Sliders (1995–2000): Season 4, Episode 8 - The Alternateville Horror - full transcript
After the Sliders check into a haunted hotel, they become ghosts trapped in a howling vortex between two parallel worlds.
I don't have a problem
with two men dancing together.
Yeah, me neither. If the guy asked me,
I would...
I'm confused. Those were men?
That's right.
But they were dressed
in women's clothing.
Some guys just like
to dress up like women.
I mean, it's... Well,
they sort of...
Well, it's a lifestyle thing.
Yeah.
It makes them feel pretty.
They were pretty.
Keep sliding with us,
I guarantee you'll see
a lot stranger things.
Don't you ever get tired of it?
I mean,
one dangerous place after another?
Don't you ever just wanna
find a nice place and just stay?
Hey! QUINN: All the time...
What is this? New York World?
Are you nuts? Get off the street,
it's gonna rain!
Looks like we're in
for a little sprinkle.
Come on,
you guys, hurry up.
Just get in the car! Kids,
hurry up!
I've never seen folks so
skittish about a little rain before.
Well,
maybe this is Killer Lightning World.
Flash flood...
It stings like lye!
Acid Rain World!
If we don't get inside pronto,
there's gonna be nothing left but bones.
Actually,
even a moderately strong acid rain
would easily dissolve human bone,
I've heard.
Did anyone catch the
weather report today?
Yeah,
sure. Sulfuric thunderstorms
tapering off to a light hydrochloric
sprinkle in the afternoon.
You should have
worn your rubbers.
Oh,
my gosh! Are you folks all right?
Didn't you hear
the weather report?
Oh, I'm sorry,
we must've missed it.
Oh, well,
you must be from out of town.
We're from Canada.
Well, we never go out without
checking the weather first.
Especially during
the rainy season.
Welcome to the Chandler Hotel.
We're freeway close to
all the major theme parks,
we accept travel club discounts and,
lucky for you,
we just happen to
have a few vacancies.
So let me get your bags.
Excuse me. Excuse me.
Where are you going?
What's wrong? Anywhere but here,
out of my way.
You need more towels. Please,
don't go. It's raining outside!
I'd rather be staked out in a
typhoon in my birthday suit
than spend another
second in this madhouse!
So, how about a suite?
Room rates.
What if you found a
portal to a parallel universe?
What if you could slide into
a thousand different worlds
where it's the same year
and you're the same person,
but everything
else is different?
And what if you can't
find your way home?
Sliders.
This is the presidential suite.
The president stayed here?
Well, I can't be sure,
but it did look like him.
Why were those people leaving?
People?
In the lobby.
Well, you see, the Chandler is a
very unique vacation experience.
Not everyone can handle so
much pampering and relaxation.
All those people ran
out into an acid rainstorm
because the room
service is just too good?
You...
Anyway,
we have all the major amenities.
Rain slickers embroidered
with the distinctive Chandler logo,
decontamination shower stalls,
emergency eye wash,
and complimentary
assortment of burn ointments.
Well,
if you need anything else at all,
feel free to just
call the front desk.
Thank you. And that is for you.
Thank you, sir.
That woman should
seriously consider decaf.
Well, at least we have a roof
over our heads until we slide.
Which is in 12 hours.
Just make
sure we leave a wake-up call.
Well, it's too early to crash.
I'm gonna head down to the
bar. Anybody want to join me?
Yeah. Why not? You wanna come,
bro?
Yo, farm boy,
you wanna chill with us at the bar?
No. I'm quite happy with
the temperature up here.
Thanks.
No, no, no. "Chill" means to just
hang out. You know, be mellow.
Oh, I see. No,
I think I'll just crash.
You know, see what programs
are being transmitted tonight.
Check out the Spice Channel.
Next week
on the Spice Channel...
There's a channel on spices.
You can call me when it's hot,
fast and fresh.
Interesting.
Pizza man.
Mmm. I'm so hungry.
Hey,
I ordered this with sausage.
Extra toppings,
huh? I can handle that.
Pizza Man,
next week on the Spice Channel.
Remember,
he'll take 30 minutes or it's free.
Did I do the right thing,
dragging Colin along with us?
He's your brother. Your folks
wanted you both to be together.
I don't even know him.
You didn't know me.
You didn't know Remmy.
I know.
Hey,
if you guys ever want to call it quits.
I mean, if you find a nice,
peaceful world
and you want to settle down,
it's okay with me.
It won't be home, but we've been
to a few that were close enough.
I just wanted you
guys to know that.
Are you saying that you don't
want us to meet your parents?
So,
can I get you folks anything?
I will have a draft.
Make it two.
I'm feeling original.
Make mine the same.
Three drafts coming up.
So, some weather we're having,
huh?
Yeah. You think it's
gonna ever clear up?
Oh, maybe.
Ever since they shut down
those offshore refineries,
the air's gotten
a whole lot better.
Hey,
were you guys around back in '93
when Santa Monica
Bay caught fire?
It's this dang El Niño.
Pushes in those petrochemicals
right in off the ocean.
Oh, I'm... I'm sorry. Did you
guys want oysters in those?
...alive! It's alive!
Henry, in the name of God!
In the name
of God! Now I know what it...
Hello. What are you doing here?
Hey? Hey, where are you going?
Who are you?
Hey, wait. Wait.
It's okay. I won't hurt you.
I don't understand.
Whoa.
Seems a little slow tonight,
huh?
Hey,
stick around till Wednesday. Karaoke.
Hey,
you get tired of all those infomercials?
You will not believe
what I just saw.
Man,
I told you that spray-on hair doesn't work.
There was someone in our room.
What?
What are you talking about?
