Original subtitles

[man 1] I'll be glad when we get this artery opened up

so we can get the heavy machinery in here.

Yeah. I'm with ya.

This workin' with just a pickaxe wears me out.

Listen to you girls.

How do you think they did it in the old days?

Hey, shut up.

This place gives me the creeps.

You didn't have to sign on for advance detail.

Hey, I needed the extra cash, okay?

The sooner we clear it, the sooner we get our bonus.

Now come on.

[grunting]

Whoa.

What the hell?

[coughing]

Oh, man. You guys smell that?

Oh. It smells like somethin' died.

-[man 2] Base camp. -Base camp?

- Uh-huh. -This is Jake.

We got a complication down here.

Yeah? What is it, Jake?

We've broken through into some sort of cavern.

Tell him about the stench.

It can't be, Jake.

Our geologists did a pretty extensive solar and core study.

There shouldn't be any hollow.

Well, there's definitely a cavern down here.

Tell him about the stench.

There's a pretty strong odor coming from in there.

It smells like somethin' died. Should we explore?

Go ahead and investigate, but, guys, be careful.

All right.

Well, that's it.

Let's go.

[grunting]

All right, boys.

I don't have a good feeling about this.

What's that?

[coughs]

Bring that work light.

[coughing]

[squelching]

-[screeching] -[screaming]

[Control Voice] There is nothing wrong with your television.

Do not attempt to adjust the picture.

We are now controlling the transmission.

We control the horizontal and the vertical.

We can deluge you with a thousand channels

or expand one single image to crystal clarity...

and beyond.

We can shape your vision

to anything our imagination can conceive.

For the next hour,

we will control all that you see and hear.

You are about to experience the awe and mystery

which reaches from the deepest inner mind

to The Outer Limits.

The Bible says, "Judge not, or ye shall be judged."

If we look beyond the weaknesses

of those among us we call people,

we may find surprising power buried within.

You know what, I'm gonna wrap up

a piece of chocolate cake for your brother.

All right. Thanks.

How's he doing, anyway?

Howie? He's doing good. Thanks.

He's got a pretty big crush on you, you know.

[chuckles] Yeah, well, I think he's pretty cute, too.

It's such a shame.

I beg your pardon?

Well, it's just such a shame about Howie.

What exactly, Charlotte, is a shame about Howie?

Oh, you know,

I just meant what with his condition and all.

His condition?

You call not having a mean bone in your body a "condition"?

Sheila, I just meant...

Well, you know, I mean he's, he's slow, that's all.

Do you know what I think, Charlotte?

I think that you and everyone else in this town

could use a little of Howie's "condition," as you call it.

Maybe then you people would show some compassion.

Calm down, Sheila.

Now, you know I didn't mean anything by it.

I love your brother just as much as you do.

I'm sorry, Charlotte. I know you do.

I'm just so sick of people's

insensitivity around here.

Sheila. There you are.

[panting]

Hi, Charlotte.

Hi, Howie. How you doin'?

Okay. Thank you.

[Sheila] Howie? Howie?

Were you looking for me for a reason?

Oh, yeah. Guess what.

What?

I was down at the mine...

Howie...

I told you not to go to the mine.

I know. I know.

But, um, well,

I, I didn't go there on purpose.

I was just riding my bike down that road,

and it, and it just kept on going,

and, whoop, there I was at the mine.

Yeah, okay, but listen, they want you to go to the mine.

Guess why.

Mm, does it have anything to do with you?

No.

-Guess. -[chuckles]

What?

They found a dinosaur.

You think I'm lying.

No, Howie, I, I don't.

I believe you believe what you're saying.

But it's your imagination,

and you have to learn to tell the difference.

I can tell the difference, I promise.

Mr Johnson wants you to come.

And what exactly did he say?

That they found a dinosaur.

I haven't been in here since--

Don't worry, Sheila.

I can assure you our safety record's gone way up

since your pop died in here.

Stay close, Howie.

Well, here they are.

The company wanted to just

pull 'em out of here, and dump 'em,

but then I got the idea

that they might be somethin', you know, important.

Some kinda dinosaur or somethin'.

Then I remembered talking to you at the Christmas fair

about what you teach out at the community college.

Uh, what did you call it?

Some kind of biology.

Palaeobiology.

Yeah. So I figured, "Hot damn,

Sheila Morrison would know what these things are."

This is amazing.

I think we have a stegosaur here.

You see this row of alternating triangular plates...

[Howie] Oh, hey, Jake.

It's pretty cool in there, huh?

Are you mad at me for somethin'?

[Bruce] Is this stegosaur worth anything?

To you or the mining company? Probably not.

Oh.

Well, then my orders are to get rid of the bones

and get these boys back to work.

Get rid of them? Are you kidding me?

Do you have any idea what these bones

are worth to me or the college?

