Original subtitles

[ CAMERA WHIRS ]

Narrator: WORLDWIDE, 6 BILLION CAMERAS ARE WATCHING US --

ON OUR STREET, AT WORK, AND IN OUR HOMES.

THEY CAPTURE THINGS THAT SEEM IMPOSSIBLE.

IT DEFIES THE LAWS OF PHYSICS.

Man: THIS IS UNBELIEVABLE, MAN.

Narrator: EXPERTS CARRY OUT FORENSIC ANALYSIS

OF THESE UNUSUAL EVENTS.

I WANT TO KNOW WHAT I'M LOOKING AT.

THERE HAS TO BE SOME SORT OF EXPLANATION.

WHAT ELSE IS GOING ON HERE?

[ CAMERA WHIRS ]

Narrator: COMING UP,

A MAN WITH THE INDESTRUCTIBILITY OF A ROBOT...

HE RUNS INTO THE BACK OF THIS CAR, BASICALLY LIKE A MACHINE.

Narrator: ...A MYSTERIOUS FORCE ATTACKS PASSENGERS AT SEA...

[ SCREAMING ]

THE PEOPLE ON THIS BOAT WERE NOT EXPECTING TO GET WHAT THEY GOT.

Narrator: ...AND A GLOWING GHOUL BRINGS TERROR

TO A DESERT HIGHWAY.

Wise: IT IS USING THAT LIGHT FOR ILLUMINATION,

OR IS IT LURING ITS PREY?

Narrator: BIZARRE PHENOMENON.

WHOA.

Narrator: MYSTERIES CAUGHT ON CAMERA.

NOW, THAT'S AN EXPLOSION.

WHAT IS THE TRUTH BEHIND THIS STRANGE EVIDENCE?

-- Captions by VITAC -- www.vitac.com

CAPTIONS PAID FOR BY DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS

NOW, CAMERAS CAPTURE A NAKED HUMANOID FIGURE

WITH DURABILITY BEYOND THAT OF ANY NORMAL MAN.

HE RAN FULL-ON BODY MASS AIRBORNE INTO THAT WINDOW.

I WOULD THINK THAT WOULD LEAVE A NORMAL PERSON DEAD.

Narrator: IMPERVIOUS TO PAIN, HE SEEMS TO BE

ON AN OBSESSIVE RAMPAGE OF DESTRUCTION.

THIS GUY IS DOING THINGS THAT ARE PRACTICALLY SUICIDAL.

HE'S THE TERMINATOR, MAN. HE JUST KEEPS GOING.

[ CAMERA WHIRS ]

Narrator: MARCH 7, 2015, LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA,

A CITY FAMOUS FOR YEAR-ROUND SUNSHINE

AND THE GLITZ AND GLAMOUR OF THE MOVIES,

BUT AS THE SUN SETS ON THE CITY,

ONE SLEEPY SUBURB IS ABOUT TO EXPERIENCE AN EVENT

STRAIGHT FROM A HOLLYWOOD ACTION BLOCKBUSTER.

WE'VE BEEN HERE FOR ABOUT 20 YEARS.

I MEAN, LITTLE THINGS HAPPEN HERE AND THERE,

BUT NOTHING LIKE THIS.

Narrator: LATE IN THE EVENING,

LOCAL RESIDENT CHARLIE BARNES AND HIS WIFE

ARE DRIVING BACK FROM A FRIEND'S PARTY.

SO WE GOT HOME EXACTLY AROUND 11 O'CLOCK.

WE WERE READY TO GO TO BED.

FIVE MINUTES LATER, SOMEONE KNOCKS ON OUR DOOR

LETTING US KNOW SOMEONE HIT OUR CAR.

WELL, THE FIRST THING I SAW WAS MY NEIGHBOR.

SHE LOOKED LIKE SHE WAS PRETTY SHOOK UP.

SO I ASKED HER, "HEY, DID YOU HIT MY CAR?"

THE FIRST THING THAT CAME OUT OF HER MOUTH WAS,

"NO, I DIDN'T. SOME NAKED GUY DID."

I DIDN'T BELIEVE HER AT FIRST.

I HAD TO GET THE EVIDENCE, AND I KNOW WE HAVE CAMERAS HERE.

Narrator: BARNES IS STAGGERED BY WHAT HE SEES ON THE SECURITY VIDEO.

A NAKED MAN LAUNCHES HIMSELF THROUGH BARNES' BACK WINDOW.

WE WERE JUST DUMBFOUNDED.

HE RUNS INTO THE BACK OF THIS CAR, BASICALLY LIKE A MACHINE.

Narrator: THE MAN REBOUNDS ONTO THE GROUND AFTER RECEIVING A BLOW

THAT SHOULD KNOCK HIM OUT, BUT HE DOESN'T STAY DOWN.

IT'S LIKE NOTHING ELSE SEEMS TO BOTHER THIS GUY.

Narrator: BARNES' NEIGHBOR TRIES DESPERATELY TO ESCAPE

FROM THE MADMAN,

BUT THE MYSTERIOUS ASSAILANT NOW TURNS HIS ATTENTION ON HER.

THEN HE JUMPS ON THE CAR LIKE HE HAS NOT HAD ENOUGH.

MY NEIGHBOR FREAKED OUT, PUTS IT IN DRIVING,

GUNS IT, HITS MY VAN...

Narrator: THE NAKED MAN IS FLUNG TO THE GROUND AT HIGH SPEED

WITH WHAT LOOKS LIKE A BONE-CRUNCHING IMPACT.

HOW DO YOU GET UP FROM THAT?

AFTER THIS WHOLE THING,

HE CAN STILL RUN FIVE BLOCKS DOWN AND NOT BE PHASED.

Muñoz: THIS JUST DOESN'T SEEM LIKE SOMETHING

AN ORDINARY HUMAN WOULD BE ABLE TO DO.

Narrator: GREG SZULGIT IS AN EXPERT

IN PHYSIOLOGY AND BIOMEDICAL SCIENCE.

HE'S BUILT AN EXPERIMENT TO FIND OUT

IF A HUMAN COULD WALK AWAY FROM THIS TYPE OF EVENT

WITHOUT SERIOUS INJURIES.

THE QUESTION IS, HOW TYPICAL IS HE AS A HUMAN BEING?

THAT'S WHAT I WANT TO FIND OUT.

Narrator: SZULGIT ISN'T GOING TO LAUNCH HIMSELF AT THE CAR.

HE'S BROUGHT ALONG A STUNT DOUBLE.

NEWTON HERE IS ABOUT THE SAME WEIGHT AND BUILD

AS THE GUY WHO WENT THROUGH THE WINDOW.

I'M GONNA HOOK HIM UP TO A ROPE SWING ON A HARNESS,

SWING HIM INTO THE BACK OF THE WINDOW,

AND SEE HOW HE FARES.

RIG YOU RIGHT UP.

Narrator: SZULGIT HAS CALCULATED THE IMPACT FORCE SEEN

IN THE SECURITY FOOTAGE.

THE MAN IS RUNNING AT JUST OVER 11 MILES PER HOUR

WHEN HE STRIKES THE CAR.

THAT SHOULD BE ABOUT THE EQUIVALENT OF NEWTON

ON A 5-METER ROPE SWING FALLING AT 45 DEGREES,

WHICH IS AROUND THERE.

I'M EXPECTING HE'S GONNA GO THROUGH THE WINDOW

BUT ONLY BECAUSE HE'S GOT A HARD HEAD AND A STIFF NECK AND BACK.

Narrator: NEWTON SHOULD SMASH THROUGH THE BACK WINDOW

LIKE A SLEDGEHAMMER.

THE QUESTION IS, HOW MUCH DAMAGE WILL THE DUMMY SUFFER?

ALL RIGHT.

3, 2, 1 -- LET'S SEE WHAT YOU GOT.

