The X-Files (1993–…): Season 4, Episode 11 - El Mundo Gira - full transcript
Desperate illegal immigrant dubbed El Chupacabra who can't speak any English becomes patient zero for a possibly alien infection and goes on the run from ICE, the FBI and his own brother who blames him for the death of his girlfriend.
[ All Shouting ln Spanish ]
[Woman]
Quiet!Quiet!Listen tome.
It was a terrible thing.
You are not
going to believe me,
even when I tell you.
Some say it is a story,
a fairy tale.
But I saw it.
I saw it with my own eyes.
[ Speaking Spanish ]
- Maria, miamor.
- Hey.
[ Both Speaking Spanish ]
Gracias.
- No.
- Si.
- No.
[Man]
Let'sgo!
- Si.
- No.
- [Woman] Maria !
- [ Speaking Spanish ]
- Mm-hmm.
- [Explosion]
- [ Screams ]
La cabras.
Maria !
Maria !
Maria.
Maria !
Madre de Dios.
Mulder, this happened
how long ago ?
Tres dias.
Muyincreible, no ?
Only the smell.
You brought me out here under
the pretense ofinvestigating
an unexplained death.
Can you tell me whywe're standing out
here in a field looking at a dead goat ?
According to eyewitnesses,
the death we're investigating
was preceded by a fortean event:
a highly unusual or infrequent
meteorological phenomenon,
also known as a transient.
- A transient ?
- Yeah.
Witnesses described a bright flash
about 30 degrees offthe horizon.
Then a hot, yellow rain
fell from a cloudless sky.
Fortean researchers call these liquid
falls. Black and red rains are common,
but there have also been reported cases
ofblue, purple and green rains.
- Purple rain ?
- Yeah. Great album.
Deeply flawed movie, though.
Mulder, this transient,
as you call it,
this bright flash
in the sky,
I assumeyou think
it has some connection to--
Fortean events have been linked
to alien encounters.
Cattle mutilations.
The kind ofexsanguinated animal
carcass you were looking at.
The victim, Maria Dorantes--
Did she die in a similar fashion ?
-I would assume so.
-You assume? Nobody's examined the body?
Nobody cares, Scully. The victim and
manywitnesses are illegal immigrants,
migrant farm workers.
I thought it might be important
to talk to them before they migrated.
No, no.
Nolamigra. Nolamigra.
- Nolamigra.
- Nolamigra. Nolamigra.
We're FBl.
Nolamigra.
It's all right. We don't want
to take anybody away. Relax.
- No, it's okay. Tranquila.
- What doyou want ?
We want to know what happened
to Maria Dorantes.
Does anybody know what happened
to Maria Dorantes ?
- Did anybody see anything ?
- EI Chupacabra.
That's what happened
to Maria Dorantes.
- EI Chupacabra ?
- Yeah, it's a Mexican folktale.
EI Chupacabra, the goat sucker.
It's a small, gray creature...
with a big head and a small body
and big, black bulging eyes.
Si, si, si.
Light, thenrain.
Then EI Chupacabra,
it comes and eats away
Maria's eyes and face.
Did you see
the Chupacabra ?
No, but everyone here knows
that this is the truth.
This woman's a liar.
There is no Chupacabra.
Chupacabra'snothing
butastorytoldto children.
I know the killer
of Maria Dorantes.
- Who would that be, sir ?
- It's mybrother.
Eladio Buente. He killed Maria
because she loved only me.
Uh, how doyou explain theyellow rain
then, the dead goat over the hill ?
It is a trick... for fools
who believe in fool superstitions.
Thankyou, Mr. Buente.
You've been very helpful.
Maria, Maria.
I'vejust met a girl
named Maria.
- Doesn't make
a whole lot ofsense, Scully.
- Makes perfect sense.
Admit it,
you fell for it.
Your fortean event turned out
to be nothing more than
the oldest story in the world.
Two men, one woman, trouble.
I admit there's a strong suspicion
ofmotive and intent.
But the amount ofdetail,
the description ofthat Chupacabra.
Mulder, what we've walked into here
is a Mexican soap opera,
and one for the local cops.
Local cops don't care, Scully.
I don't know who does.
Okay, I care, but what are we
supposed to do about it ?
Find out what killed Maria Dorantes.
Take a look at her body.
- Whileyou do what ?
- Try to find this man, Eladio Buente.
Agent Lozano ?
I'm Special Agent Mulder.
I'm with the FBl.
The FBl, here ?
- We're investigating
the death ofa migrant worker.
- Really.
I'm looking for a man
named Eladio Buente.
He hasn't been seen for three days,
and he's not in police custody.
I thought he might be
in l.N.S. custody.
He might.
Let's see.
Okay, we have aJose Feliciano.
We haveJuan Valdez.
We have Cesar Chavez.
We have Placido Domingo here.
But I don't see
any Eladio Buente.
Soyou are telling me that
no one here uses their real name.
What is this man
wanted for ?
Possibly the murder ofa woman
named Maria Dorantes.
Oh, man.
The Chupacabra ?
Yeah. You've heard ofit.
You don't believe it.
No, I believe these people.
Hey, their lives are small.
So they have to make these fantasies
to keep on going, to feel alive.
Because they are strangers here.
They feel hated, unwanted.
Whenever their passions become inflamed
they resort to violence,
and then they cannot turn to the law so
they make up these fantastic tales.
Call it anything you want,
but this is an age-old story.
Call it anything you want,
but this is an age-old story.
I've heard that.
Let me see ifwe can find
your Eladio Buente.
Excuse me.
- Excuse me.
- Can I helpyou ?
I'm Agent Dana Scully
with the FBl.
- I'm investigating the death
ofamigrant worker.
-Juan orJuanita ?
- I'm sorry ?
- Doe. A man or a woman ?
A woman named Maria Dorantes.
I need to determine a cause ofdeath...
in order to close out
an investigation.
It sounds vaguely familiar, but I don't
think I've been able to get to heryet.
I'm a medical doctor. Ifyou show me
the body, I can examine it myself.
It's in the fridge.
I don't think
he's going anywhere.
[Coroner]
That'sher.
Oh, my God.
Thismustbehim.
Why is he segregated
like this ?
[ Speaking Spanish ]
[ Speaking Spanish ]
He said the other detainees were
giving him a hard time, causing trouble.
They don't want to go near him.
[ Chuckles ]
- They think he's the Chupacabra.
- That may be.
I will tell you with
a tremendous degree ofcertainty
this guy is not Erik Estrada.
Buente !
[Speaking Spanish]
Ask him ifhe killed
Maria Dorantes.
- [ Speaking Spanish ]
- No!
[ Speaking Spanish ]
- What'd he say ?
- "I didn't do it."
- Ask him what happened.
- [ Speaking Spanish ]
[ Speaking Spanish ]
[Lozano Translating] There was
anoiselike thunder, but very close.
Then there was lightning,
verybright. Itblindedme.
I fell to the ground.
Andthen lfelt
thehotrain fallonme.
Andwhen lfinally
couldopenmy eyesandsee,
I saw the dead goat.
And then I saw Maria--
Maria.
She calledmyname... once.
She was lying
inapuddle ofyellowrain.
Something had eaten
at her face.
Andlheldherin myarms,
andthenshe died.
And then I got up,
and I ran screaming.
[ Shouts ln Spanish ]
This guy is better
than Erik Estrada.
[People Chattering
ln Spanish]
[ All Shouting ln Spanish ]
What's gonna happen to him ?
He'll get his 45 seconds before the
judge and placed on a southbound bus.
- Is there anyway to delay that ?
- Whywould you do that ?
- To solve an unexplained death.
- I think the FBl's got
better things to do.
Fileyour paperwork.
By the time they process it,
he'll probably be back here anyway.
- Put him in the front.
- Come on. Up front.
[Man]
Okay, vamos. Let'sgo.
[Horn Honking]
[Horn Honking]
- DidyoufindEladio Buente ?
- Yeah, I found him.
Did he confess to the murder
of Maria Dorantes ?
Not exactly, no.
Did he tell you
what happened ?
Flash oflight, yellow rain.
" Maria ! Maria !"
He didn't kill her, Mulder.
I examined the body
of Maria Dorantes,
and I believe that her cause ofdeath
was natural, albeit strange.
- Sheseems tohavesuccumbed
toamassive fungalinfection.
- A fungus ?
Aspergillus,
according to the coroner.
It's a mold that's found in dead leaves,
compost, even household dust.
- And it can kill ?
- Not normally.
It's very common and harmless.
- You don't think that's weird ?
- Aspergillus can be lethal...
to people
with immunodeficiencies...
Iike AI DS patients
and transplant recipients.
Ifoundhigh levels ofmethylbromide
inherbloodworkup.
It's a pesticide that's used
for soil sterilization-- highly toxic.
Now, I think thatherbody
wassoravagedbypesticides...
that a normally benign fungus may have
compromised herwhole immune system.
Still doesn't explain the flash
oflightning and theyellow rain...
and EI Chupacabra.
Mulder, I know
you don't want to hear this.
I think the aliens in this story are
not the villains. They're the victims.
Lookat that.
[People Shouting ln Spanish]
Mulder.
- [Man #1]Beright there.
- [Man #2] Allright.
[ Chatter, lndistinct ]
What does it look like ?
This man died ofsystemic shock
brought on bywhat appears
to be another fungal infection.
The same fungus
that killed Maria Dorantes ?
No. It looks dissimilar.
I don't know what this is.
Its speed and its aggressiveness
are frightening.
The infection's covered 90% ofhis body,
Mulder, through both layers ofskin.
- Did you find him ?
- We were able to run down most
ofthe people who escaped.
But Eladio Buente
wasn't among them.
No one knows where he ran ?
- Agent Lozano, this is
my partner, Agent Scully.
- Hi.
They all ran the otherway,
away from EI Chupacabra,
the man they say
is responsible for this tragedy.
Eladio Buente didn't kill this man.
He didn't kill anybody.
- I'm not so sure about that.
- This is the work ofa pathogen
ofa highlyvirulent strain.
I'm not questioning that,
but right now Eladio Buente is
the only connection we have...
to this death
and the death of Maria Dorantes.
Which is why I need you to spare any
manpoweryou can to try to find him.
Manpower ? We don't have the resources
to go chasing after one poor illegal.
Mulder, whateveryouhope
tolearn by finding thisman,
we have to first make
a definitive classification
ofthe fungi from the victims.
I need to isolate it, and I need
to get a sample to a mycologist.
Good. You should do that while Agent
Lozano and I try to find EI Chupacabra.
[ Speaking Spanish ]
- [BelIRings]
- Senor?
- Senor ?
- What doyou want ?
You want togoback ?
Estas loco ?
We haul muchabasura
with that truck.
What makes you think
we haul it back ?
How long haveyou been
in this country ?
[ Speaking Spanish ]
Aqui es America,
youdumb wet.
Truck stop at dusk.
No dinero, no ride.
- Comprende ?
- Si.
- Dinero.
- Dinero.
[ Chattering ]
The truck's here !
Construction workers. Dos.
- [ Indistinct ]
- [ Speaking Spanish ]
Okay, two ofyou.
You two, get in the back. Let's go.
