ReGenesis s01e05 Episode Script
The Oldest Virus
Previously on ReGenesis Hira's dead, David.
Yes, she's dead.
Hira took a bullet that's it.
Game over.
We move on.
You made her feel ashamed.
You! You Seen the game the other night? Yeah, what, Biriliski went through the boards? Yeah.
I think it's.
.
- Oh man, you're not - Why? You think that's dangerous? I don't think.
I know.
Got a situation developing in the States related to a prion type disease.
- Prion? - Mad cow.
- It's bullshit.
- I'm sorry? It takes at least 7 years for a prion protein to fuck up the brain ans at least another year after that before you die.
She had this disease, something only 60 or 70 year old people get.
Old people, you know.
Why? Why did this happen to my baby? How many people are we talking about? How many people ate a piece of chicken, an egg, or got a flu shot lately? - This is the guy's office? - Apparently.
At the time being.
Take a seat anywhere kids I'll be right with you.
We're actually here to meet Harvey Thomas.
Oh, um Not here yet.
- I'll point him out when he gets here.
- Thank you.
I guess after Thomas' lab went bankrupt, the creditors really came after him.
- He doesn't have much left.
- Here you go.
Thank you.
Made him a little gunshy.
You hungry? David, David! David Sandstrom.
Harvey Thomas.
Thomas' laboratories.
I was under the impression that you were coming alone.
David is our chief scientist, Dr Thomas.
He's the one got us to you.
How so? Well, you've been working on a prion vaccine, right? See we detected antibodies to Avian Leukemia Viruses in some human blood.
It happens.
ALV shows up in a lot of early vaccine cultures.
Hey, Harv' relax.
I'm not here to take away the swimming pool, okay? All right.
As I told Carol here, yes, we were working on a prion vaccine, we had close to 30 million in the project.
And then you dropped it? I had no choice.
- Have you ordered breakfast? - No thanks.
We already uh.
What happened? We were close.
We were very close to coming up with the vaccine.
After animal trials, we hit a brick wall.
Why? We couldn't find any human volunteers.
Mad cow.
Scared the bejesus out of everybody.
We couldn't pay people to be subjects.
- There you go.
- Thanks.
- Um Are you 2 ready.
.
- Uh.
.
We're fine, actually.
What happened to the recombinant prions in the viral vectors that you created? Repossession court.
Last asset I had The only chance I have of refinancing the lab.
- Sandi, could I get.
- Can we get a sample? What for? We'd like to compare them to some prion samples we found.
Found? Where do you find prion samples? In four dead people.
What's up? The kid from East LA and the most recent victim Both ate at Hoppen Chickens.
Sarah McKinley ate chicken tenders at Lord of the Chicken at least 3 times in the last month.
Shasco Foods is the wholesaler for both franchises.
Well, what about the Texas veggie? Eggs.
Starvest the Market.
I'm on hold with the head office trying to find out the whole sales.
- Good going.
- Thanks, I'll owe it to you.
Telephony is old school Wes.
Shit, did you guys change the internet password again? Yeah.
Carbon.
Shasco Foods.
Oh.
.
Number 1 egg distributor in the US.
Weston, I think we have a common link.
Got it Wes.
Thanks.
So the victims ate chicken and eggs supplied by Wide Valley Farms.
Wes set up a meeting with their head of legal affairs.
So where are we going? I'm going to see a lawyer in North Platt.
You're going to a flu convention.
No.
.
I should probably skip Chicago and go with David, are you gonna skip a Spanish Flu convention to go to Nebraska? - No.
- Yeah.
Thanks.
What's this? We didn't order anything.
Harvey did.
Has there ever been a case of avian prions found in humans? - No.
- I see.
We're not talking about avian prion, we're talking about a human prion in chickens and eggs.
And you have proof that our poultry products are contaminated? You've read our report on where the victims ate.
There are 200 million eggs and 20 million chickens consumed every day in this country.
Shasco suggested we start here, because you're their biggest supplier.
We're in price negotiations.
That's Shasco's leverage.
Four people are dead.
I certainly have enough to go public and point a finger at Wide Valley Farm's chicken.
- And you'd be willing to risk a lawsuit? - You're willing to risk a PR nightmare? What is it you're asking for? We'd like you to hold all shipments until we test your birds and eggs.
You're asking us to put 50,000 people out of work on a hunch? It's more than a hunch.
You have no authority over the food system.
The FDA does.
And we'll be going to the FDA when we have proof.
And we'll comply with whatever the FDA recommends.
We're asking for voluntary compliance now.
We'll provide samples.
But until you provide proof that Wide Valley chicken is tainted, we keep shipping our product.
Thank you.
So this postdoc comes to me with this brilliant theory on target binding, and I knew we'll screw up Maybe 1% chance of going anywhere, but to not try would have been crazy.
And everyone was saying: "Don't go there.
Don't go there.
" What happened? I told her to go for it.
And she listened to me.
And she was wrong.
You knew she was gonna fail? There is only 99% sure.
Where is she now? Med school.
- Poor kid.
- David! Hey.
Uh.
.
Thanks for the volatile hydroxyl compounds.
What the fuck are you doing here? I thought you might like a couple of tickets to a hockey game.
That.
.
I'm playing it tonight.
You made the cut.
That's great, man.
Fantastic! You know for an old guy.
Fuck you.
I'll buy you a drink.
So you know that kid, Arvintchek? Yeah, with LA Kid's a monster.
What's he like, 6'9? Uh hu.
Budy checked him out.
Called night.
* No.
I'm doing good.
Good.
What? I'm playing with this guy Archembault, 32.
Had a heart attack.
Is he okay? - Heart exploded, David.
- Jesus.
.
What are you not telling me, Danny? I'm playing with fuckin' kids who were in diapers when I broke in.
A lot of them chewin' roids since junior high.
I gotta take this shit just to fuckin' keep the level playing field.
What did you take? I don't know.
Is it the same stuff as Biriliski and Archembault? - One time, one shot.
That's all it was.
- That's all it takes with synthetic hormones.
David, if I can't play This is my life man.
This is all I know.
All right, give me a sample, okay? I can't.
I can't.
The fuckin' guy took off.
I don't know where he is.
- What? Am I gonna - I don't know.
- You got a cardiologist? - Come on, David.
Get one.
Get on a treadmill, have yourself checked out.
I'm fine.
So were Biriliski and Archembault, right? Order another round.
I'm gonna hit the can.
- Hey.
- Gentlemen, thank you for the volatile hydroxil compounds.
- Hi Hal.
- Hey, Jill.
How are you? I'm well.
How are you? I'm good, good.
Jill Langston, MIT.
Calpinder Singh, CALTECH.
- Nice to meet you.
- Hi.
What are you drinkin', Jill? Club soda please.
So gentlemen.
.
I need the abstract on David Sandstrom.
I've been offered a senior position in his lab.
Brilliant researcher, arrogant, and has a history of treating his research people like shit.
- Ah.
.
- I know.
- He had to see a young postdoc once.
- You won't believe this.
Yeah, I just got in.
What's up? I got a district court judge to cut through Thomas' creditors.
Good.
We get a sample? There weren't any to get.
What are you talking about? Missing, stolen, hidden, we don't know.
What did Thomas say? He didn't say anything.
We can't find him.
Caroline, you realize if there are prions in the food chain, and stored samples are missing I'm not here.
All right, I'm coming.
I'm packing heat.
All right, all right.