Narrator: THE DUMMY'S HEAD HITS THE WINDOW

WITH A BLUNT FORCE OF 2,187 NEWTONS,

WHICH IS THE EQUIVALENT OF AN ADULT MALE SILVERBACK GORILLA

STANDING ON YOUR HEAD.

IT'S ALSO ABOUT THE SAME BLUNT FORCE

REQUIRED TO CRUSH AN ADULT HUMAN SKULL.

BUT INCREDIBLY,

THIS ISN'T ENOUGH FORCE TO BREAK THE WINDOW.

THE MAN IN THE FOOTAGE MUST HAVE HIT CHARLIE BARNES' CAR

WITH EVEN MORE FORCE THAN THIS, WHICH LEAVES

SZULGIT UNABLE TO EXPLAIN THE SEEMINGLY IMPOSSIBLE.

THE GUY IN THE VIDEO,

I DON'T KNOW HOW HE WALKED AWAY FROM IT.

Narrator: THE NAKED MAN MAY LOOK LIKE A NEWLY ARRIVED TERMINATOR,

AN ANDROID SENT FROM THE FUTURE,

BUT BARNES FINDS EVIDENCE THAT HE'S NO INDESTRUCTIBLE MACHINE.

THERE WAS ACTUALLY SKIN AND BLOOD ON THE ACTUAL GLASS.

NOT ONLY THAT, HE LEFT A FINGERTIP.

[ CAMERA WHIRS ]

Narrator: AUTHOR HEIDI HOLLIS EXAMINES THE FOOTAGE FOR CLUES.

SHE WONDERS IF THE MAN SURVIVED THIS CRIPPLING IMPACT

BECAUSE HE WASN'T ENTIRELY CONSCIOUS TO BEGIN WITH.

WHEN I SAW THIS CLIP OF THIS GUY

RUNNING FULL FORCE, NAKED, AT THE CAR,

IT MAKES YOU WONDER, IS THAT A ZOMBIE MENTALITY?

[ ZOMBIES GROANING ]

Narrator: THE LIVING DEAD HAVE BEEN INVADING

HOLLYWOOD MOVIES FOR DECADES,

BUT THE ORIGIN OF THE ZOMBIE COMES FROM THE VODOU RELIGION.

IN A LOT OF CULTURES WHERE VODOU IS DOMINATING, IT'S VERY REAL.

Narrator: WORSHIPERS BELIEVE THAT PRIESTS OF THE VODOU RELIGION,

USING A POTENT COCKTAIL OF POISONS AND DRUGS,

CAN PLACE SOMEONE IN A ZOMBIE-LIKE STATE.

A ZOMBIE UNDER THE CONTROL OF THE DRUGS

IS UNABLE TO RESIST ANY INSTRUCTIONS GIVEN TO THEM.

ZOMBIES MAY ATTACK YOU BECAUSE IF THE MASTER SAYS,

"GET THAT PERSON,"

THEY MAY DO WHATEVER IT TAKES TO TAKE YOU DOWN,

AND THEY WON'T STOP UNTIL THEIR MASTER SAYS TO STOP.

Narrator: PHYSICIST MICHIO KAKU CONSIDERS IF IT'S POSSIBLE

TO USE SCIENCE TO MAKE A TECHNOLOGICAL ZOMBIE.

IS IT POSSIBLE TO HACK INTO HIS SPINAL CORD

AND HACK INTO HIS BODY

SO THAT THESE MOTIONS CAN BE DONE BY PUSHING A BUTTON?

AND THE ANSWER IS, IN PRINCIPLE, YES.

Narrator: IN THE 1960s, JUAN DELGADO, A YALE UNIVERSITY PROFESSOR,

CREATED A REMOTE-CONTROLLED BULL

BY IMPLANTING ELECTRODES IN THE BULL'S BRAIN.

HE COULD MAKE IT CHARGE OR HALT WITH THE TOUCH OF A BUTTON.

NOW, THE IMPLICATION OF THIS WAS SO ENORMOUS

THAT THAT LINE OF RESEARCH WAS ABANDONED.

Narrator: BUT OTHER LINES OF RESEARCH

HAVE LED TO EXTRAORDINARY ADVANCES IN BODY HACKING

BY SENDING ELECTRIC PULSES DIRECTLY INTO MUSCLES.

NOW, IF YOU THINK ABOUT HOW MUSCLES ARE CONTROLLED,

IT'S BASICALLY ELECTRICAL SIGNALS

THAT ARE USUALLY COMING FROM THE BRAIN

THAT ARE CONTROLLING THE MUSCLES.

BUT THE BEAUTY IS, YOU CAN ACTUALLY BYPASS THE BRAIN.

WHAT HAPPENS IF SOMEBODY GETS THIS TECHNOLOGY

WITHOUT YOUR PERMISSION?

THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN, YOU ARE A PUPPET INSIDE YOUR OWN BODY.

NOW, THAT'S A FREAKY IDEA, RIGHT?

SOMEONE CAN ACTUALLY TAKE OVER YOUR BODY,

AND YOU COULD HAVE NO CONTROL OF IT.

Narrator: COULD THE MAN IN THE FOOTAGE BE THE VICTIM

OF A BODY HACK LIKE THIS, A TECHNOLOGICAL ZOMBIE

CONTROLLED BY A MALIGN PUPPET MASTER,

HELPLESS TO STOP HIS BODY FROM BEING PULVERIZED?

FORENSIC IMAGE ANALYST CONOR McCOURT

EXAMINES THE FOOTAGE FOR ANY TELLTALE CLUES

THAT THIS TYPE OF TECHNOLOGY MIGHT BE BEING USED.

THERE'S BEEN A SUGGESTION THAT THIS IS BODY HACKING.

SO WE CAPTURED IMAGES FROM THE RAMPAGE,

AND WE LINED THEM UP ON A CHART.

WHAT DO WE HAVE HERE? HE'S NAKED.

WE WOULD SEE THOSE ELECTRODES.

THERE'S NOWHERE TO HIDE THAT TECHNOLOGY,

SO THAT'S NOT WHAT'S GOING ON HERE.

Narrator: PROFESSOR OF BIOLOGY LESLIE SAMUEL INVESTIGATES

IF A SINISTER BIOLOGICAL AGENT COULD EXPLAIN THE CARNAGE

HE'S WITNESSING IN THE FOOTAGE.

COULD THIS GUY BE INFECTED BY A PARASITE,

AND COULD THAT BE CAUSING THE BEHAVIOR THAT WE'RE SEEING HERE?

Narrator: ONE WIDESPREAD PARASITE THAT IS KNOWN

TO CONTROL THE BEHAVIOR OF ITS HOST IS TOXOPLASMA GONDII,

A SINGLE-CELL PROTOZOA

THAT CAUSES THE DISEASE TOXOPLASMOSIS.

WHEN IT COMES TO TOXOPLASMOSIS CAUSING RISKY BEHAVIOR,

THIS HAPPENS BECAUSE IT'S EVOLVED

IN LITERALLY A CAT-AND-MOUSE GAME.

Narrator: THE PARASITE LIVES IN CATS

AND IS SPREAD THROUGH THEIR FECES,

BUT IT HAS EVOLVED TO SPECIFICALLY TARGET CATS' PREY

LIKE MICE AND RATS.

[ MICE SQUEAKING ]

WHAT THE PARASITE IS ACTUALLY DOING IS INFECTING THE RATS

IN A WAY THAT MAKES THEM FEARLESS,

AND NOT JUST FEARLESS -- RECKLESS.

Narrator: INFECTED RODENTS LOSE ALL FEAR OF CATS

AND WILL ACTUALLY SEEK OUT THE SCENT OF CAT URINE.

THE HOST PUTS ITSELF IN A SUICIDAL POSITION

OF BEING AVAILABLE TO BE EATEN.

