Radioactive Emergency (2026) s01e01 Episode Script

INSPIRED BY TRUE EVENTS
RADIOACTIVE EMERGENCY
Oh yeah, sure, man…
You're trying out for Atlético?
Next Sunday, yeah.
I didn't go before 'cause I needed cleats.
So where are they?
I don't have 'em yet.
But if today works out, I'll buy 'em.
So I guess whatever we're getting's
gotta be worth something…
I'm telling you man, it's good stuff.
Fine, but listen, man.
If you're really as good as you say,
you wouldn't need cleats
in the first place, know what I'm saying?
You're full of shit.
GOIÂNIA, GOIÁS
BRAZIL
- Pamonha!
- Can't play on a pitch without cleats.
- You're an expert now?
- No one's playing barefoot!
- Come on!
- I didn't need them.
- How you doing, guys?
- Hey!
Pamonha, here!
Get 'em while they're fresh!
SEPTEMBER 13, 1987
- Through here?
- Yeah.
GOIÁS RADIOTHERAPY INSTITUTE
- Hey, look.
- That's worthless. Leave it.
Worthless? No way.
Look how big this is, Carlinhos.
Put it down! Come here.
You're just messing with me, right, man?
No, I'm telling ya.
There's serious money here.
I'll show you.
Hey, Carlinhos?
Did this place used to be a hospital?
- Feels like it's haunted or something.
- Don't be stupid, man. Come on.
It's just through here.
Check it out.
That thing?
Listen.
You hear that?
That's lead, dude.
That's worth a ton of money.
This doesn't make any sense, I mean…
Tell me, who's gonna leave something
in an abandoned dump like this,
especially if it's valuable?
Who needs lead if you have gold? Huh?
Now would you stop yapping
and get the tools? Come on.
- I can't believe you…
- C'mon!
I bet you 100 we rip this thing open
and there's absolutely nothing inside.
Wow, way to be a downer…
Here, grab the wrench.
Yeah, this'll do the trick.
At least we'll be done pretty soon.
Hang on a sec.
You know what you're doing?
C'mon, Carlinhos,
I know how to work, all right?
Yeah, I know, that's why I'm asking.
'Cause you're usually shit.
- Oh, that's real nice…
- Now look.
Here, drop it.
5 DAYS LATER
There's aluminum mixed in with the lead,
but I could maybe do… For you?
Let's say 1,300.
This thing was a pain in the ass.
C'mon, 2,000.
No way, what do you want from me?
You know I gotta pay my boys. 1,500.
C'mon, Evenildo, there's plenty of lead…
And I gotta buy new cleats too.
It's your lucky day.
1,750. You won't get better than this.
And to sweeten the deal,
how about another 50
so you can buy something
nice for your mom.
Huh? Cash.
Seventeen hundred and fifty.
And 50 for your ma, okay?
And you, Lucio…
- Thanks, Mr. Evenildo!
- Get yourself a beer on me.
Hey! Where's your smile, kid?
You just made some money!
It's fine, Carlinhos. I'll come
tomorrow to pick up the carts.
Well, yeah, you better,
I'm not bringing them to you!
- See ya!
- All right, bye for now.
Buy yourself a new hat, huh?
He won't shut up about my hat,
fuckin' guy!
Lift a bit, yeah.
Lift it up for me. Yeah.
Come on.
No, sweetheart, I'm almost done,
I'm closing up now, okay?
Bye.
What the…
What is this?
Oh my God…
10 DAYS LATER
Tininha?
What is it?
Hey, everything okay?
Open up.
I feel so sick, I can't stop throwing up.
Ah shit.
It must've been that shrimp.
I told you, it was no good.
- Yeah, well, I was sick before that.
- Yeah?
- Uh-huh.
- Have some boldo tea.
I'll brew some.
Hey, by the way,
have you seen my shiny pot around?
Shiny pot what?
That glowy metal thing.
You haven't seen it?
- Nope.
- In the living room.
Then go look in there, why don't you?
You haven't seen it?
- Mm-mm.
- You messing with my stuff?
Great, here we go.
See? It's not here.
Son of a…
Listen. Just tell me,
you… you didn't throw it away?
- For the love of--
- Evenildo!
You've been carting that damn thing
with you everywhere you go.
It's probably at the scrapyard!
You should have never brought that demon
whatever-it-is home in the first place.
- Demon? What?
- Yes, Evenildo, it's evil.
That thing is making us all sick,
and you don't believe me, you never do!
You're laughing at me right now!
No…
- Just, when you get mad, you light up.
- No.
Listen, that thing is leaving
the house today, I promise you.
- Hm.
- I found a guy who wants to buy it,
he'll pick it up soon.
- Mm-hm.
- Your husband is just that good…
- Gonna make a killing.
- That's good.
- You know what I'm gonna do?
