Original subtitles

These stories are inspired by the actual case files

of the Office of Scientific Investigation and Research.

Tyler?

Tyler, what are you doing with that gun?

There's something out there, Mom.

Tyler, wait!

Shut up, King!

Ty? Ty, be careful!

I can't see!

Tyler!

Mom!

King, no!

Mom!

Mom!

Oh, come on.

Oh, God, you're hurt.

No, I'm all right.

Are you okay?

Many of us, even as adults, are afraid of the dark.

It's a natural instinctive fear we must come to terms with.

But why do we feel that something out there

could be lurking in the shadows, waiting to strike?

Maybe it's because literature and folklore

have heightened our dread of night creatures, vampires, werewolves, and monsters.

But these are just stories, aren't they?

In case number 263202, the OSIR was summoned to investigate

the grotesque mutilation of livestock in a rural community.

They uncovered a trail which led them to a horrifying conclusion.

Case manager's log.

Over the last three weeks, several livestock mutilations

have been reported within a five mile radius,

the most recent being at the farm of Kaitlin Jessup.

The violent nature and pattern of the attacks

has warranted county officials to request the OSIR to conduct a full inquiry.

Dr. Dale Hoff, the local veterinarian, is meeting us at the Jessup farm

where preliminary interviews and initial site evaluations are already in progress.

Hey, Doc. Matt Prager. Thanks for helping us out.

Can't say I understand all this bother.

It's not uncommon for a mountain lion to come down out of the hills and take out a few cows.

Mountain lion, huh?

Well, what's strong enough or hungry enough to take down a big old cow like that?

I guess that's what we're here to find out, huh?

Pete, can you get a core sample of that mud where the dried blood is?

Yeah, I was just getting around to that.

Well, time to go to work.

A core sample would have done it, Pete.

So, you inspected the other mutilated animals as well?

Yeah, that's right. Two more cows, you and a sow, at the elders' place.

All in the last three weeks.

No males?

Not as I recall.

And the pattern of attack was consistent?

Yes. Yes, I suppose it was.

Look, Mr. Prager, I'm just about swamped these days.

What with calving season and all, if there's nothing else.

There is, actually.

Lynn Cooper, our zoologist, is flying out to write up a post-mortem on a Jessup's cow.

I sure appreciate your input.

I could have saved you the trouble, Mr. Prager.

That animal has already been shipped off to the rendering plant.

The local health officer doesn't like us to leave a rotting animal slaying around.

I got wind of that and had it intercepted.

It's in a meat locker in town.

Is that so?

My Lord, you people are resourceful.

Yeah.

You have fun with it, fellas. It's just another dead cow in my book.

The cow was already torn up by the time we got out there.

And by then, King had run off, chasing whoever did it.

I had him tied up, but I guess he broke loose.

He's a pretty brave dog.

Yes, ma'am.

He's been gone a couple days. You must miss him.

I'm sure he'll come running home any time now.

No, I don't suppose he will.

Why is that, Tyler? Did you see something?

No, ma'am. No. It was already dark.

And it was already gone by the time Mom and me got out there.

Oh, let's just get you wired back up there.

So are you talking to all the folks around here who lost animus?

Yeah, that's right.

So far, no one's seen what's responsible, so we'll be around for a little while yet.

I think we can rule out suicide.

You know, Matt, that cow's digestive tract is a marvel of nature.

You really love your work, don't you?

Hey, they got four stomachs.

See, their teeth don't do all the work,

so they got four stomachs to break down the fodder for digestion.

Hey, Matt, have there been any sightings in the area?

Nothing's been reported.

The locals are convinced this was done by a predator, maybe a mountain lion.

Only if it was using a knife. The throat's been slashed.

Multiple stab wounds to the ribs and back.

No, whatever did this jumped on her back

and just whacked away at her like Sweeney Todd.

Or surgical.

Maybe it was a ritual sacrifice, a cult of some sort.

Oh, it's nothing.

I mean, if it was a cult, they would have extracted the heart,

and this heart's intact.

