The Outer Limits (1995–2002): Season 1, Episode 14 - The New Breed - full transcript
Dr. Stephen Ledbetter believes he has found the cure for everything: tiny nanobots that can cure diseases at the cellular level. He is frustrated by the limits put on his research and the fact he does not have authority to takes his tests to the next level and use it on humans. After his his future brother-in-law Andy Groenig learns that he has pelvic cancer, he breaks into Leadbetter's lab and injects himself with the serum. The effects are rapid and quite dramatic. Within three days, the cancer has been reduced by 90 percent and he no longer requires glasses. Stephen is upset when he learns what he's done but agrees to monitor his progress. As time goes on however, Andy begins to develop in ways that one could have imagined.
This water has been subjected to
a number of man-made pollutants...
and as you can see,
its condition is extremely unhealthy...
teeming with disease.
However, after my solution
is introduced...
it begins to change,
taking on an entirely different character.
Finally, the conversion is complete...
and the pollutant is gone.
Amazing!
You were watching the surface
of the liquid in this flask.
At one time, it was swimming
with malignant cancerous cells...
taken from a human liver, until...
my nanotech machines
went to work on it...
changing the malignant
cancer cells into benign, healthy ones.
We here at Claybourne University
are very fortunate...
to have someone as gifted as
Dr. Stephen Ledbetter on our staff.
His latest developments in nanotechnology
have perched him on the leading edge...
of a stunning medical breakthrough.
Doctor Ledbetter will be happy
to answer questions.
How are the nanobots
able to change the cancer cells?
They change them
on a molecular level.
You must understand that in
the science of nanotechnology...
we are dealing with objects
which are measured in nanometers.
A nanometer is
one billionth of a meter.
I have been able to successfully
engineer molecule-sized machines...
which can enter a cell
and repair it...
changing the molecular configuration
of that cell and altering its very being.
How do these machines
know which cells to enter?
They're programmed
to identify specific cells...
and recognize when they're not
behaving the way they should...
but the best part of it is
they know how to repair what they find.
So what you're saying is
you've found a cure for cancer.
Cancer, heart disease, dandruff.
I am now working on
a generation of nanobots...
which, when introduced
into the human bloodstream...
can replicate themselves
and spread throughout the entire body...
searching out any damaged
or diseased cells and healing them.
Sounds like you're playing God.
Let's just say
God created a flawed man.
I think I can do better.
There is nothing wrong
with your television.
Do not attempt
to adjust the picture.
We are now controlling
the transmission.
We control
the horizontal...
and the vertical.
We can deluge you
with a thousand channels...
or expand one single image
to crystal clarity...
and beyond.
We can shape
your vision...
to anything
our imagination can conceive.
For the next hour...
we will control
all that you see and hear.
You are about to experience
the awe and mystery...
which reaches from
the deepest inner mind to...
The Outer Limits.
Man has long worked to stave off
the disease that can ravage us.
But what can happen when the cure grows
more fearsome than the disease?
Stephen, comparing yourself to God-
I was not comparing myself to God.
I merely said I was
improving on his design.
University officials find
statements like that blasphemous.
You'll have to learn politics
if you want to keep your grant.
Norman, I was kidding.
This administration
does not have a sense of humor.
And neither apparently do you.
If my research works out, the university
stands to make millions off of this.
They're not gonna let it
slip through their fingers...
because of a few puritans
on the board of regents.
It's the puritans
who hold all the power.
I'd hate to see you
kicked off this project.
Fine, Norman. I'll choose my words
more carefully in the future.
Stephen, give me your word you'll
adhere to federal testing procedures.
We are wasting
so much precious time.
The nanobots are ready
for live animal testing now.
Stephen, only a fool makes
the same mistake twice.
Oh, really? And what mistake
are you referring to, Norman?
You almost had
this entire program shut down...
when you proceeded with tissue
testing without approval.
If I hadn't done some damn good
politicizing, you'd be out of a job...
the university would be out millions,
and your nanobots would be imprisoned...
in historical scientific journals
about failed experiments.
All right. Don't worry, Norman.
I'll be a good boy.
I'm counting on it.
Decontamination complete.
Hey, Dr. Super Scientist,
nice presentation.
- You were there?
- Are you kidding?
That presentation's
all you've been talking about for months.
I wouldn't have missed it
for the world.
I didn't understand a lot of the technical
stuff, but the overview was fascinating.
You didn't find
the God reference offensive?
It was a little
over the top maybe.
But from what I saw, those little things
of yours are nothing short of a miracle.
You think they're gonna let you
go ahead with the live animal testing?
You know how it is with grant boards.
This new generation of nanobots is
not only ready for animal experiments...
they're probably ready
for human testing as well.
There they are-
Suspended in saline, too small to see.
