Eureka s02e01 Episode Script

201 - Phoenix Rising

Previously on Eureka.
Relax, Carter.
It's a promotion.
You know, sometimes it sucks having a dad who's the town Smokey.
Well, sometimes it sucks having a daughter who's the town delinquent.
Dog! - I'm Jack Carter.
- He's a U.
S.
Marshal.
I was an engineer.
- Trains? - Space shuttles.
Allison Blake, Department of Defense.
- Where are you taking me? - Welcome to Eureka.
A haven where the world's greatest thinkers could live and work.
You must be the new sheriff I heard about.
Nathan Stark.
- You two have a history? - Not exactly.
He's my husband.
That Section Five's restricted to military projects only.
We happen to be in the most advanced scientific facility in the world.
The Artefact is the last remnant of whatever universe existed before our own.
-What's happening in there? -I don't know.
Systems are offline! - You feel that? - Yeah.
Henry, what did you do? I couldn't let you go.
None of what we've known for the past four years was supposed to happen.
Henry went back and changed history thereby creating a paradox.
We need to stop Henry from saving Kim.
Someone's gotta go back.
I love our life.
I love this baby.
There's no time, no way, that we don't end up together.
October 3, 2006.
- What are you doing? - I'm stopping you.
I have to save her.
Get the hell out of the way! I think this is definitely becoming a thing.
We don't have a thing.
We might.
We are at marginal proximity now.
No change in core temperature or ambient emissions.
Let's proceed.
Extreme proximity now.
Still no reaction from the Artifact.
Moment of truth.
What's happening in there? I don't know! Systems are offline! Get 'em back online! I'm trying! Oh, my God.
I thought I'd find you here.
You're not returning my phone calls.
I didn't feel much like talking.
You know, you can't keep reliving this.
It's been over a month.
I know.
I can't bring Kim back either.
Well, you could.
But not without unraveling the universe, so Sorry.
Look.
You and I are gonna be living with the memory of a timeline that's gone.
I know it's gonna seem impossible.
And I know it's not gonna happen overnight.
But I think that you and I should help each other move on.
I mean, don't you? Working on it.
Then the Phoenix appears.
The firebird, rising from the ashes.
A mythical symbol of death and rebirth.
Mythical is right.
Phoenix is about as real as Bigfoot.
History and cultures are chock-a-block with stories of the Phoenix.
Its sacrifice to the flames begins our salvation.
Lest we suffer the flames ourselves.
So show a little respect, lad.
Okay.
Another refill, Vincent.
That is my famous five-alarm chili, Wayne.
You may wanna go easy.
Try a lobster button.
I been fighting a cold.
Spicy food cleanses the evil spirits.
The hotter the better.
All right.
Don't say I didn't warn you.
So why don't you just go talk to him? I can't.
You know, everything is all weird with us now.
Maybe it was just a one-time thing.
You know, adrenaline, heat of the moment.
Making out with Taggart? More like a moment of insanity.
Not so loud.
Look, I really need some outside perspective here.
Please? You want perspective? You hooked up with a guy whose age difference with you is the same as me and my dad.
That did it.
- Thanks.
- You're welcome.
You need something, Fargo? What? Uh, no.
I mean, I was, just gonna go get some food.
Do you want anything? I'm good.
Okay, then.
I didn't expect to see you here.
I didn't expect to be here.
But my ears finally stopped ringing.
I thought I could use the distraction.
- Well, it's good that you came.
- Yeah.
So how are your burns healing? Surprisingly well, actually.
My last treatment's tomorrow.
I take it there's no news from the disciplinary committee? It's the Department of Defense.
Nothing happens quickly.
Well, it was my call to sample the Artifact.
Kim Anderson died as a result.
As did the Artifact.
Someone has to take the fall.
It was an accident.
Let's just wait to see what the results are before we jump to worst-case scenarios.
Gonna head back to the lab.
Take one last look at the Artifact, just in case.