Whoa, whoa, whoa.

Hey, Matt.

Hey, Matt, give me your hand.

Feel this.

Uh, just tell me what it is, Coop.

All the stomachs are missing.

And the uterus.

This is more than just a mutilation, Matt.

I think we're looking at selective evisceration of the internal organs.

This mountain lion's getting smarter all the time.

Matt, we've got another one.

Sheriff, what's going on?

That animal is scientific evidence.

Not anymore.

Sheriff, the county has authorized our inquiry.

Yeah, I saw the paperwork.

But look, I don't care what those horseflies told you up in county, OK?

Because nobody tells me what to do in my jurisdiction.

Well, I guess that's it then.

Let's pack it up, Lindsey.

Looks like Ted. It is Ted, isn't it?

Yeah.

Ted, here's a pull the plug.

Yeah, it's too bad.

We're just starting to get somewhere, too.

Well, if you people really want to make yourselves useful,

you'll join in the hunt for that mountain lion.

There's $200 on that back there, Ted.

You ever been to Puerto Rico, Ted?

No, can't say as I ever cared to.

I have.

They got a thing down there they call a chupacabra.

Some call it a legend, some call it a demon.

All they know is when it's through with an animal,

there's nothing left but a pile of rancid white meat.

The blood sucked clean out of it.

Kind of like a veal, actually.

You saw this thing?

No, no one has.

Not clearly.

But it's been killing livestock all over Central America for generations.

Well, then what the hell is it?

Now you're reading me, Ted.

I don't know what the hell it is either.

But we're in the what the hell is it business.

That's what you got on your hands here, Ted.

You got yourself a what the hell is it.

Now, are you telling me that you think we got something

like that chupa-what's-it running around here?

I can't tell you anything, Ted, not so long as you don't get me in the waters.

All right, then.

But you just watch your step, or you're going to be one sorry scientist.

I kid you not.

Thank you for your cooperation, Sheriff.

Dib, dib.

Dob, dob.

Well, the Jessups have obviously experienced a traumatic situation.

This boy's stress levels are into the stratosphere.

And it isn't just your perfume.

Now, it's clear that they are concealing information.

What's your gut telling you?

That I should have ordered fries.

Hey, get your own.

She always does that.

No, Tyler's a good kid, and I really think he's ready to talk to me.

But I have to get him away from his mother.

Yeah. If a smile from you can open him up like a can of beans, I say go for it.

Axon have any luck with that soil sample yet?

Let me see.

Yeah, the mineral samples, um, shall trace elements of zinc and lead.

Did it correspond with the geological survey?

No, the concentration was superficial and way too high.

But we're running a comparison grade to see if that leads to anything.

Couldn't think of it.

Coop, care to share anything with the class?

Oh, uh, yeah.

The blood scraping that we took from the corral, it's 100% bovine, just as we suspected.

Miss Donner? Miss Donner?

Tyler? What is it? What's happened?

It's King. I found him.

You cover him up like this?

No, sir. I just found him this way.

It looks like the neck is broken.

Snap woods.

No sign of a fight.

If this mountain lion was any smarter, he could do my taxes.

So someone carried the body here. Why?

Maybe so Tyler could find him.

It's back. Oh God, it's coming back.

Over there.

We must have scared it off.

Yeah, too bad.

Tyler you got to tell us what we're dealing with here.

I didn't see anything at first.

- Then I saw in our cattle... - You saw what?

Get down !

What the hell is this?

I'm looking for that lion.

People ought to be a little more careful out here in the dark.

What? We weren't exactly expecting company.

That you, Tyler?

Yes, sir, Mr. Sutter.

You better get on home, son. I think your mom's a little worried about you.

Nobody's safe out here as long as that mountain lion's on the prowl.

Must be a lot of work for you to do around here,

being the man of the house and all.

It's not so bad.

Uh, look, I'm really sorry about last night.

It's OK to be scared.

But you don't have to stay scared.

You started to tell us something last night.