- No idea, could you…
You don't wanna guess?
Ah… I'm gonna open up a little place
just for you, and call it Tininha's.
You're gonna be famous!
And with your cooking…
- …we're gonna make so much money.
- Mm…
I'll quit that old scrapyard,
and I'll manage your restaurant.
- Yeah, sure. For sure.
- Okay?
Mmm, you smell good…
Don't start. I'm not in the mood,
just go away.
Let's go to the bedroom.
I'm not going anywhere,
I haven't washed the dishes.
All right, well…
You sure you haven't seen that pot?
No, Evenildo.
Raimundo!
- Yeah?
- You seen my shiny pot?
- No, sorry.
- Really?
- Nope.
- Well, shit.
How would I know where you left it?
Ah! It's probably at the scrapyard.
There you go.
Raimundo?
Yes, Mrs. Antônia?
Come here, please. I need some help.
- Could you grab that bag for me?
- You got it, Mrs. Antônia.
It's heavy.
- Should I take it out this way?
- Yeah, go ahead.
This thing weighs a ton.
Be careful.
GOIÂNIA CITY HALL
- Over here, Mrs. Antônia.
- Let's find a seat.
I'm sorry, excuse me.
- Good afternoon.
- Hello.
Yeah. Sorry, sorry. Excuse me.
Excuse me, sir.
Pardon me, sorry.
Sorry, sorry. Sorry.
You go ahead.
In the name of the Father,
Son, holy ghost… Aparecida.
HEALTH DEPARTMEN
She's been here two hours and says she's
not moving until someone talks to her.
And I've gotta go,
I've gotta get to the salon.
- Has she told you what it's about?
- No.
Go ask her then.
- I'll see what I can do.
- Okay.
- Good afternoon.
- Hello.
How are ya?
Listen, I'm sorry,
but we're just about to close.
Well, if you haven't closed yet,
you're not closed.
- Can you please just hear me out? Okay?
- Yeah.
- Of course, uh… it's Mrs., uh…
- Antônia.
Antônia.
How can I help you, Mrs. Antônia?
I'm Jânio.
Well, sir, it's this thing.
It's been poisoning people for days.
The boys who work with my husband
are all in the hospital now.
- Uh-huh.
- Carlos and Lúcio as well.
And now I'm sick, my husband too…
- We're all throwing up, it's not good…
- Right. Okay, Mrs. Antônia, I understand,
but what is it?
Some cursed thing
my husband bought at the scrapyard.
- Like a piece of… metal?
- Yes.
I doubt it's that,
it might be your septic system, or--
- No, not that.
- Might be a problem--
- I know what the problem is.
- Food poisoning?
- Not the food.
- Something spoiled?
This is happening to families
in different houses, we're all sick.
- It can't be everyone's food!
- He's not gonna listen to us, let's go.
I'm just trying to understand
what this is all about.
- Doesn't fuckin' look like you're trying.
- Raimundo!
Ever since this evil demon pot arrived,
everyone's gone to the hospital.
- It has to be this.
- How can a piece of metal--
- C'mon, Mrs. Antônia.
- I'm just trying to--
- He won't help, let's go.
- I'm dizzy.
Oh, hey. Take a breath, okay? Have a seat.
- Cristina! Bring a glass of water.
- I feel nauseous…
Here! Here.
- Have some water.
- Are you okay?
- Good, breathe, Mrs. Antônia.
- Feel better?
- I need some air.
- Yeah.
Let's get you some air.
Deep breaths, you're all right.
- Cris, put the chair over there, please.
- Got it, Doctor.
- Here we go.
- Have a seat.
Just breathe, okay, you'll be fine--
Hey, whoa!
Oh!
Aw geez.
Mrs. Antônia, just have a seat, please.
- I don't want to.
- Breathe, okay? More water.
- Cris, water, please.
- I don't wanna sit.
I don't want water! For the love of God,
I want to get rid of this thing!
Okay, we'll get rid of it for you,
but please, just sit for a bit, would you?
I'm not gonna sit down.
All right, you won't sit, that's fine.
- Just around the corner is a clinic.
- No.
Take her there and leave the bag with us.
Listen, I will go right now
if you promise to get rid of this thing.
Mrs. Antônia,
I promise you that we'll dispose of it.
Listen, you have to promise me
you'll go to the clinic for your nausea.
- But you do believe me? Please!
- Yes, I believe you.
I'll take care of it myself.
- Put it down there.
- Good, just there.
- You'll have someone examine it, right?
- I promise I will, yes.
- Be careful, sir.
- Let's go.
- Just up the street, okay?
- I know.
How are you feeling now? Better?
This is Savannah Sun Radio.
Good morning, Goiânia!
We're back with our exclusive interview
with Governor Roberto Correia.
Sir, given the serious economic crisis
we're currently facing,
what can we expect
for the future of Goiânia?