The answer to so many
of the world's problems.
Before you go saving the world,
we have to talk.
What's up?
Can you come out of there?
We can talk fine right here.
What is it?
I came to ask for your blessings.
- Blessings? For what?
- To marry your little sister.
- You popped the question?
- We're getting married next month.
I made her promise to let me
be the one to tell you.
I wanted to know
if you'd be my best man.
I wouldn't miss it for the world.
What made you finally ask her?
That's my other news.
I finally feel like I have a future.
What future?
You got tenure?
You're looking at the newest permanent
member of the sociology department.
All this good news in one day
deserves a celebration.
We'll get a bottle of champagne.
I can't, Stephen.
I have a doctor's appointment.
But I'll take a rain check
on that champagne.
Good. Congratulations, Andy.
Did the X-rays show anything?
I believe we've located
the source of your back pain.
Oh, great. So what is it?
A pulled muscle?
I'm afraid it's not that easy.
The tests indicate a mass
in your pelvic region.
What kind of mass?
Osteosarcoma.
Cancer.
I'm sorry.
It's treatable, isn't it?
What about chemotherapy?
Unfortunately, pelvic cancer
doesn't respond that well to chemo.
Surgery?
That's possible.
The cancerous area is quite large.
It would require
a radical resection.
I don't care how radical.
You have to operate.
Andy, before you make that decision,
you've gotta understand.
A radical resection entails the removal
of the entire leg and hip area.
We do have prostheses
on the market.
- We could set you up with one as soon-
- Is there an option?
How long would I have
if I didn't get the surgery?
That's hard to say.
How long would I have?
Maybe a year.
Where have you been?
You look terrible.
Oh. I didn't
get any sleep last night.
Sudden realization of an impending
marriage will do that to you.
- What brings you to this side of campus?
- I was dropping off some papers.
- I thought I'd walk you back to the lab.
- I'm always happy for the company.
Any word from the board yet?
Are they gonna let you use
your nanobots on live subjects?
I haven't heard a word. The university
is so backward about taking risks.
What if there was someone,
like a terminal patient, maybe...
who was willing to sign a release form
to take your nanobot pill?
Andy, they're not delivered in a pill.
They're delivered through injection.
Whatever.
Would they let you try your injection...
on a terminal patient
who had nothing else to try?
The university is terrified if anything
went wrong, we'd lose our funding.
I don't understand. I mean, at least
you'd be giving the patient some hope.
If something did go wrong...
it couldn't be any worse
than the alternative, death.
Andy, are you all right?
- Oh! Everything's fine.
- Good.
I'm just curious. I'll let you go.
Nice to see you.
- Hey, hon!
- Hey, Judy.
What's the matter?
You okay?
Yeah. Fine. I guess I'm just
a little anxious about the wedding.
Me, too, but there's
nothing to worry about.
Because I already
booked the banquet hall, and...
I've got a substitute teacher lined up
for while we're on our honeymoon.
Oh! I had a dream last night...
that we were grandparents.
It was Christmas morning,
and we were surrounded by children.
And all the little ones
were opening up their presents...
and they were
squealing with delight.
I woke up this morning,
and I had a really warm feeling all over.
I am so looking forward
to growing old with you.
Damn.
I ran the test twice to be sure,
but I still don't believe it.
The cancer is 90% reduced.
I mean, I don't understand it.
Three days ago,
you had a large malignant mass.
At this rate of reduction, it should be in
complete remission by the end of the week.
That's just not possible.
That was great.
What got into you?
If only you knew.
Wha-
I cannot believe you did this!
Have you lost your mind?
I'm sorry. I didn't see
any other option.
Those have not even been tested in mice.
There's no telling what they could do.
- You said they were ready.
- Ready for animal testing.
You said they were ready
for human testing.
I said they were probably ready.
Speculation. Conjecture! A guess!
Don't tell me you don't
understand that concept.
Forgive me for saving my own life.
It was either do this or die.
For all I know, you may still die.
The nanobots themselves
could kill you.
I feel fantastic. Suddenly
I have perfect eyesight, more energy.
I'm stronger than I ever was before.
Look at this.
I had a four-inch scar here for 20 years.
It healed all by itself.
Stephen, your nanobots saved my life.
- They worked just like you said.
- That's not the point, Andy.
You've put me in an extremely difficult
position. You've put us both in one.
I saved my own life. I consider that
better than being dead.
I don't consider prison
a better position for me.
Don't worry. I injected them.
You didn't. You won't be culpable.
Look at it this way.
I'm living proof that your nanobots work.
So we go public.
You don't have to spend the next two years
doing lab experiments.
Andy, that's not the way
it would happen.
First, you would be kicked out
of the university...
for tampering with
a high-priority research project.
