Fringe s03e03 Episode Script

The Plateau

- Who's this? - Another Olivia Dunham.
Previously on Fringe: They've done experiments on me.
- Dunham escaped from Liberty Island.
- Olivia's in trouble.
I'm not sitting here.
- Hey, Liv.
Thank God we found you.
- I am not who you think I am.
Mom? I'm not your daughter.
My mother died when I was 14 years old.
- You are.
You're confused.
- This was going to be my way home.
- This is your home.
- I've never been here.
If you've never been here, how did you know to come here? Why convince her she's our Olivia Dunham? You'll know soon enough.
- You all right? - Is he all right? Welcome back, Agent Dunham.
You do remember me, right? Yeah.
You're that tightwad that owes me $70.
Damn it.
I was hoping you'd forget about that.
- It's good to see you.
- You too.
No worse for the wear.
Look like you got some rest.
A continuous IV drip of government-issue antipsychotics.
- It's like instant R and R.
- Sounds like fun.
Maybe I should, uh, dive off the deep end.
You think anyone would notice a difference? You know what I realized this minute? That I didn't miss you at all.
Not even an itty-little bit.
- You were lost without me, admit it.
- Yeah, yeah.
How does she seem? She seems like Olivia Dunham.
For all intents and purposes, she is Agent Dunham.
She's internalized her traits, her memories, her knowledge.
When tested, she consistently responds as our Agent Dunham would under similar circumstances.
And what about our Agent Dunham? Has she made contact? She's on the other side focused on the task at hand.
Permission to speak, Mr.
Secretary.
Go ahead.
Putting an impostor on my team is too big a risk.
You can run all the tests you want.
You don't know how this Olivia will respond in the field.
We have no other choice.
She needs to be completely immersed in Agent Dunham's life.
Over time, she will reach a plateau, and her new identity will become fixed.
How much time? I'm not willing to lose one of my legitimate agents.
- You don't know what we have to gain.
- Which is what exactly? Sit down.
She can move between worlds.
We have discovered some ways to cross over but each comes with their own dangerous consequences.
But she she can cross without harm.
Science Division is working up a series of experiments.
We need her to submit willingly which she'll only do if she believes that she belongs here.
Phillip, if we can learn what she already knows We can begin to defend ourselves.
And what if her new identity doesn't hold? Then she'll no longer be necessary.
- Keep me apprised.
- Yes, sir.
Yesterday a Liberty Metro bus ran a red light, killing a person.
This morning, same thing happened again.
Two mornings in a row, two buses, killed two people.
Lookers ran the probabilities, and it's a statistical anomaly What happened at yesterday's crash? Police considered it a routine accident, so we have no more information.
- You mind taking over? - Sure.
Okay, the first victim's name is Cole Arnett, 43 years old.
He was on his way to his job.
He was a hospital case worker.
Must have been his unlucky day.
All right, we're coming in.
Oxygen, people.
- Air quality normal.
No oxygen needed.
- Okay, listen up.
Agent Lee will be meeting us on the site.
He'll be calling the shots.
Agent Francis.
Watch the time, Agent Lee.
We need you back in that chamber in eight hours or your burns will regress.
- You can kiss that healing goodbye.
- Easy come, easy go.
- Oh, you think you're amusing? - I am amusing.
- God, I missed this.
- I bet.
- Did Broyles download you yet? - I talked to him on the way over.
- Need a victim ID.
- I'll see what I can do.
- Where's my? - Field kit? Here.
- You look better.
- And you look sane.
You doing all right? So far.
I mean, it's my first day back, so You wanna move that vehicle? When I pulled that gun, I didn't know what I was doing.
- lf something had happened - But nothing happened.
You and I, we're good.
- Yeah? - Yeah.
Died on impact.
No attempts to revive her were made.
Obviously.
- Still have any fingerprints? - Right hand's probably your best bet.
Her name's Jillian Foster, 32, lives right here in Hoboken.
Anything else? She liked daisies.
I never hit a person before.
Never.
I mean, once I hit a pigeon.
I felt horrible for weeks.
No sign of environmental degradation.
Molecular cohesion is intact.
So why is this a Fringe case? I don't think there's video at this point.
All right.
Oh, yeah, yeah, we're done.
Thanks.
- You got something? - When's the last time you saw one of these? God, a pen? I don't know.
Preschool maybe? I didn't know they still made these.