What? Good morning.
I'm Jill Langston.
I'm here for my interview.
- Caroline Morrison arranged it - No.
.
Not at 8 o'clock in the morning.
That's insane.
That's like 7 AM my time.
No.
That's 9 AM your time.
- I could come back.
- No no.
Come in, come in.
Tell me about yourself, Jill.
- You read my CV? - Nope.
Oh.
Ah Well, I did my undergrad in molecular biology at Princeton.
I'm listening.
Ph.
D.
at Standford in virology with Colly Curie.
* - My thesis was on.
.
- Time? I beg your pardon? On time? Was your thesis on time? Yes.
Mine wasn't.
It was about 18 months late, actually.
Wow, sometimes it.
.
You can go to Stanford or Princeton or any other fuckin' places.
- Doesn't matter.
- Then why are you telling me? I'm sorry.
- You asked me - To tell me about yourself.
Your listing off institutions like so many conquests.
I'm looking for a new scientist.
Not a name dropper.
I published 5 papers this year.
Why don't you read them? Thomas said that his creditors won't allow him to release the prions he made until the chapter 11 closes.
Did you go to those creditors and explained the situation? Of course.
Apparently they value of their asset is more important than the value of a human life.
What is that? It looks like Wide Valley delivered their samples.
So how many of these do we have coming? from every operation.
Okay, spines and branch with the highest concentration of the prions we're looking for.
Let's get as many people on this as possible.
What if these guys turn up clean? Going to have one hell of a barbecue.
Wait a minute, wait a minute, wait a minute.
Do we know how the prions got in the chickens? No.
But we have a hunch it has something to do with Harvey Thomas.
Why? He's missing, David.
Along with the prion samples he promised us.
Well, I thought they were in a repossession court lock up.
Yeah, we checked.
Nothing.
Thank you.
The FBI's been running a profile on him.
He travelled to North Platt several times in passed couple months.
As in Chicken capital of the world North Platt? Yeah.
All right.
Well, thanks for the update.
Sure.
How is your interview with Jill Langston? Who? Jill Langston, the virologist I wanted you to meet? Uhh Great.
Jill.
Great.
Went great.
We'd be lucky to get her, David.
Yeah well, I'm not exactly sure she's interested in the position.
You want her? Do I want her? Do I want her - Okay, get back to me on that one.
- Okay.
- Uh.
.
Keep me up on the chickens.
- Sure.
Goodbye.
The most devastating pandemic in history.
We know that at least 40 million people died between 1918 and 1919.
And now it was said of the Spanish flu that you felt a little ill at breakfast, went to bed after lunch, and were dead by dinner.
The best sample we knew would be found in a victim burried north of the permafrost line.
But our field crew failed to find a sample with intact viral RNA.
Nevertheless, I was able to sequence the 4th of the 8 segments polymerase.
The field samples were taken to.
.
Thank you, yes.
Yes.
Please.
Jill Langston.
Dr.
Sandstrom.
- It's great lecture.
- Thank you.
So how did you sequence polymerase? Well, that'll be in the paper I'm publishing in Nature magazine.
You got the sample from a brain.
Not a lung.
Am I right? Good guess.
It's how I did it.
- You sequenced polymerase? - 2 years ago.
Bullshit.
You didn't publish? Ah.
.
it's worthless unless you got the entire genome.
- Well, it's gonna be a incremental.
- Maybe.
What would you say if I told you I've got a lead on a perfect specimen? Mazeltov! Jill.
.
We should be working together on this.
Create a vaccine for the old lady, you can't turn that down.
Sure I can.
My charms, some you'll get used to.
You'll get used to my tail lights.
Here is a model of the structural of the prion from the Wide Valley chickens, on the right, and from our 4 victims, on the left.
That's a match? Perfect match.
So did we shutdown Wide Valley Farms? We notified the FDA at 7:15 this morning.
And the bad news? In the last 6 weeks, the Sioux City operations shipped of chickens to Shasco, and over 2 million eggs.
Where are we on Thomas? The FBI has him arriving at Chicago at 9:15 this morning.
Did they get him? Not yet.
And I suppose no news on the missing samples.
I have a feeling that when we get Thomas, we get the samples.
Let me give you some advice.
Ah.
.
Never take advice.
You don't want to work at NorBAC? Okay.
Cause we don't Offer cash bonuses or stock options, or company card that sort of shit.
You know.
All we offer the smartest team of scientists on the continent, complete intellectual freedom, and the toughest biological problems.
Did you rehearse that in front of a mirror? Yeah.
But it's all true.
Wouldn't I be replacing someone whose been shot? Yeah.
Well, we'll offer you free life insurance.
Why the sudden change of heart? - Everything I do is sudden.
- Well that explains a lot.
Explains why I want you to come and work with me.
No it doesn't.
I understand you've been hold up on some little island off the coast of Norway for the last 2 years.
Yeah.
All that time cuttin' through red tape just to dig up a couple of flu victims from the permafrost? It was fun.
I uh.
.
I admire.
Really, I do.
'cause personally I'd rather put a bullet in my head than do all that bureaucratic bullshit.
How how much of an asshole was I this morning? You were up there.
Excuse me, doctor.
- I'm looking for Carlos Serrano.
- He's out.
I'm suppose to give blood today.
Oh, you're Danny Dexter, the hockey player.
Mayko Tran.
Oh hey, do you used to uh.
.
Yeah.
Okay, come over here.
I can do it for you.
Can you get me blood case? So you uh.
.
a doctor too? Ph.
D.
bioinformatics.
Bio what? I analyze and interpret biomolecular data.
It's where computer science meets biology.
That's my beat.
So you and David when he was um a kid, right? Since grade six, yeah.
What was he like? He was a funny, skinny weird little guy who lived day and night like a butterfly.
All right.
That's it.
- Can you hold that? - Yeah.
- Painless.
- Uh hu.
How is my biomolecular data? We will tell you tomorrow.
I lied.
David was not weird or nerdy.
He was brilliant.
Brilliant at hiding the fact that he was brilliant.
And I was the only one who really knew him.
And I don't why he chose me.
Maybe you're a good listener.
Yeah that or I got him a lot of dates.
What about you Mayko? Can I get you a date? Uh.
.
No, thank you.
Yeah you don't really need me to do anything, do you? Okay.
I gotta run.
I have a hockey practice and you have to analyze and interpret my biomolecular data.
Yes.
I will dig into your genes right now.
- That's gonna be a handful.
- Oh, I'll manage.
Bye.
Yeah, hey Carlos.
Guess what made the headlines in Chicago.
Sam Biriliski died of mitro valve prolapse (MVP).
That doesn't sound right.
Any dumb ass team doctor would have picked up MVP during a routine physical.
Let me look into it.
Yeah.
Do it.
How are things your way? Uh.
.
We're up to our culo in chickens.
Anything yet? I should get the first test results back tonight.
Okay.
I'll call you tomorrow.
Hey! Hey.
How goes the career decision making? It's very well.
Did you make up your mind? Actually, I was just speaking with your favorite pharmaceutical exec.
And we came to terms.
He'll go his way and I'll go mine.
Do you still want me? I thought everything you did was sudden.
Champagne? Yes.
Please.
Excuse me.
I'd like to get a bottle of Henry Pan, '97.
Actually, have you ever tried Crystal Caleche? We'll.
.
get one of each.
Compare.
So what made you change your mind? Well, Caroline Morrison called and raised the offer by 25% and threw in a company card.
