Original subtitles

Narrator: THEY'RE WATCHING YOU.

MORE THAN 4,000 SATELLITES CIRCLE THE EARTH.

EVERY DAY, THEY UNCOVER NEW,

MYSTERIOUS PHENOMENA THAT DEFY EXPLANATION.

[ BEEPING, DISTORTED MUSIC ]

DEATH AND TREASURE AT THE TEMPLE OF DOOM.

THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN AN INCREDIBLY BLOODY, GORY EVENT.

Narrator: THE MASSIVE MESSAGE AT THE TOP OF THE WORLD.

Kourounis: I ACTUALLY HAVE SEEN SOMETHING LIKE THIS.

ON THE SURFACE OF MARS,

THERE ARE PATTERNS THAT SOME SAY ARE A BINARY CODE.

Narrator: AND THE SECRET ISLAND OF TERROR RIGHT NEXT TO MANHATTAN.

WHAT HAPPENED ON THIS ISLAND THAT CAUSED

EVERYONE TO STAY AWAY FROM IT?

Narrator: BAFFLING PHENOMENA.

MYSTERIES FROM SPACE.

WHAT ON EARTH ARE THEY?

[ BEEPING ]

[ CAMERA SHUTTER CLICKING ]

[ WHIRRING ]

**

[ FREQUENCY WARBLES ]

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

CAPTIONS PAID FOR BY DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS

JUNE 2012.

A WorldView-2 SATELLITE PASSES OVER THE NEPEÑA VALLEY, PERU.

200 MILES NORTH OF THE CAPITAL, LIMA,

IT CAPTURES A STRANGE-LOOKING HILL.

THERE'S THIS CARPET OF GREEN,

AND THEN SUDDENLY, THIS SANDY-LOOKING MOUND.

IT ALMOST SEEMS THAT A VOLCANO

HAS APPEARED IN SOMEONE'S BACKYARD.

Narrator: BUT THIS IS NOT A NATURAL STRUCTURE.

SOMEONE BUILT IT.

THIS IS AN AMAZING IMAGE.

IT LOOKS LIKE A SACRED PLACE, SOME KIND OF MASSIVE SHRINE.

Narrator: THE STRANGE OBJECT SITS IN THE LAND OF THE INCAS --

ONE OF THE NEW WORLD'S MOST POWERFUL, BLOODTHIRSTY,

AND WEALTHY PEOPLES.

AND WHERE THERE IS AN INCA SITE, THERE IS OFTEN TREASURE.

Hoffman: PERU IS AN ARCHAEOLOGIST'S DREAM.

THERE ARE THINGS LONG LOST, LONG BURIED.

[ HORNS HONKING ]

Narrator: THE IMAGE COMES TO THE ATTENTION OF ALEXEI VRANICH.

HE'S A SPECIALIST IN ANCIENT PERUVIAN ARTIFACTS.

HE CHECKS THE SITE'S LOCATION.

IT'S AN AREA RICH IN INCAN TREASURE.

Vranich: IF YOU SEE SOMETHING LIKE THIS IN THIS VALLEY,

IT'S GONNA BE SIGNIFICANT.

THERE'S A CHANCE OF HAVING SOME VERY AMAZING FINDS.

IT'S ABSOLUTELY FASCINATING FROM A SATELLITE IMAGE,

BUT WE CAN'T TELL EVERYTHING FROM THAT.

WE ACTUALLY HAVE TO GO ON SITE.

Narrator: IF VRANICH GOES AHEAD WITH THE EXPEDITION,

HE'LL BE HEADING DEEP INTO BANDIT COUNTRY.

PERU HAS LONG BEEN THE CENTER

FOR THE BLACK MARKET IN TRADING IN ANTIQUITIES.

THERE'S GOLD IN THOSE HILLS, AND EVERYONE KNOWS IT.

[ SIREN WAILS, RAPID GUNFIRE ]

BUT THERE'S MANY SHOOT OUTS BETWEEN THE AUTHORITIES

AND THE GOLD DIGGERS.

**

Narrator: VRANICH FINDS OUT HE'S NOT THE ONLY ONE

INTERESTED IN THE MOUND.

SOMEONE ELSE HAS BRAVED THE BANDITS

AND HAS REPORTEDLY MADE SOME IMPORTANT DISCOVERIES.

VRANICH HEADS NORTH FROM LIMA AND BACK IN TIME.

Horton: THE INCAS ARE AMERICA'S FIRST GREAT EMPIRE

WITH A HUGE TERRITORY THAT EXTENDED ALMOST TO THE CARIBBEAN

IN THE NORTH RIGHT DOWN TO ARGENTINA IN THE SOUTH.

THEY'RE ABLE TO BRING IN PRECIOUS COMMODITIES,

PRECIOUS STONES, GOLD IN HUGE QUANTITIES,

AND WERE SPECTACULARLY RICH.

Narrator: SEVEN HOURS' HARD DRIVING BRINGS VRANICH FACE-TO-FACE

WITH THE STRUCTURE.

Vranich: I'VE SEEN A LOT OF MOUNDS,

BUT THIS ONE'S JUST A LITTLE BIT UNIQUE.

THE LOCAL PEOPLE HAVE ACTUALLY PUT "LA HUAKA" ON TOP OF IT.

MEANING THAT IT'S A SACRED LOCATION.

**

IT'S FREAKIN' HUGE.

WE GOT A 40-, 50-FEET TALL PLATFORM MAYBE 300 FEET WIDE.

WHAT EXACTLY IS INSIDE OF IT, OR WHAT DOES IT MEAN?

THAT'S SOMETHING WE HAVE TO CHECK OUT

AND GET A LITTLE BIT CLOSER.

Maca: THIS IS A GOOD EXAMPLE OF A MAN-MADE STRUCTURE

USING LOTS OF RESOURCES, LOTS OF PEOPLE TO BUILD IT.

SO THIS MEANS IT WAS ASSOCIATED WITH SOMETHING REALLY IMPORTANT.

Narrator: VRANICH HAS TRACKED DOWN ANTHROPOLOGIST BOB BENFER.

HOWDY, BOB. ALEXEI VRANICH.

HELLO.

BENFER HAS BEEN STUDYING THE ANCIENT PERUVIANS

FOR OVER 30 YEARS.

VRANICH IS INTERESTED TO KNOW

WHAT PROFESSOR BENFER HAS FOUND OUT ABOUT THE MOUND.

BENFER HAS CARBON-DATED THE SITE USING RELICS HE DISCOVERED HERE.

THE REMAINS ARE FROM THE 16th CENTURY,

WHEN THE INCA EMPIRE WAS AT ITS HEIGHT.

BUT THERE'S SOMETHING ELSE.

