Primeval transcript: 1x02 Part 2
Masterlist
1x02 Part 1
UNDERGROUND TUNNELS TAKE 7:
Nick, Stephen and Abby enter the underground tunnels, armed only with torches. They enter the tunnel to the storeroom. A spider is in there, the torches scare it away.
Nick: On the ground. That’s what I thought, they’re sensitive to the light.
The three of them enter the tunnel, Nick first, Abby last. There is another spider on the wall above them. They only notice it when it moves as Abby goes past.
Abby: Oh! Does anyone have a really big slipper.
They enter the room, spiders are scuttling around on the floor.
Nick: I don’t like this.
They move further into the room. Stephen gags as he stands on one of the spiders. Abby finds a fence at the side of the room, there is a fairly large hole in it.
Abby: Cutter.
Nick and Stephen follow Abby through the fence. An ANOMALY is on the other side. They go and stand in front of it.
Nick: What’s happening to us?
As they watch, several spiders run back through the anomaly into their own time. Abby drops her torch. She turns and picks it up. As she straightens, she sees something moving at the back of the room.
Abby: Guys.
Nick and Stephen turn, and see the same thing she did.
Abby: What is it?
Stephen: I don’t know.
Nick: It’s not a spider.
They jump back as an ARTHROPLEURID bursts out from behind a set of metal bins. Stephen and Abby dive back through the fence, but the Arthropleurid blocks Nick off from that exit. He throws a box at it and it momentarily backs off.
OUTSIDE THE STATION TAKE 7:
Claudia has been listening in on the radio.
Claudia: Cutter, what’s going on?
Nick (over the radio): There’s another creature down here.
UNDERGROUND TUNNELS TAKE 8:
Nick (continued): But don’t worry, we’re coming out. Stephen, Stephen can you see it?
Stephen: No!
There is a strange noise, Stephen looks up to see the Arthropleurid crawling across the ceiling above him.
Abby: Stephen!
Stephen pushes Abby out of harms way and grabs a box, throwing it at the Arthropleurid. The Arthropleurid doesn’t back off and now has Stephen and Abby backed into a corner. Nick whistles, attracting the Arthropleurid to him.
Nick: Go!
Stephen: Nick!
Nick: Go, go. Get Abby out of here!
Stephen: Come on!
Abby: No!
Stephen and Abby make it to the tunnel and close the door. Leaving Nick alone in the room with the Arthropleurid, which turns towards him.
Nick: Damn.
Nick runs to the back of the room where there is another door. He goes through and slams it behind him. He braces himself against the door as the Arthropleurid crashes into the door a couple of times. He is in a series of tunnels.
After the banging stops, Nick steps away from the door. A woman’s voice is heard. HELEN CUTTER.
Helen (whispering): Nick.
Nick: Hello?
Helen: Nick.
Nick: Who’s there?
Nick leaves the door and heads into the tunnels. Following a shadow.
Nick: Helen!
OUTSIDE THE STATION TAKE 8:
Claudia is trying to raise Nick on the radio, Abby and Stephen are with her.
Claudia: Cutter? Come in. All I’m getting is interference. Look.
Claudia spreads out a map to show Stephen and Abby.
Claudia: There’s no other way out. This tunnel was blocked 30 years ago.
Abby: What? Then why isn’t he back here?
Stephen: Look, he’s got to be trapped, okay? I’m going back in.
Claudia: No-one goes anywhere until we know what we’re dealing with.
Stephen: He could be injured.
Claudia: I don’t want to leave him down there anymore than you do, but I’m not losing anyone else in this wild goose chase. We don’t even know for sure where he is. Did you see what kind of creature it was?
Stephen: It was some kind of centipede.
Abby: But huge!
Claudia: Any more? Like preferred habitat, behavioural patterns, strengths, weaknesses?
Abby: We don’t know. No one does!
Stephen: Connor might. He’s like a walking encyclopaedia of this stuff. He probably has giant bug fridge magnets.
Claudia: Okay, I’ll get him here.
Claudia hands Stephen the map and walks away.
Claudia: Ryan, we need to get Connor…
Stephen: I can’t leave him in there.
Abby: You can’t go down there without back up.
Stephen: Watch me.
Abby: Stephen.
Stephen runs off back to the station.
UNDERGROUND TUNNELS TAKE 9:
Nick is walking through the tunnels, looking for Helen. He comes to multiple dead ends.
