IMAGES FROM "MEDUSA"


TEASER
CLAY STREET STATION
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS
A cop is undercover at a subway station following a man. He reports through his microphone about him, and calls it a “1013.” The cop gets onto the subway.

The man comes near the cop without him knowing it. Suddenly the train jerks and they are knocked down. The cop’s gun flies across the floor. He tries to grab it, but the man gets to him first. The camera pans away to show the back of the train as the cop screams.

Later, passengers enter the train. I woman stops and screams. On the floor in front of her, the cop’s body lays, the skin eaten off of his face.

ACT ONE
TRANSIT OPERATIONS CENTER
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS
10:34 AM
Scully and Doggett arrive at the subway station to investigate. They meet with the deputy chief of the transit police and Lieutenant Bionko. Scully asks the deputy if the assessment team is there. He tells her that they are downstairs and have been waiting for them for forty-five minutes. He asks where they have been. They were late because Scully was examining the body. He tells her that he has a lot of people who could examine the body. What he needs from the FBI is a time frame.  One of the main autors of the Boston Public Transit Station has been closed for exactly four hours and eleven minutes. His phone has been ringing off the hook from the press, and people are angry because they are late for work. The mayor is really angry and is paying him to do one thing – keep the trains running. He says that the afternoon rush is in five hours and for them to do what they have to do, but the line is going back into operation at four p.m.

Scully tells him that he has a dead man who’s got over one third of his body tissue completely eaten away, and until they figure out how and why the tunnel cannot be reopened.

The lieutenant tells them that he understands the FBI’s need to do a thorough investigation, but as he sees it, the facts of the case are pretty simple. He tells them that the train briefly lost power, during which time an assailant killed a Boston transit cop, and that that man is still at large.

Doggett asks what the assailant used. The lieutenant guesses acid or lye. He says that Scully’s examination of the victim must have told them something. She tells him that it didn’t, and until they culture the tissue and run the proper tests they aren’t going to know what killed him or if it can infect others. He tells her that the Center for Disease Control had robotic sniffers in the tunnel all night and found no trace of biological or chemical agents. He tells them that what they are looking for is a cop killer.

DOGGETT: At least that’s your cover story. That’s what you’re telling the press.

The deputy tells him that the question is if they can get the killer or the explanation in less then five hours, because the subway reopens at four no matter what.

The two follow him to meet the assessment team.

The deputy introduces them to Steve Melnik, the chief structural engineer that built the tunnel. Melnik tells them that he only oversaw the construction of it four years ago, but he knows every square inch of it.

The last member of the team introduces herself as Dr. Lyle. She is from a special pathogens branch at the CDC. Scully tells her that she thought that the CDC was already there and said that the tunnel was clear of any pathogens. She tells Scully then that she guesses she’s there for the moral support.

The deputy says that they are just covering their bases. Dr. Lyle asks what bases Scully and Doggett are covering. He tells her that Scully is medical doctor who has a lot of experience with equivocal deaths.

MELNIK: Equivocal? Hey, I mean, you’re dead or your not, right?

Lyle asks Doggett what he’s there for.

DOGGETT: I’m just a good shot.

Doggett pulls on a bulletproof jacket as the others going in the tunnel are doing.

Scully tells Doggett (presumably because of the baby) that she can do a better job analyzing the situation from above ground and he can be her eyes and ears.

TRANSIT CONTROL CENTER
11:51 AM
The four people go into the tunnel. As they are walking, Dr. Lyle steps in a puddle. Doggett sees it and steps over it. The camera pans to show that in the darkness the puddle glows green.

A few minutes later, Melnik starts yelling to “get it off.” They look at his neck. His skin is burnt. They cover it up. Doggett asks him if they get seepage down there. He tells him that they do. Lyle mentions the puddle that she stepped in and gets a sample. Doggett says that it’s not a man that they are looking for but a toxic leak.

Dr. Lyle transmits the readings to Scully. Scully has an analysis run on it. It appears to be regular seawater, but she sends it off to a lab.

They see someone running through the tunnel, so they start after him.

Melnik takes off his bulletproof vest because he is sweating.

They come to turn off, but it’s been blocked off. Melnik tells Doggett that it is a tunnel from the old system that’s been shut down for years. Someone could easily hide in it.

Suddenly a man comes running out. Lyle yells to Doggett to look out, but it is too late. The man runs right into him and knocks him over.