IF THE DATING IS CORRECT,

IT COINCIDES WITH AN INCREDIBLE SERIES

OF ASTRONOMICAL EVENTS.

Benfer: THERE WERE FOUR TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSES

BETWEEN 1527 AND 1543.

THERE REALLY ARE NORMALLY ONLY ONE SOLAR ECLIPSE

EVERY 360 YEARS.

SO I DON'T KNOW IF ANYONE ON THE PLANET HAS EVER SEEN

THAT MANY TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSES

IN SUCH A SHORT TIME.

THE INCAS WERE SUN WORSHIPPERS.

THE EMPEROR OR "SAPA" CLAIMED DESCENT FROM THE SUN GOD

INTI HIMSELF.

INCAN HIGH PRIEST ASTRONOMERS CAREFULLY

CHARTED THE CHANGING PASSAGE OF THEIR SUN GOD ACROSS THE SKY.

THEY INVESTED THE HEAVENS WITH HOLY MEANING AND SIGNIFICANCE...

[ THUNDER BOOMING ] ...BUILDING THEIR TEMPLES

IN ALIGNMENT WITH THE SUN AND STARS.

FOUR SOLAR ECLIPSES IN QUICK SUCCESSION

MAY WELL HAVE CAUSED REAL PANIC AMONG THE INCAS.

Krueger: JUST IMAGINE WHAT KIND OF FEELINGS

THAT WOULD EVOKE IN A PERSON EXPERIENCING THAT.

BECAUSE THERE WERE NO SCIENTIFIC EXPLANATIONS

FOR WHAT WAS HAPPENING,

IT SURELY WOULD HAVE BEEN EXPERIENCED

AS SOME TYPE OF AN OTHERWORLDLY OR CATACLYSMIC EVENT

HAPPENING IN THEIR MIDST.

Narrator: VRANICH BELIEVES IF THIS SITE

DOES HAVE SOME ASTRONOMICAL SIGNIFICANCE,

THEN IT SHOULD ALIGN WITH THE RISING SUN.

MOST LIKELY AROUND THE SOLSTICE.

SOLAR RECORDS GIVE HIM A POSITION

FOR THE SUN IN THE 1500s.

Vranich: WHAT I'M LOOKING FOR IS ANY SIGNIFICANT ALIGNMENT

WITH SOMETHING IN THE LANDSCAPE.

SPECIFICALLY WITH THE SUMMER SOLSTICE.

THIS IS NORTH.

WE KNOW THAT THE SOLSTICE 500 YEARS AGO

WOULD HAVE COME UP AT AROUND 294.

LOOKING OUT ACROSS THE LANDSCAPE ALONG THIS COMPASS LINE,

YOU REALLY CAN TELL THERE'S NOTHING

THAT SIGNIFICANT IN THE DISTANCE

THAT WOULD REALLY DRAW ATTENTION IN THE PAST ON THAT DATE.

THERE REALLY MUST BE ANOTHER REASON

WHY THAT IT WAS PLACED HERE.

Narrator: BUT THE MOUND SERVES NO OBVIOUS PRACTICAL PURPOSE.

THIS SUGGESTS IT IS, IN SOME WAY, MYSTICAL OR RELIGIOUS,

AND FOR THE INCAS, THAT OFTEN MEANT TERRIFYING BLOOD RITUALS.

TO MAINTAIN A RELATIONSHIP WITH THEIR GODS,

THE PERUVIAN ANCIENTS MADE A VARIETY OF OFFERINGS.

THIS TOOK THE FORM OF SIMPLE PRAYERS,

BUT ALSO ANIMAL OFFERINGS,

AND THE ULTIMATE SACRIFICE OF ALL.

HUMAN BEINGS.

Narrator: ON THE DEATH OF A SUN KING,

MANY CHILDREN AND EVEN BABIES

WERE SACRIFICED TO THE SUN GOD.

IS THIS A MOUND OF TERROR?

COMING UP...

THE MYSTERIOUS, HI-TECH DISHES ON AMERICA'S DOORSTEP.

Baker: I DON'T BELIEVE FOR ONE SECOND

THAT THAT'S AN INNOCENT FACILITY.

Narrator: AND A YOUNG, SACRIFICIAL VICTIM

COMES BACK FROM THE DEAD.

SO THEY ACTUALLY FOUND THIS ROPE AROUND HER NECK

WHEN THEY EXCAVATED HER. YEAH.

**

Narrator: ARCHAEOLOGIST ALEXEI VRANICH IS EXPLORING A VOLCANO-SHAPED,

MAN-MADE MOUND PHOTOGRAPHED FROM SPACE.

HE'S LOOKING AROUND THE AREA FOR CLUES.

HE LEARNS OF ANOTHER SITE NEARBY

WHERE EVIDENCE HAS BEEN UNCOVERED

OF THE MOST CRUEL AND GRUESOME KILLINGS.

IT'S CALLED "EL BRUJO," OR THE WIZARD,

AND IT'S A HUGELY SACRED SITE.

THIS COULD HOLD INFORMATION, OR AT LEAST A FEW MORE CLUES,

ON THE ROLE OF SACRIFICE IN ANDEAN RELIGION.

Narrator: ENGRAVINGS HAVE BEEN DISCOVERED

DEPICTING SCENES OF BLOODY TERROR.

Vranich: THIS IS ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE.

THERE'S AN ENTIRE LINE OF PEOPLE THAT HAVE BEEN TIED TOGETHER.

IT'S A ROPE GOING FROM ONE INDIVIDUAL

TO ANOTHER AROUND THEIR NECK.

AND THEY'RE BEING LED IN THIS DIRECTION,

PERHAPS BEING LED TO THEIR OWN SACRIFICE

AFTER HAVING BEEN DEFEATED IN BATTLE.

Narrator: COULD THIS SITE PROVIDE CLUES

TO THE PURPOSE OF THE MYSTERY MOUND?

ONE OF THE ARCHAEOLOGISTS DIGGING HERE IS AUGUSTO BAZAN.

HOWDY. I'M ALEXEI.

IT LOOKS LIKE THE GRUESOME SCENES

DEPICTED IN THE CARVING HAPPENED FOR REAL.

OH, MY.

TWO PIECES OF POTTERY...

AND THAT'S A KNIFE.

HE'S SIMILAR TO THE PEOPLE ON THE MURAL WE SAW.

-EXACTLY. -THEY'RE NAKED.

THEY HAVE A ROPE AROUND THE NECK.

HE'S ABOUT THE CUT THE -- PROBABLY THE JUGULAR.

THE BLOOD WOULD HAVE COME OUT,

AND IT WOULD HAVE DRAINED INTO THE CUP.

YEAH.

WAS THIS THE ONLY WAY THAT PEOPLE WERE SACRIFICED?