Then they would probably lock you away
in some unmarked medical laboratory...
in the backwoods of Langley, Virginia...
and stick needles in you
for the rest of your life.
We've got to move fast
and deactivate them.
Deact-You mean kill them off?
- How will my body react?
- I have no idea...
but I can't let them roam inside you
without knowing what they'll do next.
Look, I feel better than
I ever have in my whole life.
The nanobots are protecting me.
They're keeping me healthy.
- I will not risk getting the cancer back.
- It's not likely to come back.
Not likely. I'm not letting you
deactivate them, and that's final.
- Then why did you come to me?
- I admit, I'm a little nervous.
I thought you should be monitoring them.
I'm not gonna let you shut them off.
Don't you see? We both stand
to lose everything here.
You could be saving lives right now.
Here I am, the best testing ground
you will ever have.
You can take advantage
of that opportunity or not...
but I am not letting you
turn them off.
It's your choice, Stephen.
All right.
I'll make a deal with you.
We'll leave them in, and I monitor them.
But the second anything
starts to go wrong, we deactivate.
- Agreed?
- Agreed.
"E, F, P, T, 0, Z, L, P, E, D...
P, E, C, F, D, R, D, F, C...
E, M, F, E, L...
O, P, E, B, C...
D, X, D, E, F, P, O, T, E, C...
L-E-F-M-A-D-E.
Made in Taiwan."
Look at that.
Think I'll enter the 10K next week.
First prize would pay
for a hell of a honeymoon.
You start showing off in public, you're
gonna jeopardize the entire process.
Now I know how Clark Kent felt.
You're not quite
Superman yet, Andy.
I'm as close as a human can get.
I'd do a lot better if I didn't
have all these wires all over me.
Do I really need them?
It's the only way
to monitor the logic gate.
Logic gate?
Yes, that's how the nanos communicate
with the computer and with each other.
They're talking to each other in here?
That's why they work so fast.
They work as a team.
Each one performs a separate task
towards the same end.
- Can you communicate with them?
- I can give them commands.
Can you thank them for me?
I don't think their program language
has words for gratitude.
Hey. Check this out.
What the hell are you doing?
You said we were
conducting tests, right?
Excuse me.
Come on, Judy! Can't get a good cardio
at this snail's pace.
Snail's pace? Are you kidding?
You're usually pooping out at this point.
Not anymore.
I'll tell you what.
I'll go once around the circuit.
I'll meet you back here.
What's gotten into you?
What do you mean?
I've never seen you like this before.
Like what?
Please don't be mad at me.
Are you on something?
On something? You mean drugs?
No, Jude, I don't do that.
Good. Because I know you've
been under a lot of pressure...
with work, with the wedding.
Look, I'm fine. Let's go to sleep.
I think I'm just gonna
sleep at my place tonight.
Is something wrong?
No. No. It's just that
every night lately you keep me up.
I really need a good night's sleep.
I have parent conferences tomorrow.
Come on, Jude.
I won't keep you up.
Andy, what has gotten you
so hyper lately?
If it's not the drugs, what is it?
What are you talking about?
Where's all the energy
coming from, Andy?
'Cause quite frankly,
it's beginning to scare me a little bit.
Would you rather I be sedentary?
No. I'd rather you be the Andrew Groenig
I fell in love with.
Oh, my God.
What are you doing here?
It's Saturday.
Your nanobots
don't stop working on weekends.
That's incredible.
What the hell are they?
They look a bit like... gills.
The nanobots must have interpreted
your inability to breathe underwater...
as a physical deficiency.
- What are we gonna do?
- We're gonna deactivate.
That's what we're gonna do.
This experiment is over.
What's with the gloves, Stephen?
You think these things are contagious?
I don't know. We weren't anywhere
near human testing, remember?
What do you think?
I know they're not airborne.
They're too heavy for that.
And since they're programmed
to act as a community...
they probably won't stray
out of the host body.
- Is that a no?
- That's a probable no.
Okay. I'll patch into the logic gate.
Good. I've got a link.
Now I'll enter the commands to
flush from your system and deactivate.
Flush from my system?
They'll come out in your stool.
You won't even know they're there.
Wait a minute. Wait a minute.
Stephen. Stephen, hang on.
I mean, give them the command to
get rid of these things on my neck first.
I didn't develop the extended "C" language
to be that specific.
I think it's best if we just deactivate...
and then deal in a more conventional way
with the lesions.
These are not lesions.
I know.
Damn.
That's not how
it's supposed to work.
Don't tell me.
I'm not sure.
It may be that there are
so many of them that it will take time...
for the flush and deactivate command
to spread through their ranks.
- We may be okay.
- May be?
Okay, look.
I'll tell you what you do.
You go home.
You get some sleep.
You come back in the morning,
and we'll see if they're gone.