Narrator: AND THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT TOXOPLASMA GONDII WANTS.

WHEN THE RATS GET EATEN BY THE CAT,

THE PARASITE GETS BACK WHERE IT WANTS TO BE, INSIDE THE CAT.

NOW, IF YOU THINK THAT'S CRAZY, THAT'S NOT THE TERRIFYING THING.

IT DOESN'T JUST INFECT RATS.

IT ACTUALLY INFECTS HUMANS, TOO.

Narrator: COMING UP, A TERRIFYING OBJECT MENACES A TOWN...

THERE ARE THINGS IN THE SKY THAT CAN KILL US AT ANY MOMENT.

Narrator: ...A CAR IS PULLED UP AND DOWN A HILL BY A MYSTERIOUS POWER...

Wise: IT'S ESSENTIALLY

ONE OF THE DEADLIEST FORCES ONE CAN IMAGINE.

Narrator: ...AND IS THIS MAN BEING CONTROLLED

BY A PARASITE THAT'S TAKEN OVER HIS BODY?

IT GIVES YOU AN INCREDIBLE NUMBNESS TO KILLING, VIOLENCE.

♪♪

♪♪

Narrator: A NAKED MAN ON A VIOLENT RAMPAGE IN AN L.A. SUBURB --

EXPERTS INVESTIGATE IF HE'S BEEN INFECTED

BY A PARASITE THAT CAUSES TOXOPLASMOSIS,

A DISEASE THAT CAN TRIGGER SELF-DESTRUCTIVE BEHAVIOR.

RESEARCH HAS SHOWN THAT ABOUT 1/4 OF THE POPULATION

IS ACTUALLY INFECTED.

Narrator: TOXOPLASMOSIS CAUSES CYSTS TO DEVELOP IN HUMAN BRAINS.

THESE CYSTS CAN PERMANENTLY ALTER SOMEONE'S PERSONALITY,

MAKING THE INDIVIDUAL MORE LIKELY TO ENGAGE

IN HIGH-RISK BEHAVIOR.

IT CAN TRIGGER AGGRESSION, SCHIZOPHRENIA, OR SUICIDE.

A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE WALKING AROUND WITH THIS

AND DON'T EVEN KNOW IT.

Narrator: BUT SCIENCE JOURNALIST JEFF WISE THINKS THIS BEHAVIOR

IS TOO CRAZY EVEN FOR SOMEONE SUFFERING FROM TOXOPLASMOSIS.

PARASITES THAT AFFECT BEHAVIOR,

THEY DO SO IN ORDER TO BENEFIT THEMSELVES.

THIS DOESN'T SEEM LIKE THAT'S HAPPENING.

HERE YOU HAVE A HOST THAT'S JUST KIND OF DESTROYING HIMSELF.

IF THIS IS A PARASITE,

IT'S NOT REALLY GETTING ANYTHING OUT OF IT.

Narrator: MILITARY ANALYST CARLO MUÑOZ ANALYZES THE FOOTAGE.

THE BEHAVIOR OF THE MAN ON THE RAMPAGE

REMINDS HIM OF WHAT HE'S LEARNED ABOUT SUPER-SOLDIER PROGRAMS.

MILITARIES ALL ACROSS THE WORLD SPEND BILLIONS OF DOLLARS

TRYING TO IMPROVE EVERY PIECE OF THEIR ARSENAL,

AND THAT INCLUDES SOLDIERS.

ONE OF THE WAYS THEY DO THAT IS DRUGGING THEM.

Narrator: A COCKTAIL OF POWERFUL DRUGS CAN ALLOW COMBATANTS

TO PUSH PAST NORMAL HUMAN BOUNDARIES,

LIKE SMASHING THROUGH A CAR WINDOW WITH THEIR HEAD.

A LOT OF WORK IN THIS FIELD WAS PIONEERED IN NAZI GERMANY.

ONE OF THE DRUGS GERMAN COMMANDERS

WOULD GIVE THEIR MEN IN WORLD WAR II

WAS SOMETHING CALLED D-IX,

WHICH WOULD GIVE THEM SUPERHUMAN STRENGTH

AND IN A WAY, TURN THEM INTO SOME SORT OF SUPER SOLDIER.

Narrator: IN RECENT DECADES, THE DRUGS-ARMS RACE

HAS CONTINUED WITH TERROR GROUPS DOSING THEIR FIGHTERS

WITH UNREGULATED BLACK-MARKET DRUGS.

THEY'VE TAKEN TO USING SOMETHING CALLED CAPTAGON,

WHICH BASICALLY TURNS THEM INTO KILLING MACHINES.

Narrator: EASILY MANUFACTURED AND HIGHLY ADDICTIVE,

THIS DRUG HAS FUELED THE SYRIAN CIVIL WAR

WITH GROUPS LIKE ISIS USING IT TO ENSURE SUICIDE BOMBERS

COMPLETE THEIR MISSIONS.

Muñoz: THE THING WITH CAPTAGON IS, ONCE YOU TAKE IT,

IT GIVES YOU THIS INCREDIBLE SENSE OF EUPHORIA.

IT ALSO GIVES YOU AN INCREDIBLE NUMBNESS TO KILLING, VIOLENCE.

THE SCARIEST THING ABOUT THIS IS,

THIS GUY IS IN THE UNITED STATES,

AND HE'S DOING THIS STUFF IN SOMEONE'S BACKYARD.

Narrator: AND AS ANYONE WHO HAS FACED THESE DRUG-FUELED SUPER SOLDIERS

IN COMBAT KNOWS, THEY ARE ALMOST UNSTOPPABLE.

Muñoz: IF THIS IS A DRUG-INDUCED RAMPAGE,

THIS GUY IS BASICALLY A BIOLOGICAL TERMINATOR.

Narrator: THE MAN WAS EVENTUALLY ARRESTED BY POLICE,

AND IT IS BELIEVED THAT AN UNKNOWN NARCOTIC

DID FUEL HIS DESTRUCTIVE RAMPAGE.

Barnes: ON THAT ONE INCIDENT, THERE'S A LOT OF CARNAGE.

WHO KNOWS IF HE'LL BE BACK OR NOT.

Narrator: NOW IN A MICHIGAN CEMETERY,

A CAR IS PUSHED BACKWARDS UP A HILL.

WHAT THE HECK'S GOING ON HERE?

Man: IT'S THE WEIRDEST DARNED THING.

Narrator: EXPERTS ARE BAFFLED BY WHAT OR WHO

HAS TAKEN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE.

HAVE THE RULES OF GRAVITY SOMEHOW CHANGED?

Narrator: OR IS THIS AN ATTEMPT AT COMMUNICATION?

THIS COULD BE A HAUNTING FROM BEYOND THE GRAVE.

[ CAMERA WHIRS ]

Narrator: JUNE 2013, DETROIT, MICHIGAN --

NOWHERE IN THE QUIET SUBURB OF FARMINGTON

IS QUIETER THAN FARMINGTON'S OAKWOOD CEMETERY.

LONNIE WILLIAMS IS VISITING THE GRAVEYARD.

HE STOPS HIS CAR AT THE BOTTOM OF A HILL

AND PUTS IT IN NEUTRAL.

THEN THE IMPOSSIBLE HAPPENS.

Williams: ROLLING BACKWARDS, UP THE HILL.

Narrator: SOMETHING SEEMS TO BE PULLING IT.

Williams: I HAVE NO IDEA.

Narrator: AND THEN EVEN STRANGER, IT SEEMS TO BE PUSHED BACK DOWN.

Williams: IT LOOKS LIKE BY THIS TREE, WE STOP,

AND WE START GOING FORWARD AGAIN.

Narrator: AND THEN UP AGAIN, AS IF MOVED BY AN INVISIBLE HAND.