I asked him not to talk about it.

We were both pretty upset that night.

It's best we put it behind us.

I can appreciate that, but we still need your help.

There are a lot of questions left to be answered.

Not by us.

I really wish we could help.

Your dog wasn't killed by an animal, Mrs. Jessup.

In other words, that cow.

I don't mean to frighten you, but whatever is out there

has targeted your farm.

You know where to find us.

Something I can help you with, Mr. Science?

Ted, come on. Can't we at least compare notes to see what adds up?

What do you say?

Okay, make it short.

Name Sutter ring any bells?

Max Sutter? Sure. What about him?

We had a run-in with him and a couple of his close personal friends last night.

They claim to be hunting that mountain lion, but they look more like a civilian SWAT team.

Rem 700 Sniper, H&K MP5, Colt M4s, Mossberg 590 Shotgun,

all with synthetic stocks, night scopes, laser sighting.

The whole enchilada.

What's that look like to you?

Those are beauties.

Be here tomorrow, three o'clock. You and me are going fishing.

Still using the shamrock gag, Mike ?

Little theatrical, isn't it?

You used to find it amusing.

Not as amusing as that disappearing act you pulled in South Africa.

What was that, three years ago?

More like five.

Could have used your testimony at the inquest.

Well...

I had other more important things to do.

Besides, I hear you repped things up for a massive dummy.

And you're now a case manager for OSIR.

I never took you for a company man.

Hey, my daughter needs dental work.

I got ex-wives to support.

Besides, it's a top-notch organization.

It's good people.

This isn't a social call, though, is it?

No, not entirely, yeah.

What the world's been looking at recently, I've been on, took quite some time.

And when the press climbed onto that McSheep story,

I knew the whole thing would break quite open.

As in that sheep in Edinburgh?

What's this got to do with cloning?

Oh, well, I'm not going to have to worry

about how much I smoke and how much I drink.

I simply say, doc, I'd like a new liver, hold the onions,

and throw them aside along us.

The tide of genetic research is swelling into a tsunami, Matt.

And the pharmaceutical companies are going to surf

it all the way to the bank.

Well, thanks for the water sports metaphors,

but can we get down to what the hell's going on around here?

Well, I'd like to have another beer.

Would you want one?

No, you go ahead.

What did the workup on Pearl King tell us?

The blood in his teeth and coat seemed to be of both human and animal origin.

Cooper hasn't narrowed down the species yet, but it's definitely not from the dead cow.

He was stabbed first, and then whoever or whatever killed him nearly twisted his head off.

Oh, Jesus.

The fabric remnants we found in his teeth match the sample that Matt found snagged in the corral.

Now, I was thinking that maybe we should get a scraping from his paws

and see if he picked up any of the same mineral traces that we found in the core sample.

That's a good idea. I'll take care of it.

Thank you.

Where do you think the mineral tracings will lead us?

Well...

I don't know.

But hopefully these geological charts will be able to tell us.

You know I had to buy the county clerk a whole box of cigars before he'd let me borrow these.

Where charm fails, bribery always succeeds.

Always.

Yeah, these are pretty outdated.

They should help us narrow down the source.

So, what did you dig up on the hunting party last night?

It turns out that Max Sutter and Kaitlin Dressup work at the same place.

It's an agricultural research farm called Gemagro.

Just a few miles from here.

Sutter is their systems administrator and Kaitlin's his secretary.

She almost lost the farm three years ago when her husband died.

The capital gains nearly drove her into foreclosure.

Was that just around the time she started working for Gemagro?

No. She'd been there for over a year.

But her money problems seemed to vanish overnight.

Interesting.

There's a hell of a lot of money to be made out of this nightmare.

Before long, they'll be stewing up made-to-order babies.

With the unpredictable aspects of nature neatly out of the way.

You're a father. What about the flawless child of your dreams?

There's no limit to the price you're going to pay.

In theory, sure,

but they're years away from perfecting anything that sophisticated.

Perfecting it, yes.