A boy.
Only he wasn't really
there. He appeared.
He grabbed the TV thingy and
walked through a closed door
like some kind of... Of...
Non-corporeal shade.
Are you saying you saw a ghost?
Colin,
what were you watching on TV?
A program about
this medical pioneer.
He created a living creature by
stitching together parts of corpses.
Amazing.
Though in the end,
I gather it got a little out of hand.
Sounds like Frankenstein.
That's him.
Okay,
Colin. You were really wiped,
maybe you just fell
asleep in front of the TV.
You think I dreamed this?
Hey, man,
you've been traveling a lot. You're tired.
We better get him a drink,
and make it a stiff one.
Is that what all you
people think of me?
That I'm some backwards
rube who's afraid of evil spirits?
We may burn the occasional
witch where I come from,
but I'm a man of science. Same as you,
brother.
And I know what I saw.
Welcome to the Chandler Hotel.
We're freeway close to
all the major theme parks...
I have a few more
trunks in the cab.
I'll take care of them. Right this way,
sir.
This is the second weirdest
hotel I've ever stayed in.
Colin, I just want you to
consider that there might be
some other explanation for this.
Like I'm a ignorant,
superstitious bumpkin.
No.
I was thinking more
that you're tired.
You fall asleep watching
an old horror movie, and...
Do you think this
is easy for me?
I spent my whole life trying
to adjust to my own world,
and now I've got a
million more to deal with.
I've got a lot of catching up to do,
and it doesn't help
if you accuse me
of acting like a fool.
Nobody's acting like a fool.
Quinn! There was something
invisible with me inside the bathroom...
There is a head in the ice
machine and it had my face.
...and it wrote,
"Help us," on the mirror.
This place is haunted.
Come on. Let's go. Come on,
Colin.
I swear. I'm not kidding you.
There was a head in the ice machine.
In there.
It looked like you?
Well, it was blue and frosty,
but yeah.
Well?
Have a look.
Okay. There was a head in
there and it looked just like me.
Well, since yours seems to be firmly
attached, I really would not sweat it.
All right. Don't
you blow me off.
I know a disembodied
head when I see one.
I believe you.
I know I believe her.
And another thing, I didn't have
a nightmare while I was shaving.
No, but somebody could
have written that anytime.
When the mirror steamed up,
those words just became visible again.
There is nothing going on here that cannot
be explained by a bunch of tired people
stuck in an old hotel with a
Boris Karloff marathon on cable.
Now, why don't we get some rest?
We've got an early
slide in the morning.
What time should we be ready?
In about 10...
Hours.
Where's the timer?
It was right there.
Nobody moved it?
That boy was in here.
Now,
what would a ghost want with a timer?
That weird guy from the lobby
was snooping around outside.
Fine. You check him out.
I'm gonna go talk to our host.
Put some clothes on.
"Put some clothes on."
Hello? Hello?
Don't you ever sleep?
The hotel never sleeps,
sir. How may I help you?
We've lost something.
Oh, well,
then let's look in the lost and found.
Ah,
it was actually taken from our room.
Has anyone been
in there? A maid?
Oh, no,
no. I make up the rooms myself,
and I haven't been in
there since you checked in.
Well,
then maybe you can help us find it.
Oh,
I'm sorry. I can't leave the desk.
But I thought this was
a full-service hotel?
Well...
My sworn duty as concierge does obligate
me to help my guests in any way possible.
I promise you,
there will be a big tip in it for you.
Well, please, sir,
the satisfaction of my
guests is reward enough.
Yeah?
Can we talk to you for a second?
I'm busy.
We saw you snooping around
our room. What are you looking for?
Leave me alone.
What do you got in there?
Amazing.
You guys can't
just bust in here!
I see you're into electronics.
You wouldn't happen to have seen
a small electronic device lying around,
would you?
About yea big, red,
blinking numbers?
What would I be doing in your
room? Come on. Don't touch that.
Why don't you tell us
that? What's all the gear for?
I'm doing meteorological
experiments. Analyzing weather patterns
and atmospheric contamination.
You study the weather by
sucking up dust bunnies?
I was collecting water and particulate
samples off of people's shoes.
They tracked into the hotel. If
that's even any of your business.
What's your name?
Smith.
John Smith.
You expect us to believe that?
What kind of an idiot checks into a
hotel using the alias of "John Smith"?
I realize it is not a very common name,
you know,
but that is no reason
for you to be insulting.
Well, he's not lying.
John Smith. Graduate
student at Caltec.
My mother named me after the
Greek god of intellectual pursuits
and lost objects.
What
does this thing do?
Come on, guys.
We should let Mr. Smith
get back to work.
Sorry we disturbed you.
I think we should keep
an eye on our Mr. Smith.
We haven't seen anyone else
come or go since the rain started.
Yeah.
Then the timer's probably
in the building somewhere.
We've got nine hours to
turn this place upside down.
Have you guys ever
lost the timer before?
So, "to chill" is a good thing?
Oh, yeah, man.
If you chill,
that means you're cool.
Obviously if you were chilled,
that means you'd be cold.
Well, see, it's not about
temperature. It's about a state of mind.
So, cool is good.
So, if you're too hot,
that must be bad, right?
Well, both hot and bad are good.
I'm not even gonna get into "phat",
"fresh" and "dope".
Oh, great. What is this,
a bad horror movie?
What's next?
Blood pouring
out of the elevator,
voodoo dolls chasing
us with steak knives?
Oh, there's a flashlight back
here in every other world.
Got you.
Ow!
Yeah, that's gonna leave a mark.
Who's there?
Quinn? Is that you?
Quinn?
Hello?