I don't think you should necessarily forget about what happened.
I think it'd be wrong.
It'd be horrible.
But I do think that we should look on the positive side.
- Positive? - Yeah.
Like Like the little things.
For the next four years we're gonna know which movies suck before they come out.
We're gonna know where bad guys are gonna do bad things before they even happen.
We're gonna know, the outcome to every major sporting event.
Huge financial upside.
Jack, I don't think you understand.
That life is gone.
We are not likely to relive many of the same events again.
Well, I've had this picnic before.
Right? As a matter of fact, tonight is the night when I first ask Allison out for the first time.
I remember that, because Vincent was right over there making the same lobster balls.
- Buttons.
- But Whatever it And, see the sweaty Asian guy here? He's gonna trip on that kid's hover thing and spill his chili all over that guy's T-shirt.
And I know that, 'cos tomorrow, when I go to the dry cleaners to get my clothes for the first date with Allison, he's gonna be complaing about how the stains didn't come out of his favorite T-shirt.
You have to take a step back.
Granted, some things may occur in a similar way.
But they are going to diverge more and more.
- No - You lived through four years of a timeline that was erased because you stopped me from doing the thing that created it saving Kim.
And the fact that we're having this conversation means things are going to change.
Everybody get ready! The moment has arrived.
There she is.
The firebird.
So far, everything's happened exactly the way it did last time.
Including the fact that I still can't see Taggart's crazy firebird.
Okay, that's new.
So no one saw what happened? No, all our eyewitnesses were staring at the sun.
There's not much tissue left, but I can run a DNA sample and get an I.
D.
No, I know who it is.
It's, fat, sweaty Asian guy.
- What? - Carter! I'm being descriptive.
If I knew his name, I'd use it.
His name is Kwan.
Wayne Kwan.
What? Are you sure? Yeah.
He was on his third bowl of chili.
Fourth, if you count the one he spilled on Dr.
Brock.
-You okay? -That's Kevin's occupational therapist.
He's been working with him for years.
I don't know how I'm gonna tell Kevin that he's gone.
What's up? Hum So, what he get too close to a barbecue? None nearby.
Drop a cigarette? Wayne was asthmatic.
He never touched them Vincent do you have any special ingredients in that five-alarm chili? -Like what? -I don't know.
Alcohol, rocket fuel.
Whatever else you cook up in that lab you call a kitchen.
I'll have you know I come by my spice naturally.
Without a doubt.
But that guy he ate three bowls of your chili and burst into flames.
So if it's not too much trouble, I'd love a sample.
Cool.
Help yourself.
- Any of you wanna test it for me? - It's what I live for.
- There is another possibility.
- What's that? Oh, you're not buying into Taggart's crazy firebird fairy tales? You've got to admit, the timing was a little disturbing.
There are documented incidents of combustion when certain chemicals are exposed to sunlight.
But in this case, most of them would have been in his GI tract.
He also spilled a bowl, so So maybe there is something to this Phoenix thing.
Fine.
Go talk to Taggart.
But don't get your hopes up.
Uh talk to Taggart? By myself? Why, do you have a problem with that? No you just never let me follow up on my own leads.
Jo, you've done this dozens of times over the years.
What years? Well, I you know.
I mean, no time like the present.
It's, uh I have every confidence in you.
Uh great.
See? We're not in Kansas anymore.
How's Kevin doing? I asked Beverly to come over and help him process the news.
Kevin, has your mom told you what happened to Wayne? He's gone.
Yeah.
Yeah, I'm afraid he is.
How do you feel about that? Will I still see the other man? What other man? The man downstairs.
-Do you know who he's talking about? -His sessions were always one-on-one.
Kevin, can you tell me the name of the man? Kevin? I don't know.
Okay.
I don't wanna push him.
It's an awful lot for him to process at one time.
He may even be making up this other man as a defense mechanism.
Well,thanks for coming by,Beverly.
We really appreciate it.