Experimenting with it, screwing around with it.

It's a whole other ballgame.

Oh my God !

Are you telling me that's what's out there? Some kind of cloning accident?

Well, I know some of the greatest advances in science happen from disasters.

Right. Like Chernobyl.

I don't suppose you'd like to come back with me and brief my team?

Not my style, man.

Just think of me as the wind setting his sails on a new course.

What's this?

Old dossier of sorts.

I think you'll find it sufficiently disturbing.

I'll definitely bear that in mind.

All right, gentlemen, let's use our night goggles.

Red, you take point.

Downhill in a staggered line.

Let's go, guys, let's go.

I ran a test on the blood stains. It matched the blood I found on the dog.

The same mixture of human and animal characteristics.

Maybe Kelly's on to something.

Don't you find Kelly's theory rather far-fetched?

His ideas usually are.

Yeah, then maybe he can tell us

why the Jessups' cow's been sent off for rendering.

On whose order?

The local health authority.

Could be our friend the Sheriff is up to his old tricks.

Nah, this is way bigger than his little empire and he knows it.

Maybe that's why he's running scared.

Everything is pointing to this Gemagra research where Kaitlin Jessup works.

I found out that they have paid off her mortgage

and taken over her tax debts.

For a price, no doubt.

Well it turns out they've been buying up the properties neighboring their farm

and keeping it very quiet.

I hope our Mr. Kelly's not leading us off in the wrong direction.

He's a bit of a wild card, isn't he?

Old Kurt's coming pretty handy sometimes.

He's got to know how to play.

See what he's got for us.

Cloning 101.

Listen up, class, as we'll be on your final.

The donor egg is first emptied of all its genetic material,

including the mother's DNA,

leaving behind a framework necessary to nurture an altered embryo.

A second cell,

containing the genetically manipulated amalgam,

is infused to the original egg,

courtesy of electron stimulation.

The fertilized, new and supposedly improved egg

is then implanted in any willing womb

to undergo natural gestation and birth.

What you are looking at is the future of biotechnology.

By the year 2003,

the internationally funded Human Genome Project

will have unraveled the structures of all 100,000 or so human genes.

The real groundwork has been going on in the agriculture industry.

They have been artificially manipulating animal genetics for decades.

The international pharmaceutical companies funding this research

rake in about $180 billion dollars.

With all that money running around, is anything safe?

Dr. Mavis Briggs was a leading pioneer in genetic engineering.

She and her partner were funded by Gem Corp.

to develop the ultimate donor,

an animal incorporating human organs.

One stop transplant shopping on the hoof.

Not to mention the drug testing possibilities.

Four months ago, Dr. Briggs died in a nasty car accident,

having taken driving lessons from Karen Silkwood,

if you catch my drift.

Now she may have already succeeded,

or perhaps created some malignant mutation.

The proof, as they say, is in the pudding.

Find Dr. Briggs's pudding.

Now you have your proof.

That's all class.

A little talky, but I give it a thumbs up.

What if he's right?

Come on, what is so bad about banking transplant organs?

My dad died because I couldn't find him a new heart.

LQ, from my understanding, in India,

the going rate for a kidney is roughly the same as a Porsche.

Is growing organs any less revolting

than acquiring them from black market pirates?

It's wrong. What about basic ethics?

Who decides when something stops being an animal and becomes human?

But like Kelly said, it's not about medicine, it's about money.

Who stands to cash in?

Exactly, and Gem Corp sounds an awful lot like Gem Agro to me.

Pete, can you scan back to that shot of Dr. Briggs?

Yeah.

- Here she comes. - Freeze it there.

Enhance that woman in the background.

Kaitlin Jessup, some secretary.

Yes?

Send them in.

This is something we could talk about later, back at the farm.

I'll be home by six.

This will only take a few minutes.

Mrs. Jessup, we're familiar with Dr. Briggs' research.

Must have been a terrible loss.

Yes, it was.

We were all very fond of Mavis.

I'm sure you were.