It's new.
No dents, no scratches.
- Where'd you find it? - By the mailbox.
That's where the messenger swerved so he wouldn't hit some old guy that was bending down.
Huh.
Oh, you wanna share, buddy or we'll just stand here and watch you think? All right.
It's pretty rare finding one of these just lying around.
Maybe the old guy bent down to pick it up and caused the messenger to swerve.
- Causing him to hit the stand.
- Like the pen started some kind of chain reaction.
- You find something? - What is it? - Sorry, I thought I recognized someone.
- You okay? Yeah.
All right, so Fringe event or not? Not sure yet.
Something weird definitely happened here.
Yeah.
Hello? Hey, babe.
- You didn't have to do that.
- Well - Come here.
- Ha, ha.
Thank you.
Hmm So how was it? - Yeah, it was It was pretty good.
- Yeah? What's happening in Texas? I heard it's bad.
- Twenty-two smallpox cases so far.
- Has Atlanta called? - No, no one's assigned me yet.
- Ugh Why are we talking about this? Because you're a virologist and smallpox is your area of expertise.
May as well start packing.
No, I mean why are we talking about me? How was it being back at work? What's wrong? Something happen? Well, at first it was normal, and then we're out in the field and I saw a face.
- A face? - Hmm Was it someone you know? You remember the secretary's son? The one who was kidnapped when he was a boy? - Mm-hm.
Well, him.
But it wasn't really him.
It was like I was hallucinating or something.
- Did you tell Broyles? - No.
Maybe you shouldn't be on field duty.
Yeah, I wanna be there.
I know, but you have to tell someone.
A doctor, at least.
- I need my life back, Frank.
- And I love your gung-ho attitude.
But, honey, you just got over a breakdown.
If you need help, that's fine.
Frank, it was my first day back.
I was nervous.
- I don't think it's surprising that there's - I can take myself off call.
- Maybe it's not a good time to travel.
- That's not what I want.
Are those avocados? Where did you get them? - How much? - Don't worry about that.
- What if it happens again? - It won't.
If it does, you'll tell Broyles, right? Because I love you.
- I'll tell him.
- Thank you.
- Can we eat? - Yes, we can eat.
- Okay.
- Okay.
All right, help me out here.
The first bus driver was distracted by tree trimmers.
The second bus driver was looking at a fight over oranges.
Isn't distraction the root of every accident? Well, uh, listen, I'm not finding any connections in these victims' bios either.
First guy, Arnett, worked at a hospital for the past 15 years.
Second victim, Miss Foster landed her position at Gregston Electric a year ago.
Maybe they knew someone in common.
Maybe despite what Farnsworth said, it's just two freak accidents.
You know, Liv thinks I'm right about there being chain reactions that led up to the crashes.
Okay, well, now that you two have rediscovered your Vulcan mind-meld you think she's doing okay? - Yeah.
- Why, you don't think so? - I don't know.
I just feel a little uncomfortable.
Not a shock.
You let a doppelgänger coldcock you.
You didn't pick up that she wasn't your partner.
And you would have? - I just know Liv a little better, that's all.
- Right.
Because you kissed her one time.
- How was I to know she had a boyfriend? - Okay.
- Whatever.
Point is, I would've known.
- Yeah, keep telling yourself that, okay? When she was having her breakdown she kept on and on about how they were trying to make her believe she was somebody else, that this wasn't her life.
This is gonna sound nuts.
What if she's telling the truth? What if it's not the real her? That is nuts.
You're right.
All right.
For the record, you could not tell those two apart.
Look at this.
Over there on the ground, lower corner.
- That's another ballpoint pen.
- Get Liv, tell her we got something.
- Somebody's causing these accidents.
- How is that possible? What would be the odds? Zero-point-zero-zero-zero.
Impossible.
- Astrid, we see impossible every day.
- You see improbable.
You're asking me if it is possible for a person to use a pen to set off a chain of events that culminates in someone getting killed by a bus twice? - Exactly.
- There's no way.
Given how few ballpoint pens are out there finding one at both crime scenes, I mean, that's an anomaly.
- You said that yourself.
- What if someone calculated variables? Thirty-seven people in the intersection, wind speeds of 10 miles an hour, and that is just a start.
We are talking 120 variables in a dynamic system of differential equations.
I can't solve that, much less manipulate the outcome to my advantage.