**

Vranich: THIS LOOKS LIKE A VERY YOUNG INDIVIDUAL.

DO WE HAVE ANY CLUES ON HOW OR WHY SHE DIED?

Bazan: SURE.

SO THEY ACTUALLY FOUND THIS ROPE AROUND HER NECK

WHEN THEY EXCAVATED HER? -YEAH.

THAT'S SOLID EVIDENCE.

THE OFFERING OF HUMAN BEINGS TO THEIR GODS

WAS A BRUTAL INCA RITUAL.

HEADS WERE CHOPPED OFF.

BLOOD SPURTED ALL OVER THE LAND

TO REJUVENATE IN HONOR OF THE GODS.

Narrator: AS SHOCKING AS THE HUMAN SACRIFICE

IS THE NUMBER OF VICTIMS.

Hoffman: IN 1527, OVER 4,000 CONCUBINES,

SLAVES, SERVANTS WERE ALL SACRIFICED

SO THAT THEY COULD JOIN THEIR RULER IN THE AFTERLIFE.

Narrator: THE EVIDENCE SUGGESTS TO VRANICH THAT THE STRANGE MOUND

MAY WELL HAVE BEEN A MAJOR SACRIFICIAL SITE.

BUT WHAT TERRIFYING GOD WERE THEY TRYING TO APPEASE?

VRANICH THINKS ITS SHAPE IS A CLUE.

THIS THING LOOKS LIKE A VOLCANO.

THE AREA IS INSIDE THE RING OF FIRE --

A REGION KNOWN FOR ITS MASSIVE VOLCANOES

AND DEVASTATING EARTHQUAKES.

IN THE PAST 12,000 YEARS, ALL BUT 3 OF THE WORLD'S

BIGGEST VOLCANIC ERUPTIONS HAPPENED HERE.

A SEARCH OF INCA RECORDS REVEALS THAT VOLCANIC ACTIVITY

COINCIDES WITH A GREAT INCREASE IN HUMAN SACRIFICES.

Hunt: ALL OVER THE WORLD,

VOLCANOES ARE WORSHIPPED AS LIVING CREATURES.

WHEN THE MAGNA FLOWS, IT EVEN LOOKS LIKE A SERPENT,

AND IT'S POWERFUL STUFF.

IT MAKES YOU WONDER IF THAT VOLCANO-SHAPED SITE

HAS ANYTHING TO DO WITH THAT.

IS IT POSSIBLE THAT THEY FORMED IT

IN A WAY TO REPLICATE A VOLCANO?

YOU CAN THINK ABOUT PERHAPS THE FIRE IN THE MIDDLE

CREATING SMOKE COULD HAVE MADE THIS EFFECT.

Narrator: VRANICH BELIEVES THIS IS AN INCAN SACRIFICIAL SITE.

BENEATH THIS HILL, HE EXPECTS TO FIND BODIES AND TREASURE.

Vranich: PRETTY CLEAR THAT THE SITE IS SIGNIFICANT.

IT'S A TEMPLE OF SOME SORTS.

HAVE EVIDENCE OF RITUAL THAT'S GOING ON.

THERE'S STILL SO MUCH TO UNCOVER HERE.

WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO WAIT FOR ADDITIONAL

ARCHAEOLOGICAL EXCAVATIONS.

**

Narrator: COMING UP...

A DEADLY EPIDEMIC THREATENS NEW YORK CITY.

Odell: SHE'S KNOWN TO HAVE KILLED AT LEAST THREE PEOPLE,

SOME BELIEVE UPWARDS TO 50.

WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A MAJOR SERIAL KILLER HERE.

Narrator: ...AND COMMUNISTS, CARTELS, AND A NEW COLD WAR.

THESE GUYS ARE SOME OF THESE MOST DANGEROUS PEOPLE

ON THE PLANET.

**

Narrator: MARCH 2016.

A WorldView-3 SATELLITE ORBITS HIGH OVER CENTRAL AMERICA.

AS IT PASSES MANAGUA, NICARAGUA'S CAPITAL CITY,

IT PHOTOGRAPHS A SECURE, HIGH-TECH COMPOUND.

INSIDE, THERE IS A GIANT SATELLITE DISH

AND FOUR OTHER LARGE DISHES.

Munoz: THIS ISN'T SOMETHING THAT YOU CAN KIND OF PUT TOGETHER

FROM A TRIP TO RADIO SHACK AND HOME DEPOT.

Pappalardo: THESE DISHES ARE BIG.

THEY'RE REALLY POWERFUL.

THE BIGGER THE DISH, THE MORE INFORMATION IT CAN SOAK UP.

Narrator: WHAT PUZZLES ANALYSTS IS THAT, ACCORDING TO OFFICIAL RECORDS,

THE NICARAGUANS DID NOT BUILD

AND DO NOT CONTROL ANY COMMUNICATION CENTER

AT THIS SITE.

SO, WHO BUILT IT, AND WHAT ARE THEY USING IT FOR?

Baker: I DON'T BELIEVE FOR ONE SECOND

THAT THAT'S AN INNOCENT FACILITY.

**

Narrator: THE IMAGE COMES TO THE ATTENTION

OF FORMER CIA OPERATIVE LINDSAY MORAN.

THIS AREA HAS A TURBULENT HISTORY.

REVOLUTION, THE SANDINISTA, THE CONTRAS,

AND MORE RECENTLY, THE NARCOS.

Moran: WHAT'S WORRYING ABOUT THE HOMEGROWN SATELLITE STATION

IS THAT A LARGE DEGREE OF DRUG CARTEL ACTIVITY

HAS SEEPED INTO NICARAGUA.

Narrator: NICARAGUA IS PART OF WHAT DRUG-ENFORCEMENT AGENTS

CALL THE COCAINE CORRIDOR.

80% OF THE COCAINE THAT COMES INTO THE UNITED STATES

PASSES THROUGH NICARAGUA.

Narrator: THE MONEY GENERATED IS EXTRAORDINARY.

THE OPERATION RUN BY PABLO ESCOBAR

WAS GENERATING $20 BILLION A YEAR.

ESCOBAR ALONE WAS ONE OF THE RICHEST MEN IN THE WORLD.

THE CARTELS ARE IMMENSELY WEALTHY, WELL-CONNECTED,

AND WELL-ORGANIZED,

DEPLOYING SOME OF THE LATEST TECHNOLOGY

IN ARMS AND COMMUNICATIONS.

DRUG CARTELS HAVE ENORMOUS AMOUNTS OF MONEY.

SOME OF THEM HAVE EVEN BUILT SMALL SUBMARINES

TO MOVE THEIR NARCOTICS INTO THE UNITED STATES.

THEY WOULD TAKE THEM ACROSS THE CHANNELS OVER TO FLORIDA.