When did you get in? Last night.
And you didn't call? Well, it was after midnight and I thought you'd be in bed.
I was.
You should have called.
God, you lookin' great Caroline.
You too Digby.
How long are you in town for? I'm on a flight tonight, but I thought I'd touch base with you on the Miranda Virus.
- It's a tough one.
- How you doing on the vaccine? I just got a report here.
They were able to grow the Miranda Virus in a 293 cell culture.
I'm an MI-5 agent.
Not a scientist, Caroline.
What are we talking about here in english? It means we were successful with step 1 toward a vaccine.
But we have about another half dozen steps to go.
What have you got? Well, our baby bomber Jamieson dropped the alias Zanzinger and was tracked to a hotel in Scotland.
But um.
.
Then we lost him.
Did you get anything? His hotel room was clean but then when we took apart the bathroom sink, we found some dental floss.
So if you could just see if it's him.
See if the DNA makes him the father of Miranda.
We'll get right on it.
So I guess that's it then.
Yeah.
Well.
Caroline, I think that we should um.
.
I think we should just work extremely close together on this one.
I mean, if anything starts to heat up.
If? They heat up? You mean, when they heat up.
I expect you to make things happen, Digby.
Glad to be in about you again Caroline.
* You should called last night.
- To you.
- To you.
I'm hungry.
Excuse me.
We would like to see a menu, please.
I'm sorry the restaurant is closed.
Only way to get food now is to order room service.
All right, then.
We will order room service and we'll have it sent here.
You're very clever man.
You must be in your room.
Apparently the emphasis is on 'room' and not 'service'.
Doctor.
We're being very unprofessional.
We're gonna be working together.
We gotta stop.
David.
Can't 2 grown drunk people act like 2 grown drunk people? Uh hu.
.
- I hate these conventions.
- Yeah, same old shit.
- I thought you liked my lecture.
- Oh yeah you really smart.
And I'm really fun too.
- I know all about you virologist.
- Really? Uh hu.
Prove it.
Hey.
Hi.
Ahh.
.
On your way? Yeah, I got an early flight.
No goodbyes.
See you at the lab next week.
David.
I know.
I'm gonna meet with Mastertech Pharmaceutical.
I think I know I accepted your offer.
Last night complicates things.
So I'm gonna need to think about it.
Yeah well, you know, of course.
Because Mastertech is a great company and San Francisco is San Francisco.
- So can I take a couple of days? - Sure.
And I buy another bottle of champagne next flu convention? Goodbye David.
Goodbye sounded kind of permanent.
Missed me already? - Dr.
David Sandstrom? - Yeah? You are? Ah.
.
Jesus.
I uhh.
.
put some close on.
Oh, thank you.
Thank you for coming.
I didn't really have much of a choice there, Harv.
FBI thinks it's some kind of a lunatic.
They are pretty smart bunch.
- I know what I'm doing.
- Okay.
I was coming to see you.
You see, once I've found the perfect source to put the prions, I had to do it.
You infected the roosters through their food, didn't you? Yeah.
So they could transmit the prions to their offspring.
How often does a rooster go at it, d'you figure, Harv? Just curious.
I believe 10 to 30 times a day.
It's a lot of infected chickens.
Well, sure.
That's why I did it.
Can't fix it 'til it's broken, is that it? Yeah.
Yeah.
You see.
Prions, those little tiny proteins can destroy us all.
They're like a virus, a cancer.
And I can cure them all.
I know how.
You want to tell that to the mother of a little girl lying in a slab in Florida? No.
That wasn't suppose to happen.
I was gonna expose the prions in the Wide Valley chicken and then show them I have a cure.
You don't know that, Harvey.
You haven't tested your vaccine in humans yet.
Yes, but now they'll have to let me test it, won't they.
You have the samples, don't you? They took them.
Didn't they tell you? They didn't tell me anything except you wanted to see me.
I was bringing them to you, so you could see it for yourself.
You could test them.
Oh, I'd love to have a look at them.
And you'll see, and they'll have to refinance my study, because I can save them.
Sure you can, Harvey.
All I needed is a year.
Well, my guess is they'll give you 10 to life.
David, I'm sorry.
Dr.
Sandstrom.
David.
I just don't think you should call me here.
No ma'am, not right now.
I need at least a week or two.
I really have to go.
I want to talk to you.
Hey, David's back in town.
How was the windy city? Ah.
.
It was.
.
You either got laid or arrested.
Well, that for me to know and you'll find out.
Here.
The missing prion samples, courtesy of the FBI.
We need to run those, match 'em to what we've got.
Prosecutions gonna want that eventually.
- I'll get right on it.
- Okay.
Bob.
I have to go.
Goodbye.
You okay? Why? Never mind.
You got anything on Danny's hormones? - I have.
- Let's go.
I just don't think you should call me here.
No ma'am, not right now.
I need at least a week or two.
- I really have to go.
- I want to talk to you.
You don't understand.
This is a government operated lab I'm in now.
I told you I don't know what they'll do if they found out.
- Miss Richmond, please.
- Bob.
I have to go.
Goodbye.
You okay? Why? Never mind.
You got anything on Danny's hormones? - I have.
- Let's go.
Mayko found a muscle hormone that's being developed for *** in AIDS.
The most advanced trials are being done by a Atlanta biotech called Bioxene.
I've heard of them.
- Still interested in Biriliski? - Ya, you talked to his team doctor? I did.
He says he didn't pick up mitro valve prolapse syndrome because Biriliski was born with a heart *problem*.
That's why he exhibited chest pains, signs of fatigue, dizziness.
He said it because professional athletes are used to working through their pain.
Ah.
.
You speak bullshit too.
Na, it's like a second language to me.
Did you specifically ask about the doping? Oh, Biriliski passed every single test the League threw at him.
You know about this Bioxene growth hormone? I'm working with Bob on it.
We got a Bioxene growth hormones structure and we looked for the same thing in Danny.
This is what we got.
- Something very similar.
- Ah.
.
but different.
So the stuff that Danny took is not the Bioxene product? What's in his blood is a highly sialilated but mutated version of skeletal muscle growth hormone.
So Danny's cells are producing the skeletal muscle growth hormone but not his natural skeletal muscle growth hormone, right? - Si.
- Yes.
Son of a bitch.
Has Bioxene been experimenting with gene therapy? No, but I obviously somebody else has.
The muscle growth hormone in Danny had to be concocted in a lab.
Instead of injecting something into him that shouldn't be there, he gets his body to make it.
One injection of the DNA and his body makes the hormone.
So he's not cheating.
His body is.
And even though he has high levels of growth factor no one can say with certainty those levels are the result of doping.
Pretty smart huh? Well, if not Bioxene.
Who in the wide world of sports is experimenting with gene doping? David, if I can't play.
It's my life man.
This is all I know.
One shot one time.
David.
Schuller and Raskin are here.
Conference room.
Good work boys.
We believe Harvey Thomas had access to 2 batches of Crow & Grow feed.
These batches were sent to 3 out of Wide Valley 60 bird operations.
Any roosters were infected by the prions in the feed and they in turn infected the chicken eggs they fertilized.
Which is about 10 to 30 offspring a day.
No one's denying that Harvey Thomas came up with a very efficient system to contaminate Wide Valley's product.
NorBAC found human prions in chickens at 2 of the 3 ops.
And in the interest of 0 risk to the public, all 3 farms will be depopulated.