I only need two, amigo.
Dos.
Hey, outta the truck.
I got work to do.
- Hey, whereareyougoing ?
- [ Indistinct ]
You'llhave to do.
[Man]
Whatyou're lookingat, AgentScully,
is themostubiquitous fungalspore
known tomankind-- derma tuffatosis.
Athlete's foot ?
One ofthe great survivors of
countless extermination efforts.
Historically underrated
and unfairly overshadowed
by the ever-popular cockroach.
Our body has natural defenses
against this kind ofinvasion.
Even in the absence
ofan immuno response,
a fungi like this one--
or the aspergillus sample I gaveyou--
don't they need
the right environment to multiply ?
Yes, unless theyhavehelp.
- What's this ?
- It'san enzyme lisolated
from bothyourspecimens.
That's about all I can tell ya.
It's unlike any enzyme I've ever seen.
So it's not the fungi
but the enzyme that kills.
Acting as a catalyst,
as an accelerant.
Letmeshowyou.
This ispecunia graminus,
blackstem rust.
It'sbeen the cause
ofa fairlycontainable crop
blighthere in the valley.
Oh, my God.
Imustsay, ifthis were to
getoutinto the environment,
derma tuffatosismightgive
the cockroacharun foritsmoney.
Hmm ?
[MenSpeaking Spanish]
He was here, all right.
They say he got into a truck
ofa foreman named Culver.
Story's out.
Oh, yeah. I told you,
these people love their stories.
It's the one thing that
keeps them from going mad...
when they're out there standing on the
street corner all daywaiting forwork.
- So they really don't think
he's the Chupacabra ?
- No, they're certain ofit.
- Did you tell them
about the fungal infection ?
- Yeah, theywouldn't listen.
They are only interested
in what will become of Eladio Buente.
- What will become ofhim ?
- When his brother finds him--
- He'll kill him.
- Yes, probably.
A man cannot live
with vengeance in his heart.
So we gotta find him first.
My mother used to say that blood
should be left to cleanse itself.
God curses the man
who stands between two brothers.
Well, in this case,
He'll curse the man who doesn't.
Senor ? Senor ?
[ Speaking Spanish ]
SenorCulver?
[ Speaking Spanish ]
[Man]
Eladio Buente.
Eladio ?
[ Squeaks ]
Eladio Buente.
[ Tires Squealing ]
[ Shouting ln Spanish ]
[Eladio]
Gabrielle !
Gabrielle !
Eladio !
- Mulder, it's me.
- Hey, Scully, where areyou ?
The state university
bio department.
Mulder, listen to me.
I thinkyou're right.
- I think Eladio Buente
is responsible for those deaths.
- Responsible how ?
By spreading an enzyme
produced bywhat appears to be
a new strain ofconidial fungi.
- How's he spreading it ?
- My guess is by touch.
Now, I saw this man, Scully.
He was unaffected.
He could bejust a carrier then,
a kind ofTyphoid Mary.
- You're saying it's a new strain ?
- Yes.
It is extremely important
thatyou not come into
direct contact with this fungus.
- You must not inhale it.
You must not touch it.
- Lozano, careful, man.
Scully, I've been thinking. I know
that's dangerous, butjust bearwith me.
These fortean transients--
what the woman described--
they could have been caused by an object
falling at a high rate ofspeed...
creating a sonic boom and a flash
oflight astronomers call a bolide.
- A bolide ?
- Created by a meteorite...
or a piece of
extra-planetarium material,
ofwhich 2,000 tons falls
to the earth every day.
This yellow rain-- Space debris
could have fallen in a nearby lake,
superheating the water and sending it
skyward, which would mean this is alien.
- I think this is
beside the point right now.
- Oh, and the fungus--
Let me work on the fungus.
Whatyou need to do is to find
the man who may be spreading it.
Okay.
Soyou got
your own stories too, huh ?
Hey, it's EI Barbero.
Hey, Lozano, lhearyou're lookin'
forthe Chupacabra.
For a modest fee, I can tell you
where he might be found.
[Eladio Coughing]
[ Coughing ]
- Eladio !
- [ Grunts ]
[Lozano]
Stop !
Don't touch him.
[ All Shouting ln Spanish ]
Hey !
[Horn Honking]
I lost him.
[MulderGroaning]
More goats.
Agent Lozano,
how does this man keep eluding us ?
These people are invisible.
You look at them and you don't see them.
Just workers, cheap labor
to pick crops and clean houses.
To most people, they're aliens
in the true sense ofthe word.
- EI Chupacabra. EI Chupacabra.
- Calm down.
- Calm down.
- Chupacabra.
Can a man do this ?
Can Eladio Buente do this ?
Eladio, he went to his cousin
Gabrielle's house asking for money.
- When ?
- Today. He said he killed nobody.
But Soledad, he went to Gabrielle's
house trying to kill Eladio.
Calm down.
[KnockAtDoor]
- Quien es ?
- [Lozano]Gabrielle Buente ?
This isAgentLozano, l.N.S.
Open up.
- Where is he ?
- Que ?
Don't give meyour "que. "
You know who.
- Where is he, Eladio ?
- He is not here.
I would not let Eladio Buente in here.
Please, you must believe me.
[Scully]
Maybeyoushouldcheck theback.
What about his brother,
Soledad ?
No.
He is not here !
No one is here ! I'm alone.
Haveyou seen either ofthem ?
Si. But I'm afraid because
ofwhat they say about Eladio.
About EI Chupacabra.
There is no EI Chupacabra, Gabrielle.
Eladio is a very sick man.
Ifhe comes here,
you must not let him in.
Ifhe comes to this door,
youmustcall thepolice. Understand?
There's nobody.
I'm going to be watching you,
chiquita. Every move.
- Comprendes ?
- Si.
- I think weshouldholdupaminute.
- Forwhat ?
Something's going on here.
Hey,Jose,
this ain't no restaurant !
You knowyou have to pay
for all that.
Hey, what thehell doyou think
you're doing ?Comebackhere !
Hey, you'regonna
have to clean thatup. Hey!
Hey, you'regonna
have to clean thatup. Hey!
- That's our man.
- Eladio Buente ?
No. That's his brother,
Soledad.
- [Phone Ringing]
- Bueno ?
- Eladio ?
- Si, Gabrielle.
Eladio ?
Eladio !
[ Speaking Spanish ]
SoledadBuente.
Stop! Stop !
- [Scully] Dropyou weapon!
[Mulder] Drop thegun !
- [ Speaking Spanish ]
- [Scully]Putitdown! Now!
- [ Speaking Spanish ]
- [Mulder]Dropit!
- [LozanoShouting]
[ Both Speaking Spanish ]
Eladio !
[Screaming ln Spanish]
Mulder.
- [SoledadSobbing]
- He's been here.
- [ Knocking ]
- [Gabrielle] Quien es ?
- Eladio.
- Eladio ?
No.
No.
[ Screaming ]
No !
[ Screaming ]
No !
Eladio ?
Eladio Buente ?
He is not here.
He's gone.
- Gone where ?
- To Mexico,
where he can hide
his terrible face.
- How's he gonna get to Mexico ?
- I gave him all my money.
- You gave him your money ?
- Yes, because I wasafraid.
I was afraid EI Chupacabra
will kill me too.
What can I say ?
[Mulder]
Howare wegonna findthisman ?
Good luck. I'm gonna
go process the brother.
Youknow whatshesaid
aboutEladio Buente, abouthis face ?
I don't know what to believe.
These people love their stories.
Mulder, he could be anywhere
right now.
Ifhe were to enter a metropolitan
area with what he's carrying--
- He won't.
- Ifhe's going to Mexico--
Ifthis man really thinks
he killed Maria Dorantes,
he won't be going to Mexico.
- Then where is he going ?
- The same place Lozano
and Eladio's brother are going.
- He'sgone to facehisbrother.
- I don't understand.
"God curses a man who stands
between two brothers."
Getonyourcellphoneand
havea Haz-Mat team assembled.
Eladio Buente,
come on out !
- Be a man and faceyour brother.
- Madre de Dios.
Eladio, no!
[ Speaking Spanish ]
[Gunshot]
[ Whispering ln Spanish ]
He believed in EI Chupacabra.
They came from thesky.
More Chupacabras...
coming to save Eladio.
I slammed the door
and prayed...
that theywould not come
to kill me too.
What will happen to Soledad ?
He was taken up
by a Chupacabra.
He will suffer
for his treachery.
He'smade tosuck theblood...
ofonly thesick
anddyinggoats...
when the Chupacabra
comes to feed.
- That's not what Gabriella said.
- Whatdoes Gabriellaknow?
I was there.
I saw it with my own eyes.
Gabriella said
that she lied to la FBl...
so that her cousin,
Eladio, might live.
Butlamigra Lozanoknew
thatSoledadcouldnotlive
with vengeanceinhisheart.
- [ Yells ln Spanish ]
- [ Gunshot ]
Turn around and face the man
whose loveyou killed !
YoukilledMaria...
because she wouldn't loveyou.
Because her heart
belongs to only one man.
Don't make me shootyou
in the back, Eladio.
Turn !
Seemytears !
- Turn around like a man !
- No.
[Gabrielle]
"Shoot. Shoot!"Iamigrashouted.
But Soledad began to cry.
" No. No !" cried Soledad.
"I cannot shoot my brother.
He is mybrother.
My flesh, myblood. "
- Shoot him ! He's EI Chupacabra !
- Shoutedlamigra.
- You cannot let him go !
- " He is a goat sucker,
and he must be killed !"
Soledad,
he could not kill Eladio...
because he knew
I would never forgive him.
- [ Speaking Spanish ]
- No ! No !
- Lamigra Lozano...
tried to pull the gun from Soledad's
hand, calling him a coward !
- "No! He is mybrother!"
Andthegun wentoff!
- [ Gunshot ]
Bang ! Bang !
Lamigra Lozano fell dead.
Perono.
La migra Lozano...
brought Soledad
to kill Eladio...
so that he would not be cursed.
So God...
cursed Soledad
for his treachery...
andturnedhim into...
EI Chupacabra
likehisbrother.
No.
Together they run...
to Mexico.
- EI Chupacabra ?
- [Scully] Yes, sir.
Frankly, I'm confused
by this story.
[Mulder]
ldon'tblameyou.
We can't exactly
explain it ourselves, sir.
At any rate, we arrived
just after the Haz-Mat team.
They establishedaperimeter
thensecuredthearea.
An eyewitness was found,
buthertestimony was questionable.
[Scully] The Haz-Mat team
wereable to contain the fungal
infection within the camp.
No othercasualties
were reported.
We foundno othertraces
oftheacceleratingenzyme.
[Mulder]
Excepton thebodyofAgentLozano.
We foundhim deadat thescene
withabullet woundto the chest.
And with the fungal infection
already starting to eat away at him.
- What happened to the brothers ?
- [Scully]
They werenowhere tobe found.
Lozano's revolver
turnedup tenmilesaway...
nearthe carofaman
known locallyas EI Barbero.
[Mulder]Apparently, thebrothers
paid thisman foraride to Mexico,
but they didn'tget very far.
So these men are still at large
carrying a highly contagious fungus...
that can kill a man
in his tracks ?