Sorry. This usually
happens after the first storm.
The rain eats right
through the wires.
How long have you
been working here?
Oh, my husband and I
bought the place six years ago.
We always wanted
to run our own hotel.
He died two months
after we opened the doors.
I'm sorry.
It was cancer.
He worked for SoCal Oil and Gas,
digging the San
Fernando petro duct.
We bought this place to
get him out of that hole.
I guess we waited
a little too long.
Do you ever think about leaving?
Going someplace where
there aren't so many ghosts?
Um...
I still have
a lot invested in this place.
Oh, hey, I've got it.
Thanks.
It's nice having people
stay at the hotel again.
I spend a lot of time in hotels.
It isn't easy having people
just pass through your life.
No point in getting
attached though when
checkout time is at 12:00,
right?
We... We better keep looking.
Anyone down here?
Quinn, if that's you,
I swear I'm gonna skin you alive.
Hey! Hey, who's out there?
Let me out of here!
Oh, man.
This is the room
the boy went into.
I don't care what
your brother said.
There is something
paranormal going on here.
"Paranormal." Beyond normal.
Yeah.
Yeah,
that sums things up nicely.
There's definitely something
paranormal going on around here.
I'm gonna run down
to the front desk,
see if I can hustle
up a key to this door.
Good idea.
Rembrandt.
Remmy.
Don't be afraid.
My name's Colin
Mallory. What's yours?
I can't hear you.
What are you trying to tell me?
Where did you come from?
Remmy.
Remmy?
Paranormal.
Colin, I didn't get us a key,
but I got us some light.
Rembrandt,
I saw the boy again. He opened the door.
Hey, Colin?
I'm right here.
What's the matter
with you? I'm right here!
Colin!
Hi.
He couldn't see me.
They can't.
I can hear you.
I can touch you. Sure.
You're on my side now.
Your side.
Am I...
Are we dead?
I don't know. It's pretty boring,
whatever it is.
My name's Matthew. I'm Colin.
I know.
You're the first person who could see me,
so I brought you on over.
We can hang out now.
Hang out.
Sure. Play and stuff.
The others are mean.
I don't go near them anymore.
The others?
Okay, rats,
keep your distance
because I am not
having a good day.
Hey!
Maggie, it's me.
What took you so long?
Didn't you hear me
yelling? What happened?
I thought I saw someone.
I followed them down here
and then I got locked in.
And I could
hear things. Like little animals,
with little claws and little beady
yellow eyes scurrying at my feet.
Easy,
girl. I thought you were a Marine.
I don't like rats.
Come on. We go out this way.
Jeez.
Any luck?
Maggie saw someone
run into the cellar.
Smith?
Maybe. I couldn't tell.
Where's Colin?
I lost him.
I came down to find
a key to room 315.
When I went back upstairs,
he was gone.
Look, 315 is the only room that
doesn't have a spare key behind the desk.
Now, I thought you said that
Smith was the only other person
that was staying here?
He is.
Well, then where's that key?
I don't know.
I don't understand it. Things are
always getting lost in this place.
Yeah, you're telling us.
Listen, lady,
somebody stole our property,
put a human head in the ice machine,
locked me in a rat-infested cellar,
and I don't like rats,
so don't tell me this is all part of
our unique vacation experience.
Sorry.
What's going on here?
It's okay. You can tell us.
Okay. It's not really
the off-season.
Oh, well, actually every day
around here is the off-season.
The hotel is haunted.
Come on. What's really going on?
It's haunted.
You know,
"Boo." Bumps in the night.
Blood-curdling screams.
The whole ball of wax.
Disembodied heads in the
ice chest don't exactly make for
five-star ratings.
I told you.
So, why stay? I mean,
why not just pack up and go?
I can't. MAGGIE: Why not?
I have a son.
Matthew.
He's... He's 10.
After my husband died,
he's all I had.
All right, well...
What happened?
This is the last
place I saw Matthew.
That's why I can't leave.
This thing just appeared
here two years ago.
I don't know what it is.
I've talked to police,
scientists, psychics.
The Air Force took over the hotel for
almost a year, until even they got bored.
I'm supposed to call
them if anything happens.
Our window wasn't scheduled
to open for four more hours.
It's not ours.
You know what that is?
It's a portal to an
alternate world.
It
must be stuck open somehow.
You think
Colin must have gone in?
Quinn.
So much for the
"Do not disturb" sign.
Where's my brother?
What are you talking about?
What's the forecast, Willard?
You always predict the
weather with an EM scanner?
That is for lightning and
atmospheric discharges.
What are you doing here and
what do you know about my son?
I can't stop her.
Okay, okay.
All right,
you wanna know the truth?
I hunt ghosts. Ghosts.
Yeah. I have a theory.
That phenomena that are often
attributed to the supernatural
are actually a result of
fluctuations in space-time.
And what people see as ghosts... No,
no.
They are actually visitors
from alternate quantum realities.
That's a pretty good theory.
And I believe that,
that disturbance in room 315...
I believe that, that is a doorway
into such an alternate reality.
I was trying to
get some readings
when I saw your friend fall in.
And you didn't tell us?
I was getting around to it.
All right. Here's the deal.
We'll help you
prove your theory,
but you gotta help us first.
I was working on these
portable nuclear power cells.
Eventually,
they cut off my funding at Caltec.
They wouldn't let me use
the fusion reactor anymore.
Jerks.
Oh, I put most of these
detectors together in my garage.
You built a nuclear
reactor in your garage?
A little one.
Okay. All systems look nominal.
How about a condensed version
for the scientifically impaired?
Each alternate Earth has
its own quantum signature.