THE IDEA THAT THEY WOULD BE BUILDING INFRASTRUCTURE

TO FURTHER THEIR SMUGGLING OPERATION

IS NOT FAR-FETCHED.

Narrator: INVESTIGATORS FEAR THAT THIS SATELLITE ARRAY

MAY BELONG TO A CARTEL DESCRIBED BY THE U.S. GOVERNMENT

AS THE MOST TECHNOLOGICALLY ADVANCED,

SOPHISTICATED, EFFICIENT, VIOLENT, RUTHLESS,

AND DANGEROUS IN EXISTENCE.

[ RAPID GUNFIRE, ALARM BLARING ]

THEY ARE CALLED LOS ZETAS, OR THE Z's.

LOS ZETAS WERE FORMED FROM SPECIAL OPERATIONS UNITS

WITHIN THE MEXICAN MILITARY THAT BECAME SO CORRUPT,

THEY FIGURED IT WAS EASIER JUST TO BECOME A CARTEL THEMSELVES.

[ SIREN WAILS ]

THEY RECRUIT YOUNG KIDS. THEY BURN PEOPLE ALIVE.

THEY PUT 'EM IN VATS OF ACID.

LOS ZETAS ARE SOME OF THE MOST DANGEROUS PEOPLE ON THE PLANET.

Narrator: CARLO MUNOZ IS AN EXPERT ON THE CARTELS.

ALTHOUGH LOS ZETAS USE LOTS OF HIGH-TECH,

HE BELIEVES EVEN THEY COULD NOT BUILD A FACILITY THIS ADVANCED.

I HAVE YET TO SEE ANY CARTEL CONDUCT

THE KIND OF INTELLIGENCE OPERATION

THAT THIS NOTE INDICATES.

THIS IS A PROFESSIONAL, ALMOST GOVERNMENT-TYPE FACILITY.

Narrator: INVESTIGATIONS ON THE GROUND OFFER MORE CLUES.

LOCAL RESIDENTS NEAR THE BASE REPORT

THE PRESENCE OF FOREIGNERS.

Munoz: WHEN YOU SPEAK TO THE LOCALS AROUND THIS INSTALLATION,

THEY SAY THAT THE PERSONNEL BASED THERE

ALL SPEAK FLUENT RUSSIAN.

Baker: YOU'VE GOT A RUSSIAN SATELLITE FACILITY.

THEN YOU'VE GOT TO FIGURE OUT WHAT'S ITS PURPOSE,

WHY IS IT THERE?

Narrator: IN THE 1970s,

WHILE THE U.S. BACKED THE CONTRAS,

RUSSIAN SOVIETS BACKED THE LEFT-WING SANDINISTAS,

DRAWING NICARAGUA INTO THE COMMUNIST BLOC.

NICARAGUA'S A VERY WELL-KNOWN PAWN IN THE CHESS GAME

BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES AND THE SOVIET UNION

THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRETY OF THE COLD WAR.

THERE'S BEEN A FAIRLY SIGNIFICANT RELATIONSHIP

BETWEEN RUSSIA AND NICARAGUA.

Narrator: IT'S A RELATIONSHIP, IT SEEMS, THAT VLADIMIR PUTIN,

HIMSELF A FORMER KGB AGENT, WANTS TO KEEP ALIVE.

REPORTS OF PEOPLE SPEAKING RUSSIAN SUGGEST THIS IS,

INDEED, A RUSSIAN BASE.

AND A RUSSIAN BASE SO CLOSE TO THE U.S.

RAISES OBVIOUS CONCERNS.

Baker: FOR VLADIMIR PUTIN, THE COLD WAR NEVER ENDED,

SO THE IDEA THAT THEY WOULD CONTINUE

TO TRY TO INFLUENCE THE LEADERSHIP

IN A PLACE LIKE NICARAGUA MAKES PERFECT SENSE.

[ CAMERA SHUTTER CLICKS ]

IT'S LIKE THE COLD WAR RESURGENT AGAIN,

AND VLADIMIR PUTIN IS RIGHT AT OUR BACK DOOR.

Narrator: CONCERN GROWS WHEN INVESTIGATORS ANALYZE THE IMAGE MORE CLOSELY.

THIS DISH IS POINTING STRAIGHT AT THE U.S. EMBASSY IN MANAGUA.

Narrator: ALARMINGLY, THE SATELLITE COMPOUND

IS ONLY A MILE AND A HALF FROM THE EMBASSY.

Pappalardo: HAVING A DISH THIS POWERFUL

AIMED AT A TARGET LIKE THE U.S. EMBASSY,

THAT MEANS THAT THIS THING

COULD BE COLLECTING A LOT OF INFORMATION

COMING IN AND OUT OF THAT BUILDING.

SO, IT'S A SECURITY RISK.

AND TO MAKE MATTERS EVEN WORSE, THE RUSSIANS OWN IT.

Narrator: THE NICARAGUAN GOVERNMENT HAS NOW RELEASED A STATEMENT.

THEY SAY THE FACILITY IS A GPS SYSTEM,

BUT THE SYSTEM KNOWN AS GLONASS HAPPENS

TO HAVE BEEN DEVELOPED BY THE RUSSIAN MILITARY

AND IS NOW USED BY THE RUSSIAN GOVERNMENT.

THIS DOES CREATE A FEASIBLE EXPLANATION

AS TO WHY RUSSIAN-SPEAKING PERSONNEL

ARE IN AND OUT OF THIS FACILITY 24 HOURS A DAY.

Narrator: GLONASS HAS ITS ORIGINS IN THE SOVIET UNION

AS A GUIDANCE SYSTEM FOR BALLISTIC,

MISSILE-CARRYING SUBMARINES.

Baker: THERE IS NO DOUBT IN MY MIND

THAT THE RUSSIANS ARE USING THAT FOR INTEL COLLECTION.

IT WOULD BE INSANELY NAIVE TO THINK OTHERWISE.

Narrator: THE SECURE BASE CAPTURED IN THIS SATELLITE IMAGE

REMAINS A PLACE OF EXTREME INTEREST

TO U.S. INTELLIGENCE OBSERVERS.

Pappalardo: THE TRUTH IS THAT WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THIS FACILITY

IS BEING USED FOR.

THE COVER STORY JUST REALLY DOESN'T WASH.

**

Narrator: COMING UP...

THE CODE AT THE END OF THE WORLD.

WHY WOULD SOMEONE COME AND DIG THESE VERTICAL LINES LIKE THIS?

Narrator: AND A DEATH STAR WEAPON UNLEASHES HELL IN THE DESERT.

THIS IS SCIENCE-FICTION LEVEL TECHNOLOGY.

THE KIND OF THING THAT YOU WOULD EXPECT TO SEE

IN SOME "STAR WARS" MOVIE.