It's not a fungus, sir.
Actually, it's an enzyme...
to which the brothers
had an abnormal tolerance.
And which came from what I believe
to be an anti-enzyme gene.
- This enzyme came from where ?
- Outer space, sir.
[ Sighs ] So this is the story
you're asking me to report ?
You would thinkwith the resources we
have, we'd be able to find these men.
I'm not hearing a good explanation
why this hasn't happened.
Well, sir, they, um--
They have a way of...
being almost invisible.
[Mulder]
The truth is,
nobody cares.
[ Siren Wailing ]
Monongahela. We're en route with
a male cardiac, age 62. E.T.A. in 1 2.
[ Woman ] Copy. E.T.A. in 1 2.
Crash unit standing by.
How's he looking,
Leonard?
-[MonitorBeeping]
- Up to his ass in alligators.
-[Beeping Erratically]
-[Man Gasping]
- Is he going into arrest?
- No, he's not.
[Gasping Continues]
[Air Hisses]
- What did you do?
- Aspirated his chest.
He has a tension pneumothorax pressing
on his heart. It looked like a cardiac.
- Nice catch. Howdidyouknow?
- Because he's dying ofcancer.
It'salreadyeaten through
onelung.
That'samazing.
Howdidyouknow, Leonard?
[ Moaning ]
Leonard?
Leonard?
Leonard?
[ Gasps ]
Oh, God.
Leonard.
[Thump]
[Thump]
- Hello?
-[Thump]
Pretty cozy.
Who'd everwant to leave?
Well, whoever happened to get
locked in here last night, I guess.
Well, that would be one
Leonard Morris Betts, age 34.
But it should probably be noted that
when Mr. Betts arrived here last night,
he was sans head.
He was decapitated
when his ambulance crashed.
He was an emergency medical
technician for this hospital.
A very good one, apparently.
A slew ofcommendations.
- Write-ups in the local paper.
- What about the morgue attendant?
Somebody coldcocked him
and stole his clothes.
He didn't see who. No alarms
tripped, no sign ofa break-in.
- It's weird, huh?
- Mulder, what are we doing here?
Did I mention
that Mr. Betts had no head?
Yes. So? I mean, you're not
suggesting that a headless body...
kicked its way out of
a latched morgue freezer?
Areyou ? Because it's obvious this is
some kind ofattempt at a cover-up.
- Meant to conceal what?
- My guess, body snatching for profit.
There's a shortage ofteaching
cadavers at medical schools.
An unscrupulous medical supplier might
pay top dollar, no questions asked.
But why take a headless one and
leave top-dollar bodies behind?
-[DoorOpening]
-Sir? Those videograbsyouaskedfor.
We found something.
These are from the emergency room
camera, taken at 4:1 3 this morning.
There'syourperpetrator,
wearing thestolen uniform.
Unfortunately, you can't see
very much on these.
What's-- What's
all this stuffhere?
Badvideo. Thesecuritysystem
isn'texactlystate-of-the-art.
Ifthis is our guy, what did
he do with the corpse he stole?
Well, maybe he got spooked
and was forced to abandon it.
We combed the facility. Where could he
hide a bodywhere it couldn't be found?
I'll showyou.
Allhospitals operatesome form
ofmedical wasteprocessing.
This unit disposes
ofsurgical remains:
amputations, excised tumors.
They're ground up
and heated with microwaves,
and the result is a sterile soot
that's used as road fill.
Well, then there's probably
nothing there for us to find.
That depends how often
they dispose oftheirwaste.
Hopefully, only once
every few days.
We're in luck.
Areyou sure about this, Scully? 'Cause
ifyou're not sure, I don't see...
that there's any reason
to disturb all this stuffjust--
Mulder, I'm gonna need your help.
Your arms are longer.
Oh. I think I got
the toy surprise.
- Leonard Betts.
- That's his head. Where's his body?
There's not enough room in here.
Maybe he didn't dispose ofthe body.
Maybe he got it out ofhere
somehow.
Well, why'd he take the time
to dispose ofthe head?
I don't know. Maybe there's an answer
here. Something you should check out.
We know how he died, in an automobile
accident. What more is there to know?
Maybe nothing, but it's all
we got to go on right now.
You should see ifyou can find a place
whereyou can examine Betts' head.
- Whileyou do what?
- Check out his house.
We know how he died.
I want to see how he lives.
- Lived.
- Lived.
Case number 226-897.
Leonard Betts.
Remains are incomplete, all observations
refer to a decapitated head.
Weight, 1 0.9 pounds.
Remains show no signs ofrigor mortis
or fixed lividity.
Nor do the corneas
appear clouded,
which would seem inconsistent
with the witnessed time ofdeath,
now... 1 9 hours ago.
I'll begin with the intermastoid
incision and frontal craniotomy,
then make my examination
ofthe brain.
Oh! God!
-[Man] Which one?
-[Mulder] This onehere.
[KeysJingling]
- Thanks. I'll lock up.
- Okay.
[Phone Ringing]
- Mulder.
- [ Scully] It's me.
- Mulder.
- [ Scully] It's me.
Uh, I've run into kind of
a unique situation here.
- What'd you find?
- So far, not much.
I did a PET scan
on Leonard Betts' remains.
Actually four times now. And each time
the images come out degraded,
uh, like it's fogged
somehow.
- Like the security footage.
- This is cutting-edge technology here.
The technicians say the machine
is working perfectly.
They also say the only thing that could
account for this image distortion...
is some form ofradiation.
But I don't see how orwhere
it could be emanating from.
What did your examination
uncover?
Well, l-- I haven't exactly
performed an examination yet.
- Why not?
- Well, because l, uh--
I experienced an unusual degree
ofpostmortem galvanic response.
The head moved.
It blinked at me.
I mean, I know
exactlywhat it is.
It's residual electrical activity stored
chemically in-- in the dead cells.
Blinked orwinked?
- [ Sighs ]
- You're afraid to cut into it.
Scully, you're not saying that--
that-- that it's alive, areyou?
No. I am certainly
not saying that at all.
But has it crossed your mind
that it's not quite dead, either?
- What doyou mean?
- I'm standing here in Betts' apartment.
Whoeverwe saw in those video grabs, his
clothes are strewn all over the floor.
Made himselfat home.
Maybe he was home.
- Leonard Betts.
- Yeah.
- Without his head.
- Yeah.
Mulder, I don't even know
how to respond to that.
I'm gonna call the P.D. and have them
put the building under surveillance...
just in case whoever it is
comes back.
I'll be in touch.
Michele?
Michele Wilkes?
- Yes?
- I'm Fox Mulder. I'm with the F.B.I.
You're the person responsible for the
disposition of Leonard Betts' remains.
He didn't have any family. No friends
either, as far as I could tell.
- Exceptyou.
- I liked him.
But I wasn't really his friend.
He didn't let people get that close.
I'm not sure I could call myselfhis
partner. Mostly I stayed out ofhis way.
- What doyou mean?
- Leonard was an amazing technician.
He could diagnose illness
better than any doctor I've ever seen.
You know how they say some people can
look atyou and tell you what's wrong?
- Mm-hmm.
- Leonard could do that.
Especiallywith cancer. I told him
he should have been an oncologist.
He used to volunteer at the cancerward.
Read to patients, stufflike that.
Did you ever notice anything
about him? Anything odd?
No. Well,
he never got sick.
That was pretty amazing,
doing what we do.
- He was the picture ofhealth.
- Was he ever injured on thejob?
No. Never.
I mean, until--
- Oh, yeah.
- I'm sorry.
I-l don't know what all this has to do
with someone stealing Leonard's body.
I mean, it almost sounds
likeyou're investigating Leonard.
No, no. Thanks for bearing with
my questions. I appreciateyour time.
This procedure is called
biopolymerization.
It's basically a high-tech
mummification process.
The remains are dipped in the epoxy,
and once it's cured,
the specimen can be sliced
for examination.
Oryou gotyourself
a nice paperweight.
At any rate, we should have
some autopsy answers foryou soon.
I'm starting with an anterior
slice from your Mr. Betts,
one favoring the frontal lobe.
- Well, this is certainly strange.
- What?
There's something wrong
with the image?
In a manner ofspeaking.
Here, see foryourself.
Oh, myGod. His entirebrain
looks like onegiantglioma.
- He had cancer?
- He was riddled with it.
Everycellin thesample.
Everycell, essentially,
in his entire head and brain was all
cancerous-- it's completely pervasive.
- Could you live in this condition?
- Live?
This man would have been dead before
reaching such a metastatic stage.
How doyou explain it?
Maybe the polymerization process
distorted the sample somehow.
Maybe we'renotreallyseeing
what we think we'reseeing.
Mmm. Maybe we'rejust seeing
it clearly for the first time.
What areyou suggesting?
Let's get a slice to go.
[Woman]Monongahela, 1-3-6enroute
withamalenotresponding to C.P.R.
Pleaseadvise.
Dispatch,
somebodypick up, please.
Allegheny Catholic, 2-0-8. Iknow
you're up toyourass inalligators,
- butyourpatientmaybeinshock.
- Michele?
- Leonard?
- Treat withpoint threemilligrams...
- epinephrineautoinjector.
- Let's go here. Michele! Come on!
[Woman On Radio]Hey, that
seems tobe working. Goodcall, 208.
- Thanks forthe tip.
-[Man On Radio]Gladlcouldhelp.
Oh, wow. I've neverworked
with a sample ofhuman tissue before.
What exactlywereyou looking
to find?
- I'll tell you ifwe find it.
- Excellent.
Areyou ever asked to defend this as
a legitimate scientific process, Doctor?
Only ifyou're not happy
with the results.
Chuck didsome ofthepioneering work
in Kirlianphotographyin the U.S.
Although lpreferthe umbrella
term "auraphotography. "
Basically, by applying
high-frequency electricity,
I am able to photograph
an organism's coronal discharge.
- Coronal discharge?
- Coronal discharge. Life force.
The Chinese call it chi. It's an
accepted fact in most Eastern cultures.
And the theoretical basis
ofholistic medicine, ofacupuncture.
But what is
its application here?
It may account for the fogging
ofyour PET scan of Leonard Betts' head.
You know, with this equipment, I have
been able to capture phantom images...
ofwhole leaves
that were cut in half,
or the vestigial image ofa lizard's
tail long after it's been cut off.
Which you have to admit
is pretty cool.
It looks like we got
somethin' here.
Oh, yeah.
Now, I don't know exactlywhat
you're looking for, but--
Oh, yeah. There's definitely
somekindofenergyhappenin'here.
Chuck, would you believe that
this man's head had been decapitated?
[ Laughs ]
Oh, come on. No way.
Way.
Are we happy
with the results?
I don't know, Scully, but those
sure as hell look like shoulders to me.
I don't even know how to explain
that photo, or even what it proves.
- What ifit proves Betts is alive.
- Mulder!
You said that Betts' tissue
was riddled with cancer.
Now, what is cancer but normal cells
growing rapidly out ofcontrol,
usually caused by some damage
to their DNA?
I don't know whereyou're
going with this.
What ifthere was a case where the
cancerwas not caused by damaged DNA ?