We should be able to adjust the
equipment to amplify the quantum signal
from that vortex upstairs.
What will that do?
Hey, bro. Look who I met.
It worked!
Matthew.
Mom!
They're not really here.
The equipment is just
making them visible to us.
That is quite correct. You seem a bit
more sagacious than our own Mr. Mallory.
Sod off, you brainy twit.
Allow me to introduce
my traveling companions.
This is Quinn
"Howling Man" Mallory,
a singer of some sort I'm told.
Get us
the hell out of here
And
this is Miss Maggie Beckett,
exotic dancer.
Hi.
Are you responsible for
opening the vortex upstairs?
Yes,
I was working on an antigravity machine
when something went a bit awry.
The resulting quantum disturbance
sucked us into this ephemeral state.
This is fantastic.
You've been here
this whole time?
I knew about the disturbances,
but I never...
You're people.
We've been trying to find someone
to help us for like two years.
You... You're a stripper?
No, love. Exotic dancer.
Unfortunately, our attempts to
communicate were widely misconstrued
as some kind of horror show.
Yeah. Real horrorshow.
How'd you like the cellar,
baby? You make any friends?
Anyway, Colin here was the only
person that could actually see us.
Colin, you and Matthew must have
nearly the same quantum signature.
That's why only
you could see him.
My thoughts precisely.
Sorry I didn't believe you, bro.
Never close your mind to the possibilities,
brother.
I've missed you so much.
I know. I could see
you the whole time.
I tried to tell you I was okay,
but you couldn't hear me.
Look at you. You
haven't changed at all.
Don't cry.
Colin said his brother
can get us out of here.
Yeah. Well,
he bloody well better,
because we've got your little timer,
see?
And brainiac over here says that
when these numbers run down,
if you don't have it back,
you're gonna be right up it. Yeah, baby.
Sorry. Who knew he
was paying attention?
What's happening?
The quantum
frequency is oscillating.
Colin's extra mass must
be destabilizing the vortex.
Matthew!
No, we're losing them. No,
I don't have enough power.
Power the
vortex. Frankenstein!
Where are they?
They're here.
They're stuck in a transient
state between this world and theirs.
Yeah, but not for long. Aw, jeez,
the instability is increasing.
Look, an hour, maybe less,
you know, we...
This whole entire vortex
could collapse completely.
What does that mean?
If the exotic matter holding
the vortex open collapses,
they'll be ripped apart by the
tidal forces of the wormhole.
My son's still alive in there.
You have to get him out.
My brother's in there,
too, Holly.
Believe me,
we'll do what we can.
We need more data. I
have to get closer to the vortex
to get some
neutrino flux readings.
Whoa.
That shouldn't be a problem.
Oh, my God. I thought you
said the vortex was collapsing.
No, I... I said it was unstable.
He said it was collapsing.
What's happening?
I think it's generating more power
to compensate for Colin's extra mass.
You better do something
before it eats the hotel.
Before it
eats the whole planet.
If we can tune your detector to the
same quantum frequency as the vortex,
maybe we can stabilize it.
You want to stop that,
with this?
This thing runs on
four AA batteries.
Hey, man, it's a solid theory.
We just need more power.
Blackouts like
this last for days.
Colin was trying to tell
us something about power.
He said, "Frankenstein."
That doesn't make any sense.
Frankenstein...
Frankenstein...
Frankenstein!
Man,
that rain stinks!
The cable's hooked up.
Okay. One good
lightning bolt and you're cooking.
Thank you, Igor.
This won't work.
Sure it will.
I've adjusted your EM detector to emit a
pulse to match their quantum signatures.
Jeez, how could you possibly know that,
that's the right frequency?
Maggie told me. What?
Yeah. When you saw your
double in the ice machine.
The cold temperature must have slowed her
molecular activity enough for her to materialize.
So,
now I've adjusted the molecular resonance
to simulate freezing
temperatures.
One jolt should be enough to reopen
the vortex and knock them all loose.
But you do not know that. God,
you could destroy the vortex completely.
What choice do we have?
Listen to me. You
cannot let him do this.
I mean, if his calibrations
are the tiniest bit off,
he will crush your
son into neutrons.
All right. I'm not gonna kid
you. There is a risk involved.
But if we don't do
something now...
Well, you may not get another
chance. Holly, it's your call.
I trust you.
No! I won't let you!
Look, they pulled my funding.
They pulled my
academic credentials.
Look,
my career is down the toilet. But this...
This proves that I was right.
You know, and who do you think Caltec's
gonna call to study this thing, huh?
Me. I laid the groundwork,
you know.
I put in the hours.
That's my tenure.
He's still breathing.
Okay. What now?
It's still set to the
right frequency.
But there's no power.
Not out here.
Are you crazy?
Don't worry. I'll be right back.
Quinn!
Hey, brother.
You better watch
where you step next time!
That's the portal. It goes
to your world! Go! Go!
Thank you, sir. Good luck.
Bye, sweetie.
Sorry, we didn't have more time,
if you know what I mean.
Yeah, baby.
Hold on, buddy.
What's happening?
Quinn!
Oh, God, no!
I told you we'd be right back.
Matthew!
Mom, not in front of everybody.
Where is it?
Oh, no.
Sorry, Professor.
Looks like it's back
to the drawing board.
Maybe not.
All the vortex data should
be stored right in there.
Oh. Oh, my.
That'll keep them
talking back at Caltec.
Thank you.
We had a little help from
across the astral plane.
I'm bad.
Thank you all. I...
Obviously all your
rooms will be comped
for as long as
you'd like to stay.
We appreciate that, ma'am.
But we've got a lot
of traveling to do.