So there's not even the slightest chance? Dude, seriously, what part of 0.
000 don't you get? - What is it? - It happened again.
What did? Bus accident, East 85th and York.
- You called the ambulance? - On the way.
Sir, we're gonna get you to the hospital.
Be careful with that vehicle.
It's still smoking.
- Where were you sitting on the bus? - Right in the front.
- Did you happen to notice a pen? - What? A pen.
A ballpoint pen.
You use it to write with? Looks like there was some sort of commotion.
Dog ran into the street, distracted the bus driver.
No way this is another coincidence.
Except this time it didn't work.
He's gonna make it.
Oh, ma'am, you need to stay still.
It's not over.
They're all ready to go.
They're all taken.
He's still here! Stop.
Don't move.
Take your hands out of your pockets.
Come on, let's go.
Get out of here.
Put your hands on your head.
Give Astrid his description, run it through the database.
I did.
She's already working on it.
- Okay, you gotta get back in that pod.
- It's just the two-minute warning.
Agent Lee, what part of "be back in eight hours" didn't you understand? I still can't believe he knew the bike would cause the truck to slow down and swerve under the bridge.
He didn't even look.
How did he know when to jump? We should stop focusing on how and focus on why.
- Why is he targeting these people? - I'm working on that.
The victims must have something in common.
- There's gotta be a connection.
- Oh, God.
Okay, Lincoln, you gotta get in there.
Crosscheck their medical files, criminal records, job histories, tax histories.
- Shut up, okay? I got it.
- Someone's gotten bossy.
Where have you been? They've been calling all day.
- What did you tell them? - Nothing.
You have to call them back.
Each liquefied thing provides an instance of a property of being liquid.
Mass is equal passing through a liquid and mass is the same.
- lf you don't call them, I will.
- But you won't.
You see, your only action will be inaction.
- That's your pattern.
- What? Ninety-seven percent of your actions prioritize relational bonds.
Eight out of nine times, you avoid decisions that could result in a negative outcome.
I am not some collection of data you need to make sense of.
- I'm your sister.
- "I'm your sister.
I'm worried about you.
Can't you see that?" - All I want is for you - "Is for you to be safe.
- That's all I've ever wanted.
" - Stop finishing my sentences and let me help.
- "And let me help.
I've always been there for you.
I've always taken care of you.
" That was fun.
Don't.
l Don't.
- Don't.
- You didn't expect that, did you? Because you've forgotten what it's like to feel emotions.
- No.
- You've forgotten us.
- Mom gave you this as a reminder - No.
- that you didn't have to do more than you were able to that we loved you.
- That's irrelevant now.
- Milo, please.
I don't recognize you anymore.
I made a mistake when I signed you up.
I didn't mean this.
You have to follow the rules.
You have to do what they say.
You're overreaching.
Remember this.
Listen, what time's your mommy gonna be home? No, no, no.
I don't wanna hear you play your flute, kid.
I'm gonna call you back.
Ha, ha.
You just hung up on a child.
You talk to the next witness.
- I hope it's a tuba player, okay? - Ha, ha.
Fine.
Hi, this is Agent Dunham.
Can you connect me to the next witness, please? Excuse me? - Hey, Charlie.
- Yeah? - Since when do we need a code? - They upgraded the system last month.
- You don't remember? - Sorry.
I guess I'm still getting over the head trauma.
- Hey, Liv.
- Yeah? You remember that time we were in, uh, Coney Island? We were riding the Hell Hole together, right? You got sick and you threw up on the guy next to you? Yeah.
Except you threw up all over the person next to you.
So you can stop trying to rewrite history.
What made you think of that? - Witness is from Coney.
- Oh.
Hey, wait a sec.
Jillian Foster was a consultant for Gregston Electric.
I don't see the connection.
The first victim worked at Bryant Hospital, right? Yeah, Cole Arnett.
They deal with neurological disorders.
Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, PTSD.
Topflight medical research.
It says here that Gregston Electric owns a subsidiary company called the Ivon Medical Group.
The Ivon Medical Group is listed as one of Bryant Hospital's outside vendors.
You're driving.
As hospitals go, not bad.
Yeah, unless it's run by an evil genius who's creating accidents to kill people.
- Good morning.
- Welcome to Bryant.
- What can I do for you? - Agent Francis, Agent Dunham.
We're here to see your chief medical director.
Hold on, I'll let him know.