That's 6 million birds at a cost of 24 million dollars.
That's a very significant sacrifice in the public welfare.
Thank you, congress woman Shuller.
What can we do for those who are potentially infected? There's nothing we can do.
There is no cure.
There is one thing.
You could fund Harvey Thomas' research.
Let him pick up where he left off.
He's not just ahead of the curve on this.
He made the curve.
He's a madman.
Who says you have to be sane to be brilliant? Is that your honest opinion? I think that we could find sufficient funds to support continuing research.
Jesus, that was easy.
Harvey should have come to you guys in the first place.
All right, then uh.
.
Is there anything else? Were there shipments of hens to other farms? None.
Roosters? Limited.
Say again? Some birds may have been shipped to operations in other states.
And you're not calling those farms? We're testing roosters, thousands.
And if you find one infected rooster next week what if his offsprings already been shipped? Let's not destroy the poultry industry that employs 500000 americans, Dr.
Sandstrom.
Should the public statement come from us or the FDA? Surely you understand the ramifications of going public.
Chickens could be carrying a fucking death sentence for millions of people.
Let's hold all public remarks until we have determined the potential economic damage to the industry.
What? And I want to move on that as soon as possible.
I'm going public with this and I don't give a shit what you people think.
All right then.
Thank you all.
What a fuckin' bitch.
Which one? Take your pick.
Well, bitch Shuler is the chair of the congressional committee that funds us.
She is also in NorBAC trilateral committee and she hired me.
Well, this is awkward.
You didn't tell me.
Does someone have to be important for you not swear at them? Ah.
.
congress woman Shuller.
I was a little out there just now.
Well, let's just chock it up to low blood sugar.
What Dr.
Sandstrom meant to say is that.
.
He was speaking for both of us.
Because if we're going to be just another organization that you could trot out when you need us, and otherwise ignore us, you can have my resignation right now.
Shall we discuss this in Washington next week? I think we should.
Nice.
So these Italian biotech.
Genoa Quest, they've shown that by injecting the gene for skeletal MGH they can increase muscle mass in a mouse by 25%.
So we're thinking there's somebdy in the company might pick a few euros on the side.
Do a little on the black market, eh? You think this might be in more than just a couple of hockey players? - Will you take a pill that will make you better? - Just shoot the ball, Bob.
Okay.
Better at what? At anything.
I like myself just the way I am.
Thanks.
You wouldn't take a pill that will, I don't know Makes you smarter? Well, I'd do that.
I'd take a handful.
Bob, you've already got a IQ of 162.
But wouldn't you like to see what's beyond? I mean, that's what it's all about, isn't it? Opening new doors.
New game.
Bob, not if that pill is going to kill you.
Say, you are blind.
Would you take a pill for 10 years of sight? Let's face it.
We're taking pills these days for everything.
Make themselves happy, waking up, going to sleep, makin' your dicks harder, growin' your hair, blood pressure, pimples.
It's a drug happy brave new world we're livin' in.
Are you gonna shoot the fuckin' ball or what? Okay.
Go back to work.
I need blood samples and the growth hormone from both Genoa Quest and Bioxene.
Let' put them apart, find out what makes them different.
So, Bioxene, Genoa Quest.
They're nearly identical.
- Like the amino-acids.
- Yeah.
Real alike, but different.
Look here.
The Genoa Quest hormone is missing a few residues from the end terminus.
Why are they different? Where's Carlos? Carlos! We do have an intercom here, you know.
What do they gain by the difference? What were they trying to do? Hey check this out.
The end terminus of the Genoa Quest growth hormone is missing.
- A few residues are deleted.
- Yeah.
But why.
I mean, what were they gaining? They're not gaining.
So they deleted it because Because they needed it to be different.
I though I might find you here.
Hey.
Sorry I'm late.
So what information? Well, the hormone you took is actually an Italian gene therapy.
They based it on an American one, but in order to duck a patent infringement they put a little spin on it.
And that change did inadvertantly cause the hormone to act on the heart muscle.
That's what causes it to explode.
So Biriliski and Archembault died to avoid a patent infringement.
Fuck.
And because the Italian compound hadn't been put into human trials, they didn't detect the side effect.
But I think I might be able to reverse the gene therapy in you.
What if I don't want it to stop? Danny, your your body is producing growth hormone 24/7.
I mean every day your muscle mass increases.
Look you, you don't know what's gonna happen to me, David.
Well, we know that shit eventually lands on a heart muscle.
And Biriliski and Archanbald are any indication.
Well, what are you saying? I'm saying, no more hockey, Danny.
I'm sorry.
I'll take my chances.
What? I'll take my chance.
.
I got a week to prove myself.
I've been waiting for this my whole life.
I'm 35, David.
35.
No more chances You don't understand.
You can't do it anymore.
You will die.
Fuck you David.
You're a bigshot scientist.
I'm nobody.
I make piss all.
I play at shit old towns, I got a fuckin' Bulgarian defence man who can't speak english for a roommate, my kid doesn't talk to me, my marriage is bust.
- You didn't answer my question.
- Yes, I did.
- I thought you left.
- Did.
Came back.
What's up? Want a drink? Okay.
What are you working on? Bob had a theory.
Good one.
Died fast.
What case? Friend of mine.
Hockey player.
Fooling around with synthetic growth hormones.
Is he a good friend of yours? His name's Danny.
His family busted up when we were in high school.
Practically lived in our basement for 2 years.
Taught me a lot.
Like what? Drinkin', women, drugs, sports.
Friendship.
To friendship.
To friendship.
- Hey.
- Hey.
Something smells good.
Whatcha making? - Chicken.
- God.
What? What?! Dad! Wow! - What, what, what were - Sorry.
It's a long story.
I'll tell you later.
Hey, Dav.
Danny, listen, I'm on a plane back to Desmoines tonight.
- Fuck.
I got cut.
- Oh shit.
So uh.
.
So I'll see ya.
What bad news? It's not good.
Come on, Danny.
Yeah? Hey man, how you doing? Good.
Good.
I got your message.
What happened? I don't know.
I thought it was fine.
I felt great.
My agent thinks it's a wank.
Their were negotiating with somebody else.
They brought me up to put pressure on 'em.
Guess it worked.
Look, you want me to come over? Better yet, why don't you come over here.
We'll uh.
.
make you some dinner.
.
No no no.
Listen, it was great seeing you again.
I really appreciate everything.
- My cab's here.
I gotta go.
- Sure you okay? Yeah.
You know.
Life's a rollercoaster.
Call me tomorrow, all right? Great seeing you again.
I appreciate everything.
Yeah, you too.
How is he? Ah.
.
He's gonna be okay.
He's a tough guy.
- What's she doing here? - You hired her.
- I did? - I'm confused.
Hello David.
I'm going out for a while.
Where are you going? Out.
For a while.
I don't know what they'll say if they found out.
Let's make sure they don't find out.
I've been asked to mediate in the dispute between two researchers in a clinical trial.
David! I don't do bureaucratic bullshit.
He was diagnosed with leukemia a year ago.
You got any proof that the therapy caused the stroke? I think, that the Peterson boy's immune system overresponded.
But you don't know.
Neither does Booker.
The boy was sick.
Died of a disease that we were trying to save him from.
You studied the therapy.
Does it work or doesn't it work? It's the one death that you're gonna have to deal with.
I found it.
That's very nice cooler, David.
It's the sample of the 1918 flu.
This here is your Mr.