Perhaps you should be concerned about yourself as well.

I found this in my car.

Perhaps you can tell us why.

I wish I could.

Kaitlin...

Max Sutter.

Hi.

I'm sorry about the other night.

I hope you give me a second chance at a first impression.

Ms. Donner and Dr. Hendricks are...

From the OSIR. Yes, I know. I know.

Would you like me to give you the grand tour?

If it's no bother.

Oh, no, no. No bother at all.

We love to show it.

Come on, let me show it to you. This way.

Come on.

Oh, uh, Kaitlin.

When Tyler gets home from school, have him call me about that yard work.

Smile. It's gonna be a good day.

Come on.

Maybe it might interest you.

Gem Agro has been leading the world in breeding research since the 50s.

We have facilities in England, the Netherlands.

We're about ready to open up our first experimental farm in China.

We're impressed.

All this to build a better cow?

Or pigs, or sheep, or whatever.

Our animals are leaner, disease resistant,

producing more young, growing faster,

and all without artificial hormones or drugs.

Through genetic manipulation.

Well, I'm going to leave that one up to our experts.

Yes, it's amazing what they can do these days, isn't it?

The first one was no big deal.

Livestock get taken down from time to time.

Coyotes, mountain lions, that sort of thing.

But after the second one, you know that *** at the Ellert's place?

Well, Sutter and his boys beat me to it every time.

And they've got livestock stashed all over Hell's Half Acre.

And all with blue ear tags so they can keep track of them.

They're all females.

Is that why you burn the sheep to keep Gem Angra from getting to it?

Why bother?

Oh, I just like throwing a monkey wrench into whatever it is they're up to.

Of course, I haven't learned anything off of it.

That sheep was gutted like a fish, just like the others.

If you think you were pissed, you should have seen Sutter when he turned up. Boy !

Why is Gem Angra so interested in buying up other farms?

Oh, it beats the hell out of me.

Of course, I got a whole lot more to answer for now.

Why? What's happened?

Well, I got a call from Susie Campbell last night.

Turns out her husband, Red, he's gone missing.

And the last time she saw him,

he was heading out to go hunting with Sutter and his bunch.

Sutter doesn't know where he is?

Claims Red never turned up.

Of course, he could be out on a tear, but I don't think so.

Ted, we both know whatever Sutter's hunting,

it's no mountain lion.

What do you think it is?

I was kind of hoping you could tell me.

Because I got a sick notion that, uh,

chuppawetz of yours, it ain't so far off.

Jessup's cow's been destroyed courtesy of the local health authorities.

Suppose Gem Agra had anything to do with that?

Who the hell do you think's the health officer around here?

You come back on Monday after school,

and we'll change that dressing.

Mr. Prager, what can I do for you?

My cow isn't doing so well, Dr. Hoff.

I was hoping you could tell me what I could do about that.

You must have had a good laugh telling us

the health authorities said those other animals destroyed.

You forgot to mention, I'm sure it just slipped your mind,

that you gave the order.

If you came here to cause trouble...

Then what?

I'll have an accident, like your associate, Dr. Briggs ?

How did you know this was my partner?

I didn't.

Till just now.

Did you get anything out of Kaitlin Jessup?

Unfortunately, no.

The ever helpful Mr. Sutter took care of that.

Well, I may be onto something.

Turns out the Jessups have an abandoned lead zinc mine on their property.

That would explain the mineral traces we found on the dog's coat and paws.

See, my feeling is that whatever killed those animals is holed up in there.

Let's check it out.

Well, it's actually not as easy as that,

because, see, the mine's been sealed up for years.

And it'd probably take us days to find the entrance.

I mean, all the roads up these hills are either washed out or closed.

I know someone who can help us.

It's just an air shaft, but it leads down to the old mine.

I don't think this is a good idea.

I mean, this old mine has tunnels running off everywhere.

Tyler, what exactly did King chase off that night?

I've never seen anything like it.

I mean, it was like an animal.

Only it wasn't.

Tyler, you wait out here, all right?