Nick: Hello? Hello?
Stephen arrives at the entrance of the main tunnel.
Stephen: Cutter?
Stephen looks through the boxes on the station platform looking for a weapon. He finds a flamethrower. Stephen enters the tunnels and goes into the storeroom. He uses the flamethrower to scare the giant spiders.
Stephen: Cutter!
He goes through the fence and sees the door at the back of the room that Nick escaped through. As he approaches the door, the Arthropleurid comes up behind him. Stephen spins around and uses the flamethrower to make the Arthropleurid retreat.
Stephen: Cutter!
He walks around the room, but as he goes past the anomaly, the magnetic forces suck the flamethrower through the anomaly, leaving Stephen defenceless. The Arthropleurid advances again.
Stephen: Oh god.
Stephen runs towards the exit, but is cut of by the Arthropleurid, which then attacks him.
OUTSIDE THE STATION TAKE 9:
Abby is trying to raise Stephen on her radio. She doesn’t notice Claudia and Ryan come up behind her.
Abby: Stephen. Where are you? Stephen?
Claudia: What’s he done?
Abby gives Claudia a sorrowful look and Claudia takes the radio from her.
Claudia: Stephen, where the hell are you?
Abby: He was trying to help.
Claudia: Well, he’s done a really great job, hasn’t he? Stephen, come in. Stephen? That’s the problem with heroic gestures. Succeed and you look wonderful. Fail, and all you do is leave everybody else with a bloody mess to clear up. Well done. [To Ryan] Get down there.
Ryan goes and gets his men ready to go back into the tunnels. Connor has just arrived.
Abby: Connor!
UNDERGROUND TUNNELS TAKE 10:
Stephen is lying on the floor, suffering from the effects of the venom. He is shaking and sweating and having breathing difficulties. Helen enters the room and steps through the fence, towards Stephen. He can’t tell who she is at first.
Stephen: Over here. Help me. Why don’t you say something?
Nick is still travelling the tunnels.
Nick: Helen!
Stephen: Helen?
Nick finds the door that he entered by and goes back into the storeroom. He sees Stephen on the floor and rushes over.
Nick: What happened?
Stephen: Argument with the bug. The bug won.
Nick: Where is it now? All right, lets get you out of here.
Stephen: Hey. I don’t have any feeling in my legs.
Nick: Yeah, shock.
Nick helps Stephen to sit up and gives him the torch.
Nick: Here take this.
Nick then helps Stephen to his feet. Stephen leans heavily on Nick and limps as they leave the room.
Stephen: There’s something I have to tell you.
Nick: Ah, you’re not dying. It can wait.
Stephen: Helen’s alive? She was here. She gave me a message.
Nick: What’s the message.
Stephen: She’s waiting on the other side of the anomaly. She said… she said if you want to know the truth, you’ve got to come and find her.
Nick brings Stephen out of the tunnel just as the soldiers arrive on the platform.
Nick: Help! We need a medic!
OUTSIDE THE STATION TAKE 10:
Connor is on her computer, looking up possible creatures. Claudia and Abby are with him, looking over his shoulders.
Connor: Okay, Carboniferous. So it’s probably an Arthropleurid. That’s a centipede on steroids, basically. It’s more or less blind, good sense of smell and touch. I mean, this thing’s pretty big and scary looking, but it’s more or less timid. It’s the kind of bug that’d stick to the kitchen at parties.
Claudia: This one must have a personality disorder. How dangerous is it?
Connor: According to this, it would have eaten dead wood and leaves.
Claudia: So it’s not poisonous.
Connor: No way.
Claudia: That’s a good thing then.
The soldiers arrive with Nick and Stephen. Claudia, Abby and Connor rush over.
Soldier: Medic! Stretcher!
They load Stephen onto a stretcher and the paramedics take over.
Paramedic: We’ve got it.
Abby: Stephen!
Someone pulls Stephen’s collar back to expose the wound.
Nick: He’s been bitten by the Arthropleurid. Same wound, same symptoms as the pest controller. We need to do something before it destroys his central nervous system.
Connor: Poison?
Nick: The spiders are off the hook. It’s the centipede that’s the killer.
Claudia: Not poisonous you said.
Connor: Look, I was only speculating.
Stephen: Tell them about Helen. She was there.
Nick, Connor and Claudia fall back, away from the stretcher.
Claudia: What’s he talking about.
