man-made
or truly supernatural?
What was this growing blackness?
Well, the Office of Scientific
Investigation and Research
never could determine the exact cause
of this amazing occurrence.
And was it merely an isolated event
or was it an introduction
of something more to come?
Perhaps those of us who
are afraid of the dark
have very good reason to be.
When I talked to you last week,
I thought I made that clear.
Yeah.
No, I know. I know.
Because I promised to take my
daughter to the park, that's why.
Look, why can't you organize a schedule
that gives me more than
one day off at a time?
Look, look, I have to go.
Yeah, I know. I'll
see you tomorrow, bye.
Mommy, I'm home!
Here you go.
Do you know what time it is?
Barbecue tips in a chocolate bar.
You've fed her candy for supper?
She also had a hamburger.
Time for bed, sweetie.
I have to be at work at seven tomorrow.
That means that Lisa has to
be at the daycare at 6.30.
Mornings are hard enough as it is.
You just screwed up her
whole sleep schedule.
Yeah, well, if you were a proper
mother and had stayed at home
and then this scheduling crap
wouldn't be a problem, would it?
Maybe she'd be better
off living with me.
Mommy !
****
What's going on?
The Office of Scientific
Investigation and Research
has logged hundreds of hours researching
psychokinesis, the ability to move
objects without physically touching them.
Now, psychokinetic ability would, for
most of us, be an extraordinary gift.
But for Elena Bostwick, an overworked single
mother, trying to balance the conflicting
demands of parenthood and career,
this power, which she always took
for granted, had become unwelcome.
Now when Elena lost control of her psychokinetic
ability, it, in fact, became an extreme hazard,
and it came to threaten the elements in
her life, which she most deeply cared about.
The safety and custody
of her daughter, Lisa.
If Brian was my only problem,
maybe I could hang on,
but nothing much else
seems to be going right.
With the cutbacks of the hospital,
I have to work double shifts.
On top of that, I have
to be a mother to Lisa.
I do the laundry, make the meals, and
then every so often, just to antagonize me,
Brian, he threatens to
took the custody of Lisa.
That must be very upsetting.
He hasn't been part of my
life for a long time now.
He's never made a
single support payment.
It's a power trip.
His way of getting back at me.
Oh, no.
Now I'm afraid that if
he finds out about it,
he'll use it as ammunition
to take Lisa away from me.
He hates me enough to do that.
If he finds out about what ?
I can move objects around without
touching them, turn things off and on.
It's never been a big deal.
I've always been able to control it.
It's just that a couple of nights ago, things
went crazy, dishes exploded, glass was flying.
Lisa could have been hurt,
but you have to believe me, I
would never do anything to hurt her.
I don't understand.
You move things around?
I've always kept it to myself,
especially now with Lisa.
I don't want people to think that her
mother's odd, some kind of freak.
Do you hear voices also?
Voices?
No, of course not.
You think I'm crazy?
Psychotic?
I don't know.
Sometimes the mind reacts
to stress in odd ways.
It runs away with itself.
Delusions.
Good Lord !
Look, can't you just give me some medication
to calm me down, help keep things under control?
Elena, I would like to help you, but I have
never handled anything like this before.
I'm heading for work.
Elena, I know of an organization that
could analyze this part of yours tested.
I work 65 hours a week, I have
a little girl to take care of.
I don't have time to run off to
some lab to be picked and probed.
Great, great, great,
now we need a new radiator.
Cookies.
Lisa, no, not before dinner time honey.
I want cookies.
No, honey ! How about some
spaghetti and meatballs, huh?
That's a good protein.
Protein !
Oh, no, no, Lisa, no, no,
not the tomato sauce ! Lisa!
Just come here !
Dr. Haynes?
Yes.
This is Elena Bostwick.
That organization you told me about?
File 10106, case
manager, Marian Smithy.
We're exploring claims of psychokinetic
activity by Elena Bostwick, age 31.
We're examining the subject's
house and immediate terrain.
Preliminary interviews
are underway to be followed
with psychological and
physiological assessments.
My daughter has always been special.
Had this power, I guess you'd
call it, ever since she was a kid.
Don't talk about it much.
We brought her up better.
One of the surgeons was giving
Elena a really hard time.
You know, wanted her to
be in three places at once.
The surgeon really laid into her,
suddenly the water cooler starts bubbling.
Power like that can mess
up a kid's mind real good.
Then the whole tank just
exploded, freaked all of us out.
Elena most of all.
I thought she'd kind of forgotten about
using it, but lately she says it's been almost
on a control of wearing her plenty.
Better convincing.
Now seismic tests show no anomalous
geological activity or disturbances whatsoever.
It's a solid as a rock.
The things were flying
around that house,
it wasn't due to any earth tremor.
Dr. Carlyce, what's your
impression of Miss Bostwick?
Excessive workload and being a single mother
all adds up to massive personal tension.
Any indication of fraud or hoxes ?
She seems to be able to control
certain aspects of her environment.
We still need to determine
the extent of her power.
And that glass didn't break from impact.
It imploded on its own.
That's assessor abilities on
the more controlled conditions.
I'll contact headquarters,
set up a test site.
Thanks for taking care of
Lisa while I'm gone, Dad.
Oh, she's no problem.
You sure you want to do this?
I'm not sure about anything anymore.
The only thing I know
is that I need help.
Professional help.
But you kept it under control before?
Well, it's not under control now.
Bye, Dad.
Case log update.
After initial testing,
we felt it necessary to control Elena's
environment down to the smallest detail.