And by "we," I mean just all of us.
You know, in Eureka.
It takes a village.
Okay.
I might be making a lot of house calls in this village today.
- I'll see you tomorrow.
- Thank you, Beverly.
Hey, it's Carter.
I just talked to Taggart, and he thinks he may know what happened with Wayne.
All right, I'll be right there.
I call it the Phoenix Effect.
When the firebird appears, solar flares emit high-energy exotic meson particles.
Under the right atmospheric conditions, you can get spontaneous combustion.
Is that human? Of course it is.
Freshly-ground skin grafts from the bio-chem burn unit.
Now watch.
Uni-directional meson particle emitter.
Turn up the juice, and The Phoenix rises.
I hate you.
You're welcome.
Well, mystery solved.
Except why did it only happen to Wayne Kwan? Interesting point.
I'm gonna go shower.
I'm covered in human.
Dad, it's been 20 minutes.
-I need you to take me to the concert.
-I'll be out in a minute.
Allison Blake is calling, Sheriff.
Oh, great, put her through! Oh, yeah, please, take your time! Hey, Allison, can you hear me? Um, uh, yeah.
I can do more than hear you.
Oh, sorry, yeah.
- Hey.
- Hey? Can you put that away, please? Oh! Right, um S.
A.
R.
A.
H.
, no video phone in the bathroom! Any idea what happened to Wayne Kwan yet? Henry's testing the chili, and Taggart thinks the fire was caused by an eclipse.
- Uh, that's impossible.
- Yeah.
He has impressive visuals, though.
Um, anything more on the man downstairs that Kevin was talking about? No, I checked Global.
Wayne wasn't working with anyone else.
I don't know, maybe maybe Kevin did make it up.
Huh.
Do you have access to the GD phone records? -Yeah.
Why? -Well, I figure if we can find out who he was talking to, it might tell us something.
All right, hold on while I pull it up.
All right.
Take your time.
Okay, you know what? Now you're just mocking me.
Drive yourself.
- Really? - Yeah, but if you're not home by 11:00, -you will be sleeping in a jail cell.
-Carter I'm not gonna make her sleep in a jail cell.
She's only 15.
Right.
Which obviously means - that you don't have a license.
- Yeah, well, - I won't tell if you don't.
- Well, I was testing you.
- And I'm disappointed.
You failed.
- Carter, there are a bunch of calls to a chemist.
Rob Matthew.
But he works in Section Five.
Why would he be talking to Kevin's therapist? Nice place.
Yeah, Section Five guys say they don't get the best houses.
But they do.
Well, I live in an underground bunker that has more opinions than my ex-wife.
Hey, I'm thrilled just to have a window.
Do you smell smoke? Is everything okay? Oh, no.
Guess that would explain why he didn't answer his phone.
If Taggart's right about the Phoenix, everyone could be in danger.
It's not the stupid Phoenix.
After everything we've seen, how can you say for sure? Well, because Taggart said the combustion was caused by meson particles coming from a solar flare.
I'm no astrophysicist, but I don't think there are a lot of solar flares - inside a house.
- He's right.
Really? Could you not act so surprised? Think of it as getting a sunburn.
The sun's rays burn you from the outside in.
This guy's burned from the inside out.
Now, this is where the initial combustion happened.
Radiating from here.
The frontal lobes.
So their own minds did this to them? Yeah, it's like a power surge in the body's electrical system.
Think of the brain as the microprocessor and the body as the motherboard.
So then food would be the energy source.
Great have you tested Vince's chili yet? Digesting the beans in the chili would release methane, which is extremely flammable.
Except then, the burning would have started in the GI tract, and not in the brain.
So we're back to they just burst into flames for no apparent reason.
Everything has a reason.
We just haven't figured it out yet.
Maybe that's the thing we should be looking for.
What's the thing? Well, all this time we've been assuming that it was an accident.
What if someone had a reason to want them dead? That should do it, Dr.
Stark.