It's true,
there is inflation throughout the country
and a strike at the General Hospital.
DAY 1
However, there's good news to be had.
BEGINNING OF THE RADIOACTIVE EMERGENCY
Thanks to the efforts of agribusiness
owners, as well as government investments,
we have brokered a deal to have
a record harvest in Goiás next year.
People of Goiás,
when no one else believed in us,
I believed in us.
While the rest of the country
is stuck in the mud, we're soaring.
Watch out, São Paulo!
Ready for breakfast?
Your dad is waiting.
Aw!
Aw, gosh, look at this guy.
He's such a drama queen.
You're just like…
your dad.
When did you turn into him?
How much do you wanna bet
that he's gonna start complaining
- about how we never visit?
- Mm-hm.
Then he'll complain
that we didn't bring a present.
- Mm?
- He will. I know him.
But you know…
as a matter of fact, you did…
bring him a present.
What present?
A present.
You really have no idea?
- No.
- You haven't guessed?
Mm-mm.
Cha-cha-cha-chaaa
How did this happen, Bianca?
I think you know.
Are you happy?
I'm pretty sure…
I'm happy about it, yeah.
My sweetheart.
You're gonna be a mom.
And you'll be a dad.
Oh, I love you so, so much,
this is crazy, I just love you…
Should we go and tell your dad?
We should…
Maybe we should wait a bit to tell him.
Oh.
Once we're back in Rio,
we'll tell him then.
- You're just saying that.
- We will, seriously!
- Morning, Cris.
- Good morning.
Listen, that lady who came yesterday,
- Mrs. Antônia, remember?
- Mm-hmm.
- I remember.
- We haven't heard from her?
Thank goodness we haven't.
Nobody's touched that bag outside,
have they?
- No…
- Okay.
Mrs. Antônia Quadrado?
Yes.
- You were saying you've been vomiting?
- Mm-hmm.
- Dizzy spells?
- Oh yeah.
- And some hair loss?
- Lots.
- Lots?
- Yeah.
Okay.
- And what are these?
- Ah, they hurt a lot, Doctor.
Right. Can I see your other hand?
- Did you get burned?
- No.
You weren't burned?
- No. They just appeared…
- Huh.
And there's another, here.
How long have you had these?
Oh, a few days now.
- A few days.
- Mm-hmm.
The doctor will see you soon.
Can I make you more comfortable?
There you go.
- Ay!
- Happy birthday, Dad. Cheers.
- To your health.
- Long may he live and reign!
Ah, well thank you, my dear.
I have to tell you, I'm honored, you know?
You're both here,
came all the way from Rio
to Goiânia for my birthday.
- Mm-hm.
- Just for me.
- Yeah, well, it's a special occasion.
- Happy birthday.
Though it has been quite a few years
since you've visited me, son.
Yeah…
No. We came last year, didn't we?
It was last year, wasn't it?
- Uh-huh. Christmas Day.
- Christmas. Right.
But you're not staying
just two days again?
- You know how work is.
- That's right.
I'm not complaining, that's all right.
Now as for my present,
I know exactly what's
at the top of my list. For both of you.
There's an opening
for a professor position,
here, at the University of Goiânia,
just down the street.
The pay is good.
And the cost of living here,
you know, I mean… it's so much lower.
You could maybe
move into the neighborhood.
Son, with your education,
you could be a professor
at that university tomorrow!
But if you have to keep hunting for a job…
Dad, I already told you,
I'm going to take as many interviews
as I have to get a job in my field. Okay?
I'm not just trying to find a job,
I'm a nuclear physicist.
There's nothing for me here.
Nothing except your family, right?
Oh honey, just let this go,
all right? We're celebrating, aren't we?
We came all the way here…
Yeah, you know? Let's just tell him.
- No.
- It'll put us all in a way better mood.
- C'mon.
- No.
No.
Hello?
Hey, Márcio. It's Ricardo. How are ya?
Dr. Cabeça!
To what do we owe the honor, Doctor?
- Who is it? Who is it?
- It's Cabeça, I grew up with him.
- Heard you were in town.
- Just for a few days.
Listen, I'm calling you because
we've had a bunch of patients
come in with the same symptoms.
Dizzy spells and migraines,
some hair loss, vomiting.
Then I remembered
you specialized in nuclear physics, right?
Mm-hmm.
So I was thinking about
what could be causing these symptoms
and I'm wondering
if it's some kind of poison
from a radioactive source.
No. No, it can't be, because
for the patients to have those symptoms,
it'd have to be acute poisoning.
They would've needed to be exposed
to an enormous dose, no way.
Right… But I also got a call from
the Director of the Health Department
about one of the patients
who was transferred here,
and she's blaming it on
some kind of capsule that she left
over at the Health Department.
Look, since you're in town anyway,
would you mind popping over there for me?