George Edward Plane.
Oh, your fuckin' beautiful.
Yes, she's dead.
Hira took a bullet that's it.
Game over.
We move on.
You made her feel ashamed.
You! You Seen the game the other night? Yeah, what, Biriliski went through the boards? Yeah.
I think it's.
.
- Oh man, you're not - Why? You think that's dangerous? I don't think.
I know.
Got a situation developing in the States related to a prion type disease.
- Prion? - Mad cow.
- It's bullshit.
- I'm sorry? It takes at least 7 years for a prion protein to fuck up the brain ans at least another year after that before you die.
She had this disease, something only 60 or 70 year old people get.
Old people, you know.
Why? Why did this happen to my baby? How many people are we talking about? How many people ate a piece of chicken, an egg, or got a flu shot lately? - This is the guy's office? - Apparently.
At the time being.
Take a seat anywhere kids I'll be right with you.
We're actually here to meet Harvey Thomas.
Oh, um Not here yet.
- I'll point him out when he gets here.
- Thank you.
I guess after Thomas' lab went bankrupt, the creditors really came after him.
- He doesn't have much left.
- Here you go.
Thank you.
Made him a little gunshy.
You hungry? David, David! David Sandstrom.
Harvey Thomas.
Thomas' laboratories.
I was under the impression that you were coming alone.
David is our chief scientist, Dr Thomas.
He's the one got us to you.
How so? Well, you've been working on a prion vaccine, right? See we detected antibodies to Avian Leukemia Viruses in some human blood.
It happens.
ALV shows up in a lot of early vaccine cultures.
Hey, Harv' relax.
I'm not here to take away the swimming pool, okay? All right.
As I told Carol here, yes, we were working on a prion vaccine, we had close to 30 million in the project.
And then you dropped it? I had no choice.
- Have you ordered breakfast? - No thanks.
We already uh.
What happened? We were close.
We were very close to coming up with the vaccine.
After animal trials, we hit a brick wall.
Why? We couldn't find any human volunteers.
Mad cow.
Scared the bejesus out of everybody.
We couldn't pay people to be subjects.
- There you go.
- Thanks.
- Um Are you 2 ready.
.
- Uh.
.
We're fine, actually.
What happened to the recombinant prions in the viral vectors that you created? Repossession court.
Last asset I had The only chance I have of refinancing the lab.
- Sandi, could I get.
- Can we get a sample? What for? We'd like to compare them to some prion samples we found.
Found? Where do you find prion samples? In four dead people.
What's up? The kid from East LA and the most recent victim Both ate at Hoppen Chickens.
Sarah McKinley ate chicken tenders at Lord of the Chicken at least 3 times in the last month.
Shasco Foods is the wholesaler for both franchises.
Well, what about the Texas veggie? Eggs.
Starvest the Market.
I'm on hold with the head office trying to find out the whole sales.
- Good going.
- Thanks, I'll owe it to you.
Telephony is old school Wes.
Shit, did you guys change the internet password again? Yeah.
Carbon.
Shasco Foods.
Oh.
.
Number 1 egg distributor in the US.
Weston, I think we have a common link.
Got it Wes.
Thanks.
So the victims ate chicken and eggs supplied by Wide Valley Farms.
Wes set up a meeting with their head of legal affairs.
So where are we going? I'm going to see a lawyer in North Platt.
You're going to a flu convention.
No.
.
I should probably skip Chicago and go with David, are you gonna skip a Spanish Flu convention to go to Nebraska? - No.
- Yeah.
Thanks.
What's this? We didn't order anything.
Harvey did.
Has there ever been a case of avian prions found in humans? - No.
- I see.
We're not talking about avian prion, we're talking about a human prion in chickens and eggs.
And you have proof that our poultry products are contaminated? You've read our report on where the victims ate.
There are 200 million eggs and 20 million chickens consumed every day in this country.
Shasco suggested we start here, because you're their biggest supplier.
We're in price negotiations.
That's Shasco's leverage.
Four people are dead.
I certainly have enough to go public and point a finger at Wide Valley Farm's chicken.
- And you'd be willing to risk a lawsuit? - You're willing to risk a PR nightmare? What is it you're asking for? We'd like you to hold all shipments until we test your birds and eggs.
You're asking us to put 50,000 people out of work on a hunch? It's more than a hunch.
You have no authority over the food system.
The FDA does.
And we'll be going to the FDA when we have proof.
And we'll comply with whatever the FDA recommends.
We're asking for voluntary compliance now.
We'll provide samples.
But until you provide proof that Wide Valley chicken is tainted, we keep shipping our product.
Thank you.
So this postdoc comes to me with this brilliant theory on target binding, and I knew we'll screw up Maybe 1% chance of going anywhere, but to not try would have been crazy.
And everyone was saying: "Don't go there.
Don't go there.
" What happened? I told her to go for it.
And she listened to me.
And she was wrong.
You knew she was gonna fail? There is only 99% sure.
Where is she now? Med school.
- Poor kid.
- David! Hey.
Uh.
.
Thanks for the volatile hydroxyl compounds.
What the fuck are you doing here? I thought you might like a couple of tickets to a hockey game.
That.
.
I'm playing it tonight.
You made the cut.
That's great, man.
Fantastic! You know for an old guy.
Fuck you.
I'll buy you a drink.
So you know that kid, Arvintchek? Yeah, with LA Kid's a monster.
What's he like, 6'9? Uh hu.
Budy checked him out.
Called night.
* No.
I'm doing good.
Good.
What? I'm playing with this guy Archembault, 32.
Had a heart attack.
Is he okay? - Heart exploded, David.
- Jesus.
.
What are you not telling me, Danny? I'm playing with fuckin' kids who were in diapers when I broke in.
A lot of them chewin' roids since junior high.
I gotta take this shit just to fuckin' keep the level playing field.
What did you take? I don't know.
Is it the same stuff as Biriliski and Archembault? - One time, one shot.
That's all it was.
- That's all it takes with synthetic hormones.
David, if I can't play This is my life man.
This is all I know.
All right, give me a sample, okay? I can't.
I can't.
The fuckin' guy took off.
I don't know where he is.
- What? Am I gonna - I don't know.
- You got a cardiologist? - Come on, David.
Get one.
Get on a treadmill, have yourself checked out.
I'm fine.
So were Biriliski and Archembault, right? Order another round.
I'm gonna hit the can.
- Hey.
- Gentlemen, thank you for the volatile hydroxil compounds.
- Hi Hal.
- Hey, Jill.
How are you? I'm well.
How are you? I'm good, good.
Jill Langston, MIT.
Calpinder Singh, CALTECH.
- Nice to meet you.
- Hi.
What are you drinkin', Jill? Club soda please.
So gentlemen.
.
I need the abstract on David Sandstrom.
I've been offered a senior position in his lab.
Brilliant researcher, arrogant, and has a history of treating his research people like shit.
- Ah.
.
- I know.
- He had to see a young postdoc once.
- You won't believe this.
Yeah, I just got in.
What's up? I got a district court judge to cut through Thomas' creditors.
Good.
We get a sample? There weren't any to get.
What are you talking about? Missing, stolen, hidden, we don't know.
What did Thomas say? He didn't say anything.
We can't find him.
Caroline, you realize if there are prions in the food chain, and stored samples are missing I'm not here.
All right, I'm coming.
I'm packing heat.
All right, all right.
What? Good morning.
I'm Jill Langston.
I'm here for my interview.