You can't even see the scars.
Yeah all better.
Time for your monthly Botox injection? Hello, Sheriff.
Really? No comeback? Just not in the mood.
All right.
There was another fire last night.
This time, we lost a researcher named Rob Matthew.
- What the hell's going on? - I'm trying to figure it out.
Two guys burn to death within eight hours.
I'm guessing it's related.
Were they working on anything together? I doubt they even knew each other.
Wayne was an occupational therapist in Section One.
Dr.
Matthew studied biotechnology in Section Five.
Well, We found a number of interoffice phone calls between them.
They must be talking about something.
Can't imagine what it would be.
I'm gonna need a list of names.
Anyone they have contact with.
Friends, family, coworkers, enemies, all of it.
You think someone did this to them? When something seems too coincidental, it usually is.
Dr.
Stark is one of the finest scientists Eureka has ever known.
And I think that his past contributions should be considered in your review.
Yet the fact remains that Dr.
Stark's decision to sample the Artifact cost millions of dollars in damage, and the life of another of Eureka's finest scientists.
Eureka is a place where we push the boundaries of human understanding every day.
And it is hypocritical to punish Dr.
Stark for doing his job.
Are you speaking as a D.
O.
D.
liaison or his wife? Ex-wife.
And I believe that my track record shows that our personal history has never interfered with my professional judgment.
Given the magnitude of this incident, I'm afraid the committee has no choice but to appoint a new head of Global Dynamics, effective immediately.
Why would anyone want to kill them in such a public way? I don't know.
I guess that's where this thing called investigating comes in.
I need to know who they work with and what kind of research they were doing.
- What's wrong? - Trouble logging in.
System error.
Sure you have access? There's nothing in this facility I don't have access to.
- Hey, Allie.
- Cart I'm trying something a little less formal.
- I'd prefer you didn't.
- So would I.
I can't get in the database.
Any idea what's wrong? The committee has reached a decision.
And you're the messenger? I'm sorry, Nathan.
Have they found my replacement yet? Actually, they have.
Anyone I know? Yes.
Me.
This isn't right.
I'll say.
-Thanks for the vote of confidence.
-I didn't mean that.
I defended you, Nathan.
Looks like you defended me right into a promotion for you.
The only reason you're not being redacted and escorted to the city limits is because of me.
So I should be thanking you? - Guys, bigger issues - Damn right you should be.
You were obsessed with the Artifact, and it cost Kim's life.
I mean, what did you expect? I don't know.
Not this.
- Good luck, Allison.
- Nathan, uh Fine.
What do we do? Well, we cross-check anyone Wayne Kwan or Rob Matthew had in common, to see if they were targeted.
You okay? Yeah, let's just - let's just find those names.
- Sure.
I don't know if this helps, but I believe things work out the way they're supposed to.
You just have to have a little faith.
Yeah, well I don't have a lot of faith these days.
G- go back.
I know that guy.
That's the guy Wayne spilled his chili on yesterday.
Ryan Brock, biotech, Section Five.
He worked with Dr.
Matthew.
What'd they work on? The origins of the Artifact.
That thing's been nothing but trouble.
Tell me about it.
I've seen him somewhere else too.
Hi, this is Allison Blake.
Can you send Dr.
Brock up to see me, please? Really? When? Okay, thank you.
He left for the day.
With a fever.
- Good afternoon, Dr.
Stark.
- Good afternoon.
Is there a problem? Sorry, sir.
For some reason your access is coming up denied.
Well, I'm pretty sure it's me.
Why don't you just perform an override? Regulations require special authorization for that, sir.
And who would you get that special authorization from? You.
Gotta love the irony.
Hey, Jo, it's Carter.
You copy? Lupo.
What's up? Over.
Keep your eye out for a Dr.
Ryan Brock.
- He's gonna be driving - a black Subaru Forester.
What'd Brock do? More was done to him.
Just like Wayne and Matthew.
We might have another fire brewing.