Narrator: MARCH 2017.

BANKS ISLAND, NORTHERN CANADA.

A NASA RESEARCH AIRCRAFT SPOTS WEIRD MARKINGS

SEEMINGLY CARVED INTO THE SEA ICE.

Kourounis: I'VE NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THIS BEFORE.

THAT IS BIZARRE.

Chamberlain: IT SEEMS LIKE IT MUST BE MAN-MADE,

BUT WHY WOULD SOMEONE COME

AND DIG THESE VERTICAL LINES LIKE THIS?

[ WIND WHISTLING ]

Narrator: MEASUREMENTS OF THE MARKINGS REVEAL

THAT THEY ARE ON A HUGE SCALE,

OVER 2,000 YARDS LONG.

THIS IS NOT JUST A BLIP ON THE RADAR.

THIS IS SOMETHING THAT HAS HAPPENED

OVER A REALLY LONG STRETCH.

Narrator: ANALYSTS CHECK HISTORICAL RECORDS.

THE ARCTIC HAS, IN THE PAST,

BEEN THE SCENE OF SOME UNUSUAL INDUSTRIAL ACTIVITY.

SINCE THE ARRIVAL OF THE REFRIGERATOR IN THE 1930s,

WE TAKE ICE FOR GRANTED.

BUT ONCE UPON A TIME, IT WAS SEEN AS A VALUABLE COMMODITY.

Sanford: AT ONE POINT, WE HARVESTED MASSIVE BLOCKS OF ICE

AND SHIPPED THEM --

THESE THINGS WEIGHING TONS -- ALL THE WAY TO INDIA.

Narrator: IN ITS HEYDAY, THE AMERICAN ICE INDUSTRY IS HUGE,

EMPLOYING OVER 90,000 PEOPLE AND WORTH HALF A BILLION DOLLARS.

VAST ICE HOUSES ARE BUILT ALL ALONG THE HUDSON RIVER,

AND U.S. ICE IS MARKETED AS A LUXURY PRODUCT.

IF YOU WERE A MULTI-MILLIONAIRE AND HAD A PALACE IN THE BAHAMAS,

AND YOU WANTED ICE FOR YOUR PIÑA COLADA,

HOW ARE YOU GONNA GET IT?

WELL, YOU WOULD HIRE SOMEONE TO TAKE A BOAT UP TO THE ARCTIC,

CHOP AWAY HUGE CHUNKS OF ICE, AND BRING IT DOWN TO YOU.

OF COURSE, MOST OF IT WOULD BE MELTED

BY THE TIME IT GOT TO YOU, BUT YOU STILL WOULD HAVE ENOUGH

TO SATISFY YOUR CARVING FOR THAT COLD DRINK.

Sanford: IS ICE HARVESTING COMING BACK?

ARE PEOPLE GOING TO BE WILLING TO PAY FOR ANCIENT ICE CUBES

IN THEIR DRINKS?

Narrator: BUT THERE'S A PROBLEM WITH THIS THEORY.

THE ICE IN THE SATELLITE IMAGE IS SEA ICE, NOT FRESHWATER ICE.

SEA ICE IS FROZEN SEA WATER.

FROZEN SEA WATER IS NOT REALLY IDEAL

FOR PUTTING INTO YOUR DRINK

UNLESS YOU REALLY LIKE AN EXTRA-SALTY MARGARITA.

TODAY, A FEW PREMIUM BRAND VODKAS STILL USE NATURAL ICE,

BUT THEY HARVEST IT IN THE RUSSIAN MOUNTAINS,

NOT THE CANADIAN ARCTIC.

ANALYSTS FOCUS ON THE REPEATED VISUAL MOTIFS IN THE IMAGE.

SOME ARE REMINDED OF MARKINGS

FOUND IN AN EVEN MORE INHOSPITABLE LOCATION.

I ACTUALLY HAVE SEEN SOMETHING LIKE THIS.

ON THE SURFACE OF MARS,

THERE ARE PATTERNS THAT SOME SAY ARE A BINARY COD.

Narrator: SCIENTISTS DISCOVER THE STRANGE SURFACE MARKINGS ON MARS

IN 2016.

LIKE THE MYSTERIOUS PATTERN IN THE ARCTIC,

THEY'RE HIGHLY REGULAR.

IT LOOKS TO SOME LIKE A SIGNAL OR A MESSAGE OF SOME KIND.

BUT THIS IS MARS.

WHO OR WHAT COULD HAVE PUT IT HERE?

IF THIS IS SOME INTERPLANETARY MESSAGE,

IT'S STILL TO BE DECODED.

D'Antonio: WHAT THEY FOUND WAS IT SAID, "BLEAH."

IT MADE NO SENSE.

THERE WAS NOTHING TO IT.

I THINK THE SAME THING WILL HAPPEN HERE.

IF THEY TRY TO DECODE THIS AND TURN IT

INTO SOME TYPE OF BINARY MESSAGE,

THEY'RE GONNA GET THE SAME KIND OF RESPONSE.

Narrator: EXPERTS SWITCH THEIR FOCUS TO THE NATURAL WORLD.

THEY FIND OTHER EXAMPLES OF THIS PHENOMENON

DOTTED ACROSS THE POLAR REGIONS.

IT'S A HIGHLY UNUSUAL PROCESS CALLED FINGER RAFTING.

NORMALLY, WHEN YOU HAVE TWO PIECES OF ICE

CRASHING INTO EACH OTHER, THEY'LL CREATE RIDGES

WHERE THE EDGES BUMP UP AGAINST EACH OTHER.

BUT EVERY NOW AND THEN, WHEN THE CONDITIONS ARE JUST RIGHT,

THE ICE WILL INTERLOCK,

AND YOU'LL GET THESE FINGERS OF ICE

LAYERING ON TOP OF EACH OTHER AND INTERLOCKING.

Narrator: FINGER RAFTING ONLY OCCURS WHEN TWO SHEETS

OF NEWLY FORMED ICE COLLIDE.

THESE BLOCKS ARE THIN ENOUGH TO BEND WITHOUT SHATTERING.

THE SHEETS SLIDE OVER AND UNDER EACH OTHER,

CREATING THE FINGER-LIKE PATTERN.

Sanford: THIS PATTERN LOOKS MAN-MADE, BUT IT'S TOTALLY NATURAL,

AND IT'S ONE OF THOSE THINGS, WHEN SEEN FROM ABOVE,

THAT JUST MAKES ME APPRECIATE THE BEAUTY AND POWER OF NATURE.

**

Narrator: COMING UP...

A SPOOKY SYMBOL IN THE DESERT ANALYSTS

ARE STILL TRYING TO EXPLAIN.