- Caroline Morrison arranged it - No.
.
Not at 8 o'clock in the morning.
That's insane.
That's like 7 AM my time.
No.
That's 9 AM your time.
- I could come back.
- No no.
Come in, come in.
Tell me about yourself, Jill.
- You read my CV? - Nope.
Oh.
Ah Well, I did my undergrad in molecular biology at Princeton.
I'm listening.
Ph.
D.
at Standford in virology with Colly Curie.
* - My thesis was on.
.
- Time? I beg your pardon? On time? Was your thesis on time? Yes.
Mine wasn't.
It was about 18 months late, actually.
Wow, sometimes it.
.
You can go to Stanford or Princeton or any other fuckin' places.
- Doesn't matter.
- Then why are you telling me? I'm sorry.
- You asked me - To tell me about yourself.
Your listing off institutions like so many conquests.
I'm looking for a new scientist.
Not a name dropper.
I published 5 papers this year.
Why don't you read them? Thomas said that his creditors won't allow him to release the prions he made until the chapter 11 closes.
Did you go to those creditors and explained the situation? Of course.
Apparently they value of their asset is more important than the value of a human life.
What is that? It looks like Wide Valley delivered their samples.
So how many of these do we have coming? from every operation.
Okay, spines and branch with the highest concentration of the prions we're looking for.
Let's get as many people on this as possible.
What if these guys turn up clean? Going to have one hell of a barbecue.
Wait a minute, wait a minute, wait a minute.
Do we know how the prions got in the chickens? No.
But we have a hunch it has something to do with Harvey Thomas.
Why? He's missing, David.
Along with the prion samples he promised us.
Well, I thought they were in a repossession court lock up.
Yeah, we checked.
Nothing.
Thank you.
The FBI's been running a profile on him.
He travelled to North Platt several times in passed couple months.
As in Chicken capital of the world North Platt? Yeah.
All right.
Well, thanks for the update.
Sure.
How is your interview with Jill Langston? Who? Jill Langston, the virologist I wanted you to meet? Uhh Great.
Jill.
Great.
Went great.
We'd be lucky to get her, David.
Yeah well, I'm not exactly sure she's interested in the position.
You want her? Do I want her? Do I want her - Okay, get back to me on that one.
- Okay.
- Uh.
.
Keep me up on the chickens.
- Sure.
Goodbye.
The most devastating pandemic in history.
We know that at least 40 million people died between 1918 and 1919.
And now it was said of the Spanish flu that you felt a little ill at breakfast, went to bed after lunch, and were dead by dinner.
The best sample we knew would be found in a victim burried north of the permafrost line.
But our field crew failed to find a sample with intact viral RNA.
Nevertheless, I was able to sequence the 4th of the 8 segments polymerase.
The field samples were taken to.
.
Thank you, yes.
Yes.
Please.
Jill Langston.
Dr.
Sandstrom.
- It's great lecture.
- Thank you.
So how did you sequence polymerase? Well, that'll be in the paper I'm publishing in Nature magazine.
You got the sample from a brain.
Not a lung.
Am I right? Good guess.
It's how I did it.
- You sequenced polymerase? - 2 years ago.
Bullshit.
You didn't publish? Ah.
.
it's worthless unless you got the entire genome.
- Well, it's gonna be a incremental.
- Maybe.
What would you say if I told you I've got a lead on a perfect specimen? Mazeltov! Jill.
.
We should be working together on this.
Create a vaccine for the old lady, you can't turn that down.
Sure I can.
My charms, some you'll get used to.
You'll get used to my tail lights.
Here is a model of the structural of the prion from the Wide Valley chickens, on the right, and from our 4 victims, on the left.
That's a match? Perfect match.
So did we shutdown Wide Valley Farms? We notified the FDA at 7:15 this morning.
And the bad news? In the last 6 weeks, the Sioux City operations shipped of chickens to Shasco, and over 2 million eggs.
Where are we on Thomas? The FBI has him arriving at Chicago at 9:15 this morning.
Did they get him? Not yet.
And I suppose no news on the missing samples.
I have a feeling that when we get Thomas, we get the samples.
Let me give you some advice.
Ah.
.
Never take advice.
You don't want to work at NorBAC? Okay.
Cause we don't Offer cash bonuses or stock options, or company card that sort of shit.
You know.
All we offer the smartest team of scientists on the continent, complete intellectual freedom, and the toughest biological problems.
Did you rehearse that in front of a mirror? Yeah.
But it's all true.
Wouldn't I be replacing someone whose been shot? Yeah.
Well, we'll offer you free life insurance.
Why the sudden change of heart? - Everything I do is sudden.
- Well that explains a lot.
Explains why I want you to come and work with me.
No it doesn't.
I understand you've been hold up on some little island off the coast of Norway for the last 2 years.
Yeah.
All that time cuttin' through red tape just to dig up a couple of flu victims from the permafrost? It was fun.
I uh.
.
I admire.
Really, I do.
'cause personally I'd rather put a bullet in my head than do all that bureaucratic bullshit.
How how much of an asshole was I this morning? You were up there.
Excuse me, doctor.
- I'm looking for Carlos Serrano.
- He's out.
I'm suppose to give blood today.
Oh, you're Danny Dexter, the hockey player.
Mayko Tran.
Oh hey, do you used to uh.
.
Yeah.
Okay, come over here.
I can do it for you.
Can you get me blood case? So you uh.
.
a doctor too? Ph.
D.
bioinformatics.
Bio what? I analyze and interpret biomolecular data.
It's where computer science meets biology.
That's my beat.
So you and David when he was um a kid, right? Since grade six, yeah.
What was he like? He was a funny, skinny weird little guy who lived day and night like a butterfly.
All right.
That's it.
- Can you hold that? - Yeah.
- Painless.
- Uh hu.
How is my biomolecular data? We will tell you tomorrow.
I lied.
David was not weird or nerdy.
He was brilliant.
Brilliant at hiding the fact that he was brilliant.
And I was the only one who really knew him.
And I don't why he chose me.
Maybe you're a good listener.
Yeah that or I got him a lot of dates.
What about you Mayko? Can I get you a date? Uh.
.
No, thank you.
Yeah you don't really need me to do anything, do you? Okay.
I gotta run.
I have a hockey practice and you have to analyze and interpret my biomolecular data.
Yes.
I will dig into your genes right now.
- That's gonna be a handful.
- Oh, I'll manage.
Bye.
Yeah, hey Carlos.
Guess what made the headlines in Chicago.
Sam Biriliski died of mitro valve prolapse (MVP).
That doesn't sound right.
Any dumb ass team doctor would have picked up MVP during a routine physical.
Let me look into it.
Yeah.
Do it.
How are things your way? Uh.
.
We're up to our culo in chickens.
Anything yet? I should get the first test results back tonight.
Okay.
I'll call you tomorrow.
Hey! Hey.
How goes the career decision making? It's very well.
Did you make up your mind? Actually, I was just speaking with your favorite pharmaceutical exec.
And we came to terms.
He'll go his way and I'll go mine.
Do you still want me? I thought everything you did was sudden.
Champagne? Yes.
Please.
Excuse me.
I'd like to get a bottle of Henry Pan, '97.
Actually, have you ever tried Crystal Caleche? We'll.
.
get one of each.
Compare.
So what made you change your mind? Well, Caroline Morrison called and raised the offer by 25% and threw in a company card.
When did you get in? Last night.