Meanwhile, I'll work out
another way to-
Are you telling me
you can't stop them?
I didn't say that. I said it
might take time for it to work.
At any rate,
you'll rest better at home...
and I'll be checking in on you.
- Who is it?
- It's me. Let me in.
I've been working on it all night.
I know how to deactivate them.
We have to use electricity
and short them out.
What is it?
Have there been more changes?
I'm not sure. I have this intense pain
in the back of my head.
- It kept me up all night.
- Let me look.
See anything?
Just two small bumps.
Damn it, that hurts!
Sorry. They appear to be filled
with some kind of fluid.
- What is it?
- They're moving.
What is it?
My God!
They're... eyes.
Get undressed while I set this up.
There has to be another way
to handle this.
I tried jamming
the logic gate frequency...
so the nanobots couldn't
communicate with each other.
They switched to
chemical transmission.
What about...
poison or something?
Anything that would hurt the machines
would probably kill you.
Radiation?
I thought you didn't want
the cancer to come back.
Won't electricity kill me?
No. Not if we
regulate it properly.
I'm sorry, Andy, but this is
the only thing we've got left to try.
Let's get on with it.
I know you're anxious, but you should
be aware of what we're gonna do here.
This is an E.C.T. Machine.
It's what they use for electric shock
treatment, so it's pretty safe.
What I have to do is give you just enough
direct current to disrupt the nanobots.
I have to stop
short of doing any harm.
Tell me this isn't gonna hurt
as much as I think it is.
It's just for a few seconds.
Bite down on this. It'll keep you
from swallowing your tongue.
Okay. You ready, Andy?
Okay. Here goes.
We've got 'em on the run.
Okay, brace yourself.
Here we go.
It's working. It's working.
Okay. One more shot,
and that should get them.
Ready?
Okay. Come on. Come on.
Come on.
Come on.
How do you feel?
Like I just spent a week
in the electric chair.
Was it a success?
They're still inside me,
aren't they?
I'm afraid so.
Are you sure?
I've taken blood samples from
different parts of your body.
The nanobots have already
started duplicating themselves.
We've slowed down the process...
but it's only a matter of time
before they're back in full force.
We're just gonna have to do it again.
This time we'll increase the voltage.
I don't think so. You're too weak
for another dose of electricity.
I almost lost you earlier.
Your heart couldn't take a higher charge.
That wouldn't be so terrible.
Better than living as a freak.
Don't give up on me, Andy. We're gonna
find a way to beat these things.
- Hello? Hello?
- Andy.
Where have you been?
At the university.
Listen. We have a lot to talk about
before the wedding. Can I come over?
No! I mean, it's not a good time.
I'm just gonna take a shower
and hit the sack.
Is everything okay?
Everything's fine.
I'm- I'm just tired.
Okay. Take care of yourself.
I love you.
Always remember that.
Me too.
Night.
Andy, are you all right?
What's the matter?
Do you have any idea
what these are?
What in the name of God?
Burned me.
They've converted some of
your skin cells into nematocysts.
Nema what?
Nematocysts.
They're the poison-secreting cells
that you find in... jellyfish.
They're trying to make you
invulnerable to attack.
Or any medical contact.
I know what they're doing.
They're putting up a barrier
to stop me.
What are we gonna do now?
You just get dressed and meet me
in my laboratory in two hours.
They're changing something
big-time inside me, Stephen.
They've doubled the protection
around your body cavity.
- It's amazing.
- Amazing.
It hurts like hell.
I'm a little beyond repair,
wouldn't you say, Doctor?
I don't blame you for this.
I'm the one who opened Pandora's box.
Andy, don't do anything crazy!
We can still go public with this.
We can seek the help of other scientists
from around the world.
I'm not putting myself through that.
I don't wantJudy to remember me
as some kind of freak.
I'm sorry, Stephen.
It's better this way.
They won't let me die.
It's ironic, isn't it?
Two weeks ago, I would've sold my soul
for a new lease on life...
and it appears
that's exactly what I have.
Now I'm desperate to die and I can't.
Come on. You're the only one
who can help me now.
- What is it you want me to do?
- I want you to end this torture.
I don't know if I can.
You said yourself when we tried this
last time, I almost died.
If you increase the voltage, you should
be able to kill enough of the nanobots...
that they won't be able
to mount a defense.
By the time we're through,
my body will be so fried...
not even they'll
be able to resuscitate me.
Andy, I'm not a killer.
I would have died either way.
- What aboutJudy?
- Stephen, look at me.
Look at me!
Look what I've become.
Do you really thinkJudy
would be happy married to this?
What are you planning
on doing with the body?
It has to be cremation.
Otherwise, whoever finds it
will know what I've become.
You could make it look
like I burned up in a lab fire.