No, Cabeça, I'm in town
because it's my dad's birthday.
I'm sorry, I can't.
The director can pick you up. Please?
I promise you'll be back home in an hour.
Okay, I'll do it, just make sure he stops
by Nuclebrás to pick up a scintillometer.
And I have to be back in an hour,
no later.
- Sure.
- What now?
- You're not leaving.
- Thanks so much.
- I can explain.
- What'd you say?
- We're good. It's nothing.
- Okay.
- Baby…
- Right, talk soon. Bye.
Right. See ya. Bye.
Sorry.
The worst part is she threw up on my shoe.
Right. Did you see what was in the bag?
No way, I didn't want to open it.
Better safe than sorry, right?
What's that noise?
- The scintillometer, it's totally normal.
- Okay.
Hey, that's… that's really weird.
Whoa, that's a shitty noise.
What's wrong with your machine?
The damn thing must be broken.
- What?
- It's not working.
We're gonna need another one.
Chicão… Let's go back to Nuclebrás.
And we were right there… C'mon, let's go.
HEALTH DEPARTMEN
Fire Department.
You sure you know how to use this thing?
It's not a Geiger counter,
it's a scintillometer. Way more sensitive.
It reacts to the slightest radiation.
The Doctor has a PhD
in nuclear physics from abroad.
He knows how to use one of these.
And I can tell you for sure
this one isn't working properly.
Seems to be working fine for me.
Do you have another one
you can lend us just to be sure?
I do.
- What is it?
- I don't know.
But whatever it is, I don't want it.
Please just take it away.
I don't know… dump it in the river.
- What's with the traffic?
- I dunno. It's weird though…
Yeah, for sure.
- It's that bag!
- Wait! Stop!
- Stop!
- Hold on! Put that bag down right now!
Cris! Cris,
no one was supposed to touch it!
I didn't touch it,
I called the firefighters.
It's going in the river.
No, no, no! It's radioactive!
- Oh no!
- Radioactive?!
It's incredibly dangerous,
we have to put it back right now!
It can't go back to the Health Department.
- So we contaminate somewhere else?
- My patients!
You'd throw it in the river
and contaminate the city?
- Jânio, you ever heard of Chernobyl?
- Chernobyl?!
Jânio, stop! Listen. Listen to me.
- We've all got to evacuate.
- I don't have--
This thing's exceeded
the capacity of the scintillometer.
Everyone here, you and me,
we've been exposed to it.
We have to get them out!
We can't risk not evacuating the building,
if we don't, people are gonna die!
Jânio!
Okay.
You! That bag has to go
back into the alley right now!
- You two!
- Let's go!
Get to the other side of the street!
You all need to get away!
Stay back!
Attention! We are evacuating right now!
I want everyone out front, now!
Out! Come on, out! Everyone out right now!
Stay calm! Out front!
Yeah, this way! Come on, move!
Evacuate, please. Hey!
Everybody move, right now!
Listen to me. You need
to find out where this thing came from,
where it's been and who's picked it up,
because plenty more places are probably
already contaminated, we have to act fast.
Ah! Mrs. Antônia.
That's the lady who brought the bag here.
She said her husband bought it
off someone at his scrapyard.
Ah! She left the address
of the place here.
Yeah, here we go…
Listen, Márcio. You're the physicist.
You're the expert,
I don't know anything
about this, man. Nothing!
You have to come with me, help me out.
Can you help?
Just here.
Well?
This place is super contaminated too.
Then we can't go in there, can we?
We're already exposed. Yeah?
We shouldn't be around it anymore.
How dangerous is this for us right now?
Be honest.
Imagine this radioactivity like a…
like a bonfire.
Okay.
How much you get burned by it depends on
its distance, how big it is,
and how much time you spend near it.
But with fire, you can feel it.
- You feel the burn.
- Of course. I understand.
But with radiation,
you don't feel a thing.
Nothing.
Even though it's incredibly dangerous,
you only feel the effects much later on.
But just like any bonfire,
the more that you can stay back,
the less exposure you have,
well… the better.
I can't determine
how much we've been exposed
without knowing the source
and how much it's giving off…
And we have no data yet.
But what I can tell you
is that if there are people in there,
we have to get them out as soon as we can.
Let's get this over with, c'mon.
Hello?
Hello?
Heya!
- How you doing?
- Yeah, just a sec, I'll be right with ya.
- Morning. Can I help you?
- Morning. Yeah, um…
We're looking to speak with
a Mr. Evenildy. He works down here, right?
It's Evenildo, my man, Evenildo…
You're talking to him.
Yeah.
Uh, Mr. Evenildo,
we're from the Health Department.
Your wife, Mrs. Antônia?
She brought something to us…
You know about this?
The item in question
is incredibly dangerous.
It's emitting radiation and
has already contaminated this place.