And you didn't call? Well, it was after midnight and I thought you'd be in bed.
I was.
You should have called.
God, you lookin' great Caroline.
You too Digby.
How long are you in town for? I'm on a flight tonight, but I thought I'd touch base with you on the Miranda Virus.
- It's a tough one.
- How you doing on the vaccine? I just got a report here.
They were able to grow the Miranda Virus in a 293 cell culture.
I'm an MI-5 agent.
Not a scientist, Caroline.
What are we talking about here in english? It means we were successful with step 1 toward a vaccine.
But we have about another half dozen steps to go.
What have you got? Well, our baby bomber Jamieson dropped the alias Zanzinger and was tracked to a hotel in Scotland.
But um.
.
Then we lost him.
Did you get anything? His hotel room was clean but then when we took apart the bathroom sink, we found some dental floss.
So if you could just see if it's him.
See if the DNA makes him the father of Miranda.
We'll get right on it.
So I guess that's it then.
Yeah.
Well.
Caroline, I think that we should um.
.
I think we should just work extremely close together on this one.
I mean, if anything starts to heat up.
If? They heat up? You mean, when they heat up.
I expect you to make things happen, Digby.
Glad to be in about you again Caroline.
* You should called last night.
- To you.
- To you.
I'm hungry.
Excuse me.
We would like to see a menu, please.
I'm sorry the restaurant is closed.
Only way to get food now is to order room service.
All right, then.
We will order room service and we'll have it sent here.
You're very clever man.
You must be in your room.
Apparently the emphasis is on 'room' and not 'service'.
Doctor.
We're being very unprofessional.
We're gonna be working together.
We gotta stop.
David.
Can't 2 grown drunk people act like 2 grown drunk people? Uh hu.
.
- I hate these conventions.
- Yeah, same old shit.
- I thought you liked my lecture.
- Oh yeah you really smart.
And I'm really fun too.
- I know all about you virologist.
- Really? Uh hu.
Prove it.
Hey.
Hi.
Ahh.
.
On your way? Yeah, I got an early flight.
No goodbyes.
See you at the lab next week.
David.
I know.
I'm gonna meet with Mastertech Pharmaceutical.
I think I know I accepted your offer.
Last night complicates things.
So I'm gonna need to think about it.
Yeah well, you know, of course.
Because Mastertech is a great company and San Francisco is San Francisco.
- So can I take a couple of days? - Sure.
And I buy another bottle of champagne next flu convention? Goodbye David.
Goodbye sounded kind of permanent.
Missed me already? - Dr.
David Sandstrom? - Yeah? You are? Ah.
.
Jesus.
I uhh.
.
put some close on.
Oh, thank you.
Thank you for coming.
I didn't really have much of a choice there, Harv.
FBI thinks it's some kind of a lunatic.
They are pretty smart bunch.
- I know what I'm doing.
- Okay.
I was coming to see you.
You see, once I've found the perfect source to put the prions, I had to do it.
You infected the roosters through their food, didn't you? Yeah.
So they could transmit the prions to their offspring.
How often does a rooster go at it, d'you figure, Harv? Just curious.
I believe 10 to 30 times a day.
It's a lot of infected chickens.
Well, sure.
That's why I did it.
Can't fix it 'til it's broken, is that it? Yeah.
Yeah.
You see.
Prions, those little tiny proteins can destroy us all.
They're like a virus, a cancer.
And I can cure them all.
I know how.
You want to tell that to the mother of a little girl lying in a slab in Florida? No.
That wasn't suppose to happen.
I was gonna expose the prions in the Wide Valley chicken and then show them I have a cure.
You don't know that, Harvey.
You haven't tested your vaccine in humans yet.
Yes, but now they'll have to let me test it, won't they.
You have the samples, don't you? They took them.
Didn't they tell you? They didn't tell me anything except you wanted to see me.
I was bringing them to you, so you could see it for yourself.
You could test them.
Oh, I'd love to have a look at them.
And you'll see, and they'll have to refinance my study, because I can save them.
Sure you can, Harvey.
All I needed is a year.
Well, my guess is they'll give you 10 to life.
David, I'm sorry.
Dr.
Sandstrom.
David.
I just don't think you should call me here.
No ma'am, not right now.
I need at least a week or two.
I really have to go.
I want to talk to you.
Hey, David's back in town.
How was the windy city? Ah.
.
It was.
.
You either got laid or arrested.
Well, that for me to know and you'll find out.
Here.
The missing prion samples, courtesy of the FBI.
We need to run those, match 'em to what we've got.
Prosecutions gonna want that eventually.
- I'll get right on it.
- Okay.
Bob.
I have to go.
Goodbye.
You okay? Why? Never mind.
You got anything on Danny's hormones? - I have.
- Let's go.
I just don't think you should call me here.
No ma'am, not right now.
I need at least a week or two.
- I really have to go.
- I want to talk to you.
You don't understand.
This is a government operated lab I'm in now.
I told you I don't know what they'll do if they found out.
- Miss Richmond, please.
- Bob.
I have to go.
Goodbye.
You okay? Why? Never mind.
You got anything on Danny's hormones? - I have.
- Let's go.
Mayko found a muscle hormone that's being developed for *** in AIDS.
The most advanced trials are being done by a Atlanta biotech called Bioxene.
I've heard of them.
- Still interested in Biriliski? - Ya, you talked to his team doctor? I did.
He says he didn't pick up mitro valve prolapse syndrome because Biriliski was born with a heart *problem*.
That's why he exhibited chest pains, signs of fatigue, dizziness.
He said it because professional athletes are used to working through their pain.
Ah.
.
You speak bullshit too.
Na, it's like a second language to me.
Did you specifically ask about the doping? Oh, Biriliski passed every single test the League threw at him.
You know about this Bioxene growth hormone? I'm working with Bob on it.
We got a Bioxene growth hormones structure and we looked for the same thing in Danny.
This is what we got.
- Something very similar.
- Ah.
.
but different.
So the stuff that Danny took is not the Bioxene product? What's in his blood is a highly sialilated but mutated version of skeletal muscle growth hormone.
So Danny's cells are producing the skeletal muscle growth hormone but not his natural skeletal muscle growth hormone, right? - Si.
- Yes.
Son of a bitch.
Has Bioxene been experimenting with gene therapy? No, but I obviously somebody else has.
The muscle growth hormone in Danny had to be concocted in a lab.
Instead of injecting something into him that shouldn't be there, he gets his body to make it.
One injection of the DNA and his body makes the hormone.
So he's not cheating.
His body is.
And even though he has high levels of growth factor no one can say with certainty those levels are the result of doping.
Pretty smart huh? Well, if not Bioxene.
Who in the wide world of sports is experimenting with gene doping? David, if I can't play.
It's my life man.
This is all I know.
One shot one time.
David.
Schuller and Raskin are here.
Conference room.
Good work boys.
We believe Harvey Thomas had access to 2 batches of Crow & Grow feed.
These batches were sent to 3 out of Wide Valley 60 bird operations.
Any roosters were infected by the prions in the feed and they in turn infected the chicken eggs they fertilized.
Which is about 10 to 30 offspring a day.
No one's denying that Harvey Thomas came up with a very efficient system to contaminate Wide Valley's product.
NorBAC found human prions in chickens at 2 of the 3 ops.
And in the interest of 0 risk to the public, all 3 farms will be depopulated.
That's 6 million birds at a cost of 24 million dollars.