Yes.
But you did promise a
unique vacation experience.
Tell all your friends.
Listen.
What?
It stopped raining.
with two men dancing together.
Yeah, me neither. If the guy asked me,
I would...
I'm confused. Those were men?
That's right.
But they were dressed
in women's clothing.
Some guys just like
to dress up like women.
I mean, it's... Well,
they sort of...
Well, it's a lifestyle thing.
Yeah.
It makes them feel pretty.
They were pretty.
Keep sliding with us,
I guarantee you'll see
a lot stranger things.
Don't you ever get tired of it?
I mean,
one dangerous place after another?
Don't you ever just wanna
find a nice place and just stay?
Hey! QUINN: All the time...
What is this? New York World?
Are you nuts? Get off the street,
it's gonna rain!
Looks like we're in
for a little sprinkle.
Come on,
you guys, hurry up.
Just get in the car! Kids,
hurry up!
I've never seen folks so
skittish about a little rain before.
Well,
maybe this is Killer Lightning World.
Flash flood...
It stings like lye!
Acid Rain World!
If we don't get inside pronto,
there's gonna be nothing left but bones.
Actually,
even a moderately strong acid rain
would easily dissolve human bone,
I've heard.
Did anyone catch the
weather report today?
Yeah,
sure. Sulfuric thunderstorms
tapering off to a light hydrochloric
sprinkle in the afternoon.
You should have
worn your rubbers.
Oh,
my gosh! Are you folks all right?
Didn't you hear
the weather report?
Oh, I'm sorry,
we must've missed it.
Oh, well,
you must be from out of town.
We're from Canada.
Well, we never go out without
checking the weather first.
Especially during
the rainy season.
Welcome to the Chandler Hotel.
We're freeway close to
all the major theme parks,
we accept travel club discounts and,
lucky for you,
we just happen to
have a few vacancies.
So let me get your bags.
Excuse me. Excuse me.
Where are you going?
What's wrong? Anywhere but here,
out of my way.
You need more towels. Please,
don't go. It's raining outside!
I'd rather be staked out in a
typhoon in my birthday suit
than spend another
second in this madhouse!
So, how about a suite?
Room rates.
What if you found a
portal to a parallel universe?
What if you could slide into
a thousand different worlds
where it's the same year
and you're the same person,
but everything
else is different?
And what if you can't
find your way home?
Sliders.
This is the presidential suite.
The president stayed here?
Well, I can't be sure,
but it did look like him.
Why were those people leaving?
People?
In the lobby.
Well, you see, the Chandler is a
very unique vacation experience.
Not everyone can handle so
much pampering and relaxation.
All those people ran
out into an acid rainstorm
because the room
service is just too good?
You...
Anyway,
we have all the major amenities.
Rain slickers embroidered
with the distinctive Chandler logo,
decontamination shower stalls,
emergency eye wash,
and complimentary
assortment of burn ointments.
Well,
if you need anything else at all,
feel free to just
call the front desk.
Thank you. And that is for you.
Thank you, sir.
That woman should
seriously consider decaf.
Well, at least we have a roof
over our heads until we slide.
Which is in 12 hours.
Just make
sure we leave a wake-up call.
Well, it's too early to crash.
I'm gonna head down to the
bar. Anybody want to join me?
Yeah. Why not? You wanna come,
bro?
Yo, farm boy,
you wanna chill with us at the bar?
No. I'm quite happy with
the temperature up here.
Thanks.
No, no, no. "Chill" means to just
hang out. You know, be mellow.
Oh, I see. No,
I think I'll just crash.
You know, see what programs
are being transmitted tonight.
Check out the Spice Channel.
Next week
on the Spice Channel...
There's a channel on spices.
You can call me when it's hot,
fast and fresh.
Interesting.
Pizza man.
Mmm. I'm so hungry.
Hey,
I ordered this with sausage.
Extra toppings,
huh? I can handle that.
Pizza Man,
next week on the Spice Channel.
Remember,
he'll take 30 minutes or it's free.
Did I do the right thing,
dragging Colin along with us?
He's your brother. Your folks
wanted you both to be together.
I don't even know him.
You didn't know me.
You didn't know Remmy.
I know.
Hey,
if you guys ever want to call it quits.
I mean, if you find a nice,
peaceful world
and you want to settle down,
it's okay with me.
It won't be home, but we've been
to a few that were close enough.
I just wanted you
guys to know that.
Are you saying that you don't
want us to meet your parents?
So,
can I get you folks anything?
I will have a draft.
Make it two.
I'm feeling original.
Make mine the same.
Three drafts coming up.
So, some weather we're having,
huh?
Yeah. You think it's
gonna ever clear up?
Oh, maybe.
Ever since they shut down
those offshore refineries,
the air's gotten
a whole lot better.
Hey,
were you guys around back in '93
when Santa Monica
Bay caught fire?
It's this dang El Niño.
Pushes in those petrochemicals
right in off the ocean.
Oh, I'm... I'm sorry. Did you
guys want oysters in those?
...alive! It's alive!
Henry, in the name of God!
In the name
of God! Now I know what it...
Hello. What are you doing here?
Hey? Hey, where are you going?
Who are you?
Hey, wait. Wait.
It's okay. I won't hurt you.
I don't understand.
Whoa.
Seems a little slow tonight,
huh?
Hey,
stick around till Wednesday. Karaoke.
Hey,
you get tired of all those infomercials?
You will not believe
what I just saw.
Man,
I told you that spray-on hair doesn't work.
There was someone in our room.
What?
What are you talking about?
A boy.
Only he wasn't really
there. He appeared.
He grabbed the TV thingy and
walked through a closed door
like some kind of... Of...