Where the cancerwas not a destructive
or an aggressive factor,
but was rather the normal state
ofbeing?
Even ifthat were possible,
he's been decapitated.
What ifthis man's life force,
his chi,
whateveryou want to callit, retained
ablueprintoftheactualmanhimself,
guiding rapid growth,
not as cancer, but as regeneration.
You think that Leonard Betts
regrew his head?
The fluid that I found in Betts'
bathtub was povidone-iodine.
It's used by researchers on reptiles
and amphibians to aid regeneration.
We both know that salamanders have
grown entirely new limbs-- regenerated.
Salamanders are one thing, but no mammal
possesses that regenerative power.
There isn't a creature walking
this earth that can regrow its head.
Worms. You cut a worm
in half, you get two.
Mulder, they're worms.
I'm just saying it's not unheard
ofin nature, that's all.
Unheard ofor not, someone is going to
great lengths to dispose ofevidence.
Well, maybe Betts is trying
to protect his secret.
[Phone Rings]
Scully.
Yeah.
Okay.
Great. Thanks.
Well, apparently Leonard Betts
did have some secrets.
One ofthem being that he had
an alter ego named Albert Tanner.
Who?
I had Danny run the fingerprints.
Two names came up.
The second one was Albert Tanner,
but unlike Leonard Betts,
Albert Tanner has
a living relative,
Elaine Tanner, his mother, whojust
happens to live here in Pittsburgh.
Hmm.
[DoorbelIRings]
- Elaine Tanner?
- Yes.
I'm Agent Scully. This is Agent Mulder.
We're with the F.B.I.
- Oh. What can I do foryou ?
- Is your son Albert Tanner?
We'd like to askyou
some questions.
Please excuse me for one second.
I've got something on the stove.
Scully.
- Mrs. Tanner, is this your son?
- Yes. That's Albert.
We know this man as Leonard Betts.
Areyou familiarwith that name?
- No.
- You know ifyour son used other names?
Why areyou asking me
about him?
Mrs. Tanner, areyou aware that
your son has recently died?
What doyou mean,
"recently"?
When did your son die?
Sixyears ago.
He was killed
in an automobile accident. Why?
Would it be possible to get the
death certificate or some verification?
Ofcourse.
- Confused yet?
- Yeah.
Excuse me. I'm--
I'm looking for an E.M.T.,
the man driving unit 208.
The new guy. Yeah.
208's over there. Hejust went
offshift, butyou might catch him.
Thanks.
[Radio Dispatch Chatter]
Leonard?
Leonard?
Oh, my God. It can't be.
How can it be?
Leonard, is ityou?
Hey, Michele.
It's okay.
It's okay.
[ Breathing Unevenly]
I just wish you hadn't found me,
that's all.
What areyou talking about?
Leonard?
- I'm sorry.
- [ Gasping ]
I'm sorry.
I'm sorry.
[Man]
Hey! You there!
Holdit!
Come back here!
Stop whereyou are!
Stay there.
You son ofa bitch.
Ronny?
Oh, pick up, man.
- [ Man On Radio ] Go ahead.
- We got a situation in the parking lot.
This guyjust attacked
some woman.
She's upat the
ambulanceparkingarea.
You'dbettergeta doctor
rightaway.
[CrackingSound]
I'mgonna check
on thatguy.
[Radio Dispatch Chatter]
Siskel or Ebert?
What's thestory?
Michele Wilkes was murdered,
but we wouldn't know that...
- ifthe guard hadn't witnessed it.
- Why is that?
I found a spent autoinjector
in the grass.
She was given a lethal dose ofpotassium
chloride. It's an electrolyte...
found naturally in the body, and
a coroner doesn't usually check for it.
Betts was here, Scully.
She must have discovered that,
and then he had to kill her
to protect his secret.
Well, the security guard did
l.D. him as her attacker.
He worked as an E.M.T., but his
coworkers said his name was Truelove.
Doyou know how this man escaped?
He tore offhis thumb,
because he knew
he could regrow another one.
Mulder, itjust doesn't
work that way.
Is it unimaginable? ls Betts' ability to
regenerate any greater a leap forward...
than our ancestors' ability
to communicate or to walk upright?
But language, evolution--
it's a process ofsteps, not leaps.
Recent evolutionary theory
would disagree.
What scientists call punctualism
or punctual equilibrium,
it theorizes that evolutionary
advances are cataclysmic, not gradual.
That evolution occurs not along
a straight graphable line,
but in huge fits and starts,
and that the unimaginable
happens in the gaps--
the gap between what we are and
what Leonard Betts has become.
But whatyou're describing is
someone so radically evolved...
thatyou wouldn't even
call him human.
Well, on the other hand, how evolved
can a man be who drives a Dodge Dart?
Oh, myGod.
" Myeloid sarcoma,
epithelial carcinoma."
These are all cancerous tumors. This is
surgical waste tagged for disposal.
- What doyou think he wanted with them?
- You may not want to know.
Scully, there's a great possibility
that Leonard Betts not only is cancer--
But that he needs it
for survival?
- So, you're saying that this is--
- Snack food.
I mean, wouldn't it make sense that--
that evolution, or natural selection,
would incorporate cancer, the greatest
health threat, as our genetic makeup?
Why do I think that Charles Darwin
is rolling in his grave?
Askyourself, why is
Leonard Betts an E.M.T.?
Why does he regularlyvisit
cancerwards? Access.
The car's registered to one
Elaine Tanner, 31 08 Old Bank Road.
- Betts' mom.
- Doyou think Mom knows...
her dead son is tooling around
in her car?
Elaine Tanner? We have a warrant
to search the premises.
Mrs. Tanner, we knowyour son is alive
and thatyou're in contact with him.
You need to tell us
where we can find him.
Last night, he murdered a woman
in cold blood.
By lying to protect him, you
are considered an accessory to murder.
Canyou tellme whatyouuse this for?
It'saprettybigbottle.
You get a lot ofcuts?
When my son
was eightyears old,
there were two boys who picked on him
because he was different.
Hejust ignored them.
He knew he was better than theywere.
One day they cornered him
walking home, beat him up.
He didn't even try to fight back,
just lay there, taking the blows.
So, I don't believeyou when
you tell me he killed anyone.
But ifhe did,
he had his reasons.
What reasons,
Mrs. Tanner?
God put him here
for a purpose.
God means for him to stay,
even ifpeople don't understand.
And that's all
I've got to say.
[TV.:SportsAnnouncers
Chattering]
[PooIBalls Clicking]
[Announcer] To the corner.
Twelve-footer. It'sgood!
- Tigers tieit!
- [ Coughing ]
[ Coughing Continues ]
[Coughing]
Excuseme.
I'm sorry, butyou've got
something I need.
Excuse me.
Scully?
- Find something?
- No sign, not even a sock.Just this.
- A receipt for a storage locker.
- The keywith the number 1 1 2 on it.
- Let's check it out.
- Mm-hmm.
[ Grunting ]
[ Groaning ]
[ Screaming ]
[ Screams ]
Scully.
[CarEngineStarting]
Mr.John Gillnitz,
death from massivebloodloss...
due to what I can only describe
as a skillful removal ofhis left lung.
- It's Betts.
- Doing what?
Guaranteed, Scully. This man's medical
records will show he had lung cancer.
- And Betts was in need ofwhat he had.
- How would he have known that?
His partner told me he had an
exceptional ability to diagnose cancer.
Maybe his need provided
a heightened sense.
Well, whatever he was doing,
he's taking the secret to his grave.
Yeah, for the second time.
Mulder,
Leonard Betts is dead.
Ofthat I am absolutely certain,
and he is not coming back.
- You'd have said the same about Tanner.
- I don't understand.
Sixyears ago Albert Tanner dies in
a car accident. His mother buries him.
Several days ago, the same man shows up
as Leonard Betts. Explain that to me.
Obviously, someone's lying.
Maybe the first death was staged.
You want to bet on that?
Ugh.
Will the real Leonard Betts
please stand up?
Mulder, these men may be
no more than monozygotic twins.
I don't think so, Scully. I thinkwhat
we're standing witness to here...
goes way beyond the regeneration of
a thumb or a limb, or even a new head.
Mulder, I don't know whatyou're getting
at here. Regeneration ofan entire body?
I don't know why
I'm listening.
Because I think that the fiery crash
that killed this man was a decoy...
and that this man lying here
is still at large.
I'm scared, honey.
The F.B.I.--
They seem to know all aboutyou.
They dug up the coffin.
They found your friend.
I don't think they're ever
going to leaveyou alone.
And you're weak. You have to
restoreyour strength.
You know
whatyou have to do.
- [ Whimpers ]
- I'm your mother.
And it's a mother's duty
to provide.
[ Moans ]
Ifthis man really exists, what
makes you think he'd come back here?
The only person connected with Betts
who knows his secret is his mom.
Ifwe're gonna get him,
it'll be through her.
[Siren Wailing]
[ Siren Continues ]
- Get out ofthe truck!
- Federal agents!
Get out ofthe truck!
Whoa! Whoa!
What the hell?
- What areyou doing here?
- Wegota call.
Elderlywoman with massive chest trauma
and blood loss. 31 08 Old Bank.
- Believeme, that'sall weknow!
- Stay here.
Mulder, get the E.M.T.s
up here!
Guys, getinhere!
She has an open wound.
A surgical cut.
Three guesses
what was removed.
He did this toher,
andthenhe calledanambulance.
Judging by the response time,
he might still be here.
Betts is gone.
He must have taken offon foot.
Well, she's gonna be okay, Mulder.
She's not out ofthe woods,
but I thinkwe might be able
to get where he went out ofher.
You staywith her. I'll call local P.D.
and have them cordon offthe area.
Okay.
This is Mulderwith the F.B.I. I've
got an emergency situation in progress.
I need all units to 31 08 Old Bank Road.
I'm searching for a murder suspect.
[Radio Dispatch Chatter]
Mulder, it's me. We've got
Mrs. Tanner going into the E.R.,
but she took a downturn
en route.
They defibrillated her
to try and get her heart back,
but there's no chance ofgetting
anything cogent from her.
Not tonight, anyway.
Whataboutonyourend?
We're going house to house here.
That's the only thing I can think to do.
We've got a chopper coming, but I'd say
Betts has a good chance ofgetting away.
Ifhe steals a car or gets a ride,
he could get away for good.
Imeanhe obviously worked
this thingoutpretty well, Scully,
so ifthere's anything you can get out
of Mrs. Tanner tonight, anything at all,
at thispoint we don'thave
much else togo on.
Mulder, get over here
right now.
- What?
- Get over here right now.
Oh!
I'm sorry.
Butyou've got something
I need.
[ Grunting ]
[ DefibrillatorTurns On ]
Oh, my God.
Let's get a crash cart.
[ Moans Softly]
They pronounced Betts
ten minutes ago.
- He's dead?
- As near as anyone can tell.
His mom's alive, due to the fact that
Betts dressed herwounds so carefully.
She's gonna pull through,
at least for the present.
- Cancer.
- Yeah.
Uh...
"metastatic rabdomyo sarcoma,"
to be precise.
She was treated for it
previously.
Got a clean bill ofhealth
about three months ago.