That's a very significant sacrifice in the public welfare.
Thank you, congress woman Shuller.
What can we do for those who are potentially infected? There's nothing we can do.
There is no cure.
There is one thing.
You could fund Harvey Thomas' research.
Let him pick up where he left off.
He's not just ahead of the curve on this.
He made the curve.
He's a madman.
Who says you have to be sane to be brilliant? Is that your honest opinion? I think that we could find sufficient funds to support continuing research.
Jesus, that was easy.
Harvey should have come to you guys in the first place.
All right, then uh.
.
Is there anything else? Were there shipments of hens to other farms? None.
Roosters? Limited.
Say again? Some birds may have been shipped to operations in other states.
And you're not calling those farms? We're testing roosters, thousands.
And if you find one infected rooster next week what if his offsprings already been shipped? Let's not destroy the poultry industry that employs 500000 americans, Dr.
Sandstrom.
Should the public statement come from us or the FDA? Surely you understand the ramifications of going public.
Chickens could be carrying a fucking death sentence for millions of people.
Let's hold all public remarks until we have determined the potential economic damage to the industry.
What? And I want to move on that as soon as possible.
I'm going public with this and I don't give a shit what you people think.
All right then.
Thank you all.
What a fuckin' bitch.
Which one? Take your pick.
Well, bitch Shuler is the chair of the congressional committee that funds us.
She is also in NorBAC trilateral committee and she hired me.
Well, this is awkward.
You didn't tell me.
Does someone have to be important for you not swear at them? Ah.
.
congress woman Shuller.
I was a little out there just now.
Well, let's just chock it up to low blood sugar.
What Dr.
Sandstrom meant to say is that.
.
He was speaking for both of us.
Because if we're going to be just another organization that you could trot out when you need us, and otherwise ignore us, you can have my resignation right now.
Shall we discuss this in Washington next week? I think we should.
Nice.
So these Italian biotech.
Genoa Quest, they've shown that by injecting the gene for skeletal MGH they can increase muscle mass in a mouse by 25%.
So we're thinking there's somebdy in the company might pick a few euros on the side.
Do a little on the black market, eh? You think this might be in more than just a couple of hockey players? - Will you take a pill that will make you better? - Just shoot the ball, Bob.
Okay.
Better at what? At anything.
I like myself just the way I am.
Thanks.
You wouldn't take a pill that will, I don't know Makes you smarter? Well, I'd do that.
I'd take a handful.
Bob, you've already got a IQ of 162.
But wouldn't you like to see what's beyond? I mean, that's what it's all about, isn't it? Opening new doors.
New game.
Bob, not if that pill is going to kill you.
Say, you are blind.
Would you take a pill for 10 years of sight? Let's face it.
We're taking pills these days for everything.
Make themselves happy, waking up, going to sleep, makin' your dicks harder, growin' your hair, blood pressure, pimples.
It's a drug happy brave new world we're livin' in.
Are you gonna shoot the fuckin' ball or what? Okay.
Go back to work.
I need blood samples and the growth hormone from both Genoa Quest and Bioxene.
Let' put them apart, find out what makes them different.
So, Bioxene, Genoa Quest.
They're nearly identical.
- Like the amino-acids.
- Yeah.
Real alike, but different.
Look here.
The Genoa Quest hormone is missing a few residues from the end terminus.
Why are they different? Where's Carlos? Carlos! We do have an intercom here, you know.
What do they gain by the difference? What were they trying to do? Hey check this out.
The end terminus of the Genoa Quest growth hormone is missing.
- A few residues are deleted.
- Yeah.
But why.
I mean, what were they gaining? They're not gaining.
So they deleted it because Because they needed it to be different.
I though I might find you here.
Hey.
Sorry I'm late.
So what information? Well, the hormone you took is actually an Italian gene therapy.
They based it on an American one, but in order to duck a patent infringement they put a little spin on it.
And that change did inadvertantly cause the hormone to act on the heart muscle.
That's what causes it to explode.
So Biriliski and Archembault died to avoid a patent infringement.
Fuck.
And because the Italian compound hadn't been put into human trials, they didn't detect the side effect.
But I think I might be able to reverse the gene therapy in you.
What if I don't want it to stop? Danny, your your body is producing growth hormone 24/7.
I mean every day your muscle mass increases.
Look you, you don't know what's gonna happen to me, David.
Well, we know that shit eventually lands on a heart muscle.
And Biriliski and Archanbald are any indication.
Well, what are you saying? I'm saying, no more hockey, Danny.
I'm sorry.
I'll take my chances.
What? I'll take my chance.
.
I got a week to prove myself.
I've been waiting for this my whole life.
I'm 35, David.
35.
No more chances You don't understand.
You can't do it anymore.
You will die.
Fuck you David.
You're a bigshot scientist.
I'm nobody.
I make piss all.
I play at shit old towns, I got a fuckin' Bulgarian defence man who can't speak english for a roommate, my kid doesn't talk to me, my marriage is bust.
- You didn't answer my question.
- Yes, I did.
- I thought you left.
- Did.
Came back.
What's up? Want a drink? Okay.
What are you working on? Bob had a theory.
Good one.
Died fast.
What case? Friend of mine.
Hockey player.
Fooling around with synthetic growth hormones.
Is he a good friend of yours? His name's Danny.
His family busted up when we were in high school.
Practically lived in our basement for 2 years.
Taught me a lot.
Like what? Drinkin', women, drugs, sports.
Friendship.
To friendship.
To friendship.
- Hey.
- Hey.
Something smells good.
Whatcha making? - Chicken.
- God.
What? What?! Dad! Wow! - What, what, what were - Sorry.
It's a long story.
I'll tell you later.
Hey, Dav.
Danny, listen, I'm on a plane back to Desmoines tonight.
- Fuck.
I got cut.
- Oh shit.
So uh.
.
So I'll see ya.
What bad news? It's not good.
Come on, Danny.
Yeah? Hey man, how you doing? Good.
Good.
I got your message.
What happened? I don't know.
I thought it was fine.
I felt great.
My agent thinks it's a wank.
Their were negotiating with somebody else.
They brought me up to put pressure on 'em.
Guess it worked.
Look, you want me to come over? Better yet, why don't you come over here.
We'll uh.
.
make you some dinner.
.
No no no.
Listen, it was great seeing you again.
I really appreciate everything.
- My cab's here.
I gotta go.
- Sure you okay? Yeah.
You know.
Life's a rollercoaster.
Call me tomorrow, all right? Great seeing you again.
I appreciate everything.
Yeah, you too.
How is he? Ah.
.
He's gonna be okay.
He's a tough guy.
- What's she doing here? - You hired her.
- I did? - I'm confused.
Hello David.
I'm going out for a while.
Where are you going? Out.
For a while.
I don't know what they'll say if they found out.
Let's make sure they don't find out.
I've been asked to mediate in the dispute between two researchers in a clinical trial.
David! I don't do bureaucratic bullshit.
He was diagnosed with leukemia a year ago.
You got any proof that the therapy caused the stroke? I think, that the Peterson boy's immune system overresponded.
But you don't know.
Neither does Booker.
The boy was sick.
Died of a disease that we were trying to save him from.
You studied the therapy.
Does it work or doesn't it work? It's the one death that you're gonna have to deal with.
I found it.
That's very nice cooler, David.
It's the sample of the 1918 flu.
This here is your Mr.
George Edward Plane.
Oh, your fuckin' beautiful.