You're talking about here?
Who are these guys, Evenildo?
Hold on, is that… is that a gun?
Who are you with? You police?
A gun? No, no, no, no.
It's not a gun, not a weapon.
And we're not police.
We're trying to identify where exactly
this object came from, that's all.
The man's talking like a cop, see?
You two think I'm dumb or what?
Mr. Evenildo,
we're with the Health Department.
We're not with the police.
Look, if you don't have anything
you wanna sell, the exit's that way.
Have a good one.
Your wife's still in hospital, right?
Other affected people
are being treated there too.
This whole scrapyard
is contaminated, I swear.
We're looking at
really, really, really high levels.
Mr. Evenildo,
listen, the two of us are here to help.
All of you need
to get out of here right away.
Hold up a minute, just wait.
No one is leaving here, no.
You guys are trespassing on my property.
- We're not--
- Anyway, you can't even
be here without a warrant.
- Do you have a warrant?
- Ah, no, it's fine.
- You have to help us. We don't have time--
- Listen, we're staying outside.
Mr. Evenildo, you can relax.
No one is going in,
and you don't have to leave now, okay?
But we need to pinpoint where that thing
came from and where's it been.
We need to follow its trail.
It hasn't been anywhere.
You satisfied now?
This is serious. People could be killed!
Look,
you picked this thing up somehow, right?
Are you calling me a thief?
No, I'm not calling you anything,
I'm honestly just trying to…
I just need this information.
Then let's settle this shit, man!
Look, the boys brought it in here,
and then I bought it off 'em.
- You saying that's a problem?
- There's no problem, okay?
Just tell me where the boys are.
There's two guys who come around
here sometimes, Carlos and Lúcio.
- What're you doing?
- What's the problem? They didn't rob us!
- What is it?
- They might be cops!
Guys, guys, please!
Do you happen to know
where they might've picked it up?
I do.
That's great.
This used to be
a radiotherapy clinic, right?
Yeah, it was shut down three years ago.
Motherfucker…
The capsule is missing.
There's no radiation here?
No.
Which obviously means
they didn't open the capsule here…
I don't get it. How the hell could they
have left such dangerous equipment behind?
SECRETARY OF HEALTH
I've already got the press all over me
because of what you did.
Now you wanna evacuate
a whole neighborhood?
The scrapyard in question is highly
contaminated, Mr. Secretary.
Sir, we need to evacuate the entire area
so we can analyze and decontaminate it.
I don't have the power to do that.
Well then, just… call the Governor, sir!
What if it's nothing?
Will you take responsibility
if it turns out there's no danger?
Listen, sir, I can promise you,
what we're dealing with is not nothing.
Mr. Secretary, please.
The readings outside the yard
are already far above normal.
A nuclear bomb?
No. No, we don't have any in Brazil.
But what if the US decides to attack?
CNEN
NATIONAL NUCLEAR ENERGY COMMISSION
- Yeah? Or the Soviets?
- Ha!
No, look…
those at the forefront of nuclear energy
research did not do it for war.
Yeah, but Chernobyl blew up, right?
The Chernobyl disaster was an accident,
it was not a bomb.
Could the Angra power plant
explode in a similar way?
No, no, no. No.
Things are under control there,
I assure you. All right?
Wow. I thought working with
nuclear physics would be more exciting.
But it is!
Yes. It's quite a thrill.
And there's never a dull moment,
you know. Seriously.
National Nuclear Energy Commission.
Right, let's see what you've learned.
What? An accident in Goiânia?
Slow down, please.
I-I'm having trouble following.
Just one moment, please. Line 2.
- Uh, Rita, would you pass me the, um…
- Of course.
- Yeah.
- Here we are.
Here, Rita.
Good. Thank you.
Uh, okay now. Can you repeat
the name of the clinic for me?
One more time, please.
The Goiás Radiotherapy Institute.
Uh-huh.
Ah. Looks like it was
closed three years ago.
There was indeed a cobalt machine there,
but our records say it was
removed from the site.
You sure, Doctor?
Because I was just there
and I saw an abandoned shell.
What? But that would mean…
Mean what?
Yes. There was another
machine at the clinic.
And I don't see anything confirming
it was removed. No records…
I can't say for certain
it ever left the site.
Did it also use cobalt?
No, it was Cesium-137.
Mm. One of the Chernobyl isotopes?
Yes, that's right.
Solid or powdered?
Looks like it was one of those
obsolete ones. Powdered.
But… there's no record of its status.
How's that possible?
Find César for me immediately.
I need to talk to him right now.
César is at the Vienna Congress.
I'll try to get in touch.
Hello, Márcio?
The cesium in question is housed
inside a steel and lead capsule.
The canister is heavy, extremely heavy.
Nobody would be able to move it
from the site without proper equipment.
It's impossible.
It's possible, sir. I can assure you.