ACT TWO
12:37 PM
Doggett gets up. Next to him the man lies dead. The skin has been eaten away from his face, and his stomach is completely exposed. 

Scully sees the image on the monitor and tells them that she needs some data. Lyle takes some pictures of the body for her and sends them.

Bionko is ready to leave. The dead man matches the description of the killer.

Melnik sees something farther down the tunnel. They check it out. What he saw were three bodies wrapped tightly in plastic. They appear to have been affected the same way as the other man. Scully tells Doggett that it looks like there might be a contagion there after all.

Doggett calls Dr. Lyle over. As she goes to get up she sees someone else moving and yells to Doggett that there is someone over there. They rush over, but whoever it was is gone.

The lieutenant says again that he wants to leave, but Doggett tells him to wait. Scully tells him that if there is someone else down there, they need to find him.

The deputy gets mad and says that he’ll send someone down to get the bodies, but the train is still going to run. She says that they could be infected and contagious, but he just asks what they could be contagious with. He sarcastically asks if she thinks it’s the seawater. He tells her that she is being irrational.

Doggett asks her what she wants them to do, and she tells him for them to leave the bodies there and go after whoever is in the tunnel. She says that they need to know if the man is causing it or if he is infected himself.

DOGGETT: All right, we just got our order…We’re gonna continue on.
BIONKO: Says who?
DOGGETT: Says the boss.

They continue to walk. Melnik is sweating badly and looks sick. He scratches at the burn on his neck that now is partially glowing green and is sparking.

Melnik suddenly starts to yell again. Before their eyes sparks fly and the flesh on his arm starts to burn away. It looks almost electrical. Doggett asks Scully what to do. Thinking fast she tells him to pour fresh water on it. He does and it stops the burning, however Melnik’s arm is already severely burned.

Doggett asks Scully what she thinks it is. She tells him that it’s attacking the dermis, and that even though she hates to say it, she thinks that it’s some kind of biological weapon.

The man sits down in pain and the woman looks at him.

They need to go on, but the man is in no condition to leave. Doggett tells the Dr. Lyle to stay with him and Hazmat will be there soon.

Doggett forges ahead. In the shadows the lieutenant notices his hand. It’s glowing green.

ACT THREE
2:23 PM
Hazmat arrives and brings out Melnik. The woman comes out with them in a Hazmat suit. When they bring out the bodies they start to take them away, but Scully stops them. She tells them that they need to go to the CDC.

The deputy tells her that they are getting everything out because the train is still going to leave on time. She tells him that it can’t, but he still will not listen to her.

Doggett is talking to Bionko when he notices something. He tells him to step forward. He does and Doggett sees that his skin is completely glowing green. He tells Doggett that it is spreading and he told him that they should have gotten out. Doggett tells him that that’s exactly why they have to stay. Bionko says that Doggett has seen what it does. Doggett tells him that he did see what it did, but it doesn’t seem to be affecting him so to calm down. He tells Doggett that he’s getting out of there.

Bionko starts to walk away so Doggett pulls a gun on him. Bionko sets his gun down at Dogget’s request, but as Doggett bends down to pick it up he knocks him out. Doggett falls to the ground.

Back above ground Scully goes back to the monitors in the station. The camera is only showing the ceiling of the tunnel as Doggett lies on the ground.

Scully calls to Doggett, but he doesn’t answer. She doesn’t know what has happened. She calls him on her cell phone but he doesn’t answer. She throws the phone down.

A woman comes into the room and asks if it is a bad time. She is a marine biologist and has analyzed the water sample. She shows Scully on the monitor what she found. The water appears to be just seawater, but it has an abundance of calcium in it.  On closer inspection she found in the water an organism called a Medusa.

Scully asks if it’s a sea creature. The woman doesn’t even know if it’s from the sea for sure, but thinks it’s incredible, until Scully tells her that it’s killing people. She asks how, but Scully doesn’t know.

Bionko yells and starts knocking on the blocked end of the tunnel to see if anyone is there.

Bionko then walks over to Doggett and takes his light.

The camera pans down to show the Doggett’s face is glowing green.

ACT FOUR
Scully starts yelling to Doggett again through the microphone. He finally wakes up and answers her. He tells her that Bionko is infected with something – he saw it glowing on his skin. Scully asks him what his condition is. He sits up and he looks at his hands. They are glowing green. 

DOGGETT: I assume it’s not good.

Scully becomes worried. She tells him that she will send a quarantine unit down to get him. He tells her that he has to find Bionko first if they want to stop the contagion from spreading.