Non-corporeal shade.
Are you saying you saw a ghost?
Colin,
what were you watching on TV?
A program about
this medical pioneer.
He created a living creature by
stitching together parts of corpses.
Amazing.
Though in the end,
I gather it got a little out of hand.
Sounds like Frankenstein.
That's him.
Okay,
Colin. You were really wiped,
maybe you just fell
asleep in front of the TV.
You think I dreamed this?
Hey, man,
you've been traveling a lot. You're tired.
We better get him a drink,
and make it a stiff one.
Is that what all you
people think of me?
That I'm some backwards
rube who's afraid of evil spirits?
We may burn the occasional
witch where I come from,
but I'm a man of science. Same as you,
brother.
And I know what I saw.
Welcome to the Chandler Hotel.
We're freeway close to
all the major theme parks...
I have a few more
trunks in the cab.
I'll take care of them. Right this way,
sir.
This is the second weirdest
hotel I've ever stayed in.
Colin, I just want you to
consider that there might be
some other explanation for this.
Like I'm a ignorant,
superstitious bumpkin.
No.
I was thinking more
that you're tired.
You fall asleep watching
an old horror movie, and...
Do you think this
is easy for me?
I spent my whole life trying
to adjust to my own world,
and now I've got a
million more to deal with.
I've got a lot of catching up to do,
and it doesn't help
if you accuse me
of acting like a fool.
Nobody's acting like a fool.
Quinn! There was something
invisible with me inside the bathroom...
There is a head in the ice
machine and it had my face.
...and it wrote,
"Help us," on the mirror.
This place is haunted.
Come on. Let's go. Come on,
Colin.
I swear. I'm not kidding you.
There was a head in the ice machine.
In there.
It looked like you?
Well, it was blue and frosty,
but yeah.
Well?
Have a look.
Okay. There was a head in
there and it looked just like me.
Well, since yours seems to be firmly
attached, I really would not sweat it.
All right. Don't
you blow me off.
I know a disembodied
head when I see one.
I believe you.
I know I believe her.
And another thing, I didn't have
a nightmare while I was shaving.
No, but somebody could
have written that anytime.
When the mirror steamed up,
those words just became visible again.
There is nothing going on here that cannot
be explained by a bunch of tired people
stuck in an old hotel with a
Boris Karloff marathon on cable.
Now, why don't we get some rest?
We've got an early
slide in the morning.
What time should we be ready?
In about 10...
Hours.
Where's the timer?
It was right there.
Nobody moved it?
That boy was in here.
Now,
what would a ghost want with a timer?
That weird guy from the lobby
was snooping around outside.
Fine. You check him out.
I'm gonna go talk to our host.
Put some clothes on.
"Put some clothes on."
Hello? Hello?
Don't you ever sleep?
The hotel never sleeps,
sir. How may I help you?
We've lost something.
Oh, well,
then let's look in the lost and found.
Ah,
it was actually taken from our room.
Has anyone been
in there? A maid?
Oh, no,
no. I make up the rooms myself,
and I haven't been in
there since you checked in.
Well,
then maybe you can help us find it.
Oh,
I'm sorry. I can't leave the desk.
But I thought this was
a full-service hotel?
Well...
My sworn duty as concierge does obligate
me to help my guests in any way possible.
I promise you,
there will be a big tip in it for you.
Well, please, sir,
the satisfaction of my
guests is reward enough.
Yeah?
Can we talk to you for a second?
I'm busy.
We saw you snooping around
our room. What are you looking for?
Leave me alone.
What do you got in there?
Amazing.
You guys can't
just bust in here!
I see you're into electronics.
You wouldn't happen to have seen
a small electronic device lying around,
would you?
About yea big, red,
blinking numbers?
What would I be doing in your
room? Come on. Don't touch that.
Why don't you tell us
that? What's all the gear for?
I'm doing meteorological
experiments. Analyzing weather patterns
and atmospheric contamination.
You study the weather by
sucking up dust bunnies?
I was collecting water and particulate
samples off of people's shoes.
They tracked into the hotel. If
that's even any of your business.
What's your name?
Smith.
John Smith.
You expect us to believe that?
What kind of an idiot checks into a
hotel using the alias of "John Smith"?
I realize it is not a very common name,
you know,
but that is no reason
for you to be insulting.
Well, he's not lying.
John Smith. Graduate
student at Caltec.
My mother named me after the
Greek god of intellectual pursuits
and lost objects.
What
does this thing do?
Come on, guys.
We should let Mr. Smith
get back to work.
Sorry we disturbed you.
I think we should keep
an eye on our Mr. Smith.
We haven't seen anyone else
come or go since the rain started.
Yeah.
Then the timer's probably
in the building somewhere.
We've got nine hours to
turn this place upside down.
Have you guys ever
lost the timer before?
So, "to chill" is a good thing?
Oh, yeah, man.
If you chill,
that means you're cool.
Obviously if you were chilled,
that means you'd be cold.
Well, see, it's not about
temperature. It's about a state of mind.
So, cool is good.
So, if you're too hot,
that must be bad, right?
Well, both hot and bad are good.
I'm not even gonna get into "phat",
"fresh" and "dope".
Oh, great. What is this,
a bad horror movie?
What's next?
Blood pouring
out of the elevator,
voodoo dolls chasing
us with steak knives?
Oh, there's a flashlight back
here in every other world.
Got you.
Ow!
Yeah, that's gonna leave a mark.
Who's there?
Quinn? Is that you?
Quinn?
Hello?
Sorry. This usually
happens after the first storm.
The rain eats right
through the wires.
How long have you
been working here?