Williams: YES, MY FEET ARE OFF THE PEDAL,

CAR IS STILL IN NEUTRAL.

IT'S THE WEIRDEST DARNED THING.

Narrator: BAFFLED, WILLIAMS RETURNS TO THE GRAVEYARD TIME AND TIME AGAIN.

Williams: THIS IS ABOUT THE SPOT.

AND THE SAME MYSTERIOUS PHENOMENON OCCURS EACH TIME.

I'M NOT SURE WHY IT'S WORKING, BUT IT ALWAYS DOES.

Wise: WHAT WE SEE HERE IS SOME KIND OF FORCE

THAT'S MOVING THE CAR FIRST ONE WAY AND THEN THE OTHER WAY.

THAT'S THE REALLY STRANGE THING ABOUT IT.

I DON'T GET IT.

AS IF IT HAS SOME KIND OF A WILL OF ITS OWN.

Narrator: JOURNALIST MALLIE FOX STUDIES THE AUDIO IN THE FOOTAGE

AND HEARS SOMETHING SINISTER.

IF YOU LISTEN TO THE CLIP CAREFULLY,

IT SOUNDS LIKE SOMEONE IS SAYING THE NAME SARAH.

[ INDISTINCT WHISPER ]

THAT'S GONNA SEND A CHILL UP YOUR SPINE. IT'S SO FREAKY.

[ INDISTINCT WHISPER ]

I DID WALK AROUND HERE AND FOUND A COUPLE OF GRAVESTONES

WITH THE NAME SARAH ON THEM.

[ INDISTINCT WHISPER ]

I THINK IT'S REALLY WEIRD.

Fox: SOME PEOPLE BELIEVE THAT SPIRITS OR GHOSTS

CAN ACTUALLY MOVE OBJECTS WITHOUT TOUCHING THEM,

AND IT'S CALLED PSYCHOKINESIS.

COULD IT BE A SPIRIT PUSHING THE CAR TO GET IT

MAYBE OUT OF THE CEMETERY?

MAYBE THEY DON'T WANT YOU IN THERE.

Narrator: COMING UP, A GLOWING CREATURE

UNKNOWN TO SCIENCE STALKS THE PAN-AMERICAN HIGHWAY...

Washington: ONE OF THE WAYS THESE ORGANISMS

WILL USE THIS LIGHT IS TO ATTRACT PREY.

Narrator: ...PASSENGERS ON A BOAT ARE ATTACKED

BY A VIOLENT FORCE FROM THE DEEP...

[ EXPLOSION ]

[ SCREAMING ]

THESE PEOPLE ARE IN TERRIBLE DANGER.

Narrator: ...AND IN THE PLACE OF THE DEAD,

A CREEPY EFFECT THAT WARPS THE MINDS OF THE LIVING...

Proctor: YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING ONE THING,

AND YET, SOMETHING ELSE IS HAPPENING.

♪♪

Narrator: IN A DETROIT CEMETERY, A CAR IS POSSESSED BY A MYSTERIOUS FORCE

THAT PUSHES IT UP AND THEN DOWN A HILL.

I DON'T GET IT.

Narrator: PLANETARY SCIENTIST SIAN PROCTOR INVESTIGATES

IF THE FOOTAGE SHOWS AN OMINOUS GLITCH IN THE FORCES OF PHYSICS.

NORMALLY, WHAT GOES DOWN, STAYS DOWN,

BUT IN THIS CASE, IT GOES DOWN AND THEN COMES BACK UP.

THAT'S NOT RIGHT.

Narrator: EVER SINCE NEWTON SAW AN APPLE FALLING FROM A TREE,

HUMANS HAVE BELIEVED THEY UNDERSTAND HOW GRAVITY WORKS.

IT'S THE FORCE THAT ANCHORS EVERYTHING TO THE PLANET,

BUT A RECENT NASA MISSION HAS UNCOVERED SOMETHING DISTURBING.

ONE OF THE INTERESTING THINGS THAT WE FOUND OUT

IS THAT THE HUDSON BAY AREA IN CANADA,

WELL, THE GRAVITY IS -- IT'S LESS.

Narrator: WE THINK OF GRAVITY AS A CONSTANT FORCE.

THE IDEA THAT IT'S WEAKER IN PLACES IS AN ALARMING THOUGHT.

THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT PEOPLE ARE FLOATING UP IN THE AIR

OVER THAT PART OF CANADA.

GRAVITY IS STILL WORKING. IT'S JUST SLIGHTLY LESS STRONG.

Narrator: SCIENCE JOURNALIST JEFF WISE INVESTIGATES

WHAT PHENOMENON COULD HAVE SUCH A POWERFUL EFFECT

ON THE GRAVITY IN THE CEMETERY.

SOMETHING TO PACK THAT MUCH GRAVITATIONAL PUNCH

WOULD HAVE TO BE ENORMOUSLY DENSE.

IT WOULD HAVE TO ESSENTIALLY BE

SOME KIND OF MICROSCOPIC BLACK HOLE.

Narrator: THE IDEA OF A MICROSCOPIC BLACK HOLE IN A CEMETERY

MIGHT SOUND UTTERLY CRAZY,

BUT IT'S NOT BEYOND THE LAWS OF PHYSICS.

TINY VERSIONS OF NORMAL BLACK HOLES ARE SO DENSE

NOTHING CAN ESCAPE THEM, NOT EVEN LIGHT.

THE IDEA OF A MICRO BLACK HOLE IS FAIRLY TERRIFYING.

IT'S ESSENTIALLY ONE OF THE DEADLIEST FORCES

ONE CAN IMAGINE.

Narrator: THEORETICAL PHYSICIST MICHIO KAKU

HAS BEEN FOLLOWING THE WORK OF SCIENTISTS

WHO ARE CURRENTLY EXPERIMENTING

WITH MICROSCOPIC BLACK HOLES RIGHT HERE ON EARTH.

IN GENEVA, SWITZERLAND, WE HAVE THE LARGE HADRON COLLIDER,

THE MOST POWERFUL ATOM SMASHER ON THE PLANET EARTH.

ONE SET OF EXPERIMENTS IS TO CREATE MINI BLACK HOLES.

Narrator: THE BLACK HOLES THAT THE LARGE HADRON COLLIDER

CREATES ARE UNSTABLE AND EXIST FOR LESS THAN

A FRACTION OF A SECOND,

BUT NATURALLY OCCURRING MICROSCOPIC BLACK HOLES

OUT IN THE GALAXY

ARE MUCH MORE STABLE AND FAR MORE DESTRUCTIVE.

BUT WHEN KAKU DOES THE MATH, HE CALCULATES

THAT A STABLE MICROSCOPIC BLACK HOLE IN THIS CEMETERY

WOULD SEND US ALL TO THE GRAVE.

Kaku: A MINI BLACK HOLE WILL ALLOW YOU TO YANK A CAR,

BUT REALIZE THAT EVEN A MINI BLACK HOLE

WOULD BE SUFFICIENT TO EAT UP THE EARTH.

[ WIND WHISTLING ]

Narrator: KAKU RE-WATCHES THE FOOTAGE.

HE WONDERS OF THE SHAPE OF THE HILL ITSELF COULD BE MESSING

WITH THE PERCEPTIONS OF EYEWITNESS LONNIE WILLIAMS.

HOW DOES THE BRAIN KNOW WHAT IS UP, DOWN, LEFT, RIGHT?

IT LOOKS AT THE HORIZON. IT LOOKS FOR GUIDEPOSTS.

IT LOOKS FOR REFERENCE POINTS,

AND IF YOU SHIFT THOSE REFERENCE POINTS, YOU CAN FOOL THE BRAIN.

Narrator: FOR INSTANCE, IS THIS YOUNG BOY AS TALL AS A GROWN MAN?

HOW MANY DOGS ARE BEING GROOMED?