Nick: I don’t know. He must be hallucinating.
Claudia: He looked seemed fairly lucid to me.
Stephen is being loaded into the ambulance, the paramedics pause to open the doors.
Stephen: You know, you look really beautiful.
Abby: You’re delirious.
Stephen: Have dinner with me.
Abby: We’ll talk about it when you’re better.
Stephen: I can’t wait that long.
Abby: Of course I will. And I’ll have coffee at your place later and stay for breakfast in the morning.
Stephen: Good result. It’s amazing how much easier this stuff is when you’re dying.
Abby: You’re not dying!
Stephen is loaded into the ambulance and Abby jumps in to ride to the hospital with him.
HOSPITAL TAKE 2:
Stephen is wheeled into hospital by a team of nurses and Dr Lewis. He is wearing a breathing mask.
Lewis: Who did this to him?
Abby: Not who, what. It was a centipede.
Lewis: What kind of centipede?
Abby: It’s hard to explain.
Lewis: If we don’t find out exactly what bit him, he will die.
Abby: Okay, tell me what you need to find a cure and I’ll get you all the information I can.
Lewis: There are no obvious treatments. People just don’t die of centipede bites. But if we can get hold of a good sample of the venom, we might be able to find an anti-venom that matches it.
Abby: Will that make him better?
Lewis: Anti-venoms are a last resort. Toxic in their own right. The survival rate can be as low as 50%, but without it, his chances are nil.
Abby: Just keep him alive.
UNDERGROUND TUNNELS TAKE 11:
Ryan and his men are back in the storeroom, using the torches to scare the spiders back through the anomaly.
Ryan: It’s working. They’re going back through.
OUTSIDE THE STATION TAKE 11:
Claudia, Abby, Nick and Connor are talking about how to save Stephen.
Claudia: Can’t we run some more tests and find a match for the venom somehow?
Abby: It would take to long. He’s dying.
Nick: No, the only way to shortcut the process is to collect a pure sample of venom from the creature that bit him.
Claudia: How the hell are we going to do that? Ask it to fill a specimen jar?
Nick: In a way.
Connor: Oh, come on.
Nick: No. It’s the only option. [Into a radio] Ryan, Ryan are you there?
UNDERGROUND TUNNELS TAKE 12:
Ryan: First line’s clear. Moving into second bunker.
Nick (over the radio): Have you seen the centipede yet? If we lose it Stephen’s dead.
OUTSIDE THE STATION TAKE 12:
Nick (into radio): On no account let it return through the anomaly. Repeat, do not let it go back. [To Connor] Find me something that will do the job.
Claudia: What are you going to do?
Nick: I’m going to invite a very angry centipede to bite me.
UNDERGROUND TUNNELS TAKE 13:
Nick, Abby, Connor and Claudia enter the storeroom where Ryan and his men are standing guard. They go through the fence to where Ryan is.
Ryan: Bunker’s clear. And it hasn’t been through the anomaly on my watch. There’s nowhere else for it to go. Either it’s already gone through, or it’s behind that door.
Nick: We go in there.
Nick leads everyone through the door into the tunnels beyond.
Nick: Keep your eyes open, this thing’s fast.
They go through the tunnels, checking each dead end.
Ryan: Clear.
Nick: It’s gone back. We must have lost it. Damn it.
They go back to the storeroom. Nick is standing in front of the anomaly with Claudia.
Nick: If Stephen hadn’t come back for me, then he wouldn’t have got bitten.
Claudia: It wasn’t your fault.
Connor rushes into the room.
Connor: Professor! I’d forgotten. Arthropleurid, they were supposed to be burrowers, so look for a hole, in the floor, in the walls, anywhere.
Connor goes back through the fence and he and the soldiers start looking for a hole. Connor finds it hidden behind a load of junk and does a little victory dance.
Connor: Cutter! I found it!
Nick rushes into the room.
Connor: I was right, it is still here.
Claudia: Good work.
Nick: How deep could this be?
Connor: A creature that size? 50 feet, maybe.
Nick: All right, fine, I’m going in.
Claudia: That’s crazy.
Nick: There’s no other way of finding out where it’s gone.
Connor: I’m going to come too.
Nick: Aye.
Connor: Right.
Nick runs off to grab a glass bottle full of turpentine.
Connor: Cool, okay, um… [To Abby] Look, if I don’t come back, you can have my Star Trek Next Generation top trumps.