Hi, Violet.
Could you let Dr.
Levin know Fringe agents are here? He'll just be a minute.
- Are we being quarantined? - No.
Scout's honor.
You seeing what I'm seeing? Right there on the table.
We're definitely in the right place.
So sorry for the delay.
I'm Dr.
Levin.
Agent Francis.
Uh, Agent Dunham.
Hi.
Please, my office is right this way.
Doctor, we just noticed a lot of your patients are using ballpoint pens.
Many of our residents have trouble interfacing digitally due to their mental deficiencies.
Pen and paper's just a Well, an easier way to communicate.
- Did you know Mr.
Arnett well? - We didn't socialize outside of work but, uh, well, we were all devastated when we heard.
- What about this woman? - Yes.
Jillian Foster.
She, uh, worked with the Ivon Medical Group.
They were conducting a drug trial here.
You're kidding me.
Jeffrey Mayer? You know him? Yes, but I, uh, I don't understand.
He was killed too? Doctor, we're gonna have to question all your science and medical personnel.
You're not looking for a doctor.
You're looking for a patient.
We started this study a year ago.
We were working on creating nootropics.
- Like smart drugs.
- That's right.
All of our test subjects started with an IQ of less than 65.
Our aim was to increase their intelligence so they could function independently day to day.
- That's a worthy goal.
- We thought so too.
Oh, st Can you go back? Stop.
That's him.
Milo Stanfield.
You don't sound surprised.
I'm not.
This was Milo five months ago.
Measured IQ of 56.
Severe cognitive deficiency.
Three-point-one-four-one-five-nine-two- six-five-three-five-eight-nine-seven He's reciting the digits of pi.
To 1000 decimal places while solving differential equations in his head.
That is unbelievable.
That was after one treatment.
We gave him five.
Every time we administered the protocol, his intelligence increased exponentially.
The final phase of the project allows subjects to be released under the supervision of a guardian's care.
And after that? After that, we return the subjects to their original state.
A necessary part of human drug trials.
We had to determine whether there are any permanent adverse side effects.
Milo didn't wanna be regressed.
Which is why he went after Arnett.
We thought it was an accident.
I drove to Ivon and informed Jillian myself.
She was concerned that the delay in regressing Milo might compromise the results.
She offered to handle it herself.
So Milo killed her too.
So, what about the third victim, Jeffrey Mayer? A recovery specialist who we contract with if somebody goes missing.
The thing is, I only put the order in yesterday.
Mr.
Mayer had not yet been assigned the task.
- Okay, so who's Milo's guardian? - Uh, his sister.
She lives out on Long Island.
Oyster Bay, I believe.
You think he'd go back? He's gotta know that's the first place people are gonna look.
I've been to Oyster Bay.
I never saw an oyster.
I can't wait to tell Lincoln he was right.
That this guy is able to start a chain reaction to commit murder.
I'm not watching the happy dance.
- Can I help you? - Fringe Division.
We need to ask you a few questions.
- Uh, about? - About your brother.
Milo.
Three people? That we know of, yeah.
There must be some mistake.
Milo wouldn't kill innocent people.
He didn't think they were that innocent.
After all, they were trying to cut off the medication that was making him smart.
Right? - Do you have any idea where he is now? - He doesn't confide in me anymore.
You mind if I take a look at his room? Go ahead.
Last door on the left.
Is that you? Mm-hm.
Milo and Madeline.
Sounds like a kids' book.
You're not the first person to say that.
Aw, you seem close.
We were.
He was a lot older, but he liked the same cartoons played the same games.
I had the opposite.
My sister and I were close in age, but we fought over everything.
Are you close now? Uh, she passed a few years ago.
I'm sorry.
That must have been really difficult.
- It was.
When I was little, I used to always be scared something would happen to Milo.
He'd forget to check for cars just run right into traffic.
I worried that he'd never be happy.
He'd never feel like Like he belonged.
Must have been hard watching him struggle.
It was harder for him.
That's why I agreed to the drug study.
He isn't that helpless person anymore.
He's dangerous.
And I think you know that.
So if there is anything that you can think of we just don't wanna see anyone else get hurt, including your brother.
It's a It's a goodbye note.
But it says where I can reach him.
Thank you.
- Patricia Hotel, Lakewood Avenue.
- Yeah.
I'm gonna call backup, get them to meet us.
Hold on.