THIS ONE'S A MYSTERY TO ME.

I CAN'T EVEN TELL YOU WHAT IT IS.

Narrator: AND NEW YORK'S SECRET ISLAND OF TERROR.

[ BIRD CHIRPING ]

Sanford: HOW MANY PEOPLE DIED HERE?

THERE IS BLOOD AND DEATH ON THIS ISLAND.

**

Narrator: APRIL 2016.

A GeoEye-1 SATELLITE PASSING OVER THE SAHARA

IN SOUTHERN ALGERIA

CAPTURES THESE MARKINGS ON THE DESERT FLOOR.

THE IMAGE HAS BAFFLED EXPERTS SINCE ITS DISCOVERY.

IT CONTINUES TO BE A MYSTERY TO THIS DAY.

Bellinger: IT LOOKS LIKE A COMPASS.

I'M WONDERING WHAT ON EARTH IT'S DOING OUT HERE

IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DESERT.

THIS THING IS TRULY BIZARRE.

I'VE DONE A LOT OF DIGGING TO FIND OUT WHAT THIS THING IS.

AND SO FAR, I HAVE COME UP EMPTY.

Narrator: SCALE ANALYSIS REVEALS THE MYSTERY PATTERN

IS ALMOST TWICE THE SIZE OF A FOOTBALL FIELD.

Pappalardo: IT'S OBVIOUSLY MAN-MADE.

IT'S GOT DEFINITE SHAPE.

IT SHOULD HAVE A DEFINITE FUNCTION,

BUT WHO KNOWS WHAT IT IS?

Narrator: SATELLITE ANALYSTS SEARCH THE AREA RIGHT AROUND

THE BIZARRE SYMBOL.

IT STANDS ALONE -- NO SIGNS OF ANY MODERN STRUCTURES OR LIFE.

THE LOCATION OF THE SYMBOL SUGGESTS IT MAY HAVE SOME LINK

TO AN ANCIENT CIVILIZATION.

Gough: THE SHAPE IS REMINISCENT OF A COLLECTION OF BURIAL SITES

KNOWN AS KEYHOLE TOMBS

THAT ARE LOCATED CONSPICUOUSLY CLOSE TO THIS SYMBOL.

Narrator: SCIENTISTS HAVE DISCOVERED OVER 600 FUNERARY MONUMENTS

SHAPED LIKE KEYHOLES IN THE SAHARA DESERT.

THE OLDEST DATE BACK TO 3600 B.C.,

2,000 YEARS BEFORE THE GREAT PYRAMID IN EGYPT IS BUILT.

ARCHAEOLOGISTS VENTURING INSIDE HAVE DISCOVERED

CEREMONIAL VESSELS AND STONE AGE WEAPONS.

THESE STRUCTURES ALL FACE EAST --

APPARENTLY POINTING TO THE RISING SUN.

ARCHAEOLOGIST KAREN BELLINGER CROSS-CHECKS

THE IMAGE WITH A SERIES OF SATELLITE FLYOVERS.

SHE SPOTS SOMETHING MISSING IN ALL THE PICTURES

THAT THROWS THE TOMB THEORY INTO DOUBT.

Bellinger: WHEN WE LOOK AT IMAGES OF THIS STRUCTURE

TAKEN AT DIFFERENT TIMES OF DAY

AND ON DIFFERENT DAYS OF THE YEAR,

WE NEVER SEE A SHADOW.

THAT INDICATES THAT IT DOESN'T HAVE ANY KIND OF

THREE-DIMENSIONAL PROFILE.

IT CANNOT BE CONSTRUCTED OF STONE.

Narrator: INVESTIGATORS WIDEN THE SEARCH AREA.

THE NEAREST SIGN OF CIVILIZATION IS SOMETHING UNEXPECTED.

A DESERT AIRPORT.

BUT WHAT'S AN AIRPORT DOING IN THE DESERT?

THE AIRPORT WAS PART OF A PROGRAM RUN BY NASA

TO MAINTAIN SECONDARY LANDING ZONES FOR SPACECRAFT

RE-ENTERING THE EARTH'S ATMOSPHERE.

Narrator: SPACE FLIGHT REMAINS ONE OF THE MOST DANGEROUS

AND COMPLEX SCIENTIFIC ENDEAVORS.

COUNTLESS THINGS CAN GO WRONG, AND SPACE SHUTTLES CAN BE FORCED

TO RE-ENTER EARTH'S ATMOSPHERE

FOR ANY NUMBER OF REASONS.

AND IN ANY NUMBER OF PLACES.

TO COPE WITH FORCED RE-ENTRIES,

NASA HAS ESTABLISHED 33 EMERGENCY

LANDING SITES ALL OVER THE WORLD,

OFTEN LOCATED FAR AWAY FROM POPULATED AREAS.

Capps: IF THIS WERE A SIGN POST FOR AN EMERGENCY SPACE SHUTTLE LANDING,

YOU'RE HURTLING DOWN TO THE GROUND,

YOUR SYSTEMS ARE FAILING,

AND THAT'S WHY YOU'RE VISUALLY NAVIGATING.

MAN, I BET YOU WOULD BE HAPPY TO SEE THIS THING.

Narrator: BUT A CHECK OF THE OTHER SHUTTLE LANDING SITES REVEALS A PROBLEM.

Kourounis: THIS SYMBOL IS NOT SEEN AT ANY OF THE OTHER

SPACE SHUTTLE EMERGENCY LANDING SITES,

SO ODDS ARE THAT'S PROBABLY NOT THE ANSWER.

Narrator: ANALYSTS LOOK BACK AT HISTORICAL SATELLITE IMAGES OF THE REGION.

THEY DISCOVER THE MYSTERY STRUCTURE APPEARS IN 2000.

THEY LEARN THAT AROUND THIS TIME,

THE EMERGENCY LANDING SITE

IS HEAVILY UPGRADED FOR MILITARY USE.

Munoz: LOOKING AT THE IMAGE, THE KIND OF DISTINCT MARKINGS

THAT IT HAS, IT COULD VERY WELL SERVE AS A LARGE TARGET.

Narrator: IT HAS RECENTLY BEEN REVEALED THAT THE U.S. MILITARY

IS USING ISOLATED DESERT LOCATIONS

TO TEST A REVOLUTIONARY NEW WEAPON...

A SUPER POWERFUL LASER.

INVISIBLE LASERS ARE ABLE TO DESTROY

A FAST-MOVING TARGET AT FAST DISTANCES.

THESE LASERS ARE INCREDIBLY POWERFUL.

Narrator: A SINGLE BEAM FROM THIS MINIATURE DEATH STAR

IS MORE POWERFUL THAN A CRUISE MISSILE.

THE LASERS TRAVEL AT THE SPEED OF LIGHT,

50,000 TIMES FASTER THAN AN ICBM.