Abby: I’ll treasure them.
Connor: You know what, on second thoughts, maybe you should bury them with me.
Nick (to Connor and Ryan): Here, put this on your clothes. It’s turpentine. Bugs hate it. All right?
Ryan and Connor do as instructed and then the three of them enter the tunnel. Connor glances back once before he enters, and after he has gone, Claudia crouches by the tunnel entrance. Nick and Ryan have torches, but Connor doesn’t. The tunnel is just wide enough for them to crawl through and there are loads of roots coming out of its sides.
Connor: I won’t have a panic attack. I will not have a panic attack.
They come out the other end into an area that looks a bit like an underground building site. The walls are concrete and there is a structure made of large steel girders, which is several storeys high.
Connor: Could it really have climbed up there?
Nick: Let’s find out.
Ryan starts to go up the stairs first, but Nick stops him.
Nick: Just got to give it a chance to get to me first.
Connor: Claustrophobia and vertigo on the same day. This is, um, fabulous.
Nick: Whatever happens, don’t shoot until we’ve got the venom.
The reach the top storey. There was a fence around the platform at the top, keeping people out, but there is a hole in it, which Nick, Ryan and Connor go through. This area is electrified, as shown by a ‘Danger of Death’ sign on the twisted ruins of the fence. The Arthropleurid is on one of the girders above them. They don’t notice until Connor accidentally knocks over a stool and they turn around. It comes down the girders towards them and Nick steps forwards.
Nick: Come on.
The Arthropleurid lunges at Nick, who raises his arm. The Arthropleurid releases Nick and he stumbles back. Ryan shoots at the creature but it has not effect apart from making it angry. The Arthropleurid lunges at Ryan and knocks him back, but doesn’t bite him. Connor grabs the stool that he knocked over earlier (a metal stool in an electrified area, that’s clever), and he lunges at the Arthropleurid with it.
Nick: Careful, Connor.
The Arthropleurid grabs hold of the stool and pulls it out of Connor’s grasp.
Ryan: Let it go!
The stool has become jammed in the Arthropleurid’s mouth and it tries to get rid of the stool by thrashing around. The stool accidentally hits one of the electrified areas, electrocuting the Arthropleurid, which then falls off the platform and to the ground. The guys all take a couple of deep breaths before Nick and Ryan start to laugh in relief (Connor is mildly shocked that he saved the day). Nick pulls back his sleeve, revealing the plastic bag full of Arthropleurid venom.
Nick: Lets get this back to Stephen.
HOSPITAL TAKE 3:
Stephen is unconscious, but looking a lot better. Abby is sitting in a chair by his bedside when Connor enters.
Connor: How is he?
Abby: The convulsions have stopped. That’s something.
Connor: You really like him, don’t you?
Abby: I don’t know him.
Connor: When has that ever stopped people from fancying each other before. You see, the same thing happened to me once. With Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I admit she’s a fictional character, but, you know, when it feels real… Then she starts hanging around with this badly animated dog and it all got a bit weird. Always break your heart in the end though, eh?
Stephen starts to cough, and his eyes open. Connor goes to the door as Abby leans closer to Stephen.
Connor: Doctor! I think he’s back.
HOSPITAL TAKE 4:
It’s later that day. Stephen is sitting up in bed, reading a book and looking a lot better. Claudia enters.
Claudia: Hi.
Stephen: Hi.
Claudia: How are you feeling?
Stephen: Like I gargled with sand and slept inside a tumble dryer.
Claudia: So, tell me about Helen.
Stephen: What about Helen?
Claudia: You saw her.
Stephen: I saw her? When?
Claudia: In the tunnel. That’s what you said.
Abby arrives at the door and listens in.
Stephen: I… I was gone, you know. I don’t remember anything. I was probably just seeing things.
Claudia: Yeah, probably.
Claudia leaves and Abby enters.
Stephen: What was all that about?
Abby: You really can’t remember a thing after you were bitten? None of the things you said in the ambulance?
Stephen: What did I say?
Abby: Oh, just stuff. I just thought some of it might of stuck, that’s all.
Stephen: Was it important?
Abby: Nah,, nah. No, not really.
Stephen: Thanks for looking after me, Abby.
UNDERGROUND TUNNELS TAKE 13:
Nick is sitting in front of the anomaly, looking sorry for himself. Connor enters via the hole in the fence and goes to sit next to him.