You did a goodjob,
Scully.
You should be proud.
I want to go home.
[ Coughing ]
Closed-Captioned By
Captions, lnc. Los Angeles
[Woman]
Quiet!Quiet!Listen tome.
It was a terrible thing.
You are not
going to believe me,
even when I tell you.
Some say it is a story,
a fairy tale.
But I saw it.
I saw it with my own eyes.
[ Speaking Spanish ]
- Maria, miamor.
- Hey.
[ Both Speaking Spanish ]
Gracias.
- No.
- Si.
- No.
[Man]
Let'sgo!
- Si.
- No.
- [Woman] Maria !
- [ Speaking Spanish ]
- Mm-hmm.
- [Explosion]
- [ Screams ]
La cabras.
Maria !
Maria !
Maria.
Maria !
Madre de Dios.
Mulder, this happened
how long ago ?
Tres dias.
Muyincreible, no ?
Only the smell.
You brought me out here under
the pretense ofinvestigating
an unexplained death.
Can you tell me whywe're standing out
here in a field looking at a dead goat ?
According to eyewitnesses,
the death we're investigating
was preceded by a fortean event:
a highly unusual or infrequent
meteorological phenomenon,
also known as a transient.
- A transient ?
- Yeah.
Witnesses described a bright flash
about 30 degrees offthe horizon.
Then a hot, yellow rain
fell from a cloudless sky.
Fortean researchers call these liquid
falls. Black and red rains are common,
but there have also been reported cases
ofblue, purple and green rains.
- Purple rain ?
- Yeah. Great album.
Deeply flawed movie, though.
Mulder, this transient,
as you call it,
this bright flash
in the sky,
I assumeyou think
it has some connection to--
Fortean events have been linked
to alien encounters.
Cattle mutilations.
The kind ofexsanguinated animal
carcass you were looking at.
The victim, Maria Dorantes--
Did she die in a similar fashion ?
-I would assume so.
-You assume? Nobody's examined the body?
Nobody cares, Scully. The victim and
manywitnesses are illegal immigrants,
migrant farm workers.
I thought it might be important
to talk to them before they migrated.
No, no.
Nolamigra. Nolamigra.
- Nolamigra.
- Nolamigra. Nolamigra.
We're FBl.
Nolamigra.
It's all right. We don't want
to take anybody away. Relax.
- No, it's okay. Tranquila.
- What doyou want ?
We want to know what happened
to Maria Dorantes.
Does anybody know what happened
to Maria Dorantes ?
- Did anybody see anything ?
- EI Chupacabra.
That's what happened
to Maria Dorantes.
- EI Chupacabra ?
- Yeah, it's a Mexican folktale.
EI Chupacabra, the goat sucker.
It's a small, gray creature...
with a big head and a small body
and big, black bulging eyes.
Si, si, si.
Light, thenrain.
Then EI Chupacabra,
it comes and eats away
Maria's eyes and face.
Did you see
the Chupacabra ?
No, but everyone here knows
that this is the truth.
This woman's a liar.
There is no Chupacabra.
Chupacabra'snothing
butastorytoldto children.
I know the killer
of Maria Dorantes.
- Who would that be, sir ?
- It's mybrother.
Eladio Buente. He killed Maria
because she loved only me.
Uh, how doyou explain theyellow rain
then, the dead goat over the hill ?
It is a trick... for fools
who believe in fool superstitions.
Thankyou, Mr. Buente.
You've been very helpful.
Maria, Maria.
I'vejust met a girl
named Maria.
- Doesn't make
a whole lot ofsense, Scully.
- Makes perfect sense.
Admit it,
you fell for it.
Your fortean event turned out
to be nothing more than
the oldest story in the world.
Two men, one woman, trouble.
I admit there's a strong suspicion
ofmotive and intent.
But the amount ofdetail,
the description ofthat Chupacabra.
Mulder, what we've walked into here
is a Mexican soap opera,
and one for the local cops.
Local cops don't care, Scully.
I don't know who does.
Okay, I care, but what are we
supposed to do about it ?
Find out what killed Maria Dorantes.
Take a look at her body.
- Whileyou do what ?
- Try to find this man, Eladio Buente.
Agent Lozano ?
I'm Special Agent Mulder.
I'm with the FBl.
The FBl, here ?
- We're investigating
the death ofa migrant worker.
- Really.
I'm looking for a man
named Eladio Buente.
He hasn't been seen for three days,
and he's not in police custody.
I thought he might be
in l.N.S. custody.
He might.
Let's see.
Okay, we have aJose Feliciano.
We haveJuan Valdez.
We have Cesar Chavez.
We have Placido Domingo here.
But I don't see
any Eladio Buente.
Soyou are telling me that
no one here uses their real name.
What is this man
wanted for ?
Possibly the murder ofa woman
named Maria Dorantes.
Oh, man.
The Chupacabra ?
Yeah. You've heard ofit.
You don't believe it.
No, I believe these people.
Hey, their lives are small.
So they have to make these fantasies
to keep on going, to feel alive.
Because they are strangers here.
They feel hated, unwanted.
Whenever their passions become inflamed
they resort to violence,
and then they cannot turn to the law so
they make up these fantastic tales.
Call it anything you want,
but this is an age-old story.
Call it anything you want,
but this is an age-old story.
I've heard that.
Let me see ifwe can find
your Eladio Buente.
Excuse me.
- Excuse me.
- Can I helpyou ?
I'm Agent Dana Scully
with the FBl.
- I'm investigating the death
ofamigrant worker.
-Juan orJuanita ?
- I'm sorry ?
- Doe. A man or a woman ?
A woman named Maria Dorantes.
I need to determine a cause ofdeath...
in order to close out
an investigation.
It sounds vaguely familiar, but I don't
think I've been able to get to heryet.
I'm a medical doctor. Ifyou show me
the body, I can examine it myself.
It's in the fridge.
I don't think
he's going anywhere.
[Coroner]
That'sher.
Oh, my God.
Thismustbehim.
Why is he segregated
like this ?
[ Speaking Spanish ]
[ Speaking Spanish ]
He said the other detainees were
giving him a hard time, causing trouble.
They don't want to go near him.
[ Chuckles ]
- They think he's the Chupacabra.
- That may be.
I will tell you with
a tremendous degree ofcertainty
this guy is not Erik Estrada.
Buente !
[Speaking Spanish]
Ask him ifhe killed
Maria Dorantes.
- [ Speaking Spanish ]
- No!
[ Speaking Spanish ]
- What'd he say ?
- "I didn't do it."
- Ask him what happened.
- [ Speaking Spanish ]
[ Speaking Spanish ]
[Lozano Translating] There was
anoiselike thunder, but very close.
Then there was lightning,
verybright. Itblindedme.
I fell to the ground.
Andthen lfelt
thehotrain fallonme.
Andwhen lfinally
couldopenmy eyesandsee,
I saw the dead goat.
And then I saw Maria--
Maria.
She calledmyname... once.
She was lying
inapuddle ofyellowrain.
Something had eaten
at her face.
Andlheldherin myarms,
andthenshe died.
And then I got up,
and I ran screaming.
[ Shouts ln Spanish ]
This guy is better
than Erik Estrada.
[People Chattering
ln Spanish]
[ All Shouting ln Spanish ]
What's gonna happen to him ?
He'll get his 45 seconds before the
judge and placed on a southbound bus.
- Is there anyway to delay that ?
- Whywould you do that ?
- To solve an unexplained death.
- I think the FBl's got
better things to do.
Fileyour paperwork.
By the time they process it,
he'll probably be back here anyway.
- Put him in the front.
- Come on. Up front.
[Man]
Okay, vamos. Let'sgo.
[Horn Honking]
[Horn Honking]
- DidyoufindEladio Buente ?
- Yeah, I found him.
Did he confess to the murder
of Maria Dorantes ?
Not exactly, no.
Did he tell you
what happened ?
Flash oflight, yellow rain.
" Maria ! Maria !"
He didn't kill her, Mulder.
I examined the body
of Maria Dorantes,
and I believe that her cause ofdeath
was natural, albeit strange.
- Sheseems tohavesuccumbed
toamassive fungalinfection.
- A fungus ?
Aspergillus,
according to the coroner.
It's a mold that's found in dead leaves,
compost, even household dust.
- And it can kill ?
- Not normally.
It's very common and harmless.
- You don't think that's weird ?
- Aspergillus can be lethal...
to people
with immunodeficiencies...
Iike AI DS patients
and transplant recipients.
Ifoundhigh levels ofmethylbromide
inherbloodworkup.
It's a pesticide that's used
for soil sterilization-- highly toxic.
Now, I think thatherbody
wassoravagedbypesticides...
that a normally benign fungus may have
compromised herwhole immune system.
Still doesn't explain the flash
oflightning and theyellow rain...
and EI Chupacabra.
Mulder, I know
you don't want to hear this.
I think the aliens in this story are
not the villains. They're the victims.
Lookat that.
[People Shouting ln Spanish]
Mulder.
- [Man #1]Beright there.
- [Man #2] Allright.
[ Chatter, lndistinct ]
What does it look like ?
This man died ofsystemic shock
brought on bywhat appears
to be another fungal infection.
The same fungus
that killed Maria Dorantes ?
No. It looks dissimilar.
I don't know what this is.
Its speed and its aggressiveness
are frightening.
The infection's covered 90% ofhis body,
Mulder, through both layers ofskin.
- Did you find him ?
- We were able to run down most
ofthe people who escaped.
But Eladio Buente
wasn't among them.
No one knows where he ran ?
- Agent Lozano, this is
my partner, Agent Scully.
- Hi.
They all ran the otherway,
away from EI Chupacabra,
the man they say
is responsible for this tragedy.
Eladio Buente didn't kill this man.
He didn't kill anybody.
- I'm not so sure about that.
- This is the work ofa pathogen
ofa highlyvirulent strain.
I'm not questioning that,
but right now Eladio Buente is
the only connection we have...
to this death
and the death of Maria Dorantes.
Which is why I need you to spare any
manpoweryou can to try to find him.
Manpower ? We don't have the resources
to go chasing after one poor illegal.
Mulder, whateveryouhope
tolearn by finding thisman,
we have to first make
a definitive classification
ofthe fungi from the victims.
I need to isolate it, and I need
to get a sample to a mycologist.
Good. You should do that while Agent
Lozano and I try to find EI Chupacabra.
[ Speaking Spanish ]
- [BelIRings]
- Senor?
- Senor ?
- What doyou want ?
You want togoback ?
Estas loco ?
We haul muchabasura
with that truck.
What makes you think
we haul it back ?
How long haveyou been
in this country ?
[ Speaking Spanish ]
Aqui es America,
youdumb wet.
Truck stop at dusk.
No dinero, no ride.
- Comprende ?
- Si.
- Dinero.
- Dinero.
[ Chattering ]
The truck's here !
Construction workers. Dos.
- [ Indistinct ]
- [ Speaking Spanish ]
Okay, two ofyou.
You two, get in the back. Let's go.
I only need two, amigo.
Dos.
Hey, outta the truck.
I got work to do.
- Hey, whereareyougoing ?
- [ Indistinct ]
You'llhave to do.