No, you can't go in there.

I mean, it's too dangerous.

Look, we'll only go far enough to see if that thing is in there.

Let me.

Tyler, wait!

No!

Tyler, stay behind me.

I don't think we should go any deeper.

It's coming!

Tyler !

Ms. Donner!

Lindsay!

Lindsay! Lindsay, can you hear me?

Lindsay! Lindsay, listen to me!

Lindsay!

Lindsay!

I'll get you out of there!

You just lead the way.

Answer me !

Lindsay !

Lindsay, listen to me!

I'm gonna get you out of here, all right?

Can you hear me?

We're gonna get you out of here. Just hang on!

It's my fault. It's all my fault.

It's nobody's fault.

Now just go get some help. Hurry!

Lindsay?

Lindsay!

I'm coming.

Help's on its way.

When it was born, we expected it to die like the others did.

Only it didn't die.

I wish to hell it had.

I should have killed it myself.

What's stopped you ?

Professional ethics?

Pitiful thing never asked to be born.

We created it.

We were responsible.

And Mavis grew quite attached to it.

She convinced me it was worth studying,

that we could learn from it.

Mavis Briggs?

You want me to wear it?

Okay.

You left that book in my car.

Read !

Oh my God !

Read !

Your name is Walter ?

Read ! Read ! Read !

Okay, Walter, I'll read you and then I have to go, okay?

Okay.

Once upon a time, in a far off land, there lived a prince.

He had been banished from his kingdom,

and he was looking for a new home.

On the journey, he met a tin soldier,

and the tin soldier told him...

Mavis started out treating it like a pet,

and then it became like a child to her.

She even read to the thing.

Actually, taught it to parrot back words

as if it really understood what she was saying.

She believed this thing was intelligent?

Intelligence is a relative concept, Mr. Prager.

It has cognitive powers.

However much it comprehends...

When Mavis died, it went into shock.

It escaped somehow,

and before I could dispose of it...

No. How could it have known?

It knows enough to kill only your animals.

What do you suppose that is?

Because they're carrying our donor embryos.

- What? - Keep your mouth shut.

If you don't tell him, I will.

Mavis wanted to stop the experiments.

She felt we were in breach of medical ethics.

She was going to tell the press about that thing we created,

but they stopped her.

Wait a second.

You knew about this, too?

Yes, God help me, I did.

Where do you think they got the human egg?

Lindsay!

Lindsay, can you hear me?

Where is she?

Lindsay, are you in there?

Tyler, Tyler, you wait there.

No, I want to help.

You can help by waiting there, okay?

And let the others know where I went.

Your hand.

It's infected.

Did the dog do that?

May I se... May I see?

It's badly infected.

Peter !

Matt, over here! Keep coming!

I'm almost through.

She can't hear me. That thing's got her.

****

You killed that man. Why?

No more like me.

No more like me.

Lindsay?

Lindsay?

Lindsay?

Lindsay!

Lindsay!

Lindsay !

Once upon a time, there lived a handsome prince.

And he lived in a castle with a beautiful princess.

And they had a baby.

A baby they named Prince Walter.

Oh my God !

It's okay. It's okay. It won't hurt me.

Will you, Walter?

You son of a bitch.

I thought I was going to kill her.

Case manager summation.

After resigning from her position,

Kaitlin Jessup agreed to provide a full account

of the experimental procedures taking place at Gem Agro Research.

To the best of our knowledge,

Gem Agro had all evidence of the creature destroyed.

Our report's been filed with numerous federal and international scientific agencies

to assist in regulation of cloning technologies currently in development.

Prager out.

The advances in genetic research and cloning are well known.

We've all heard about Dolly, the replicated Scottish sheep.

Scientists at a medical university in China recently claimed to have used

cloning procedures to grow a human ear on the skin of a lab rat.

Currently, though, there is no international legislation which regulates cloning technology.

Again, we must hope that the human conscience will keep pace with advances in science.

For Psi Factor, I'm Dan Aykroyd.

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