Connor: Hi. Hey, um… Does this mean I’m back in?
Nick: Any way we can keep you out?
Connor: I just want to help.
Nick: You did a good job.
Connor: Oh my god. You know what? All my life I’ve wanted to be in a crime-busting gang. And now I am. Sort of. I don’t suppose you would consider giving me a cool nickname, would you?
Nick: No.
Connor: Oh well. I thought not.
Connor leaves, but Nick is looking marginally less sorry for himself. Until he turns back to the anomaly. He gets up and walks closer to it and reaches out a hand.
Nick: Where are you Helen? What do you want?
Trailer for next episode.
End credits.
1x02 Part 1
UNDERGROUND TUNNELS TAKE 7:
Nick, Stephen and Abby enter the underground tunnels, armed only with torches. They enter the tunnel to the storeroom. A spider is in there, the torches scare it away.
Nick: On the ground. That’s what I thought, they’re sensitive to the light.
The three of them enter the tunnel, Nick first, Abby last. There is another spider on the wall above them. They only notice it when it moves as Abby goes past.
Abby: Oh! Does anyone have a really big slipper.
They enter the room, spiders are scuttling around on the floor.
Nick: I don’t like this.
They move further into the room. Stephen gags as he stands on one of the spiders. Abby finds a fence at the side of the room, there is a fairly large hole in it.
Abby: Cutter.
Nick and Stephen follow Abby through the fence. An ANOMALY is on the other side. They go and stand in front of it.
Nick: What’s happening to us?
As they watch, several spiders run back through the anomaly into their own time. Abby drops her torch. She turns and picks it up. As she straightens, she sees something moving at the back of the room.
Abby: Guys.
Nick and Stephen turn, and see the same thing she did.
Abby: What is it?
Stephen: I don’t know.
Nick: It’s not a spider.
They jump back as an ARTHROPLEURID bursts out from behind a set of metal bins. Stephen and Abby dive back through the fence, but the Arthropleurid blocks Nick off from that exit. He throws a box at it and it momentarily backs off.
OUTSIDE THE STATION TAKE 7:
Claudia has been listening in on the radio.
Claudia: Cutter, what’s going on?
Nick (over the radio): There’s another creature down here.
UNDERGROUND TUNNELS TAKE 8:
Nick (continued): But don’t worry, we’re coming out. Stephen, Stephen can you see it?
Stephen: No!
There is a strange noise, Stephen looks up to see the Arthropleurid crawling across the ceiling above him.
Abby: Stephen!
Stephen pushes Abby out of harms way and grabs a box, throwing it at the Arthropleurid. The Arthropleurid doesn’t back off and now has Stephen and Abby backed into a corner. Nick whistles, attracting the Arthropleurid to him.
Nick: Go!
Stephen: Nick!
Nick: Go, go. Get Abby out of here!
Stephen: Come on!
Abby: No!
Stephen and Abby make it to the tunnel and close the door. Leaving Nick alone in the room with the Arthropleurid, which turns towards him.
Nick: Damn.
Nick runs to the back of the room where there is another door. He goes through and slams it behind him. He braces himself against the door as the Arthropleurid crashes into the door a couple of times. He is in a series of tunnels.
After the banging stops, Nick steps away from the door. A woman’s voice is heard. HELEN CUTTER.
Helen (whispering): Nick.
Nick: Hello?
Helen: Nick.
Nick: Who’s there?
Nick leaves the door and heads into the tunnels. Following a shadow.
Nick: Helen!
OUTSIDE THE STATION TAKE 8:
Claudia is trying to raise Nick on the radio, Abby and Stephen are with her.
Claudia: Cutter? Come in. All I’m getting is interference. Look.
Claudia spreads out a map to show Stephen and Abby.
Claudia: There’s no other way out. This tunnel was blocked 30 years ago.
Abby: What? Then why isn’t he back here?
Stephen: Look, he’s got to be trapped, okay? I’m going back in.
Claudia: No-one goes anywhere until we know what we’re dealing with.
Stephen: He could be injured.
Claudia: I don’t want to leave him down there anymore than you do, but I’m not losing anyone else in this wild goose chase. We don’t even know for sure where he is. Did you see what kind of creature it was?
Stephen: It was some kind of centipede.
Abby: But huge!
Claudia: Any more? Like preferred habitat, behavioural patterns, strengths, weaknesses?