What if that's what Milo wants? You know, that's his M.
O.
Always 10 steps ahead.
He knew his sister was gonna tell us? Listen, he knows we're onto him.
He knows his sister.
What if he's trying to set us up? Well, we can't just stand here.
- I can't answer that.
- Why not? There is no answer.
It's a mathematical problem without a solution.
Which scenario is likely? We go to the Patricia Hotel, or we don't.
Suppose he predicts you'll go.
But you predict he'll predict that, so you don't.
- So we shouldn't go.
- But then he predicts that.
He changes his plan.
Which means you should go.
But then he predicts that you'll predict what he predicted too.
It's an infinite spiral.
Okay, well, thank you, Astrid.
We'll take it from here.
- Where you going? - To the hotel.
- Liv.
- Well, Charlie, he could be there now.
- I'm not willing to lose him, are you? - Fine.
You drive.
Charlie, there he is.
Oh, that wasn't supposed to happen.
Freeze.
Here.
Take it.
Take it.
Press the button.
You move again, the next one won't be in your leg, buddy.
That's it.
You're okay.
Just breathe.
Yeah, he wants to sweep the whole yard.
Since when do you break protocol? You passed by an auburn diamond, okay? A blinking auburn diamond which you ignored.
- A compromised air quality - Pressure's normal.
- Thank you.
- Yeah.
- You need oxygen to breathe.
- Charlie, I'm sorry.
- I don't know why I did that.
- Because you're a daredevil.
Oh, I get it.
So if you don't mind I'd appreciate it if we don't go through this again.
Okay.
Enclose interval of pi to psi.
The problem needs a solution.
The drugs had been in his system too long.
So the doctors weren't able to reverse the effects.
According to the doctors, the patterns that he sees are too complex to put into words.
His thoughts now can only be interpreted by a machine.
So the machine is talking to him? Madeline, your brother he no longer thinks in terms that you or I would be able to comprehend.
I'm sorry.
Enclose interval pi defined.
Is equal value of six.
Six is the solution.
What is the solution? Derives of gradient of Y.
Evaluate a Y-4 and proceed.
Isolate discontinuities and recalibrate.
There's a 42 percent chance that the king will take the queen.
A result of transforming innermost specificity integral to respect the T-1.
Enclose interval of G and omega.
Consecutive square of T-1 and T-2 cubed within derives a gradient vector of You know, sometimes I envy you, Brandon.
Being here, nothing to distract you.
Mr.
Secretary, I didn't realize you were coming.
- These are my son's clothes.
- Yes.
I thought if I used items from the other side it would provide an associative link which would spark Olivia to Cross over to the other universe.
Yes, good thinking.
- When will you be ready? - We're very close.
So far, all the test subjects I've hooked up to the chair they're experiencing a high level of anxiety.
Their stress is causing my readings to fluctuate.
- I've been tinkering with this all day.
- The solution is obvious.
Submerge the subject in water.
A sensory deprivation tank.
Of course.
The womb-like atmosphere naturally provides a state of relaxation.
Sometimes simpler is better.
- Do you miss it? - Miss what? Being a scientist.
I am still a scientist, Brandon.
I just have a much larger laboratory.
Let me know as soon as the tank's ready.
God, I don't know how you do it.
I'm never done packing until the cab arrives.
Well, I'm off to deal with diseased people.
So it's not like I have to look good.
- Oh, except you do.
- Are you sure you're okay with this? - I can call Fiken, beg him to cover for me.
- We have had this conversation.
I know.
I know.
It's just they haven't told me yet how long I'll be gone.
So just keep me posted.
That's probably the cab.
You know why you didn't die today, right? Because you didn't know the protocol.
If you'd stopped for oxygen, you'd be dead right now.
But you did something that he couldn't factor in.
You kept running.
You know why you did that.
It's the same reason you thought you saw Walter in the hospital.
It's the same reason you think you're seeing me now.
You're not from this world, Olivia.
You're not her.
You're not real.
Real is just a matter of perception.
I am here.
And I'm the part of you that you have to hold onto.
You can't forget who you are, Olivia.
You can't forget where you're from.
You can't forget this.
What's wrong? Nothing.
You just surprised me, that's all.
You all right? Yeah.
It's just, I'm gonna miss you.
I'm gonna miss you too.
- I will be home as soon as I can.
- Okay.
Well, you call me when you land.
All right.
Bye.

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