AND HOW CAN THIS HILL NOT BE WHAT IT SEEMS?

PROCTOR BELIEVES THAT THIS COULD BE A PHENOMENON

KNOWN AS A GRAVITY HILL.

WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE VIDEO AND NOTICE THE GRAVESTONES

AND THE TREES, WHAT'S HAPPENING IS THAT THEY'RE LEANING

A CERTAIN WAY THAT THEY THROW OUR SENSES OFF.

Narrator: WHEN WE'RE ON A GRAVITY HILL, THE SCENERY AROUND US

TRICKS US INTO BELIEVING WERE ON A DOWNWARD SLOPE,

BUT IF WE WERE ABLE TO LOOK AT THE HILL

FROM A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE,

WE WOULD SEE THAT WE ARE ACTUALLY ON AN UPHILL SLOPE.

YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING ONE THING,

AND YET, SOMETHING ELSE IS HAPPENING.

AND ALL OF A SUDDEN, YOU ARE DEFYING THE LAWS OF GRAVITY.

Narrator: BUT IF THIS IS A GRAVITY HILL,

WHY DOES THE CAR MOVE IN TWO DIRECTIONS?

Williams: AND WE START GOING FORWARD AGAIN.

Narrator: AND WHAT'S THE ORIGIN OF THE VOICE IN THE CAR?

[ INDISTINCT WHISPER ]

WITNESS LONNIE WILLIAMS DOESN'T BELIEVE

THAT ANY NATURAL FORCE IS SCRAMBLING HIS SENSES.

Williams: AN OPTICAL ILLUSION?

I DON'T KNOW THAT THAT'S REALLY THE ANSWER.

THE MYSTERY IS STILL STRANGE TO ME.

IT IS STILL A MYSTERY TO ME.

[ WOMAN SPEAKING SPANISH ]

Narrator: NOW ON THE PAN-AMERICAN HIGHWAY, A MYSTERIOUS JAYWALKER.

I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT IS, BUT I WOULD NOT WANT TO GET NEAR IT.

Narrator: ONE BRAVE MAN WITH A SMARTPHONE APPROACHES THIS MENACING BEING.

THE CREATURE IS GLOWING, AND IT LOOKS REALLY WEIRD.

Narrator: COULD THIS BE SOME KIND OF UNKNOWN BIOLUMINESCENT CREATURE?

Wise: IS IT USING THAT LIGHT FOR ILLUMINATION,

OR IS IT LURING ITS PREY?

♪♪

[ CAMERA WHIRS ]

♪♪

Narrator: AUGUST, 2016, THE PAN-AMERICAN HIGHWAY.

STRETCHING FROM ALASKA TO ARGENTINA AT OVER 19,000 MILES,

IT IS THE LONGEST ROAD IN THE WORLD.

♪♪

LATE AT NIGHT ON A REMOTE STRETCH OF THE HIGHWAY IN PERU,

A GROUP OF FRIENDS ENCOUNTER A STRANGE FIGURE

AT THE SIDE OF THE ROAD.

[ CONVERSATION IN SPANISH ]

THE GROUP NERVOUSLY FILMS THE SINISTER ENTITY.

YOU KIND OF HOPE IT ISN'T DANGEROUS.

Narrator: THE BEING APPEARS TO GLARE AT THEM

WITH GLOWING INTERNAL EYES...

IT LOOKS LIKE A WALKING JELLYFISH.

Narrator: ...BEFORE GLIDING OFF INTO THE NIGHT.

EXPERTS ARE DUMBFOUNDED BY WHAT THE FRIENDS ENCOUNTERED.

WHAT IS IT, AND WHAT IS CAPABLE OF?

I SURE WOULDN'T WANT TO BE FOLLOWING THAT WITH A CAMERA.

Narrator: FORENSIC IMAGE ANALYST BEN RADFORD EXAMINES THE FOOTAGE

FOR CLUES TO HELP IDENTIFY THIS MYSTERIOUS APPARITION.

Radford: THE FORM KEEPS CHANGING.

SOMETIMES IT LOOKS LIKE IT HAS LEGS.

SOMETIMES IT LOOKS LIKE IT HAS TENTACLES.

SOMETIMES IT'S JUST FLOATING UP IN THE AIR.

SOMETIMES IT SEEMS TO BE WALKING.

IT DOES ALL THESE WEIRD, DIFFERENT THINGS,

AND THAT MAKES TRYING TO SOLVE THE MYSTERY

ALL THE MORE DIFFICULT.

[ CAMERA WHIRS ]

Narrator: COMING UP,

SOMETHING TERRIFYING IN THE SKIES OVER SIBERIA...

IT'S ALARMING BECAUSE THIS IS SOMETHING YOU'D SEE

AT THE ONSET OF WORLD WAR III.

Narrator: ...THRILL SEEKERS GET TOO CLOSE TO A TERROR FROM THE DEEP...

[ EXPLOSION ]

[ SCREAMING ]

TURNS DEADLY, THEN IT BECOMES A SURVIVOR SITUATION.

Narrator: ...AND IS AN UNKNOWN PREDATOR STALKING THE HIGHWAYS OF PERU?

IF IT IS, THOSE PEOPLE SHOULD BE SCARED.

♪♪

♪♪

Narrator: A GROUP OF FRIENDS APPROACH A STRANGE ENTITY

BY A PERUVIAN HIGHWAY, A SINISTER SHAPE-SHIFTER

THAT APPEARS TO DEFY EXPLANATION.

BIOLOGIST DANNI WASHINGTON EXAMINES THE FOOTAGE.

SHE BELIEVES THAT THE BLUE LIGHT COULD BE A CLUE

THAT THE THING IN THE FOOTAGE IS A TYPE OF ANIMAL.

THE THING THAT'S MOST NOTICEABLE ABOUT THIS FOOTAGE

IS THE CREATURE IS GLOWING,

WHICH REMINDS ME OF BIOLUMINESCENCE.

Narrator: THE GHOSTLY LIGHT EMITTED BY BIOLUMINESCENT ORGANISMS

IS TRIGGERED BY TWO NATURALLY PRODUCED CHEMICAL COMPOUNDS.

ONE IS CALLED LUCIFERASE, AND ONE IS CALLED LUCIFERIN,

AND ONCE THOSE TWO COMBINE, THE REACTION PRODUCES LIGHT.

BIOLUMINESCENCE IS MOST COMMONLY FOUND IN THE OCEAN,

WHETHER IN SQUID, FISH, TINY WORMS, AND DINOFLAGELLATES,

SINGLE-CELLED ORGANISMS THAT LIVE NEAR SHORE,

BUT BIOLUMINESCENCE CAN ALSO BE OBSERVED ON LAND.

Wise: FOR MOST PEOPLE IN NORTH AMERICA,

THE MOST FAMILIAR EXAMPLE OF BIOLUMINESCENCE

WOULD BE FIREFLIES.

Narrator: FIREFLIES USE THEIR GLOW TO ATTRACT A MATE,

BUT ANOTHER BIOLUMINESCENT LAND CREATURE, THE GLOWWORM,

USES ITS LIGHT FOR MORE SINISTER PURPOSES.

ONE OF THE WAYS THESE ORGANISMS WILL USE THIS LIGHT

IS TO ATTRACT PREY.

Wise: IT'S COVERED IN THIS KIND OF STICKY MUCUS.

THE INSECTS DRAW CLOSE, TOUCH IT,

GET STUCK, CAN'T BREAK FREE,

AND THERE, THE GLOWWORM HAS ITS DINNER.

Narrator: EVERY DAY, AN AVERAGE OF TWO PEOPLE IN PERU

VANISH WITHOUT A TRACE.

LOCALS BELIEVE THAT LUZ MALA, A MALEVOLENT GLOWING ENTITY,

COULD BE BEHIND SUCH DISAPPEARANCES.