This find could put my department on the map.

Well, then you'd best move 'em outta here,

'cause I got a mine to run.

I need to study them here.

I need to explore how a stegosaur got in here,

why it's down here.

How long do ya need?

-A few weeks. -[laughs]

Look, Sheila, I'm sorry,

but you know I can't shut down the mine for a day,

much less weeks.

The company's bringing in the big equipment.

They want it in, up, and running

by the end of the month.

Then at least give me a couple of days

so that I can package and move them properly.

Please.

You got two hours.

I'll get these guys to give you a hand.

[Sheila] Be careful with those, they're fragile.

Take care, Sheila.

Thanks.

Hey, Sheila.

Hey, Jake.

Thanks for your help.

Yeah.

You really think these are dinosaur bones?

Oh, I know they are.

Listen, I was thinking

maybe you and me could get together,

and you could tell me all about dinosaurs.

Are you kidding me?

You've never been interested in anything I do.

I don't know why,

but suddenly I'm very interested.

Really?

Well, sign up for my class.

I wasn't thinking about the classroom.

Hey...

-I was thinking more like the bedroom. -Jake.

Jake, leave me alone. Jake.

Leave her alone.

It is not polite to touch girls there.

Oh, it's not?

[grunts]

[groans]

Later, dummy.

Howie? Howie, are you okay?

Why, he shouldn't have done that.

No, he shouldn't have. It's not like Jake to behave like that.

No.

-Are you all right? Does it hurt? -I'm okay.

-He's okay. -I'm okay.

Want to stand up?

Stand up.

You're my hero, you know that?

I am?

Yeah.

Ow.

[bell tinkles]

Oh, hey, boys.

You're out late tonight.

Nah. Night's still young.

There's still plenty to do.

How you doin', Charlotte?

I'm fine. Fine. Thanks for asking, Jake.

How's Ralph?

Oh, well, Ralph's fine.

Only we don't get to see much of each other lately,

what with him working day shifts

and me working nights now.

Must get lonely.

[chuckles]

Jake, you're not supposed to be back here. Come on.

You must be getting pretty horny

round about this time of night.

I don't think so.

I think you'd better leave right now.

Not before you give me a little kiss.

Jake. Let me go.

What's going on?

Stay out of this, buddy.

I'm gonna make you very happy now, Charlotte.

Ah.

Oh.

[Charlotte laughing]

[Charlotte] Woo-hoo.

[groans]

[people screaming]

Well...

this is definitely a stegosaur.

It was probably only a couple of years old when it died.

And this is definitely a slimy slug.

Probably a couple of years old.

I wonder what these holes are from.

That's not usual for a stegosaur.

It looks like it had some kind of a disease.

Yeah, this specimen's got some disease, too.

Howie?

What are you doing?

I'm pouring salt on it.

Oh. Why?

Dad taught me a trick.

It melts the little bugger.

Watch...

I think I'll miss this experiment, but thanks.

Okay.

Ah.

[Howie laughing]

Sheila?

Yeah?

Dad was really smart, wasn't he?

Yes, he was.

Then why was he stupid enough to blow himself up in the mine?

Howie.

There was something wrong with the explosive.

It wasn't Dad's fault.

Yeah, that's what I thought.

I just...

I don't remember him so good anymore.

I wish I did, though.

Yeah.

Well, he died a long time ago.

Hey. Are you hungry?

Yeah.

Well, why don't you go down to Taylor's

and get us something to eat?

Okay.

Just pick whatever you want

and tell Charlotte to put it on my account.

-Okay. -Don't be long.

Bye-bye.

Slugs.

[laughter]

[car horn honking]

Come on, Larry. Come on, man.

[indistinct chattering and laughing]

[heavy metal music playing]

[woman] Hey, let me go.

[Glass breaking]

[Jake] Hey, Morrison.

How you doin'?

Hey, no hard feelings, right, Morrison?

How's your face?

It hurts a bit.

Why don't you join the party?

Let me buy you a piece of chocolate cake.

[people war whooping]

You'd like that, wouldn't you?

[door slams]

Howie, that was fast.

Bring the food in here.

Howie?

Howie?

Howie?

[gasps] God!

Evan.

What happened to you?

Had a fight with Jake.

Over you.

What?

Jake says you're a frigid bookworm.

I said, no, ya ain't.

I says, you're just waitin'

for the right guy to come along and...

introduce you to the wonders

that a real man can show ya.

I think you should go home to your wife, Evan.

Nah.

My wife can go to hell.

Evan,

you love your wife.

Do you really believe that a man can

love just one woman his whole life?

Hell, no.

I've wanted you since I was 13 years old.

But, oh, no.

I had to hold it inside.

I had to be a good boy.

What are you talking about?

-I'll show ya what I'm talkin' about. -[screams]

Oh, my God.