Don't worry, Stephen.
You're doing me a favor.
I'm ready.
Let's do it.
I'm so sorry, Andy.
Don't be. It's not your fault.
TellJudy I love her.
Good-bye.
Damn.
Over millions of years...
man has become the very
paragon of animals.
But we must take care not to alter
what nature has taken so long to forge...
or risk being burned
by the very fires of creation.
a number of man-made pollutants...
and as you can see,
its condition is extremely unhealthy...
teeming with disease.
However, after my solution
is introduced...
it begins to change,
taking on an entirely different character.
Finally, the conversion is complete...
and the pollutant is gone.
Amazing!
You were watching the surface
of the liquid in this flask.
At one time, it was swimming
with malignant cancerous cells...
taken from a human liver, until...
my nanotech machines
went to work on it...
changing the malignant
cancer cells into benign, healthy ones.
We here at Claybourne University
are very fortunate...
to have someone as gifted as
Dr. Stephen Ledbetter on our staff.
His latest developments in nanotechnology
have perched him on the leading edge...
of a stunning medical breakthrough.
Doctor Ledbetter will be happy
to answer questions.
How are the nanobots
able to change the cancer cells?
They change them
on a molecular level.
You must understand that in
the science of nanotechnology...
we are dealing with objects
which are measured in nanometers.
A nanometer is
one billionth of a meter.
I have been able to successfully
engineer molecule-sized machines...
which can enter a cell
and repair it...
changing the molecular configuration
of that cell and altering its very being.
How do these machines
know which cells to enter?
They're programmed
to identify specific cells...
and recognize when they're not
behaving the way they should...
but the best part of it is
they know how to repair what they find.
So what you're saying is
you've found a cure for cancer.
Cancer, heart disease, dandruff.
I am now working on
a generation of nanobots...
which, when introduced
into the human bloodstream...
can replicate themselves
and spread throughout the entire body...
searching out any damaged
or diseased cells and healing them.
Sounds like you're playing God.
Let's just say
God created a flawed man.
I think I can do better.
There is nothing wrong
with your television.
Do not attempt
to adjust the picture.
We are now controlling
the transmission.
We control
the horizontal...
and the vertical.
We can deluge you
with a thousand channels...
or expand one single image
to crystal clarity...
and beyond.
We can shape
your vision...
to anything
our imagination can conceive.
For the next hour...
we will control
all that you see and hear.
You are about to experience
the awe and mystery...
which reaches from
the deepest inner mind to...
The Outer Limits.
Man has long worked to stave off
the disease that can ravage us.
But what can happen when the cure grows
more fearsome than the disease?
Stephen, comparing yourself to God-
I was not comparing myself to God.
I merely said I was
improving on his design.
University officials find
statements like that blasphemous.
You'll have to learn politics
if you want to keep your grant.
Norman, I was kidding.
This administration
does not have a sense of humor.
And neither apparently do you.
If my research works out, the university
stands to make millions off of this.
They're not gonna let it
slip through their fingers...
because of a few puritans
on the board of regents.
It's the puritans
who hold all the power.
I'd hate to see you
kicked off this project.
Fine, Norman. I'll choose my words
more carefully in the future.
Stephen, give me your word you'll
adhere to federal testing procedures.
We are wasting
so much precious time.
The nanobots are ready
for live animal testing now.
Stephen, only a fool makes
the same mistake twice.
Oh, really? And what mistake
are you referring to, Norman?
You almost had
this entire program shut down...
when you proceeded with tissue
testing without approval.
If I hadn't done some damn good
politicizing, you'd be out of a job...
the university would be out millions,
and your nanobots would be imprisoned...
in historical scientific journals
about failed experiments.
All right. Don't worry, Norman.
I'll be a good boy.
I'm counting on it.
Decontamination complete.
Hey, Dr. Super Scientist,
nice presentation.
- You were there?
- Are you kidding?
That presentation's
all you've been talking about for months.
I wouldn't have missed it
for the world.
I didn't understand a lot of the technical
stuff, but the overview was fascinating.
You didn't find
the God reference offensive?
It was a little
over the top maybe.
But from what I saw, those little things
of yours are nothing short of a miracle.
You think they're gonna let you
go ahead with the live animal testing?
You know how it is with grant boards.
This new generation of nanobots is
not only ready for animal experiments...
they're probably ready
for human testing as well.
There they are-
Suspended in saline, too small to see.
The answer to so many
of the world's problems.
Before you go saving the world,
we have to talk.
What's up?
Can you come out of there?
We can talk fine right here.
What is it?
I came to ask for your blessings.
- Blessings? For what?
- To marry your little sister.
- You popped the question?
- We're getting married next month.
I made her promise to let me
be the one to tell you.
I wanted to know
if you'd be my best man.