IRD - INSTITUTE OF RADIATION
PROTECTION AND DOSIMETRY
All right, everyone,
I'd like you all to meet our new intern!
WELCOME, ESTHER
IRD IS PLEASED TO HAVE YOU
Just kidding.
Esther's actually worked here
for many years,
because if you don't know,
she revolutionized the whole institute.
Trust me when I say this woman is
the foremost authority
on dosimetry in Brazil.
So much so that
São Paulo nabbed her a few years ago,
but I fought to bring her back here!
- Esther, welcome back.
- Thank you.
The floor is yours if you'd like to…
make a speech, I guess.
Oh… my goodness.
For those of you who don't know me,
despite any outward appearances,
I am truly hoping that you come to see me
as a partner and perhaps even a friend.
Because I believe that
science is a collaborative activity.
And hopefully during this time together,
we'll all learn as a team.
- Aw!
- Thank you.
Let's get back to work, yeah?
- Thank you.
- Well done!
- Ah.
- Excuse me…
Dr. Orenstein's called to ask for
a list of specialized equipment.
Really? What for?
Apparently there's been
an incident in Goiânia.
Governor, believe me when I say there's
enough radiation out there to be serious.
The scintillometer was overloaded,
and while it's sensitive,
it's less precise.
We might be dealing with an enormous dose,
we can't be certain.
"Can't be certain"? What do you mean?
Imagine a meat scale
you'd find in a butcher's shop.
It can measure up to 20 pounds, right?
But if you step on the thing,
it can't handle it.
It'll break.
We couldn't tell
if you weigh 20 or 200 pounds.
The scintillometer works
based on the exact same principle, sir.
What I do know is that these people
are being exposed to radiation non-stop.
What I don't know is the quantity.
So we have to do it this way.
Evacuate, and then immediately
isolate anyone who's contaminated.
Contaminated?
Can I borrow your pen?
Sure.
So, Governor. Imagine this is the source.
And the ink inside
is the radioactive material.
As you approach the source, you become
irradiated.
But if you move away from the source,
you cease being irradiated,
and it won't spread to anybody else.
You… you could have lunch with
the secretary, no problem.
But if the source is opened…
I understand. If the ink…
the material inside gets out and falls
on me, I'll start spreading it further.
Exactly, sir.
But this isn't like ink… It's powder.
It's powdered cesium,
which is even more fine
than a single grain of sugar,
but still very highly radioactive.
If it somehow ends up
on someone's skin or their clothing,
if they ingest or breathe it in,
they're contaminated,
and they become a source themselves.
Sir, we have to take the scrapyard crew
- to a hospital right away.
- Yeah.
And there's the team at the Health
Department who were exposed, too.
Yeah, all of them.
No, no, no, no, wait, hang on.
We can't take them to the hospital.
If they're around more people,
that's more potential
contamination vectors we could face.
Maybe we should…
isolate them all somewhere safe.
We have to… Is there somewhere
set up for this kind of emergency?
Uh…
There's the stadium, potentially?
Hm. Jânio, you…
I-I need you to take the necessary steps
to prepare the stadium for these people.
- Of course, Governor.
- And you, Souza,
I want you to arrange
for their transport there.
Mm-hm. Right, I'll do that, sir, but…
he's the specialist here.
Márcio, I'll need you to assist me
in coordinating all of this.
Uh, no, you want Dr. Orenstein. He's CNEN.
- He's coming from Rio. He can help.
- Hang on. You're not CNEN?
Me? Oh, no, no, no.
I'm just here for my father's birthday.
Márcio, you know we never visit him.
And you disappear on his birthday
to do a favor for some guy,
some old neighbor
you haven't spoken to in ages? Seriously?
Honey, it's bigger than that.
The Governor's asked me to help,
I can't just refuse, you know?
The Governor?
- Yeah, orders straight from the Governor.
- Márcio?
- Yeah.
- Is he okay?
Everything's okay, Mr. Zé, yes.
- He'll be a little late.
- All right.
- Our transport's here, let's go.
- I'll just be a second.
Your father's home.
Just came in with fresh bread.
The cake's on the table.
Baby, I'm really sorry,
I have to go. I'm sorry, love you.
Evenildo, look at my hand.
The burn's in the same place where
I touched that powder you had here.
Everyone who's touched that thing
is feeling sick now.
Antônia, the boys,
they're in the hospital.
And you wanna sit here and pretend
it's something else making us sick?
And João too.
He was throwing up yesterday.
And Celeste's been sick ever since
that thing came into our house.
All they can keep down are potatoes…
João, Claudinei, and Celeste, all three.
I get it, okay? I've got
some kind of allergic reaction too.
- Uh-huh.
- But that thing's gone now, it's all over.
No need to worry,
end of story. It can't hurt us anymore.
Tininha is gonna be
showing up soon, all right?