Abby: We don’t know. No one does!
Stephen: Connor might. He’s like a walking encyclopaedia of this stuff. He probably has giant bug fridge magnets.
Claudia: Okay, I’ll get him here.
Claudia hands Stephen the map and walks away.
Claudia: Ryan, we need to get Connor…
Stephen: I can’t leave him in there.
Abby: You can’t go down there without back up.
Stephen: Watch me.
Abby: Stephen.
Stephen runs off back to the station.
UNDERGROUND TUNNELS TAKE 9:
Nick is walking through the tunnels, looking for Helen. He comes to multiple dead ends.
Nick: Hello? Hello?
Stephen arrives at the entrance of the main tunnel.
Stephen: Cutter?
Stephen looks through the boxes on the station platform looking for a weapon. He finds a flamethrower. Stephen enters the tunnels and goes into the storeroom. He uses the flamethrower to scare the giant spiders.
Stephen: Cutter!
He goes through the fence and sees the door at the back of the room that Nick escaped through. As he approaches the door, the Arthropleurid comes up behind him. Stephen spins around and uses the flamethrower to make the Arthropleurid retreat.
Stephen: Cutter!
He walks around the room, but as he goes past the anomaly, the magnetic forces suck the flamethrower through the anomaly, leaving Stephen defenceless. The Arthropleurid advances again.
Stephen: Oh god.
Stephen runs towards the exit, but is cut of by the Arthropleurid, which then attacks him.
OUTSIDE THE STATION TAKE 9:
Abby is trying to raise Stephen on her radio. She doesn’t notice Claudia and Ryan come up behind her.
Abby: Stephen. Where are you? Stephen?
Claudia: What’s he done?
Abby gives Claudia a sorrowful look and Claudia takes the radio from her.
Claudia: Stephen, where the hell are you?
Abby: He was trying to help.
Claudia: Well, he’s done a really great job, hasn’t he? Stephen, come in. Stephen? That’s the problem with heroic gestures. Succeed and you look wonderful. Fail, and all you do is leave everybody else with a bloody mess to clear up. Well done. [To Ryan] Get down there.
Ryan goes and gets his men ready to go back into the tunnels. Connor has just arrived.
Abby: Connor!
UNDERGROUND TUNNELS TAKE 10:
Stephen is lying on the floor, suffering from the effects of the venom. He is shaking and sweating and having breathing difficulties. Helen enters the room and steps through the fence, towards Stephen. He can’t tell who she is at first.
Stephen: Over here. Help me. Why don’t you say something?
Nick is still travelling the tunnels.
Nick: Helen!
Stephen: Helen?
Nick finds the door that he entered by and goes back into the storeroom. He sees Stephen on the floor and rushes over.
Nick: What happened?
Stephen: Argument with the bug. The bug won.
Nick: Where is it now? All right, lets get you out of here.
Stephen: Hey. I don’t have any feeling in my legs.
Nick: Yeah, shock.
Nick helps Stephen to sit up and gives him the torch.
Nick: Here take this.
Nick then helps Stephen to his feet. Stephen leans heavily on Nick and limps as they leave the room.
Stephen: There’s something I have to tell you.
Nick: Ah, you’re not dying. It can wait.
Stephen: Helen’s alive? She was here. She gave me a message.
Nick: What’s the message.
Stephen: She’s waiting on the other side of the anomaly. She said… she said if you want to know the truth, you’ve got to come and find her.
Nick brings Stephen out of the tunnel just as the soldiers arrive on the platform.
Nick: Help! We need a medic!
OUTSIDE THE STATION TAKE 10:
Connor is on her computer, looking up possible creatures. Claudia and Abby are with him, looking over his shoulders.
Connor: Okay, Carboniferous. So it’s probably an Arthropleurid. That’s a centipede on steroids, basically. It’s more or less blind, good sense of smell and touch. I mean, this thing’s pretty big and scary looking, but it’s more or less timid. It’s the kind of bug that’d stick to the kitchen at parties.
Claudia: This one must have a personality disorder. How dangerous is it?
Connor: According to this, it would have eaten dead wood and leaves.
Claudia: So it’s not poisonous.
Connor: No way.
Claudia: That’s a good thing then.
The soldiers arrive with Nick and Stephen. Claudia, Abby and Connor rush over.
Soldier: Medic! Stretcher!
They load Stephen onto a stretcher and the paramedics take over.