I wouldn't miss it for the world.
What made you finally ask her?
That's my other news.
I finally feel like I have a future.
What future?
You got tenure?
You're looking at the newest permanent
member of the sociology department.
All this good news in one day
deserves a celebration.
We'll get a bottle of champagne.
I can't, Stephen.
I have a doctor's appointment.
But I'll take a rain check
on that champagne.
Good. Congratulations, Andy.
Did the X-rays show anything?
I believe we've located
the source of your back pain.
Oh, great. So what is it?
A pulled muscle?
I'm afraid it's not that easy.
The tests indicate a mass
in your pelvic region.
What kind of mass?
Osteosarcoma.
Cancer.
I'm sorry.
It's treatable, isn't it?
What about chemotherapy?
Unfortunately, pelvic cancer
doesn't respond that well to chemo.
Surgery?
That's possible.
The cancerous area is quite large.
It would require
a radical resection.
I don't care how radical.
You have to operate.
Andy, before you make that decision,
you've gotta understand.
A radical resection entails the removal
of the entire leg and hip area.
We do have prostheses
on the market.
- We could set you up with one as soon-
- Is there an option?
How long would I have
if I didn't get the surgery?
That's hard to say.
How long would I have?
Maybe a year.
Where have you been?
You look terrible.
Oh. I didn't
get any sleep last night.
Sudden realization of an impending
marriage will do that to you.
- What brings you to this side of campus?
- I was dropping off some papers.
- I thought I'd walk you back to the lab.
- I'm always happy for the company.
Any word from the board yet?
Are they gonna let you use
your nanobots on live subjects?
I haven't heard a word. The university
is so backward about taking risks.
What if there was someone,
like a terminal patient, maybe...
who was willing to sign a release form
to take your nanobot pill?
Andy, they're not delivered in a pill.
They're delivered through injection.
Whatever.
Would they let you try your injection...
on a terminal patient
who had nothing else to try?
The university is terrified if anything
went wrong, we'd lose our funding.
I don't understand. I mean, at least
you'd be giving the patient some hope.
If something did go wrong...
it couldn't be any worse
than the alternative, death.
Andy, are you all right?
- Oh! Everything's fine.
- Good.
I'm just curious. I'll let you go.
Nice to see you.
- Hey, hon!
- Hey, Judy.
What's the matter?
You okay?
Yeah. Fine. I guess I'm just
a little anxious about the wedding.
Me, too, but there's
nothing to worry about.
Because I already
booked the banquet hall, and...
I've got a substitute teacher lined up
for while we're on our honeymoon.
Oh! I had a dream last night...
that we were grandparents.
It was Christmas morning,
and we were surrounded by children.
And all the little ones
were opening up their presents...
and they were
squealing with delight.
I woke up this morning,
and I had a really warm feeling all over.
I am so looking forward
to growing old with you.
Damn.
I ran the test twice to be sure,
but I still don't believe it.
The cancer is 90% reduced.
I mean, I don't understand it.
Three days ago,
you had a large malignant mass.
At this rate of reduction, it should be in
complete remission by the end of the week.
That's just not possible.
That was great.
What got into you?
If only you knew.
Wha-
I cannot believe you did this!
Have you lost your mind?
I'm sorry. I didn't see
any other option.
Those have not even been tested in mice.
There's no telling what they could do.
- You said they were ready.
- Ready for animal testing.
You said they were ready
for human testing.
I said they were probably ready.
Speculation. Conjecture! A guess!
Don't tell me you don't
understand that concept.
Forgive me for saving my own life.
It was either do this or die.
For all I know, you may still die.
The nanobots themselves
could kill you.
I feel fantastic. Suddenly
I have perfect eyesight, more energy.
I'm stronger than I ever was before.
Look at this.
I had a four-inch scar here for 20 years.
It healed all by itself.
Stephen, your nanobots saved my life.
- They worked just like you said.
- That's not the point, Andy.
You've put me in an extremely difficult
position. You've put us both in one.
I saved my own life. I consider that
better than being dead.
I don't consider prison
a better position for me.
Don't worry. I injected them.
You didn't. You won't be culpable.
Look at it this way.
I'm living proof that your nanobots work.
So we go public.
You don't have to spend the next two years
doing lab experiments.
Andy, that's not the way
it would happen.
First, you would be kicked out
of the university...
for tampering with
a high-priority research project.
Then they would probably lock you away
in some unmarked medical laboratory...
in the backwoods of Langley, Virginia...
and stick needles in you
for the rest of your life.
We've got to move fast
and deactivate them.
Deact-You mean kill them off?
- How will my body react?
- I have no idea...
but I can't let them roam inside you
without knowing what they'll do next.
Look, I feel better than
I ever have in my whole life.
The nanobots are protecting me.