Her and the kids'll get better
and we'll all go back to normal.
Now what I'm actually
worried about is those two guys.
I didn't like the way
they were talking to us…
Trying to scare us away
from the scrapyard.
You believe that bullshit?
But if that thing is giving off radiation,
like those guys said,
we could end up like Chernobyl.
Wow, Raimundo, look around, all right?
You see a nuclear power plant?
I'm just saying, João.
- Keep quiet, everyone.
- You're not gonna see who it is?
Go on, answer.
Darlei, I told you to stay quiet!
You still think they came
because they want to help us?
Good evening. I'm Emerson Souza,
the State Secretary of Health.
Since when does the Military Police
deal with health stuff?
We need to evacuate this house right away.
All of you have been contaminated
with cesium-137.
I thought you told me that you
weren't with the police, man.
I'm not a cop.
No, I swear. I was telling the truth.
But look. My name is Márcio
and I'm a nuclear physicist,
and he really is the Secretary of Health.
Your house is highly contaminated,
you have to believe us.
First it was my scrapyard.
And now you're saying my house.
So what's next, huh? What?
Listen to me.
Every minute you remain in this house,
the risk to your health increases
and the danger gets worse.
That capsule you picked up
had powder in it, right?
That powder is radioactive.
It sticks to your clothes
and your skin and your hair,
and if you don't get treatment soon,
it can kill you.
This device… is called a scintillometer.
What it does is measure radiation levels.
You hear this sound?
That confirms that
your house is contaminated.
We're telling the truth.
I need you to trust me.
Where do you plan to take us
if we go with you?
Somewhere safe,
away from the contamination.
- To the hospital where Antônia is?
- No, no.
First to a screening center,
then anyone who needs
medical care will go to the hospital.
A screening center?
With the cops outside my door?
What's all this, huh?
You saying we're criminals?
I'm not leaving my house.
Look, I'm sorry to put it this way,
but you don't have a choice.
All of you have to come with us
or you'll contaminate others.
No! You can't force me
to leave my own house!
Mommy… Mommy, my head hurts.
Come to Mommy, sweetie.
Claudinei, you too.
Come on, honey.
Let's go.
MILITARY POLICE
Good evening, everyone.
I need you all to come with me, please.
Okay? Follow me.
What are we doing here?
It's for your own good.
Hey, man, we got kids back here. Kids!
I know, I know.
There's room for all of you.
- C'mon, João.
- Yeah, coming.
Okay? Follow me.
Come on, Celeste. It's okay…
This way.
Would you all come this way? Thank you.
Just that way, across the field.
Those two firefighters
will take you to the shelter. Okay?
Thank you.
Mr. Zé? Is it time for the birthday cake?
What about Márcio?
Oh, Márcio can't make it back just yet.
But you must be so tired…
We'll save him
a piece of the cake for later.
No, no, no! I want to wait for him.
We interrupt this program…
Wait, what's that?
Whoa, whoa. Turn-turn it up, Antônio.
Prisma Breaking News.
There has been a radioactive
contamination incident in Goiânia.
- Radioactive?
- What did they say?
Members of the family have been
evacuated from their home by military…
It's Márcio! It's Márcio! Oh!
We'll bring you the latest information
as it becomes available.
Thank you.
- Good evening.
- Sir.
Would you explain to me
how this whole thing could've happened?
That's something that
will take time to find out.
Right now,
we need to act quickly and decisively
to prevent a tragedy.
Are you Márcio?
No, Doctor, I'm Emerson Souza,
the Secretary of Health.
- Mm. Mm.
- It's good to meet you.
Márcio… is this young man here.
Good evening.
I'm Márcio, Doctor, we spoke on the phone.
I've read all your articles,
I'm truly honored to meet you.
I wasn't expecting you
to make me feel so old.
Márcio, what criteria have you used
to determine which houses to isolate?
Well, there was no established protocol.
- Mm-hm.
- I used the maximum allowable radiation
as a guide, so 0.1 millirems
inside the houses, and 0.5 outside.
I only had a scintillometer.
So I couldn't accurately measure
the degree of radiation.
He… Look,
the kid said he knew what he was doing.
No, no. He does. He does.
I would've done
the very same thing in his position.
Now we have two tasks
that will be very important to carry out.
We need to prevent
the spread of more cesium
and isolate the victims.
The priority was getting them
out of the contaminated site,
and now that's done,
we have to screen all of them thoroughly.
We must identify the contaminated
and determine who needs medical care.
Then we bring those patients
to an isolated hospital ward
as soon as possible.
Many are already
at the Hospital for Tropical Diseases.
But have they been isolated?
Completely isolated?
Secretary, it's imperative
they be completely isolated.
Márcio, I need to see the cesium source
to better understand
the extent of the problem.
- It's at the Health Department.
- Wait.