Wise: SEEING THIS WEIRD CREATURE WITH THIS BLUE GLOW,

YOU KIND OF HAVE TO ASK YOURSELF,

IS IT USING THAT LIGHT FOR ILLUMINATION,

OR IS IT LURING ITS PREY?

Narrator: IMAGE ANALYST BEN RADFORD ANALYZES THE GLOW.

HE SPOTS A DETAIL THAT THROWS DOUBT

ON THE BIOLUMINESCENCE THEORY.

IN THE FOOTAGE, IT LOOKS LIKE IT'S EMITTING

THIS WEIRD, EERIE BLUE COLOR, BUT IS IT REALLY?

IS IT, FOR EXAMPLE, ILLUMINATING THE GROUND OR TREES NEARBY,

AND THE ANSWER IS NO, IT'S NOT.

THIS TELLS US THAT IT'S REFLECTING LIGHT,

NOT GIVING OFF LIGHT,

AND THAT MEANS THAT THE SURFACE OF IT IS SHINY.

IT HAS TO BE.

Narrator: PHYSICIST GRANT DENN EXAMINES THE FOOTAGE.

HE HAS A THEORY THAT COULD EXPLAIN

THE SHINY, REFLECTIVE NATURE OF THIS SINISTER ENTITY.

THIS COULD BE A ROBOT OR A DRONE OF SOME SORT.

IT SEEMS TO BE HOVERING ABOVE THE GROUND AS IT MOVES SLOWLY,

AND THERE ARE PLENTY OF DRONES THAT DO THAT.

Narrator: SCIENCE JOURNALIST BRIAN MALOW EXAMINES

THE LATEST ADVANCES IN ROBOT TECHNOLOGY

AND BELIEVES THEY COULD EXPLAIN THE BIZARRE

TENTACLED APPEARANCE OF THE OBJECT IN THE FOOTAGE.

BIO-MIMICRY IS VERY POPULAR IN THE DESIGN OF ROBOTS,

MAKING ROBOTS THAT MIMIC REAL CREATURES.

WE HAVE ROBOTS LIKE THE BIG DOG THAT WALK ON FOUR LEGS,

AND WE'VE HAD SOME THAT TRY TO FLY LIKE A HUMMINGBIRD

OR CRAWL LIKE A SNAKE,

AND THERE ARE DEFINITELY FISH ROBOTS

AND EVEN JELLYFISH-SHAPED ROBOTS,

AND THIS LOOKS KIND OF LIKE A JELLYFISH.

IN 2017, THE U.S. NAVY ANNOUNCED THAT IT WAS WORKING WITH MIT

TO DEVELOP A SWIMMING ROBOT SHAPED LIKE A JELLYFISH.

IT WASN'T DRIVEN LIKE MOST ROBOTS BY MOTORS AND ACTUATORS.

IT WAS ACTUALLY MADE OF THIS KIND OF JELLY-LIKE SUBSTANCE

THAT FLEXED AND MOVED ITS ARMS.

THESE THINGS WERE TESTED CATCHING FISH

WITH THEIR ROBOTIC TENTACLE ARMS.

Lazareck-Asunta: YOU COULD IMAGINE THAT IT COULD BE SCALED UP

SO THAT YOU COULD PICK UP SOMETHING THE SIZE OF A HUMAN.

Narrator: THE JELLYFISH ROBOTIC DESIGN

ISN'T JUST CONFINED TO AQUATIC ENVIRONMENTS.

A PROTOTYPE HAS BEEN DEVELOPED

THAT CAN HOVER AND MOVE AROUND IN THE AIR.

Lazareck-Asunta: THESE KINDS OF ROBOTIC JELLYFISH ACTUALLY

MOVE IN A REALLY SIMILAR WAY TO WHAT WE SEE ON THE VIDEO.

Narrator: MILITARY TECH EXPERT CARLO MUÑOZ QUESTIONS

HOW SUCH A SEEMINGLY ADVANCED MACHINE

COULD HAVE APPEARED ON THIS LONELY HIGHWAY.

Muñoz: IS THIS SOME SORT OF NEW DRONE THAT'S JUST LOST ITS WAY?

IT'S SOME SORT OF PROTOTYPE SYSTEM GONE AWRY.

Narrator: A DAMAGED OR MALFUNCTIONING ROBOT

COULD BEHAVE IN AN UNPREDICTABLE OR EVEN DANGEROUS MANNER.

IF IT IS, THOSE PEOPLE SHOULD BE SCARED.

Narrator: BUT ELECTRICAL ENGINEER LISA LAZARECK-ASUNTA NOTICES

SOMETHING IN THE FOOTAGE THAT MAKES THE ROBOT THEORY UNLIKELY.

IN THE VIDEO, IT LOOKS LIKE WHATEVER THIS THING IS

GETS HIT BY A TRUCK.

NOW, IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN SMASHED TO PIECES,

BUT IT APPEARS COMPLETELY UNHARMED.

Narrator: EXPERTS ARE UNABLE TO SAY FOR CERTAIN WHAT THE EERIE ENTITY WAS

THAT THE FRIENDS ENCOUNTERED ON THE PAN-AMERICAN HIGHWAY.

Wise: WHAT IS IT? WHAT DOES IT WANT?

I MEAN, YOUR IMPULSE HAS GOT TO BE

TO GET THE HECK OUT OF THERE.

Narrator: NOW, A SINISTER ORB APPEARS IN THE SIBERIAN SKIES.

WHAT IS HAPPENING OVER RUSSIA?

Narrator: A BEAM OF ENERGY APPEARS TO POINT TOWARDS EARTH.

IT ALMOST LOOKS LIKE IT'S SOME SORT OF WEAPON SHOOTING DOWN.

Narrator: LOCALS FEAR THEY'RE ABOUT TO BE HIT

BY A DEVASTATING ATTACK FROM ABOVE.

[ MAN SPEAKING RUSSIAN ]

THERE ARE THINGS IN THE SKY THAT CAN KILL US AT ANY MOMENT.

[ CAMERA WHIRS ]

Narrator: NOVEMBER 17, 2015, OMSK, RUSSIA.

RUSSIA'S SEVENTH LARGEST CITY

HAS BEEN CALLED THE CHICAGO OF SIBERIA.

IN RECENT YEARS, THE BIGGEST THREAT TO THE CITY'S RESIDENTS

HAS BEEN THE DEEP COLD OF THE SIBERIAN WINTER,

WHERE TEMPERATURES CAN PLUMMET TO A BONE-CHILLING 31-BELOW,

UNTIL A TERRIFYING EVENT

SHATTERS THE PEACE OF AN ORDINARY NIGHT.

[ MAN SPEAKING RUSSIAN ]

Narrator: A LARGE, CIRCULAR, CLOUD-LIKE SHAPE

APPEARS WITH A SINISTER DARK ORB AT ITS CENTER.

A BRIGHT BEAM POINTS TOWARDS EARTH.

[ MAN SPEAKING RUSSIAN ]

THEN SUDDENLY, THE BRIGHT OBJECT DISBURSES

IN AN EXPANDING BALL OF VAPOR, AS THOUGH VIOLENTLY DESTROYED.

[ MAN SPEAKING RUSSIAN ]

MULTIPLE CAMERAS CAPTURE THE UNNERVING PHENOMENON

THAT LEAVES LOCALS CONFUSED AND FRIGHTENED

AND EXPERTS DUMBFOUNDED.

HOW COULD YOU POSSIBLY KNOW WHAT THAT IS?

Narrator: AND THE LOCATION OF THE EVENT LEADS TO DARK CONCLUSIONS

AS TO WHAT THIS MIGHT BE.

IS THIS SOME SECRET RUSSIAN WEAPONS PROGRAM?

Narrator: INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALIST LINDA ZIMMERMAN

EXAMINES THE FOOTAGE.