They're keeping me healthy.
- I will not risk getting the cancer back.
- It's not likely to come back.
Not likely. I'm not letting you
deactivate them, and that's final.
- Then why did you come to me?
- I admit, I'm a little nervous.
I thought you should be monitoring them.
I'm not gonna let you shut them off.
Don't you see? We both stand
to lose everything here.
You could be saving lives right now.
Here I am, the best testing ground
you will ever have.
You can take advantage
of that opportunity or not...
but I am not letting you
turn them off.
It's your choice, Stephen.
All right.
I'll make a deal with you.
We'll leave them in, and I monitor them.
But the second anything
starts to go wrong, we deactivate.
- Agreed?
- Agreed.
"E, F, P, T, 0, Z, L, P, E, D...
P, E, C, F, D, R, D, F, C...
E, M, F, E, L...
O, P, E, B, C...
D, X, D, E, F, P, O, T, E, C...
L-E-F-M-A-D-E.
Made in Taiwan."
Look at that.
Think I'll enter the 10K next week.
First prize would pay
for a hell of a honeymoon.
You start showing off in public, you're
gonna jeopardize the entire process.
Now I know how Clark Kent felt.
You're not quite
Superman yet, Andy.
I'm as close as a human can get.
I'd do a lot better if I didn't
have all these wires all over me.
Do I really need them?
It's the only way
to monitor the logic gate.
Logic gate?
Yes, that's how the nanos communicate
with the computer and with each other.
They're talking to each other in here?
That's why they work so fast.
They work as a team.
Each one performs a separate task
towards the same end.
- Can you communicate with them?
- I can give them commands.
Can you thank them for me?
I don't think their program language
has words for gratitude.
Hey. Check this out.
What the hell are you doing?
You said we were
conducting tests, right?
Excuse me.
Come on, Judy! Can't get a good cardio
at this snail's pace.
Snail's pace? Are you kidding?
You're usually pooping out at this point.
Not anymore.
I'll tell you what.
I'll go once around the circuit.
I'll meet you back here.
What's gotten into you?
What do you mean?
I've never seen you like this before.
Like what?
Please don't be mad at me.
Are you on something?
On something? You mean drugs?
No, Jude, I don't do that.
Good. Because I know you've
been under a lot of pressure...
with work, with the wedding.
Look, I'm fine. Let's go to sleep.
I think I'm just gonna
sleep at my place tonight.
Is something wrong?
No. No. It's just that
every night lately you keep me up.
I really need a good night's sleep.
I have parent conferences tomorrow.
Come on, Jude.
I won't keep you up.
Andy, what has gotten you
so hyper lately?
If it's not the drugs, what is it?
What are you talking about?
Where's all the energy
coming from, Andy?
'Cause quite frankly,
it's beginning to scare me a little bit.
Would you rather I be sedentary?
No. I'd rather you be the Andrew Groenig
I fell in love with.
Oh, my God.
What are you doing here?
It's Saturday.
Your nanobots
don't stop working on weekends.
That's incredible.
What the hell are they?
They look a bit like... gills.
The nanobots must have interpreted
your inability to breathe underwater...
as a physical deficiency.
- What are we gonna do?
- We're gonna deactivate.
That's what we're gonna do.
This experiment is over.
What's with the gloves, Stephen?
You think these things are contagious?
I don't know. We weren't anywhere
near human testing, remember?
What do you think?
I know they're not airborne.
They're too heavy for that.
And since they're programmed
to act as a community...
they probably won't stray
out of the host body.
- Is that a no?
- That's a probable no.
Okay. I'll patch into the logic gate.
Good. I've got a link.
Now I'll enter the commands to
flush from your system and deactivate.
Flush from my system?
They'll come out in your stool.
You won't even know they're there.
Wait a minute. Wait a minute.
Stephen. Stephen, hang on.
I mean, give them the command to
get rid of these things on my neck first.
I didn't develop the extended "C" language
to be that specific.
I think it's best if we just deactivate...
and then deal in a more conventional way
with the lesions.
These are not lesions.
I know.
Damn.
That's not how
it's supposed to work.
Don't tell me.
I'm not sure.
It may be that there are
so many of them that it will take time...
for the flush and deactivate command
to spread through their ranks.
- We may be okay.
- May be?
Okay, look.
I'll tell you what you do.
You go home.
You get some sleep.
You come back in the morning,
and we'll see if they're gone.
Meanwhile, I'll work out
another way to-
Are you telling me
you can't stop them?
I didn't say that. I said it
might take time for it to work.
At any rate,
you'll rest better at home...
and I'll be checking in on you.
- Who is it?
- It's me. Let me in.
I've been working on it all night.
I know how to deactivate them.
We have to use electricity
and short them out.
What is it?