Oh, my husband and I
bought the place six years ago.
We always wanted
to run our own hotel.
He died two months
after we opened the doors.
I'm sorry.
It was cancer.
He worked for SoCal Oil and Gas,
digging the San
Fernando petro duct.
We bought this place to
get him out of that hole.
I guess we waited
a little too long.
Do you ever think about leaving?
Going someplace where
there aren't so many ghosts?
Um...
I still have
a lot invested in this place.
Oh, hey, I've got it.
Thanks.
It's nice having people
stay at the hotel again.
I spend a lot of time in hotels.
It isn't easy having people
just pass through your life.
No point in getting
attached though when
checkout time is at 12:00,
right?
We... We better keep looking.
Anyone down here?
Quinn, if that's you,
I swear I'm gonna skin you alive.
Hey! Hey, who's out there?
Let me out of here!
Oh, man.
This is the room
the boy went into.
I don't care what
your brother said.
There is something
paranormal going on here.
"Paranormal." Beyond normal.
Yeah.
Yeah,
that sums things up nicely.
There's definitely something
paranormal going on around here.
I'm gonna run down
to the front desk,
see if I can hustle
up a key to this door.
Good idea.
Rembrandt.
Remmy.
Don't be afraid.
My name's Colin
Mallory. What's yours?
I can't hear you.
What are you trying to tell me?
Where did you come from?
Remmy.
Remmy?
Paranormal.
Colin, I didn't get us a key,
but I got us some light.
Rembrandt,
I saw the boy again. He opened the door.
Hey, Colin?
I'm right here.
What's the matter
with you? I'm right here!
Colin!
Hi.
He couldn't see me.
They can't.
I can hear you.
I can touch you. Sure.
You're on my side now.
Your side.
Am I...
Are we dead?
I don't know. It's pretty boring,
whatever it is.
My name's Matthew. I'm Colin.
I know.
You're the first person who could see me,
so I brought you on over.
We can hang out now.
Hang out.
Sure. Play and stuff.
The others are mean.
I don't go near them anymore.
The others?
Okay, rats,
keep your distance
because I am not
having a good day.
Hey!
Maggie, it's me.
What took you so long?
Didn't you hear me
yelling? What happened?
I thought I saw someone.
I followed them down here
and then I got locked in.
And I could
hear things. Like little animals,
with little claws and little beady
yellow eyes scurrying at my feet.
Easy,
girl. I thought you were a Marine.
I don't like rats.
Come on. We go out this way.
Jeez.
Any luck?
Maggie saw someone
run into the cellar.
Smith?
Maybe. I couldn't tell.
Where's Colin?
I lost him.
I came down to find
a key to room 315.
When I went back upstairs,
he was gone.
Look, 315 is the only room that
doesn't have a spare key behind the desk.
Now, I thought you said that
Smith was the only other person
that was staying here?
He is.
Well, then where's that key?
I don't know.
I don't understand it. Things are
always getting lost in this place.
Yeah, you're telling us.
Listen, lady,
somebody stole our property,
put a human head in the ice machine,
locked me in a rat-infested cellar,
and I don't like rats,
so don't tell me this is all part of
our unique vacation experience.
Sorry.
What's going on here?
It's okay. You can tell us.
Okay. It's not really
the off-season.
Oh, well, actually every day
around here is the off-season.
The hotel is haunted.
Come on. What's really going on?
It's haunted.
You know,
"Boo." Bumps in the night.
Blood-curdling screams.
The whole ball of wax.
Disembodied heads in the
ice chest don't exactly make for
five-star ratings.
I told you.
So, why stay? I mean,
why not just pack up and go?
I can't. MAGGIE: Why not?
I have a son.
Matthew.
He's... He's 10.
After my husband died,
he's all I had.
All right, well...
What happened?
This is the last
place I saw Matthew.
That's why I can't leave.
This thing just appeared
here two years ago.
I don't know what it is.
I've talked to police,
scientists, psychics.
The Air Force took over the hotel for
almost a year, until even they got bored.
I'm supposed to call
them if anything happens.
Our window wasn't scheduled
to open for four more hours.
It's not ours.
You know what that is?
It's a portal to an
alternate world.
It
must be stuck open somehow.
You think
Colin must have gone in?
Quinn.
So much for the
"Do not disturb" sign.
Where's my brother?
What are you talking about?
What's the forecast, Willard?
You always predict the
weather with an EM scanner?
That is for lightning and
atmospheric discharges.
What are you doing here and
what do you know about my son?
I can't stop her.
Okay, okay.
All right,
you wanna know the truth?
I hunt ghosts. Ghosts.
Yeah. I have a theory.
That phenomena that are often
attributed to the supernatural
are actually a result of
fluctuations in space-time.
And what people see as ghosts... No,
no.
They are actually visitors
from alternate quantum realities.
That's a pretty good theory.
And I believe that,
that disturbance in room 315...
I believe that, that is a doorway
into such an alternate reality.
I was trying to
get some readings
when I saw your friend fall in.
And you didn't tell us?
I was getting around to it.
All right. Here's the deal.
We'll help you
prove your theory,
but you gotta help us first.
I was working on these
portable nuclear power cells.
Eventually,
they cut off my funding at Caltec.
They wouldn't let me use
the fusion reactor anymore.
Jerks.
Oh, I put most of these
detectors together in my garage.
You built a nuclear
reactor in your garage?
A little one.
Okay. All systems look nominal.
How about a condensed version
for the scientifically impaired?
Each alternate Earth has
its own quantum signature.
We should be able to adjust the
equipment to amplify the quantum signal
from that vortex upstairs.
What will that do?
Hey, bro. Look who I met.