We're gonna go to his house right now.
Got it.
Over.
Wait, the Scratch that.
We're gonna stop at the dry cleaner.
Wait, wait how do you know that? Well, I bumped into Brock at the dry cleaner the day we had our first First what? Nothing.
I just know.
- It's Brock.
- Damn.
What's he doing over there? Hey! Glad we could catch up with you.
You okay? He's burning up.
I'll call the paramedics.
Actually, I'm not feeling so hot.
- Maybe get a fire extinguisher.
- Yeah.
Fire extinguisher? What's happening to me? We don't know, it's the same thing that happened to Wayne Kwan and Rob Matthew.
- Rob too? - Yeah.
- Oh, no.
- Yeah, who would wanna do this to you? - I don't know.
- Take a seat.
Everyone, clear now! Over here, this way.
Over here.
- Carter, we try to save him.
- I screwed up.
If I'd been a little sooner, I I'm having trouble keeping the times straight.
Everything's changed.
What are you talking about? What's changed? No, just something Henry was saying.
What about him? That's where I've seen Brock before.
Oh, man.
Hey, Henry.
Whatcha workin' on? Jack, hey.
Just tinke.
What's up? That's what I'm trying to find out.
And I sincerely hope I'm wrong.
About what? Could you run the hologram? Just there's something I need to see.
I thought you wanted me to leave it off.
Move on and all that.
I did, but I just realized what our victims have in common.
So turn it on.
Please.
Stop it there.
It's them.
It's Brock and Matthew.
Hey, look at that.
You're telling me you didn't know? -What are you saying? -I'm saying that everybody in this room could be held responsible for Kim's death.
I ruled out the accident.
I ruled out the eclipse.
I ruled out the chili, or should I say, you did.
You think I'm capable of murder? You risked the universe for her once.
What, is it really that different? Taking a risk and taking a life are two very different things! - I am incapable of the latter.
- Really? - Even for Kim? - Especially for Kim! What are you working on over there? - Not what you think.
- Knowing the lengths you went to last time to bring her back, what do you think I think? Even if I did blame those men, what motivation could I possibly have to kill Kevin's therapist? He wasn't even there! You're right.
Unless he was.
We can see everybody in the room.
Just can you fast forward this for a second? -Please.
You don't have to watch it.
-Yes, I do.
Okay, stop it there.
Can I see the other side of the room? Okay.
This might be a stupid question, but what exactly killed her? A concentrated burst of particulate radiation.
Like like a A shotgun blast.
Shotgun.
What's on the other side? Another lab.
You'll have to look at a building schematic why? My first year as a marshal, I tracked this guy down to a hotel.
I kick in the front door.
He comes out of the bathroom firing, just barely missing me.
But the woman in the next room wasn't so lucky.
Stray bullet.
Yeah.
We have to find out if someone was on the other side.
Does this mean you believe me now? It doesn't matter what I believe.
But the lab behind the blast wall wasn't damaged in the accident.
Well, not that we know of.
Keep scrolling.
The radiation from the Artifact is unlike anything we've seen before.
We don't have equipment sophisticated enough to measure it.
Which means that some of it could have passed through the wall undetected.
There, just, now who who works in that lab? Dr.
Matthew.
Who was exchanging frequent phone calls with Kevin's therapist.
Can you tell if anyone was in there at the time of the accident? Yeah, uh, each lab in Section Five has a biometric security scanner.
I can pull up the entry log.
I can't believe it.
It's Wayne.
And I Look at the time code.
He should have been in therapy with Kevin.
What was he doing in there? He was visiting the man downstairs.
My God, Kevin could have been in there with him.
Wait, where is he now? In session with Beverly, Section One.
There was someone else in the chamber.
Nathan is the last man standing.
- Well, he won't be for long.
- I'll have security help you find him.
Get him to cryogenics while there's still time.
Everything looks fine.
We'll keep him under observation just to be on the safe side.
Thank you.