Have there been more changes?
I'm not sure. I have this intense pain
in the back of my head.
- It kept me up all night.
- Let me look.
See anything?
Just two small bumps.
Damn it, that hurts!
Sorry. They appear to be filled
with some kind of fluid.
- What is it?
- They're moving.
What is it?
My God!
They're... eyes.
Get undressed while I set this up.
There has to be another way
to handle this.
I tried jamming
the logic gate frequency...
so the nanobots couldn't
communicate with each other.
They switched to
chemical transmission.
What about...
poison or something?
Anything that would hurt the machines
would probably kill you.
Radiation?
I thought you didn't want
the cancer to come back.
Won't electricity kill me?
No. Not if we
regulate it properly.
I'm sorry, Andy, but this is
the only thing we've got left to try.
Let's get on with it.
I know you're anxious, but you should
be aware of what we're gonna do here.
This is an E.C.T. Machine.
It's what they use for electric shock
treatment, so it's pretty safe.
What I have to do is give you just enough
direct current to disrupt the nanobots.
I have to stop
short of doing any harm.
Tell me this isn't gonna hurt
as much as I think it is.
It's just for a few seconds.
Bite down on this. It'll keep you
from swallowing your tongue.
Okay. You ready, Andy?
Okay. Here goes.
We've got 'em on the run.
Okay, brace yourself.
Here we go.
It's working. It's working.
Okay. One more shot,
and that should get them.
Ready?
Okay. Come on. Come on.
Come on.
Come on.
How do you feel?
Like I just spent a week
in the electric chair.
Was it a success?
They're still inside me,
aren't they?
I'm afraid so.
Are you sure?
I've taken blood samples from
different parts of your body.
The nanobots have already
started duplicating themselves.
We've slowed down the process...
but it's only a matter of time
before they're back in full force.
We're just gonna have to do it again.
This time we'll increase the voltage.
I don't think so. You're too weak
for another dose of electricity.
I almost lost you earlier.
Your heart couldn't take a higher charge.
That wouldn't be so terrible.
Better than living as a freak.
Don't give up on me, Andy. We're gonna
find a way to beat these things.
- Hello? Hello?
- Andy.
Where have you been?
At the university.
Listen. We have a lot to talk about
before the wedding. Can I come over?
No! I mean, it's not a good time.
I'm just gonna take a shower
and hit the sack.
Is everything okay?
Everything's fine.
I'm- I'm just tired.
Okay. Take care of yourself.
I love you.
Always remember that.
Me too.
Night.
Andy, are you all right?
What's the matter?
Do you have any idea
what these are?
What in the name of God?
Burned me.
They've converted some of
your skin cells into nematocysts.
Nema what?
Nematocysts.
They're the poison-secreting cells
that you find in... jellyfish.
They're trying to make you
invulnerable to attack.
Or any medical contact.
I know what they're doing.
They're putting up a barrier
to stop me.
What are we gonna do now?
You just get dressed and meet me
in my laboratory in two hours.
They're changing something
big-time inside me, Stephen.
They've doubled the protection
around your body cavity.
- It's amazing.
- Amazing.
It hurts like hell.
I'm a little beyond repair,
wouldn't you say, Doctor?
I don't blame you for this.
I'm the one who opened Pandora's box.
Andy, don't do anything crazy!
We can still go public with this.
We can seek the help of other scientists
from around the world.
I'm not putting myself through that.
I don't wantJudy to remember me
as some kind of freak.
I'm sorry, Stephen.
It's better this way.
They won't let me die.
It's ironic, isn't it?
Two weeks ago, I would've sold my soul
for a new lease on life...
and it appears
that's exactly what I have.
Now I'm desperate to die and I can't.
Come on. You're the only one
who can help me now.
- What is it you want me to do?
- I want you to end this torture.
I don't know if I can.
You said yourself when we tried this
last time, I almost died.
If you increase the voltage, you should
be able to kill enough of the nanobots...
that they won't be able
to mount a defense.
By the time we're through,
my body will be so fried...
not even they'll
be able to resuscitate me.
Andy, I'm not a killer.
I would have died either way.
- What aboutJudy?
- Stephen, look at me.
Look at me!
Look what I've become.
Do you really thinkJudy
would be happy married to this?
What are you planning
on doing with the body?
It has to be cremation.
Otherwise, whoever finds it
will know what I've become.
You could make it look
like I burned up in a lab fire.
Don't worry, Stephen.
You're doing me a favor.
I'm ready.
Let's do it.
I'm so sorry, Andy.
Don't be. It's not your fault.
TellJudy I love her.
Good-bye.
Damn.
Over millions of years...
man has become the very
paragon of animals.
But we must take care not to alter
what nature has taken so long to forge...
or risk being burned
by the very fires of creation.