[Man]
Whatyou're lookingat, AgentScully,
is themostubiquitous fungalspore
known tomankind-- derma tuffatosis.
Athlete's foot ?
One ofthe great survivors of
countless extermination efforts.
Historically underrated
and unfairly overshadowed
by the ever-popular cockroach.
Our body has natural defenses
against this kind ofinvasion.
Even in the absence
ofan immuno response,
a fungi like this one--
or the aspergillus sample I gaveyou--
don't they need
the right environment to multiply ?
Yes, unless theyhavehelp.
- What's this ?
- It'san enzyme lisolated
from bothyourspecimens.
That's about all I can tell ya.
It's unlike any enzyme I've ever seen.
So it's not the fungi
but the enzyme that kills.
Acting as a catalyst,
as an accelerant.
Letmeshowyou.
This ispecunia graminus,
blackstem rust.
It'sbeen the cause
ofa fairlycontainable crop
blighthere in the valley.
Oh, my God.
Imustsay, ifthis were to
getoutinto the environment,
derma tuffatosismightgive
the cockroacharun foritsmoney.
Hmm ?
[MenSpeaking Spanish]
He was here, all right.
They say he got into a truck
ofa foreman named Culver.
Story's out.
Oh, yeah. I told you,
these people love their stories.
It's the one thing that
keeps them from going mad...
when they're out there standing on the
street corner all daywaiting forwork.
- So they really don't think
he's the Chupacabra ?
- No, they're certain ofit.
- Did you tell them
about the fungal infection ?
- Yeah, theywouldn't listen.
They are only interested
in what will become of Eladio Buente.
- What will become ofhim ?
- When his brother finds him--
- He'll kill him.
- Yes, probably.
A man cannot live
with vengeance in his heart.
So we gotta find him first.
My mother used to say that blood
should be left to cleanse itself.
God curses the man
who stands between two brothers.
Well, in this case,
He'll curse the man who doesn't.
Senor ? Senor ?
[ Speaking Spanish ]
SenorCulver?
[ Speaking Spanish ]
[Man]
Eladio Buente.
Eladio ?
[ Squeaks ]
Eladio Buente.
[ Tires Squealing ]
[ Shouting ln Spanish ]
[Eladio]
Gabrielle !
Gabrielle !
Eladio !
- Mulder, it's me.
- Hey, Scully, where areyou ?
The state university
bio department.
Mulder, listen to me.
I thinkyou're right.
- I think Eladio Buente
is responsible for those deaths.
- Responsible how ?
By spreading an enzyme
produced bywhat appears to be
a new strain ofconidial fungi.
- How's he spreading it ?
- My guess is by touch.
Now, I saw this man, Scully.
He was unaffected.
He could bejust a carrier then,
a kind ofTyphoid Mary.
- You're saying it's a new strain ?
- Yes.
It is extremely important
thatyou not come into
direct contact with this fungus.
- You must not inhale it.
You must not touch it.
- Lozano, careful, man.
Scully, I've been thinking. I know
that's dangerous, butjust bearwith me.
These fortean transients--
what the woman described--
they could have been caused by an object
falling at a high rate ofspeed...
creating a sonic boom and a flash
oflight astronomers call a bolide.
- A bolide ?
- Created by a meteorite...
or a piece of
extra-planetarium material,
ofwhich 2,000 tons falls
to the earth every day.
This yellow rain-- Space debris
could have fallen in a nearby lake,
superheating the water and sending it
skyward, which would mean this is alien.
- I think this is
beside the point right now.
- Oh, and the fungus--
Let me work on the fungus.
Whatyou need to do is to find
the man who may be spreading it.
Okay.
Soyou got
your own stories too, huh ?
Hey, it's EI Barbero.
Hey, Lozano, lhearyou're lookin'
forthe Chupacabra.
For a modest fee, I can tell you
where he might be found.
[Eladio Coughing]
[ Coughing ]
- Eladio !
- [ Grunts ]
[Lozano]
Stop !
Don't touch him.
[ All Shouting ln Spanish ]
Hey !
[Horn Honking]
I lost him.
[MulderGroaning]
More goats.
Agent Lozano,
how does this man keep eluding us ?
These people are invisible.
You look at them and you don't see them.
Just workers, cheap labor
to pick crops and clean houses.
To most people, they're aliens
in the true sense ofthe word.
- EI Chupacabra. EI Chupacabra.
- Calm down.
- Calm down.
- Chupacabra.
Can a man do this ?
Can Eladio Buente do this ?
Eladio, he went to his cousin
Gabrielle's house asking for money.
- When ?
- Today. He said he killed nobody.
But Soledad, he went to Gabrielle's
house trying to kill Eladio.
Calm down.
[KnockAtDoor]
- Quien es ?
- [Lozano]Gabrielle Buente ?
This isAgentLozano, l.N.S.
Open up.
- Where is he ?
- Que ?
Don't give meyour "que. "
You know who.
- Where is he, Eladio ?
- He is not here.
I would not let Eladio Buente in here.
Please, you must believe me.
[Scully]
Maybeyoushouldcheck theback.
What about his brother,
Soledad ?
No.
He is not here !
No one is here ! I'm alone.
Haveyou seen either ofthem ?
Si. But I'm afraid because
ofwhat they say about Eladio.
About EI Chupacabra.
There is no EI Chupacabra, Gabrielle.
Eladio is a very sick man.
Ifhe comes here,
you must not let him in.
Ifhe comes to this door,
youmustcall thepolice. Understand?
There's nobody.
I'm going to be watching you,
chiquita. Every move.
- Comprendes ?
- Si.
- I think weshouldholdupaminute.
- Forwhat ?
Something's going on here.
Hey,Jose,
this ain't no restaurant !
You knowyou have to pay
for all that.
Hey, what thehell doyou think
you're doing ?Comebackhere !
Hey, you'regonna
have to clean thatup. Hey!
Hey, you'regonna
have to clean thatup. Hey!
- That's our man.
- Eladio Buente ?
No. That's his brother,
Soledad.
- [Phone Ringing]
- Bueno ?
- Eladio ?
- Si, Gabrielle.
Eladio ?
Eladio !
[ Speaking Spanish ]
SoledadBuente.
Stop! Stop !
- [Scully] Dropyou weapon!
[Mulder] Drop thegun !
- [ Speaking Spanish ]
- [Scully]Putitdown! Now!
- [ Speaking Spanish ]
- [Mulder]Dropit!
- [LozanoShouting]
[ Both Speaking Spanish ]
Eladio !
[Screaming ln Spanish]
Mulder.
- [SoledadSobbing]
- He's been here.
- [ Knocking ]
- [Gabrielle] Quien es ?
- Eladio.
- Eladio ?
No.
No.
[ Screaming ]
No !
[ Screaming ]
No !
Eladio ?
Eladio Buente ?
He is not here.
He's gone.
- Gone where ?
- To Mexico,
where he can hide
his terrible face.
- How's he gonna get to Mexico ?
- I gave him all my money.
- You gave him your money ?
- Yes, because I wasafraid.
I was afraid EI Chupacabra
will kill me too.
What can I say ?
[Mulder]
Howare wegonna findthisman ?
Good luck. I'm gonna
go process the brother.
Youknow whatshesaid
aboutEladio Buente, abouthis face ?
I don't know what to believe.
These people love their stories.
Mulder, he could be anywhere
right now.
Ifhe were to enter a metropolitan
area with what he's carrying--
- He won't.
- Ifhe's going to Mexico--
Ifthis man really thinks
he killed Maria Dorantes,
he won't be going to Mexico.
- Then where is he going ?
- The same place Lozano
and Eladio's brother are going.
- He'sgone to facehisbrother.
- I don't understand.
"God curses a man who stands
between two brothers."
Getonyourcellphoneand
havea Haz-Mat team assembled.
Eladio Buente,
come on out !
- Be a man and faceyour brother.
- Madre de Dios.
Eladio, no!
[ Speaking Spanish ]
[Gunshot]
[ Whispering ln Spanish ]
He believed in EI Chupacabra.
They came from thesky.
More Chupacabras...
coming to save Eladio.
I slammed the door
and prayed...
that theywould not come
to kill me too.
What will happen to Soledad ?
He was taken up
by a Chupacabra.
He will suffer
for his treachery.
He'smade tosuck theblood...
ofonly thesick
anddyinggoats...
when the Chupacabra
comes to feed.
- That's not what Gabriella said.
- Whatdoes Gabriellaknow?
I was there.
I saw it with my own eyes.
Gabriella said
that she lied to la FBl...
so that her cousin,
Eladio, might live.
Butlamigra Lozanoknew
thatSoledadcouldnotlive
with vengeanceinhisheart.
- [ Yells ln Spanish ]
- [ Gunshot ]
Turn around and face the man
whose loveyou killed !
YoukilledMaria...
because she wouldn't loveyou.
Because her heart
belongs to only one man.
Don't make me shootyou
in the back, Eladio.
Turn !
Seemytears !
- Turn around like a man !
- No.
[Gabrielle]
"Shoot. Shoot!"Iamigrashouted.
But Soledad began to cry.
" No. No !" cried Soledad.
"I cannot shoot my brother.
He is mybrother.
My flesh, myblood. "
- Shoot him ! He's EI Chupacabra !
- Shoutedlamigra.
- You cannot let him go !
- " He is a goat sucker,
and he must be killed !"
Soledad,
he could not kill Eladio...
because he knew
I would never forgive him.
- [ Speaking Spanish ]
- No ! No !
- Lamigra Lozano...
tried to pull the gun from Soledad's
hand, calling him a coward !
- "No! He is mybrother!"
Andthegun wentoff!
- [ Gunshot ]
Bang ! Bang !
Lamigra Lozano fell dead.
Perono.
La migra Lozano...
brought Soledad
to kill Eladio...
so that he would not be cursed.
So God...
cursed Soledad
for his treachery...
andturnedhim into...
EI Chupacabra
likehisbrother.
No.
Together they run...
to Mexico.
- EI Chupacabra ?
- [Scully] Yes, sir.
Frankly, I'm confused
by this story.
[Mulder]
ldon'tblameyou.
We can't exactly
explain it ourselves, sir.
At any rate, we arrived
just after the Haz-Mat team.
They establishedaperimeter
thensecuredthearea.
An eyewitness was found,
buthertestimony was questionable.
[Scully] The Haz-Mat team
wereable to contain the fungal
infection within the camp.
No othercasualties
were reported.
We foundno othertraces
oftheacceleratingenzyme.
[Mulder]
Excepton thebodyofAgentLozano.
We foundhim deadat thescene
withabullet woundto the chest.
And with the fungal infection
already starting to eat away at him.
- What happened to the brothers ?
- [Scully]
They werenowhere tobe found.
Lozano's revolver
turnedup tenmilesaway...
nearthe carofaman
known locallyas EI Barbero.
[Mulder]Apparently, thebrothers
paid thisman foraride to Mexico,
but they didn'tget very far.
So these men are still at large
carrying a highly contagious fungus...
that can kill a man
in his tracks ?
It's not a fungus, sir.
Actually, it's an enzyme...
to which the brothers
had an abnormal tolerance.