It worked!
Matthew.
Mom!
They're not really here.
The equipment is just
making them visible to us.
That is quite correct. You seem a bit
more sagacious than our own Mr. Mallory.
Sod off, you brainy twit.
Allow me to introduce
my traveling companions.
This is Quinn
"Howling Man" Mallory,
a singer of some sort I'm told.
Get us
the hell out of here
And
this is Miss Maggie Beckett,
exotic dancer.
Hi.
Are you responsible for
opening the vortex upstairs?
Yes,
I was working on an antigravity machine
when something went a bit awry.
The resulting quantum disturbance
sucked us into this ephemeral state.
This is fantastic.
You've been here
this whole time?
I knew about the disturbances,
but I never...
You're people.
We've been trying to find someone
to help us for like two years.
You... You're a stripper?
No, love. Exotic dancer.
Unfortunately, our attempts to
communicate were widely misconstrued
as some kind of horror show.
Yeah. Real horrorshow.
How'd you like the cellar,
baby? You make any friends?
Anyway, Colin here was the only
person that could actually see us.
Colin, you and Matthew must have
nearly the same quantum signature.
That's why only
you could see him.
My thoughts precisely.
Sorry I didn't believe you, bro.
Never close your mind to the possibilities,
brother.
I've missed you so much.
I know. I could see
you the whole time.
I tried to tell you I was okay,
but you couldn't hear me.
Look at you. You
haven't changed at all.
Don't cry.
Colin said his brother
can get us out of here.
Yeah. Well,
he bloody well better,
because we've got your little timer,
see?
And brainiac over here says that
when these numbers run down,
if you don't have it back,
you're gonna be right up it. Yeah, baby.
Sorry. Who knew he
was paying attention?
What's happening?
The quantum
frequency is oscillating.
Colin's extra mass must
be destabilizing the vortex.
Matthew!
No, we're losing them. No,
I don't have enough power.
Power the
vortex. Frankenstein!
Where are they?
They're here.
They're stuck in a transient
state between this world and theirs.
Yeah, but not for long. Aw, jeez,
the instability is increasing.
Look, an hour, maybe less,
you know, we...
This whole entire vortex
could collapse completely.
What does that mean?
If the exotic matter holding
the vortex open collapses,
they'll be ripped apart by the
tidal forces of the wormhole.
My son's still alive in there.
You have to get him out.
My brother's in there,
too, Holly.
Believe me,
we'll do what we can.
We need more data. I
have to get closer to the vortex
to get some
neutrino flux readings.
Whoa.
That shouldn't be a problem.
Oh, my God. I thought you
said the vortex was collapsing.
No, I... I said it was unstable.
He said it was collapsing.
What's happening?
I think it's generating more power
to compensate for Colin's extra mass.
You better do something
before it eats the hotel.
Before it
eats the whole planet.
If we can tune your detector to the
same quantum frequency as the vortex,
maybe we can stabilize it.
You want to stop that,
with this?
This thing runs on
four AA batteries.
Hey, man, it's a solid theory.
We just need more power.
Blackouts like
this last for days.
Colin was trying to tell
us something about power.
He said, "Frankenstein."
That doesn't make any sense.
Frankenstein...
Frankenstein...
Frankenstein!
Man,
that rain stinks!
The cable's hooked up.
Okay. One good
lightning bolt and you're cooking.
Thank you, Igor.
This won't work.
Sure it will.
I've adjusted your EM detector to emit a
pulse to match their quantum signatures.
Jeez, how could you possibly know that,
that's the right frequency?
Maggie told me. What?
Yeah. When you saw your
double in the ice machine.
The cold temperature must have slowed her
molecular activity enough for her to materialize.
So,
now I've adjusted the molecular resonance
to simulate freezing
temperatures.
One jolt should be enough to reopen
the vortex and knock them all loose.
But you do not know that. God,
you could destroy the vortex completely.
What choice do we have?
Listen to me. You
cannot let him do this.
I mean, if his calibrations
are the tiniest bit off,
he will crush your
son into neutrons.
All right. I'm not gonna kid
you. There is a risk involved.
But if we don't do
something now...
Well, you may not get another
chance. Holly, it's your call.
I trust you.
No! I won't let you!
Look, they pulled my funding.
They pulled my
academic credentials.
Look,
my career is down the toilet. But this...
This proves that I was right.
You know, and who do you think Caltec's
gonna call to study this thing, huh?
Me. I laid the groundwork,
you know.
I put in the hours.
That's my tenure.
He's still breathing.
Okay. What now?
It's still set to the
right frequency.
But there's no power.
Not out here.
Are you crazy?
Don't worry. I'll be right back.
Quinn!
Hey, brother.
You better watch
where you step next time!
That's the portal. It goes
to your world! Go! Go!
Thank you, sir. Good luck.
Bye, sweetie.
Sorry, we didn't have more time,
if you know what I mean.
Yeah, baby.
Hold on, buddy.
What's happening?
Quinn!
Oh, God, no!
I told you we'd be right back.
Matthew!
Mom, not in front of everybody.
Where is it?
Oh, no.
Sorry, Professor.
Looks like it's back
to the drawing board.
Maybe not.
All the vortex data should
be stored right in there.
Oh. Oh, my.
That'll keep them
talking back at Caltec.
Thank you.
We had a little help from
across the astral plane.
I'm bad.
Thank you all. I...
Obviously all your
rooms will be comped
for as long as
you'd like to stay.
We appreciate that, ma'am.
But we've got a lot
of traveling to do.
Yes.
But you did promise a
unique vacation experience.
Tell all your friends.
Listen.
What?
It stopped raining.