SHE INVESTIGATES IF THIS STRANGE ANOMALY

COULD BE EVIDENCE OF A CONFLICT HAPPENING FAR ABOVE US.

IT CERTAINLY LOOKS LIKE SOME SPACE-BASED WEAPON

AND THEN SOMETHING DEFENDING AGAINST IT.

Narrator: COULD THIS STRANGE EVENT

BE EVIDENCE OF A SPACECRAFT'S DEFENSES,

POSSIBLY AN IMPACT ON SOME KIND OF ENERGY SHIELD?

Zimmerman: YOU WANT TO STAY COMPETITIVE, DEFENSIVE.

WE'RE OFFENSIVE.

YOU NEED TO GO TO THE NEXT LEVEL,

AND THE NEXT LEVEL NOW IS SPACE.

Narrator: IT MIGHT SEEM LIKE SOMETHING FROM SCIENCE FICTION,

BUT SPACE IS NOW THE NEW FRONTIER IN GLOBAL CONFLICT.

WHEN IT COMES TO DEFENDING AMERICA,

IT IS NOT ENOUGH TO MERELY HAVE AN AMERICAN PRESENCE IN SPACE.

WE MUST HAVE AMERICAN DOMINANCE IN SPACE,

TO ESTABLISH A SPACE FORCE

AS THE SIXTH BRANCH OF THE ARMED FORCES.

Narrator: THE PRESIDENT'S ANNOUNCEMENT INCREASES THE POSSIBILITY

OF AN ORBITAL SKIRMISH BETWEEN THE U.S., RUSSIA, OR CHINA.

SPACE IS THE ULTIMATE HIGH GROUND.

WORLD SUPERPOWERS ARE GOING TO WANT

TO HAVE ASSETS OPERATIONAL IN A SPACE ENVIRONMENT.

Narrator: AEROSPACE EXPERT MARNA KAGELE SEARCHES

FOR EVIDENCE OF SPACE VEHICLES THAT COULD BE MADE COMBAT-READY.

THE X-37B IS AN UNMANNED AIRCRAFT.

IT LOOKS LIKE A SMALL SPACE SHUTTLE.

Narrator: THE X-37B IS A REVOLUTIONARY

AUTONOMOUS SPACE DRONE DEVELOPED BY THE U.S. AIR FORCE.

IT HAS THE ABILITY TO LIE AND WAIT IN ORBIT FOR LONG PERIODS.

Durda: WE KNOW IT'S OPERATING IN SPACE, WE SEE THE PHOTOS OF IT,

BUT WE DON'T KNOW WHAT IT'S DOING THERE.

Kagele: IN THEORY, IT CAN HOLD ANY KIND OF PAYLOAD

THAT YOU WANT IT TO SEND,

WHATEVER THE MILITARY SEES AS THEIR GOAL.

PLANETARY SCIENTIST DAN DURDA BELIEVES THE RUSSIANS

ARE PROBABLY DEVELOPING THEIR OWN SPACE WEAPONS.

WE KNOW THERE MUST BE VEHICLES THAT ARE BEING TESTED

THAT ARE BEING HELD PRETTY CLOSELY SECRET

BECAUSE YOU DON'T WANT TO ADVERTISE THOSE CAPABILITIES

TO YOUR POTENTIAL ENEMIES.

Narrator: OMSK IS HOME TO ONE OF RUSSIA'S SECRETIVE

SPACE RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT CENTERS.

IT'S ALSO ONE OF THE CLOSEST RUSSIAN CITIES

TO THE SOYUZ ROCKET LAUNCH SITES IN KAZAKHSTAN.

THE IDEA OF AN ORBITAL SKIRMISH

BETWEEN U.S. AND RUSSIAN SPACECRAFT

HAS POTENTIALLY FRIGHTENING IMPLICATIONS.

IT'S ALARMING BECAUSE THIS IS SOMETHING YOU'D SEE

AT THE ONSET OF WORLD WAR III.

Narrator: COMING UP, THE TOURIST TRIP FROM HELL...

[ SCREAMING ]

THESE PEOPLE CLEARLY DON'T THINK THEY'RE IN DANGER.

Narrator: ....AND SIBERIAN TOWNSFOLK SWEAR

THEY'RE WITNESSING A SPACE BATTLE.

Zimmerman: IF THIS IS SOMETHING MILITARY,

IT POSES A GREAT DANGER TO THE POPULATION.

♪♪

♪♪

Narrator: RESIDENTS IN THE SIBERIAN CITY OF OMSK FEAR

THAT THEY ARE WITNESSING A CONFLICT WAGING IN SPACE.

[ MAN SPEAKING RUSSIAN ]

AEROSPACE EXPERT MARNA KAGELE ANALYZES THE FOOTAGE.

SHE THINKS THE SIZE OF THIS STRANGE PHENOMENON OVER OMSK

MAKES THE PROSPECT OF AN ORBITAL BATTLE UNLIKELY.

Kagele: EVEN THINKING ABOUT THESE KINDS OF SPACECRAFT

ENCOUNTERING EACH OTHER,

IT DOESN'T SEEM TO ME THAT IT WOULD EXPLAIN WHAT WE'RE SEEING.

THIS AMOUNT OF LIGHT SEEMS TO ME LIKE IT

WOULD BE IN THE ATMOSPHERE.

IT WOULDN'T BE IN ORBIT, SO IT DOESN'T SEEM LIKE

THAT'S THE EXPLANATION THAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR.

Narrator: DURDA BELIEVES THAT A DIFFERENT TYPE OF SPACE TECHNOLOGY

COULD HOLD THE EXPLANATION

FOR THIS MYSTERIOUS ATMOSPHERIC EVENT.

IT LOOKS LIKE A ROCKET LAUNCH,

WHERE AS ONE STAGE OF THE ROCKET SEPARATES FROM ANOTHER,

VERY OFTEN THE REMNANT FUEL IN THE TANKS

WILL BE VENTED THROUGH THE ENGINE VALVES,

AND IT CAN LEAD TO SOME RATHER INTERESTING VISUAL PHENOMENA.

Narrator: ANALYZING THE FOOTAGE THE MOMENT OF SEPARATION IS CLEAR.

THE BRIGHT AREA DISAPPEARS AS THE ROCKET'S ENGINES EXTINGUISH,

AND THE EXPANDING CIRCLE OF VAPOR

IS THE FUEL REMNANT BEING VENTED AS THE NEXT STAGE IS JETTISONED.

BUT ZIMMERMAN NOTICES THE TRAJECTORY OF THE PHENOMENON

APPEARS TO BE THE OPPOSITE OF WHAT SHE WOULD EXPECT

TO SEE IN A ROCKET LAUNCH.

I WOULD SAY IT WAS A LAUNCH, EXCEPT IT'S NOT GOING UP.

IT IS COMING DOWN, AND IT IS HEADED TOWARD THE SURFACE.

Narrator: IT DOES APPEAR THAT THE OBJECT'S TRAJECTORY IS POINTED DOWNWARDS,

WHICH MEANS THAT WHATEVER PAYLOAD IT IS CARRYING

IS BEING LAUNCHED TOWARDS THE GROUND.

IF THIS IS SOMETHING MILITARY,

IT POSES A GREAT DANGER TO THE POPULATION.

INTERCONTINENTAL BALLISTIC MISSILES DO GET TESTED,

AND IT'S SOMETHING WE'D SEE A PATTERN IN THE SKY,

BUT IN THIS CASE, THIS IS NOT A PATTERN THAT WE WOULD EXPECT.

IT LOOKS DIFFERENT.

PERHAPS WE ARE SEEING A NEW KIND OF CAPABILITY

OR EVIDENCE OF SOMETHING NEW THAT'S GOING ON.