Scully tells Doggett that they have another problem. It’s twenty to four and the passengers are now there waiting for the train. She tells him that he shouldn’t be moving. He tells her that in twenty minutes he’ll be taking a bath in the motel but right now he has to find Bionko. She says that movement could trigger, but he says that standing still could too.

Doggett finds Lieutenant Bionko lying on the ground. He is getting sicker. The woman is on the phone with the CDC. Scully tells her that she needs any information on what could set it off – even a wild guess.

Doggett asks Scully what he should do. She tells him to just get out of there and leave Bionko, who she’ll send someone in to get. From what she has seen, the reaction is progressive.

Bionko pleads with him not to leave him there. Doggett helps Bionko to walk. 

A young boy comes out of the one tunnel. He appears to be perfectly fine. Scully wonders why he’s not infected. She suddenly realizes that the burning is activated by sweat. Sweat is a conductor for Calcium ions, promoting a chemical electrical reaction. The boy’s sweat glands aren’t fully developed, so he wouldn’t be as conductive.

The boy starts to run away, wanting Doggett to follow. Doggett follows him. The boy brings him to another part of the tunnel. He looks inside and sees that there is water leaking from the ceiling. It must be the source of the contagion. The walls and floor are glowing green. The boy walks through wanting Doggett to follow.


She realizes that the boy is trying to lead him through to the main tunnel. By looking at the map, she thinks that there is an access point on the other side. Scully tells him that she will get a Hazmat team there and he can be out in about fifteen minutes.

Doggett backtracks and gets Bionko. They start down the tunnel. There is green water leaking all over the floor. Doggett tells Scully that they have a big problem. She agrees that they do, but is talking about something else. He tells her about the flood, but she tells him that what’s more important is that the deputy has started the trains rolling.

Doggett gets the man and the boy safe off of the tracks. He sees a sign that says, “Stay clear of third rail. Extremely dangerous.” Doggett sees the train coming. 

Scully yells at him to get off of the tracks. He tells her that they’ve got people on the train, and they could get infected.  Scully keeps yelling at him to get out of the way.

Doggett has an idea. He grabs Bionko’s rifle. He runs over near the third rail and sticks the gun into the water. As soon as the train is almost there, he jumps out of the way, letting the wet gun hit the rail. Sparks fly but the train doesn’t stop.  Scully’s screen goes out.

Scully calls to Doggett, asking if he can hear her. He finally answers her. She tells him that the video went out, so he fixes it.

The lights flicker. There are a few electrical sparks left on the ground along with some smoke.

Doggett looks down at his hands. The green is gone.

Bionko and the boy come out. The green is gone from Bionko as well.

BOSTON GENERAL HOSPITAL
Doggett is in a hospital bed yelling for his nurse. He gets up when no one answers. As he is walking towards the door, Scully opens it and comes through. She asks him what he is doing out of bed, and he tells her that the nurse was supposed to come in and tell him if he could leave. He says that he could be dying for all that the nurse knows. Scully tells him that he’s not dying. His skin and body have been rid of the organism. An alcohol back cleaned him up. She tells him that he can leave the hospital now.

Doggett backs up because he is ready to get dressed. Scully just looks at him and doesn’t move. He moves behind the curtain and she turns her back and finishes telling him everything.

Scully tells him that the kid is with social services, plastic surgeons are working on Melnik and Bionko, and Dr. Lyle has been discharged.

He comes out and tells her that the deputy will pay for putting so many lives in danger. She tells him that it is over. He effectively destroyed the organism by the electrical charge he put of, and there is no trace of it, so therefore no proof. He tells her that they have bodies. She tells him that they are listed as being infected by a pathogen of unknown etiology. She tells him that not a criminal charge is going to stick. The men were just doing their job – keeping the trains running. She tells him though, that regardless, they have him to thank, and “not just for saving their butts.”

DOGGETT: No, you figured it out. I was just your eyes and ears.

Doggett says her name like he is about to say something else, but he hesitates. She just tells him, “Let’s go home,” and then she turns around and leaves.

IMAGES FROM "MEDUSA"


Overall Rating : 7.5
*Shippy Rating: 0
*Note: Shippiness will ALWAYS be based on MULDER and SCULLY. The scale is based on the Redux II scale (1-10, as Redux II being a 10 [now with Triangle being an 11, All Things being an 11.5, and Millennium being a 12, all above the scale])*


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