And which came from what I believe
to be an anti-enzyme gene.
- This enzyme came from where ?
- Outer space, sir.
[ Sighs ] So this is the story
you're asking me to report ?
You would thinkwith the resources we
have, we'd be able to find these men.
I'm not hearing a good explanation
why this hasn't happened.
Well, sir, they, um--
They have a way of...
being almost invisible.
[Mulder]
The truth is,
nobody cares.
[ Siren Wailing ]
Monongahela. We're en route with
a male cardiac, age 62. E.T.A. in 1 2.
[ Woman ] Copy. E.T.A. in 1 2.
Crash unit standing by.
How's he looking,
Leonard?
-[MonitorBeeping]
- Up to his ass in alligators.
-[Beeping Erratically]
-[Man Gasping]
- Is he going into arrest?
- No, he's not.
[Gasping Continues]
[Air Hisses]
- What did you do?
- Aspirated his chest.
He has a tension pneumothorax pressing
on his heart. It looked like a cardiac.
- Nice catch. Howdidyouknow?
- Because he's dying ofcancer.
It'salreadyeaten through
onelung.
That'samazing.
Howdidyouknow, Leonard?
[ Moaning ]
Leonard?
Leonard?
Leonard?
[ Gasps ]
Oh, God.
Leonard.
[Thump]
[Thump]
- Hello?
-[Thump]
Pretty cozy.
Who'd everwant to leave?
Well, whoever happened to get
locked in here last night, I guess.
Well, that would be one
Leonard Morris Betts, age 34.
But it should probably be noted that
when Mr. Betts arrived here last night,
he was sans head.
He was decapitated
when his ambulance crashed.
He was an emergency medical
technician for this hospital.
A very good one, apparently.
A slew ofcommendations.
- Write-ups in the local paper.
- What about the morgue attendant?
Somebody coldcocked him
and stole his clothes.
He didn't see who. No alarms
tripped, no sign ofa break-in.
- It's weird, huh?
- Mulder, what are we doing here?
Did I mention
that Mr. Betts had no head?
Yes. So? I mean, you're not
suggesting that a headless body...
kicked its way out of
a latched morgue freezer?
Areyou ? Because it's obvious this is
some kind ofattempt at a cover-up.
- Meant to conceal what?
- My guess, body snatching for profit.
There's a shortage ofteaching
cadavers at medical schools.
An unscrupulous medical supplier might
pay top dollar, no questions asked.
But why take a headless one and
leave top-dollar bodies behind?
-[DoorOpening]
-Sir? Those videograbsyouaskedfor.
We found something.
These are from the emergency room
camera, taken at 4:1 3 this morning.
There'syourperpetrator,
wearing thestolen uniform.
Unfortunately, you can't see
very much on these.
What's-- What's
all this stuffhere?
Badvideo. Thesecuritysystem
isn'texactlystate-of-the-art.
Ifthis is our guy, what did
he do with the corpse he stole?
Well, maybe he got spooked
and was forced to abandon it.
We combed the facility. Where could he
hide a bodywhere it couldn't be found?
I'll showyou.
Allhospitals operatesome form
ofmedical wasteprocessing.
This unit disposes
ofsurgical remains:
amputations, excised tumors.
They're ground up
and heated with microwaves,
and the result is a sterile soot
that's used as road fill.
Well, then there's probably
nothing there for us to find.
That depends how often
they dispose oftheirwaste.
Hopefully, only once
every few days.
We're in luck.
Areyou sure about this, Scully? 'Cause
ifyou're not sure, I don't see...
that there's any reason
to disturb all this stuffjust--
Mulder, I'm gonna need your help.
Your arms are longer.
Oh. I think I got
the toy surprise.
- Leonard Betts.
- That's his head. Where's his body?
There's not enough room in here.
Maybe he didn't dispose ofthe body.
Maybe he got it out ofhere
somehow.
Well, why'd he take the time
to dispose ofthe head?
I don't know. Maybe there's an answer
here. Something you should check out.
We know how he died, in an automobile
accident. What more is there to know?
Maybe nothing, but it's all
we got to go on right now.
You should see ifyou can find a place
whereyou can examine Betts' head.
- Whileyou do what?
- Check out his house.
We know how he died.
I want to see how he lives.
- Lived.
- Lived.
Case number 226-897.
Leonard Betts.
Remains are incomplete, all observations
refer to a decapitated head.
Weight, 1 0.9 pounds.
Remains show no signs ofrigor mortis
or fixed lividity.
Nor do the corneas
appear clouded,
which would seem inconsistent
with the witnessed time ofdeath,
now... 1 9 hours ago.
I'll begin with the intermastoid
incision and frontal craniotomy,
then make my examination
ofthe brain.
Oh! God!
-[Man] Which one?
-[Mulder] This onehere.
[KeysJingling]
- Thanks. I'll lock up.
- Okay.
[Phone Ringing]
- Mulder.
- [ Scully] It's me.
- Mulder.
- [ Scully] It's me.
Uh, I've run into kind of
a unique situation here.
- What'd you find?
- So far, not much.
I did a PET scan
on Leonard Betts' remains.
Actually four times now. And each time
the images come out degraded,
uh, like it's fogged
somehow.
- Like the security footage.
- This is cutting-edge technology here.
The technicians say the machine
is working perfectly.
They also say the only thing that could
account for this image distortion...
is some form ofradiation.
But I don't see how orwhere
it could be emanating from.
What did your examination
uncover?
Well, l-- I haven't exactly
performed an examination yet.
- Why not?
- Well, because l, uh--
I experienced an unusual degree
ofpostmortem galvanic response.
The head moved.
It blinked at me.
I mean, I know
exactlywhat it is.
It's residual electrical activity stored
chemically in-- in the dead cells.
Blinked orwinked?
- [ Sighs ]
- You're afraid to cut into it.
Scully, you're not saying that--
that-- that it's alive, areyou?
No. I am certainly
not saying that at all.
But has it crossed your mind
that it's not quite dead, either?
- What doyou mean?
- I'm standing here in Betts' apartment.
Whoeverwe saw in those video grabs, his
clothes are strewn all over the floor.
Made himselfat home.
Maybe he was home.
- Leonard Betts.
- Yeah.
- Without his head.
- Yeah.
Mulder, I don't even know
how to respond to that.
I'm gonna call the P.D. and have them
put the building under surveillance...
just in case whoever it is
comes back.
I'll be in touch.
Michele?
Michele Wilkes?
- Yes?
- I'm Fox Mulder. I'm with the F.B.I.
You're the person responsible for the
disposition of Leonard Betts' remains.
He didn't have any family. No friends
either, as far as I could tell.
- Exceptyou.
- I liked him.
But I wasn't really his friend.
He didn't let people get that close.
I'm not sure I could call myselfhis
partner. Mostly I stayed out ofhis way.
- What doyou mean?
- Leonard was an amazing technician.
He could diagnose illness
better than any doctor I've ever seen.
You know how they say some people can
look atyou and tell you what's wrong?
- Mm-hmm.
- Leonard could do that.
Especiallywith cancer. I told him
he should have been an oncologist.
He used to volunteer at the cancerward.
Read to patients, stufflike that.
Did you ever notice anything
about him? Anything odd?
No. Well,
he never got sick.
That was pretty amazing,
doing what we do.
- He was the picture ofhealth.
- Was he ever injured on thejob?
No. Never.
I mean, until--
- Oh, yeah.
- I'm sorry.
I-l don't know what all this has to do
with someone stealing Leonard's body.
I mean, it almost sounds
likeyou're investigating Leonard.
No, no. Thanks for bearing with
my questions. I appreciateyour time.
This procedure is called
biopolymerization.
It's basically a high-tech
mummification process.
The remains are dipped in the epoxy,
and once it's cured,
the specimen can be sliced
for examination.
Oryou gotyourself
a nice paperweight.
At any rate, we should have
some autopsy answers foryou soon.
I'm starting with an anterior
slice from your Mr. Betts,
one favoring the frontal lobe.
- Well, this is certainly strange.
- What?
There's something wrong
with the image?
In a manner ofspeaking.
Here, see foryourself.
Oh, myGod. His entirebrain
looks like onegiantglioma.
- He had cancer?
- He was riddled with it.
Everycellin thesample.
Everycell, essentially,
in his entire head and brain was all
cancerous-- it's completely pervasive.
- Could you live in this condition?
- Live?
This man would have been dead before
reaching such a metastatic stage.
How doyou explain it?
Maybe the polymerization process
distorted the sample somehow.
Maybe we'renotreallyseeing
what we think we'reseeing.
Mmm. Maybe we'rejust seeing
it clearly for the first time.
What areyou suggesting?
Let's get a slice to go.
[Woman]Monongahela, 1-3-6enroute
withamalenotresponding to C.P.R.
Pleaseadvise.
Dispatch,
somebodypick up, please.
Allegheny Catholic, 2-0-8. Iknow
you're up toyourass inalligators,
- butyourpatientmaybeinshock.
- Michele?
- Leonard?
- Treat withpoint threemilligrams...
- epinephrineautoinjector.
- Let's go here. Michele! Come on!
[Woman On Radio]Hey, that
seems tobe working. Goodcall, 208.
- Thanks forthe tip.
-[Man On Radio]Gladlcouldhelp.
Oh, wow. I've neverworked
with a sample ofhuman tissue before.
What exactlywereyou looking
to find?
- I'll tell you ifwe find it.
- Excellent.
Areyou ever asked to defend this as
a legitimate scientific process, Doctor?
Only ifyou're not happy
with the results.
Chuck didsome ofthepioneering work
in Kirlianphotographyin the U.S.
Although lpreferthe umbrella
term "auraphotography. "
Basically, by applying
high-frequency electricity,
I am able to photograph
an organism's coronal discharge.
- Coronal discharge?
- Coronal discharge. Life force.
The Chinese call it chi. It's an
accepted fact in most Eastern cultures.
And the theoretical basis
ofholistic medicine, ofacupuncture.
But what is
its application here?
It may account for the fogging
ofyour PET scan of Leonard Betts' head.
You know, with this equipment, I have
been able to capture phantom images...
ofwhole leaves
that were cut in half,
or the vestigial image ofa lizard's
tail long after it's been cut off.
Which you have to admit
is pretty cool.
It looks like we got
somethin' here.
Oh, yeah.
Now, I don't know exactlywhat
you're looking for, but--
Oh, yeah. There's definitely
somekindofenergyhappenin'here.
Chuck, would you believe that
this man's head had been decapitated?
[ Laughs ]
Oh, come on. No way.
Way.
Are we happy
with the results?
I don't know, Scully, but those
sure as hell look like shoulders to me.
I don't even know how to explain
that photo, or even what it proves.
- What ifit proves Betts is alive.
- Mulder!
You said that Betts' tissue
was riddled with cancer.
Now, what is cancer but normal cells
growing rapidly out ofcontrol,
usually caused by some damage
to their DNA?
I don't know whereyou're
going with this.
What ifthere was a case where the
cancerwas not caused by damaged DNA ?
Where the cancerwas not a destructive
or an aggressive factor,
but was rather the normal state
ofbeing?
Even ifthat were possible,
he's been decapitated.