[ EXPLOSION ]

Narrator: THE PROSPECT OF A NEW KIND OF NUCLEAR MISSILE

BEING TESTED RAISES THE SPECTER OF EVER-GROWING TENSIONS

BETWEEN RUSSIA AND THE WEST.

Zimmerman: IT CERTAINLY HAS RUSSIAN MILITARY WRITTEN ALL OVER IT,

SO I'M NOT SURPRISED THAT PEOPLE ARE STILL IN THE DARK

AND ARE STILL WORRIED ABOUT IT.

Narrator: COMING UP, PASSENGERS ON A BOAT ARE ATTACKED

BY SOMETHING DEADLY FROM THE DEEP.

[ SCREAMING ]

DOESN'T HAPPEN OFTEN, BUT WHEN IT DOES, IT CAN BE FATAL.

♪♪

♪♪

Narrator: NOW A BOAT FULL OF PEOPLE ARE DRAWN TO A STRANGE VISION.

THESE PEOPLE CLEARLY DON'T THINK THEY'RE IN DANGER.

Narrator: AN OTHERWORLDLY GLOW SPLINTERS THE DARKNESS.

YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT'S HAPPENING HERE.

AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN, BAM!

[ EXPLOSION ]

[ SCREAMING ]

THE PEOPLE ON THIS BOAT WERE NOT EXPECTING TO GET WHAT THEY GOT.

[ CAMERA WHIRS ]

Narrator: THE PACIFIC OCEAN -- 12,000 MILES WIDE

AND PLUNGING IN PLACES TO OVER 35,000 FEET DEEP.

ITS FLOOR IS ONE OF THE MOST UNEXPLORED PLACED ON EARTH.

JULY 16, 2018, PASSENGERS ONBOARD A SHIP

ARE TRANSFIXED BY AN UNEARTHLY DISPLAY.

IT'S CRAZY YET BEAUTIFUL.

Narrator: THICK CLOUDS BOIL ON THE WATER,

LIT FROM BENEATH BY AN EERIE RED GLOW.

THE SEA IS ON FIRE.

Narrator: AND THEN...

[ EXPLOSION ]

[ SCREAMING ]

TURNS DEADLY, THEN IT BECOMES A SURVIVOR SITUATION.

[ EXPLOSION ]

[ SCREAMING ]

Narrator: SCIENTIST GREG SZULGIT INVESTIGATES IF THE VIDEO

COULD BE CONNECTED TO A MYSTERIOUS GRAVEYARD OF SHIPS

IN THE PACIFIC.

YOU'VE PROBABLY HEARD OF THE BERMUDA TRIANGLE,

BUT THERE'S AN EQUIVALENT OUT IN THE WESTERN PACIFIC

WHERE SHIPS ARE MORE LIKELY TO GO DOWN FOR SOME REASON,

WHICH MANY SAILORS FEAR.

Narrator: KNOWN AS BOTH THE DEVIL'S SEA AND THE DRAGON TRIANGLE,

IT'S A STRETCH OF OCEAN WITH A GRIM REPUTATION

THAT GOES BACK CENTURIES.

IN 2016, 34 SHIPS SANK IN THE DRAGON TRIANGLE,

AROUND 40 PERCENT OF ALL THE BOATS

LOST AROUND THE WORLD IN THAT YEAR.

SZULGIT THAT BELIEVES THAT A RARE AND DESTRUCTIVE

OCEANIC PHENOMENON

COULD EXPLAIN THESE MYSTERIOUS DISAPPEARANCES.

YOU CAN OFTEN HAVE METHANE GASES THAT COME UP FROM

THE BOTTOM OF THE SEABED, AND THESE BUBBLES COME RISING UP.

BY THE TIME THEY REACH THE SURFACE,

THE SEA IS JUST BOILING.

IF THE SHIP IS SITTING ON TOP OF THAT,

IT NO LONGER HAS THE BUOYANCY, AND IT JUST GOES RIGHT DOWN,

AND IT CAN BE SWAMPED WITHIN A SECOND.

IF THAT'S WHAT'S HAPPENING HERE,

THESE PEOPLE ARE IN TERRIBLE DANGER.

Narrator: ENGINEER LISA LAZARECK-ASUNTA EXAMINES

WHERE THE FOOTAGE WAS RECORDED AND NOTICES

A PROBLEM WITH THE DEVIL'S SEA THEORY.

[ EXPLOSION, SCREAMING ]

THE DEVIL'S SEA BY DEFINITION IS THE 750-MILE STRETCH

BETWEEN THE COAST OF JAPAN AND THE ISLAND OF IWO JIMA,

BUT THIS FOOTAGE WAS TAKEN ON THE OTHER SIDE

OF THE PACIFIC NEAR HAWAII, SO IT MUST BE SOMETHING ELSE.

Narrator: PLANETARY SCIENTIST SIAN PROCTOR THINKS

THE STRANGE RED GLOW LOOKS FAMILIAR.

ALL OF THAT STEAM THAT'S BEING GENERATED

AND THEN THE GLOWING RED COLOR,

I IMMEDIATELY THINK LAVA FLOW FLOWING INTO THE OCEAN.

Narrator: THE LOCATION OF THIS FOOTAGE TIES IN WITH THAT THEORY.

THE HAWAIIAN ISLANDS ARE AN EXCELLENT EXAMPLE OF

LAND THAT WAS BORN FROM FIRE.

Narrator: THE BIG ISLAND IS STILL FORMING

AND IS HOME TO THE WORLD'S MOST ACTIVE VOLCANO, KILAUEA.

KILAUEA HAS BEEN ERUPTING FOR ABOUT 30 YEARS, OFF AND ON.

SOMETIMES THE LAVA FLOWS HAVE ACTUALLY COME DOWN

AND TOUCHED THE OCEAN,

AND IT'S A SPECTACULAR THING TO WATCH WHEN IT HAPPENED.

Narrator: AND KILAUEA HAS BEEN PRODUCING STRANGE PHENOMENA.

THE VIOLENCE OF THE CURRENT ERUPTION HAS BEEN BRINGING UP

THOUSANDS OF SEMI-PRECIOUS GREEN GEMSTONES CALLED OLIVINES.

HARDER THAN GLASS, THESE BEAUTIFUL STONES

HAVE BEEN SHOWERING THE ISLAND,

AND LARGER STONES PRESENT A HAZARD TO ANYONE STRUCK BY THEM.

BUT THAT DOESN'T EXPLAIN THIS VERY RAPID --

SUDDENLY, EVERYTHING GOING BLACK

AND APPARENTLY AN EXPLOSION OF SOME KIND.

[ EXPLOSION ]

[ SCREAMING ]

Narrator: PROCTOR BELIEVES THAT WHAT WAS CAPTURED IN THE VIDEO

WAS A RARE AND HIGHLY DESTRUCTIVE VOLCANIC EVENT.

YOU GET A SITUATION WHERE THE GAS CAN BUILD UP,

AND THAT'S WHAT WE SEE, A LITERAL VOLCANIC BOMB

EXPLODING IN FRONT OF THESE PEOPLE.

DOESN'T HAPPEN OFTEN, BUT WHEN IT DOES, IT CAN BE FATAL.

Narrator: THE LAVA BOMB EXPLODED RIGHT NEXT THE BOAT,

BLASTING IT WITH STEAM AND HOT ROCKS.

TWENTY-THREE PEOPLE WERE INJURED,

INCLUDING ONE WITH A BROKEN THIGH.

IMAGINE IF THEY'D BEEN JUST A LITTLE CLOSER,

OR IF THE LAVA HAD PUNCTURED THE SHIP'S HULL.

THEY WOULD HAVE SUNK INTO BOILING WATER.

[ SCREAMING ]

THE PASSENGERS ARE LUCKY TO HAVE EVEN SURVIVED AT ALL.

[ SCREAMING, CLATTER ]