They found Dr.
Stark.
Can you watch him, please? We have to cool him down.
I was so close.
So close to understanding.
Nathan, stay with me.
Just try to stay calm.
He's overloading, like the others.
- It looks like a massive seizure.
- It is.
- From what? - Exposure to the Art That's classified.
His temperature's up to 104.
Okay, the seizure's frying his electrical system.
We can we shut it down? You shut down his system, he dies.
Not the whole thing.
Just the bit of it that's misfiring.
You know, - tripping a breaker.
- Maybe we can.
- How? - Fight fire with misfire.
Jack's right.
We don't have to shut down the circuit, but to disrupt it.
- Great.
How do we do it? - Electroshock therapy.
No! Small silver box.
- Got it.
- They used electroshock therapy very effectively to disrupt seizure disorder.
Yes, in dealing with epilepsy.
But we have no idea how that will affect what's going on in his head! And we don't have time to fight about it! He's right.
Are you sure? Please don't burst into flames.
I'll do my best.
All right, hang in there.
Sheriff.
Didn't know you cared.
Oh, I don't.
Systems are online.
You ready? I'm sorry about Kim.
I know.
How are you feeling? Oh, like someone microwaved my brain.
But besides that Well, your fever topped 106 we were all really worried.
Me burst into flames? I'm not giving the D.
O.
D.
the satisfaction.
I really am sorry, Nathan.
Don't be.
They made the right choice.
You mean that? Absolutely.
After everything that's happened, don't think I could do the job anymore.
You might be just what this place needs.
This place still needs you too.
Well I should probably let you get some rest.
Nathan, can I ask you something? Sure.
What was Kevin's therapist doing in a lab in Section Five? I wish I knew.
I hear, um Nathan's on the mend.
Oh, sure, rub it in.
Allie has that book.
Had had that book.
In the other timeline.
- You okay? - No, you're right.
Every time I try to make things happen with Allie the way they did before, the more they change.
Tonight was supposed to be our first date.
Stark was supposed to take the job in San Francisco.
And instead, she's holding his hand,convincing him to stay.
And, uh sorry I suspected you.
You were just following your instincts.
Yeah.
Which were all wrong.
I mean I thought it would be easier this time around.
I thought, it'd be fun, you know.
Like I could do things better.
instead, a man died.
And I accused you of murder.
And the woman I love is slipping away.
I don't know if I can do this.
Maybe you don't have to.
- What what is that? - It's a modified version of the memory neutralizer that I designed years ago.
The original was like a shotgun, erasing short-term memory.
This one erases long-term memory, but is much more precise.
It can pinpoint the neuropathways associated with specific experiences and time periods.
You wanna erase your memory from the other timeline? I want to erase our memories.
You're my closest friend.
And intellectually, I know that you had to prevent me from saving Kim, but emotionally, I blame you for her death.
I can't look at you without thinking that you're the one who did this, that you're the one who took her away from me.
-I wish there had been another choice.
-I know.
But the pain that I feel every day that she's not here, the the pain that you feel knowing that you're not gonna be with Allison, that you're not gonna be meeting the child that you were having together.
This takes all that away.
Can we keep some of the memories? 'Cause there was this one time - with Allison - Jack.
I'm afraid it has to be all or nothing.
- You're really gonna do this? - We have to.
- And who will go first? - I'll make it easy for you.
I hear Nathan's on the mend.
Oh, sure.
Rub it in.
My head is killing me.
You okay? Yeah.
What Can I borrow this? Sure.
- I'll see you later.
- I'll see you later.
And I will never forget.
Good morning, Allison.
You look nice.
Going for a job interview? Actually, I am.
I I wanna work at Global Dynamics.
Congressman Faraday.
According to Nathan Stark, the Artifact appears to be dead.
That isn't possible.
I said "appears.
" Energy of that magnitude doesn't just die.
It had to go somewhere.
Kevin, honey, dinner's ready.
Come on, baby.

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