A full range of experiments should
determine the extent of the subject's power.
We'll be using a controlled IO chamber to monitor the
subject's reactions during intense psychokinetic testing.
All this for me ?
Elena, we'll be with you
every step of the way.
You'll be fine.
File 10106 case manager,
Marian Smithy, case log update.
We've completed 16 separate
phases of site testing,
including physiological
and psychological stimuli,
altered environments, and
electro matrix interaction.
E-L-E-N-A.
That's very impressive, Elena.
I used to do this in the
playground when I was a child.
I spent a lot of time alone as a kid.
Dr. Corliss, is that with one S or two?
Two.
Thank you very much.
But there's something else I'd
like you to do for me first.
Standing by.
What's this?
It's for flying debris.
We don't want you to get hurt.
I don't understand.
We need to see you
consciously create an outburst,
implode a cup and saucer
like you did at home,
and we're going to
monitor your bio stats.
Oh, okay.
If I can.
Anytime you're ready.
Got it on tape.
Your skills are quite powerful.
Have you always had this much
control over your PK abilities?
I've never tried to do
so many things before.
But we need to know exactly why
the volatile outbursts happen.
We're fairly sure the outburst
stem from various forms
of subconscious stress in your life.
We're going to run some more tests.
So you can help me ?
We will certainly try.
Doctor, with her PK ability, what
about a level nine visual stress test?
Can she handle that, Doctor?
I believe so, as long as we can regress
her into a deep enough hypnotic state.
Then let's proceed.
We'll begin tomorrow.
Hi, Dad.
I know.
I'll pay them when I get home.
Oh, and if the hospital calls again,
tell them I'll make
up my shifts next week.
I know it'll have to wait.
Brian's lawyer ?
No, no, I'll deal with
it when I get back.
Dad, just stall them. Please?
OK, bye.
Elena, remember you
must try to stay calm.
How do these images make you feel?
Try to be specific for each picture.
Happyness.
Joy.
Pride.
Love.
Sadness.
Bitterness.
Anger.
Resentment.
Pressure.
Irritation, frustration.
It's such a hard job.
Why won't anybody give me any peace?
It is hard, isn't it?
Her heart rates increases.
Nobody wants to make it
easy for you, do they?
I know.
I'm doing my best.
Oh, God, why does it all
have to seem so impossible?
Elena, stay focused.
I can't.
Focus.
I can't.
I got an overload here.
We got an overload !
Oh, I can't !
- Watch out !
- Everybody down !
Oh, no, not again.
Sorry, I trashed your lab.
Well, it was worth it in a way.
It gave us some insight as
to why these events occur.
Everyone reacts differently to anger.
Your psychokinetic rages are directly
linked to stresses in your life.
It is possible that your subconscious
accesses your PK abilities.
And the things go nuts.
That's right.
So, can you cure me?
There is really no such thing as a cure.
But we can help you to
maintain control of your power.
I want this power gone.
Eliminated.
Elena, I know the power terrifies you,
but it's also a part of who you are.
What you have is special.
I don't want to be special.
I want to be a mother and
a nurse, a normal person.
File 10106, case log update.
Elena has been undergoing stress management
training, visualization techniques,
combined with meditation
exercises supervised by Dr. Corliss.
Our goal is to help her find methods by which
she can maintain control over her abilities
in any given situation.
Bubbles to the surface.
Let it go.
You are working your third
night shift in emergency.
They bring in a cardiac
patient and severe distress.
You immediately prepare
half a milligram of digoxin.
The attending physician
misreads the chart
and orders you to
administer triple the dosage.
He insists.
If you speak up, you lose your job.
Your daughter's welfare
depends on that paycheck.
But a patient's life is on the line.
What do you do?
I would rather lose my job
before allowing a patient to die.
Good.
Keep breathing out.
Two, three, four.
She's worked hard.
Let's hope it pays off.
This is the big one.
Indeed.
I remember all these faces.
My friends.
I've spent so long
since I saw any of them.
And you feel lonely?
Deserted?
I do.
But it's okay.
I have myself.
And Lisa.
Stand by.
Status is going out great.
That's it.
Breathe.
Relax your hands.
Open your mind.
Good work, Elena.
Case 101-0106.
Case manager Marian Smithy.
Case log update.
Day 9.
Having successfully completed
20 separate psychokinetic tests,
and stress reduction techniques,
we have concluded that Elena
Bostwick's ability to control her power
is for now within acceptable margins.
She has agreed to remain in
regular contact with our office.
I agree.
Okay.
It's orange.
A nice gentle cat.
And how about some little whiskers?
Okay.
Sweetie, why don't you
play in the other room?
Hi, Daddy.
Hey, Lisa.
There is a doorbell, you know.
Put that cigarette out.
There you go again.
Telling me what to do.
When you're in my house, yes.
I'm suing for custody of Lisa.
Do what you want.
Huh?
You want to take me to court?
Take me to court.
I have to give Lisa a bath.
Close the door behind you.
There we go.
Is everything gonna be alright, Mommy?
Yes, it will.
You won't get anything
break anymore, will you?
No.
Mommy, what about Rocky?
Through her work with the OSIR, Elena
Bostwick learned how to manage her anger
and in turn control her
psychokinetic outbursts.
But far more importantly for
Elena, she empowered herself
to deal effectively with the
kinds of stresses that we all face
and ensure that her
most precious loved one,
her daughter, Lisa,
will always be with her.
I'm Dan Acroid for Psi Factor.