IT'S LIKE FRYING AN ANT WITH A MAGNIFYING GLASS.

THIS SINGLE RAY OF ENERGY BEING FOCUSED

ON ONE PARTICULAR TARGET.

IN THIS CASE, SUNLIGHT.

NOW TAKE THAT ANALOGY AND EXPOUND IT BY 10 MILLION,

AND THAT IS LASERS.

THIS IS SCIENCE-FICTION LEVEL TECHNOLOGY --

THE KIND OF THING THAT YOU WOULD EXPECT

TO SEE IN SOME "STAR WARS" MOVIE.

BUT IN ACTUALITY, THEY'RE USING THEM NOW.

**

Narrator: MILITARY DATA DISCLOSES THAT THE TECHNOLOGY

IS STILL AT TEST STAGE.

THIS SUPER DEADLY WEAPON IS UNPREDICTABLE.

YOU DO WANT A LARGE, UNPOPULATED SPACE

WITH A RELATIVELY LARGE TARGET TO AIM AT

WHEN TESTING THESE TYPE OF WEAPONS.

'CAUSE YOU REALLY DON'T KNOW WHAT COULD HAPPEN

IF THINGS DO GO WRONG.

BUT WHEN INVESTIGATORS ANALYZE THE SATELLITE IMAGE IN CLOSE-UP,

THERE'S SOMETHING MISSING.

IF THIS WERE A TEST SITE FOR LASERS OR SOME OTHER WEAPON,

THERE WOULD BE BURN MARKS.

THE OBVIOUS PROBLEM WITH THAT IS THAT IT LOOKS PRISTINE.

IT LOOKS LIKE IT'S FINE.

IT DOESN'T LOOK LIKE IT'S EVER BEEN DISTURBED IN ANY WAY.

Narrator: CARLO MUNOZ TAKES A CLOSER LOOK AT THE IMAGE.

HE COMPARES IT WITH ANOTHER SYMBOL

FORMED IN THE SAHARAN SANDS.

IN NEIGHBORING NIGER, THERE IS A SIMILAR SITE WITH MARKINGS

THAT BASICALLY REPRESENT AN AIRCRAFT.

THOSE MARKINGS ARE A MEMORIAL.

Narrator: THIS SYMBOL MARKS THE SITE OF A PLANE CRASH.

IN 2003, A BOEING 737 CAME DOWN,

KILLING ALL BUT 1 OF ITS 102 PASSENGERS.

THAT'S CLEARLY NOT THE PURPOSE OF THIS SYMBOL

IN THIS SATELLITE IMAGE.

IF IT'S SOME SORT OF MEMORIAL, BUT WE DON'T KNOW ABOUT IT,

THEN IT'S NOT MUCH OF A MEMORIAL.

Narrator: ANALYSTS ARE STILL TRYING TO EXPLAIN

AND DECODE THE IMAGE IN THE DESERT SEEN FROM SPACE.

IT'S GONNA REMAIN A MYSTERY FOR QUITE SOME TIME, I THINK.

Narrator: STILL TO COME,

THE HOSPITAL FROM HELL ON A NEW YORK ISLAND.

IMAGINE A WHOLE HOSPITAL FULL OF PEOPLE GOING COLD TURKEY.

IT'S HORRIFYING TO THINK ABOUT.

**

Narrator: NEW YORK CITY.

AUGUST 1968.

THE CORONA SATELLITE PHOTOGRAPHS AN ISLAND IN THE EAST RIVER

CLOSE TO BROOKLYN.

IT SHOWS WHAT APPEARS TO BE A FUNCTIONING ISLAND

WITH SEVERAL BUILDINGS.

BUT OVER 40 YEARS LATER IN 2010,

AN AERIAL PHOTOGRAPH OF THE SAME AREA

REVEALS NOTHING BUT ABANDONED, OVERGROWN RUINS.

Sanford: IN A PLACE LIKE NEW YORK CITY,

TO SEE SOMETHING THAT'S CRUMBLING AND FALLING APART

IS JUST REALLY OUT OF PLACE.

Carter: WHAT HAPPENED ON THIS ISLAND

THAT CAUSED EVERYONE TO STAY AWAY FROM IT?

Narrator: JOURNALIST DAVE MOSHER IS A NEW YORKER WHO LIVES IN MANHATTAN.

ALTHOUGH HE KNOWS THE CITY WELL,

UNTIL HE SEES THE SATELLITE IMAGE,

HE HAS NO IDEA THAT THE ISLAND EVEN EXISTS.

SO WHEN I TALK TO OTHER NEW YORKERS ABOUT THIS ISLAND,

FEW PEOPLE SEEM TO REALLY KNOW WHAT IT IS OR WHAT IT'S ABOUT.

WE'VE HEARD STORIES ABOUT A WOMAN BEING BROUGHT THERE

FOR SOME DISEASE, BUT BEYOND THAT, IT'S SORT OF A MYSTERY.

ALL I DO KNOW IS THAT YOU'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO GO THERE.

IT'S COMPLETELY OFF-LIMITS.

Narrator: FOR OVER 50 YEARS,

THE ISLAND KNOWN AS NORTH BROTHER ISLAND

HAS BEEN UNINHABITED AND IMPOSSIBLE TO REACH

BY REGULAR TRANSPORT.

Mosher: SO AFTER A BUNCH OF PHONE CALLS, I FINALLY GOT PERMISSION

TO GO TO NORTH BROTHER ISLAND.

AND NOT ONLY THAT,

I FOUND SOMEONE WHO'S WILLING TO TAKE US THERE.

[ HORN BLOWS ]

Narrator: MOSHER'S BOAT APPROACHES THE ISLAND,

BUT THE ORIGINAL DOCK IS CRUMBLING AWAY.

THE SKIPPER IS FORCED TO BEACH THE BOAT.

FROM GROUND LEVEL, THE ISLAND LOOKS EVEN MORE WEIRD

AND SINISTER.

Mosher: THIS IS SUPER CREEPY.

I FEEL LIKE I AM WALKING THROUGH A POST-APOCALYPTIC WORLD.

EVERYTHING IS JUST COMPLETELY OVERGROWN.

NOBODY'S LIVED HERE IN WHAT SEEMS LIKE DECADES.

Narrator: THERE'S NO OBVIOUS CLUE AS TO WHAT TOOK PLACE ON THE ISLAND

UNTIL DAVE MOSHER SPOTS SOMETHING.

Mosher: CHECK THIS OUT.

RIGHT OVER THERE, I CAN SEE THAT IT SAYS RIKERS.

THIS MEANS IT'S RIKERS ISLAND.

THIS IS THE FAMOUS PRISON OUTSIDE OF NEW YORK CITY.