Hasn't the boy
already taken the measurements?
Didn't you say he was right about it all?
This Geiger counter, Governor,
mine, is far more precise.
It can measure high doses
with much greater accuracy.
It's like his is a pharmacy scale
and mine is a butcher's.
All right, all right,
I think I get the picture.
Shall we head out?
Yes, yes, let's go.
Hey, come here a sec. Come here.
Go ahead, I'll catch up with you.
clicking intensifies again]
The Geiger counter maxed out over there.
This is very bad.
We've got to move it, now.
That's impossible.
Handling the source directly
is out of the question.
We can't even get close.
And where would you take it?
You can't dump it!
Yes, I'm well aware of that,
but we can't just leave a bomb
in the middle of the city!
We have to remove it tonight.
It's usually secured inside a lead capsule
to contain the radiation. Isn't it?
But we can't melt lead out here, can we?
I'm going to need a tube,
a big one, made of concrete.
Like the ones that are used for sewage.
With a very big opening to fit over
the chair. And a concrete mixing truck.
It's so that the-the radiation
can be contained with concrete.
So if we cover the bag
with a concrete tube
and then pour more concrete
over top of it,
it'll keep both the powder
and the radiation more contained.
And it'll be so heavy
it'll be impossible for anyone to move it.
Now, concrete alone is not enough
to contain all the radiation.
This building, the Health Department,
is going to have to remain closed.
But where we are, the perimeter around it,
would be safe for now.
It's the only way this gets resolved
before morning, Governor.
This can't be in place forever.
You'll have to move it eventually.
Governor, I promise you,
I won't leave Goiânia
until I've handed the city
back to you safe and sound.
Márcio. C'mere.
I'm sorry, but you've been exposed
enough today that I'll have to check you.
I know. Of course.
I… Please, just let me tell you something.
I talked to one of the victims.
The cesium was handled
by more people than the ones in isolation.
It's been spread out
and shared with friends and neighbors.
It's worse than we feared.
We're going to need a lot more
boots on the ground for this fight.
We'll have to undergo an exhaustive
contact tracing effort, it's the only way.
Hold out your arms, please.
Ah… You're not contaminated.
That's a relief.
Your shoes, take them off. Now, quickly.
Put them in here.
Be careful.
Right, careful now.
Here's what you do.
You take that bag and throw it
over the Health Department's wall,
it's shut down anyway. Go.
All right, Márcio,
that's plenty for today.
Head back home, take a shower,
eat something… But don't go anywhere.
I'm going to need you tomorrow.
And thank you for today.
I'll be here.
Well, sure, but it's my house,
I can wash a few dishes!
- No, Mr. Zé, why don't you lie down?
- And leave you to do all the dishes?
I'll be fine…
Is that Márcio?
- Son! What are you… I don't understand.
- Dad, listen to me.
Things got seriously messed up,
but I'm fine.
- We saw you on the TV! How messed up?
- Hey, why are you naked? What happened?
Look, I'm completely fine,
but I need you both to listen.
- Just hang on.
- You need to tell us the truth!
- Why are you in your underwear?
- Look at you!
Where were you?
We need to know, Márcio.
It's not going to be
just the two of us anymore.
- You'll be a dad soon, you need to think--
- What?
Sorry, Dad, it's just…
I promise we were gonna tell…
We were going to tell you…
How long have you known
you were going to be parents?
I had no idea.
- Oh, I'm sorry…
- You're going to be a father!
Congratulations!
No, I'm okay, stop, Dad, I'm fine.
I need you both to trust me
that everything's fine, okay?
I'm great, I just really need a shower.
And I'm going to go do that right now.
A grandchild?
- Sorry, I didn't want it to be like this…
- No, it's okay…
Aw!
If this street were mine
I would have, I would have it paved
With little pebbles
Shiny little pebbles
So my
So my love could walk on it
On this street
On this street there’s a little forest
That is called
That is called loneliness
Inside it, inside it there’s an angel
Who stole, who stole my heart
Hello?
Hi, Beny, it's César.
How are things down there?
Has the source been isolated?
No, but they're doing it right now.
Listen, César, if we don't get
a team down here, we're done.
Technicians, doctors, physicists,
equipment too, I'll send a list.
Yeah, that's fine.
And we have to notify everyone.
All of them.
Argentina, Oak Ridge, the IAEA, everyone.
You'll have access
to all of CNEN's resources.
But listen, we need to fix this.
Have you mapped out the hot spots?
We've gone ahead and isolated
what we've mapped out so far.
But this source was open
for more than two weeks.
César… we know it's already spread.
But if the cesium spreads even
further through the city…
through the streets, or via water…
All right. I'll have my flight to Brazil
rescheduled as soon as I can.
If we don't act as quickly as possible,
we're gonna be facing a disaster
Brazil's never seen before.
music ends]