[screams]

[keypad clacking]

Is this the, the sheriff's office?

[Sheriff Lewis] Yes, ma'am.

My name is Sheila Morrison. I need help.

What seems to be the problem?

A man, a friend of mine, he's completely lost his mind.

He's drunk. He's crazy. I don't know.

He's violent. Please send help.

Lost his mind? [laughing]

Now, what exactly does that mean?

What are you laughing at?

[continues laughing]

This is the sheriff's office, isn't it?

Oh, yes, ma'am, it sure is.

[screams]

Ha!

[screams]

[whooping loudly]

[panting]

Sheila, something's going on in town that you need to...

Howard, you're back.

What happened? You get lost?

No.

Hmm. Too bad.

[stammering] What happened to your clothes?

Why?

You don't approve?

What?

[mockingly] "What?

What?"

[groans]

Oh, Sheila.

It hurts.

Oh, Howie, stop being such a baby.

[both laugh]

Sheila.

I'll show you.

Where is everyone?

Sheila!

[sobbing]

Mrs. Peal?

Mrs. Peal, wait.

It's me. It's Howie.

[screaming]

Oh, no.

Oh, no.

Oh, no.

Um, Mrs Peal.

[giggles] Hi, Howard.

Hi, Charlotte.

Don't ya wanna join us?

Join you where?

No.

[grunting]

I'm sorry, Charlotte. I didn't mean it. I...

[growling]

[Locks door]

[Sheila] Howie, baby.

Sheila.

Sheila, what...

What are you doing? I don't, I don't understand.

No, of course you don't, Howie.

And you know what?

I don't have to explain anything to you anymore.

I don't have to be responsible for you anymore.

Well, wha... are you leaving?

Yeah.

What, like Mom and Dad?

No, Howie, not like Mom and Dad did.

They died.

I'm just leaving.

Why? Did I do something wrong?

As a matter of fact, yeah.

Being born. Now would you get lost?

Sheila.

Howie?

Howie?

Howard Morrison, what have you done?

[Howie] I, I was afraid you...

I was afraid you'd run away before morning,

but you'll get better when the sun comes up.

Get better from what?

You untie me this instant.

No one wanted to come outside until it got dark.

What the hell are you talking about?

[stammering] And the slug thing that came out of me

died when it hit the sun, so--

Howie. You are not making any sense.

Now you untie me.

Do it.

Howard Morrison, you obey me.

Howie,

come on, sweetie.

I know it's better for both of us.

You know that.

Now come on, honey, untie me.

And we can forget this ever happened.

After the sun comes up.

Howie, come back here, you dummy.

Howie!

Howie, you untie me.

Do it.

Now.

You obey me, Howard Morrison.

Howie!

Howie!

You come back here, you dummy!

Howie!

Howie!

Come back.

[sweetly] Howie.

Howie, come on, sweetie.

[angrily] Howie!

[Sheila screaming and sobbing]

[screaming]

Howie, please. Please.

How can you do this to me?

I went through the same thing.

-But... -[gasps]

Oh, my...

Sh...

Sheila, are you okay?

Howie.

Howie, what happened?

I'm sorry.

Hey, you feeling better?

Much better. Thanks.

Gotta phone CDC or County Health.

It's dead.

God. Would you look at this place?

I didn't do it. I swear.

Oh, I know you didn't, Howie.

You remember?

Some. Not much.

Sheila?

You don't think I'm a dummy, do you?

God, did I say that?

I'm so sorry, Howie.

Answer the question.

No. I don't think you're a dummy.

You figured out how to get that thing out of me, didn't you?

So am I still your hero?

Oh, yes.

You're still my hero.

More than ever.

Now I gotta figure out what's going on.

What are you looking up?

Human brain chemistry.

Why?

Well, from the way people are behaving,

I'm guessing we're dealing with some kind of parasite

that affects the human brain.

Maybe they feed off the neurotransmitters.

Yeah. That's what I thought.

There.

"Dopamine and acetylcholine imbalances have been linked

to Tourette's syndrome and schizophrenia."

So if the parasite is consuming

either one of those brain chemicals,

that would explain the loss of inhibitions

like we're seeing here.

So they're eating people's brains?

Sort of. They're, they're eating some of the chemicals

that the brain needs.

That would explain why the parasite

rejected you as a host.

Why?

Howie, remember when I explained to you

how you're different?

Remember how I told you

that when you were in Mom's tummy

and she was drinking,

that that made your brain different?

Well, it's different

because your brain doesn't produce

enough of those neurotransmitters

that the parasites probably feed on.

So it couldn't eat my brain?

Yeah.

Something like that.

Howie, I need you to think really hard, okay?

Did the parasite that came out of you

look like the one that came out of me?

No.

No, yours was lots bigger, and it looked redder.

[sighs]

So they change as they feed.