Narrator: THE PROXIMITY OF RIKERS ISLAND, NEW YORK'S BIGGEST JAIL,

SUGGESTS THAT NORTH BROTHER ISLAND

MIGHT ALSO HAVE BEEN A PRISON.

BUT A PRISON OF A PARTICULARLY GRUESOME KIND.

OH, WOW, WHAT IS THIS?

IT LOOKS LIKE A CERTIFICATE OF SOME KIND.

IT SAYS "PASTEUR."

I CAN'T READ THE LAST PART.

DEPARTMENT OF HOSPITALS, CITY OF NEW YORK.

Narrator: NORTH BROTHER ISLAND WAS NO ORDINARY PRISON HOSPITAL.

IT WAS USED TO LOCK AWAY THOSE WITH DEADLY, INCURABLE DISEASES.

THIS WAS AN ISLAND OF PLAGUE CARRIERS.

THE MOST FAMOUS INMATE WAS AN IRISH COOK

WHO IMMIGRATED TO THE U.S. IN 1883.

HER NAME WAS MARY MALLON,

BUT NEW YORKERS CALLED HER TYPHOID MARY.

SHE'S KNOWN TO HAVE KILLED AT LEAST THREE PEOPLE.

SOME BELIEVE UPWARDS TO 50.

Narrator: IN THE EARLY 1900s,

TYPHOID IS ONE OF NEW YORK'S BIGGEST KILLERS,

AND MARY MALLON IS AN ANGEL OF DEATH.

SHE SPREADS THE KILLER DISEASE, BUT SHOWS NO SYMPTOMS HERSELF.

Odell: SHE WORKED AS A COOK.

I MEAN, WHAT'S A MORE PERFECT WAY TO SPREAD A DISEASE

THAN TOUCHING PEOPLE'S FOOD?

Narrator: A TRAIL OF INFECTED AND DEAD PEOPLE LEADS TO MARY MALLON.

SHE IS ARRESTED AND FORCED TO LIVE THE REST OF HER LIFE

SHUT WAY ON THIS ISLAND.

IT'S ACTUALLY INCREDIBLY SAD.

THIS WOMAN, SHE DIDN'T MEAN TO CONTRACT TYPHOID.

WE JUST HAD NO OTHER WAY OF TREATING HER.

Narrator: TYPHOID MARY LIVES FOR THREE LONG DECADES,

ISOLATED AND ALONE.

SHE DIES IN 1938, BUT THE BUILDINGS HERE ARE MORE RECENT.

Mosher: JUST BY LOOKING AT THE BRICKWORK HERE,

THIS IS NOT FROM THE TIME OF TYPHOID MARY,

WHICH IS PRETTY SURPRISING TO ME.

WHAT'S THIS OVER HERE?

LOOKS LIKE A MAILBOX.

OH, HEY.

THERE YOU GO. 1941.

SO WE DEFINITELY KNOW THIS BUILDING WAS ERECTED

AFTER TYPHOID MARY DIED.

Chamberlain: THIS BUILDING WAS KNOWN AS THE TUBERCULOSIS PAVILION,

AND IT WAS BUILT IN 1941 TO HOUSE AND TREAT T.B. PATIENTS

FROM ALL OVER THE CITY.

Narrator: AT THE TIME, THERE'S NO KNOWN CURE FOR T.B.,

APART FROM REST AND CONFINEMENT.

THE RICH GO TO CLINICS IN THE MOUNTAINS.

THE POOR ARE DESTINED TO CHANCE THEIR LUCK

COOPED UP ON NORTH BROTHER ISLAND.

IN FACT, AMONG THE WORKING CLASS,

40% OF DEATHS WERE ATTRIBUTED TO TUBERCULOSIS.

Narrator: WORK ON THE T.B. FACILITY BEGINS IN 1941,

BUT WHEN CONSTRUCTION FINISHES TWO YEARS LATER,

THE FIRST ANTIBIOTICS HAVE APPEARED,

AND THE SANITARIUM IS REDUNDANT.

IT IS NEVER FINISHED OR OCCUPIED.

BUT AS MOSHER WANDERS AROUND THE BUILDING,

IT'S OBVIOUS THAT IT WAS BOTH OCCUPIED

AND FURNISHED WITH MEDICAL EQUIPMENT.

YOU CAN SEE RIGHT HERE, THERE'S A WEIGHING SCALE.

SOMETHING LIKE THIS SUGGESTS A MEDICAL PURPOSE OF SOME KIND.

Narrator: DISTURBINGLY, THERE APPEAR TO BE METAL GRATES

COVERING SOME OF THE WINDOWS.

SO THIS LOOKS LIKE SOME KIND OF PRISON ALMOST.

I SEE THESE GRATES THAT YOU WOULD SHUT AND LOCK

TO KEEP SOMETHING INSIDE OF HERE

OR MAYBE TO KEEP SOMEBODY OUT OF HERE.

Narrator: MOSHER'S GUT INSTINCT IS CORRECT.

THE HOSPITAL IS REVIVED IN THE EARLY 1950s

TO TREAT A NEW KIND OF PLAGUE.

Woman: I DIDN'T FEEL SO GOOD WHEN I CAME HOME HIGH THAT NIGHT.

MY DAD KNEW SOMETHING WAS WRONG,

BUT HE DIDN'T KNOW WHAT.

IT BECAME A DRUG TREATMENT CENTER,

A PLACE FOR PEOPLE WHO WERE ADDICTED TO HEROIN,

BUT YOU CAN IMAGINE.

THIS WAS NOT LIKE THE DRUG TREATMENT CENTERS TODAY.

THERE IS NO WALK IN THE PARK HERE.

Narrator: THE HOSPITAL HAS BEDS FOR 150 ADDICTS.

IT'S LIKE A NIGHTMARE.

INMATES PROSTITUTE THEMSELVES TO GUARDS FOR DRUGS.

SEVERAL DIE TRYING TO SWIM TO THE MAINLAND.

FEW ESCAPE.

ONE TEENAGER IS RETURNED 17 TIMES.

IMAGINE A WHOLE HOSPITAL FULL OF PEOPLE GOING COLD TURKEY

PROBABLY IN NOT GREAT CONDITIONS.

IT'S HORRIFYING TO THINK ABOUT.

Narrator: AFTER 11 YEARS, IT CLOSES IN 1963.

THERE WERE PLANS TO TURN THE ISLAND INTO A CASINO,

A MOVIE STUDIO, AND AMUSEMENT PARK,

BUT NONE OF THEM EVER CAME TO FRUITION.

THIS ISLAND JUST HAS A DARK, DARK HISTORY.

HOW MANY PEOPLE DIED HERE?

THERE IS BLOOD AND DEATH ON THIS ISLAND.