What ifthis man's life force,
his chi,
whateveryou want to callit, retained
ablueprintoftheactualmanhimself,
guiding rapid growth,
not as cancer, but as regeneration.
You think that Leonard Betts
regrew his head?
The fluid that I found in Betts'
bathtub was povidone-iodine.
It's used by researchers on reptiles
and amphibians to aid regeneration.
We both know that salamanders have
grown entirely new limbs-- regenerated.
Salamanders are one thing, but no mammal
possesses that regenerative power.
There isn't a creature walking
this earth that can regrow its head.
Worms. You cut a worm
in half, you get two.
Mulder, they're worms.
I'm just saying it's not unheard
ofin nature, that's all.
Unheard ofor not, someone is going to
great lengths to dispose ofevidence.
Well, maybe Betts is trying
to protect his secret.
[Phone Rings]
Scully.
Yeah.
Okay.
Great. Thanks.
Well, apparently Leonard Betts
did have some secrets.
One ofthem being that he had
an alter ego named Albert Tanner.
Who?
I had Danny run the fingerprints.
Two names came up.
The second one was Albert Tanner,
but unlike Leonard Betts,
Albert Tanner has
a living relative,
Elaine Tanner, his mother, whojust
happens to live here in Pittsburgh.
Hmm.
[DoorbelIRings]
- Elaine Tanner?
- Yes.
I'm Agent Scully. This is Agent Mulder.
We're with the F.B.I.
- Oh. What can I do foryou ?
- Is your son Albert Tanner?
We'd like to askyou
some questions.
Please excuse me for one second.
I've got something on the stove.
Scully.
- Mrs. Tanner, is this your son?
- Yes. That's Albert.
We know this man as Leonard Betts.
Areyou familiarwith that name?
- No.
- You know ifyour son used other names?
Why areyou asking me
about him?
Mrs. Tanner, areyou aware that
your son has recently died?
What doyou mean,
"recently"?
When did your son die?
Sixyears ago.
He was killed
in an automobile accident. Why?
Would it be possible to get the
death certificate or some verification?
Ofcourse.
- Confused yet?
- Yeah.
Excuse me. I'm--
I'm looking for an E.M.T.,
the man driving unit 208.
The new guy. Yeah.
208's over there. Hejust went
offshift, butyou might catch him.
Thanks.
[Radio Dispatch Chatter]
Leonard?
Leonard?
Oh, my God. It can't be.
How can it be?
Leonard, is ityou?
Hey, Michele.
It's okay.
It's okay.
[ Breathing Unevenly]
I just wish you hadn't found me,
that's all.
What areyou talking about?
Leonard?
- I'm sorry.
- [ Gasping ]
I'm sorry.
I'm sorry.
[Man]
Hey! You there!
Holdit!
Come back here!
Stop whereyou are!
Stay there.
You son ofa bitch.
Ronny?
Oh, pick up, man.
- [ Man On Radio ] Go ahead.
- We got a situation in the parking lot.
This guyjust attacked
some woman.
She's upat the
ambulanceparkingarea.
You'dbettergeta doctor
rightaway.
[CrackingSound]
I'mgonna check
on thatguy.
[Radio Dispatch Chatter]
Siskel or Ebert?
What's thestory?
Michele Wilkes was murdered,
but we wouldn't know that...
- ifthe guard hadn't witnessed it.
- Why is that?
I found a spent autoinjector
in the grass.
She was given a lethal dose ofpotassium
chloride. It's an electrolyte...
found naturally in the body, and
a coroner doesn't usually check for it.
Betts was here, Scully.
She must have discovered that,
and then he had to kill her
to protect his secret.
Well, the security guard did
l.D. him as her attacker.
He worked as an E.M.T., but his
coworkers said his name was Truelove.
Doyou know how this man escaped?
He tore offhis thumb,
because he knew
he could regrow another one.
Mulder, itjust doesn't
work that way.
Is it unimaginable? ls Betts' ability to
regenerate any greater a leap forward...
than our ancestors' ability
to communicate or to walk upright?
But language, evolution--
it's a process ofsteps, not leaps.
Recent evolutionary theory
would disagree.
What scientists call punctualism
or punctual equilibrium,
it theorizes that evolutionary
advances are cataclysmic, not gradual.
That evolution occurs not along
a straight graphable line,
but in huge fits and starts,
and that the unimaginable
happens in the gaps--
the gap between what we are and
what Leonard Betts has become.
But whatyou're describing is
someone so radically evolved...
thatyou wouldn't even
call him human.
Well, on the other hand, how evolved
can a man be who drives a Dodge Dart?
Oh, myGod.
" Myeloid sarcoma,
epithelial carcinoma."
These are all cancerous tumors. This is
surgical waste tagged for disposal.
- What doyou think he wanted with them?
- You may not want to know.
Scully, there's a great possibility
that Leonard Betts not only is cancer--
But that he needs it
for survival?
- So, you're saying that this is--
- Snack food.
I mean, wouldn't it make sense that--
that evolution, or natural selection,
would incorporate cancer, the greatest
health threat, as our genetic makeup?
Why do I think that Charles Darwin
is rolling in his grave?
Askyourself, why is
Leonard Betts an E.M.T.?
Why does he regularlyvisit
cancerwards? Access.
The car's registered to one
Elaine Tanner, 31 08 Old Bank Road.
- Betts' mom.
- Doyou think Mom knows...
her dead son is tooling around
in her car?
Elaine Tanner? We have a warrant
to search the premises.
Mrs. Tanner, we knowyour son is alive
and thatyou're in contact with him.
You need to tell us
where we can find him.
Last night, he murdered a woman
in cold blood.
By lying to protect him, you
are considered an accessory to murder.
Canyou tellme whatyouuse this for?
It'saprettybigbottle.
You get a lot ofcuts?
When my son
was eightyears old,
there were two boys who picked on him
because he was different.
Hejust ignored them.
He knew he was better than theywere.
One day they cornered him
walking home, beat him up.
He didn't even try to fight back,
just lay there, taking the blows.
So, I don't believeyou when
you tell me he killed anyone.
But ifhe did,
he had his reasons.
What reasons,
Mrs. Tanner?
God put him here
for a purpose.
God means for him to stay,
even ifpeople don't understand.
And that's all
I've got to say.
[TV.:SportsAnnouncers
Chattering]
[PooIBalls Clicking]
[Announcer] To the corner.
Twelve-footer. It'sgood!
- Tigers tieit!
- [ Coughing ]
[ Coughing Continues ]
[Coughing]
Excuseme.
I'm sorry, butyou've got
something I need.
Excuse me.
Scully?
- Find something?
- No sign, not even a sock.Just this.
- A receipt for a storage locker.
- The keywith the number 1 1 2 on it.
- Let's check it out.
- Mm-hmm.
[ Grunting ]
[ Groaning ]
[ Screaming ]
[ Screams ]
Scully.
[CarEngineStarting]
Mr.John Gillnitz,
death from massivebloodloss...
due to what I can only describe
as a skillful removal ofhis left lung.
- It's Betts.
- Doing what?
Guaranteed, Scully. This man's medical
records will show he had lung cancer.
- And Betts was in need ofwhat he had.
- How would he have known that?
His partner told me he had an
exceptional ability to diagnose cancer.
Maybe his need provided
a heightened sense.
Well, whatever he was doing,
he's taking the secret to his grave.
Yeah, for the second time.
Mulder,
Leonard Betts is dead.
Ofthat I am absolutely certain,
and he is not coming back.
- You'd have said the same about Tanner.
- I don't understand.
Sixyears ago Albert Tanner dies in
a car accident. His mother buries him.
Several days ago, the same man shows up
as Leonard Betts. Explain that to me.
Obviously, someone's lying.
Maybe the first death was staged.
You want to bet on that?
Ugh.
Will the real Leonard Betts
please stand up?
Mulder, these men may be
no more than monozygotic twins.
I don't think so, Scully. I thinkwhat
we're standing witness to here...
goes way beyond the regeneration of
a thumb or a limb, or even a new head.
Mulder, I don't know whatyou're getting
at here. Regeneration ofan entire body?
I don't know why
I'm listening.
Because I think that the fiery crash
that killed this man was a decoy...
and that this man lying here
is still at large.
I'm scared, honey.
The F.B.I.--
They seem to know all aboutyou.
They dug up the coffin.
They found your friend.
I don't think they're ever
going to leaveyou alone.
And you're weak. You have to
restoreyour strength.
You know
whatyou have to do.
- [ Whimpers ]
- I'm your mother.
And it's a mother's duty
to provide.
[ Moans ]
Ifthis man really exists, what
makes you think he'd come back here?
The only person connected with Betts
who knows his secret is his mom.
Ifwe're gonna get him,
it'll be through her.
[Siren Wailing]
[ Siren Continues ]
- Get out ofthe truck!
- Federal agents!
Get out ofthe truck!
Whoa! Whoa!
What the hell?
- What areyou doing here?
- Wegota call.
Elderlywoman with massive chest trauma
and blood loss. 31 08 Old Bank.
- Believeme, that'sall weknow!
- Stay here.
Mulder, get the E.M.T.s
up here!
Guys, getinhere!
She has an open wound.
A surgical cut.
Three guesses
what was removed.
He did this toher,
andthenhe calledanambulance.
Judging by the response time,
he might still be here.
Betts is gone.
He must have taken offon foot.
Well, she's gonna be okay, Mulder.
She's not out ofthe woods,
but I thinkwe might be able
to get where he went out ofher.
You staywith her. I'll call local P.D.
and have them cordon offthe area.
Okay.
This is Mulderwith the F.B.I. I've
got an emergency situation in progress.
I need all units to 31 08 Old Bank Road.
I'm searching for a murder suspect.
[Radio Dispatch Chatter]
Mulder, it's me. We've got
Mrs. Tanner going into the E.R.,
but she took a downturn
en route.
They defibrillated her
to try and get her heart back,
but there's no chance ofgetting
anything cogent from her.
Not tonight, anyway.
Whataboutonyourend?
We're going house to house here.
That's the only thing I can think to do.
We've got a chopper coming, but I'd say
Betts has a good chance ofgetting away.
Ifhe steals a car or gets a ride,
he could get away for good.
Imeanhe obviously worked
this thingoutpretty well, Scully,
so ifthere's anything you can get out
of Mrs. Tanner tonight, anything at all,
at thispoint we don'thave
much else togo on.
Mulder, get over here
right now.
- What?
- Get over here right now.
Oh!
I'm sorry.
Butyou've got something
I need.
[ Grunting ]
[ DefibrillatorTurns On ]
Oh, my God.
Let's get a crash cart.
[ Moans Softly]
They pronounced Betts
ten minutes ago.
- He's dead?
- As near as anyone can tell.
His mom's alive, due to the fact that
Betts dressed herwounds so carefully.
She's gonna pull through,
at least for the present.
- Cancer.
- Yeah.
Uh...
"metastatic rabdomyo sarcoma,"
to be precise.
She was treated for it
previously.
Got a clean bill ofhealth
about three months ago.
You did a goodjob,
Scully.
You should be proud.
I want to go home.
[ Coughing ]
Closed-Captioned By
Captions, lnc. Los Angeles