So...

I don't understand.

What it means, Howie,

is that the longer they're in people's brains,

the more they feed, and the bigger they get

until they kill the people they're in.

What it means is if we don't stop this in time,

they could kill everyone.

Where's the van?

Damn it.

Howie.

I'm sorry, sweetheart.

I didn't mean to scare you.

Sheila...do you feel like, like you, you,

you aren't free 'cause of me?

Howie, whatever gave you that idea?

[sighs]

Howie, you can't believe anything I said

when I was infested.

I love you, Howie. You know--

But you're trapped.

You, you, you...

You can't leave 'cause you know

I-- I can't get along without you.

Howie, I can't leave

because I can't get along without you.

I'm just glad your body rejected that parasite.

Okay.

It's okay.

[sighs]

It looks like this stegosaur was carrying a lot of them.

I wonder if that's what killed the dinosaurs in this region.

I'll bet it is.

Those parasites must have been hibernating in that cavern

for millions of years,

waiting for another susceptible species to come along.

So?

So that means they found it.

Us.

You and me?

No, Howie. People.

And if the entire town's infested,

which they probably are by now, they're out of hosts.

Okay.

What does that mean?

That means you and I are

the only uninfected people left, Howie.

And the entire town is gonna be looking for us.

God, Howie. Come on.

-Come on. We've gotta go. -Oh, no.

What?

That's our van.

Guess we won't be driving anywhere.

Oh, boy.

See? I told you no one would be here.

But where are they?

It's dead.

Great.

Well, apparently there's no way to leave town,

and there's no way to call for help.

I don't know what to do.

We could walk to Charlesburg.

Honey, it would take us two days

to walk to Charlesburg, and it's freezing outside.

We have to figure out where everyone is.

Well, do you remember where you went yesterday?

Sort of.

I remember being crowded in someplace,

but I can't remember where.

-How about you? -What?

Is there anything about yesterday

that you forgot to tell me?

Is there anything about the parasite in the jar?

No.

Was the parasite dead once you put it in the jar?

Yeah.

Until I put the salt in.

Why did you do that?

I'm sorry.

I thought it would melt it, like the slug,

but it brought it back to life.

The salt did?

Yeah, it made it better.

Well, maybe they eat salt.

Come on. Let's go to the salt mines.

Okay.

There's nobody here, either.

Shh. Shh. Listen.

[people murmuring]

[murmuring grows louder]

Oh.

[gasps]

Come back in.

Join us.

Why don't you come out, Jake?

You'd love it with us, Sheila.

If you come out, we can help you.

I don't need your help,

but you'll be needin' mine tonight.

It's okay.

It's okay.

There's no known nematodes

that can hibernate for that long.

The only thing I can figure is

that the larval version of these things

live off of salt when they're in stasis.

There must be some kind of neurotransmitter chemicals

that they need to mature into adulthood.

Does that help us?

Well, assuming I'm right,

what it means is

if we can get the people away from the salt,

or find some way to force them out into the sun--

-Sheila. -What?

They're coming.

They're coming and there's a whole bunch of them.

They're coming to get us.

Oh, no. Well, what are we gonna do?

[screaming]

[grunting]

[screaming]

Help!

Howie.

No, Sheila!

Go. Go.

And whatever you do,

don't let them in the mine in the morning.

Don't let them in the mine in the morning.

Go, Howie! Run! Now!

No.

[screaming]

[Howie] Don't let them in the mine.

Don't let them in the mine.

Don't let them in the mine.

Do...

Don't...

[gasps]

Sheila?

Howie?

Are you okay?

Yeah. Are you?

Yeah.

They tried to infest me again,

but the second worm wouldn't take.

How come?

Well, I guess it's kind of like a virus, you know.

Once you've had it, your body builds up an immunity.

You can't get it again.

Okay.

What are you doing?

You told me not to let anybody come in here.

Yeah, but, Howie, not like this.

Why not?

Because it's dangerous.

It could blow us up with it.

I know how to do it.

Dad showed me when he worked in the mine.

Howie, Dad blew himself up with that stuff.

Now, I want you to listen to me, sweetie.

You know I know what's best.

Give me the torch.

How do I know you don't have

one of them parasites in your head?

I told you, it didn't take.

How do I know?

Don't you trust me?

If I blow it up, then no one can come in here.

If you blow it up,

you'll kill us.

Think, you dummy.

Howie.

Howie.

Come on.

[screaming]

Get out of the way.

Oh, no.

Out of the way.

[screaming]

[screaming]

[people groaning]

[man coughing]

Sheila, you okay?

You did the right thing, Howie.

I did?

Yeah.

You're a hero.

[Control Voice] Mankind puts the strong,

the athletic,

the genius

on a pedestal.

If we treated the less fortunate among us as equals,

we would see that they can also become heroes.