Paramedic: We’ve got it.
Abby: Stephen!
Someone pulls Stephen’s collar back to expose the wound.
Nick: He’s been bitten by the Arthropleurid. Same wound, same symptoms as the pest controller. We need to do something before it destroys his central nervous system.
Connor: Poison?
Nick: The spiders are off the hook. It’s the centipede that’s the killer.
Claudia: Not poisonous you said.
Connor: Look, I was only speculating.
Stephen: Tell them about Helen. She was there.
Nick, Connor and Claudia fall back, away from the stretcher.
Claudia: What’s he talking about.
Nick: I don’t know. He must be hallucinating.
Claudia: He looked seemed fairly lucid to me.
Stephen is being loaded into the ambulance, the paramedics pause to open the doors.
Stephen: You know, you look really beautiful.
Abby: You’re delirious.
Stephen: Have dinner with me.
Abby: We’ll talk about it when you’re better.
Stephen: I can’t wait that long.
Abby: Of course I will. And I’ll have coffee at your place later and stay for breakfast in the morning.
Stephen: Good result. It’s amazing how much easier this stuff is when you’re dying.
Abby: You’re not dying!
Stephen is loaded into the ambulance and Abby jumps in to ride to the hospital with him.
HOSPITAL TAKE 2:
Stephen is wheeled into hospital by a team of nurses and Dr Lewis. He is wearing a breathing mask.
Lewis: Who did this to him?
Abby: Not who, what. It was a centipede.
Lewis: What kind of centipede?
Abby: It’s hard to explain.
Lewis: If we don’t find out exactly what bit him, he will die.
Abby: Okay, tell me what you need to find a cure and I’ll get you all the information I can.
Lewis: There are no obvious treatments. People just don’t die of centipede bites. But if we can get hold of a good sample of the venom, we might be able to find an anti-venom that matches it.
Abby: Will that make him better?
Lewis: Anti-venoms are a last resort. Toxic in their own right. The survival rate can be as low as 50%, but without it, his chances are nil.
Abby: Just keep him alive.
UNDERGROUND TUNNELS TAKE 11:
Ryan and his men are back in the storeroom, using the torches to scare the spiders back through the anomaly.
Ryan: It’s working. They’re going back through.
OUTSIDE THE STATION TAKE 11:
Claudia, Abby, Nick and Connor are talking about how to save Stephen.
Claudia: Can’t we run some more tests and find a match for the venom somehow?
Abby: It would take to long. He’s dying.
Nick: No, the only way to shortcut the process is to collect a pure sample of venom from the creature that bit him.
Claudia: How the hell are we going to do that? Ask it to fill a specimen jar?
Nick: In a way.
Connor: Oh, come on.
Nick: No. It’s the only option. [Into a radio] Ryan, Ryan are you there?
UNDERGROUND TUNNELS TAKE 12:
Ryan: First line’s clear. Moving into second bunker.
Nick (over the radio): Have you seen the centipede yet? If we lose it Stephen’s dead.
OUTSIDE THE STATION TAKE 12:
Nick (into radio): On no account let it return through the anomaly. Repeat, do not let it go back. [To Connor] Find me something that will do the job.
Claudia: What are you going to do?
Nick: I’m going to invite a very angry centipede to bite me.
UNDERGROUND TUNNELS TAKE 13:
Nick, Abby, Connor and Claudia enter the storeroom where Ryan and his men are standing guard. They go through the fence to where Ryan is.
Ryan: Bunker’s clear. And it hasn’t been through the anomaly on my watch. There’s nowhere else for it to go. Either it’s already gone through, or it’s behind that door.
Nick: We go in there.
Nick leads everyone through the door into the tunnels beyond.
Nick: Keep your eyes open, this thing’s fast.
They go through the tunnels, checking each dead end.
Ryan: Clear.
Nick: It’s gone back. We must have lost it. Damn it.
They go back to the storeroom. Nick is standing in front of the anomaly with Claudia.
Nick: If Stephen hadn’t come back for me, then he wouldn’t have got bitten.
Claudia: It wasn’t your fault.
Connor rushes into the room.
Connor: Professor! I’d forgotten. Arthropleurid, they were supposed to be burrowers, so look for a hole, in the floor, in the walls, anywhere.
Connor goes back through the fence and he and the soldiers start looking for a hole. Connor finds it hidden behind a load of junk and does a little victory dance.
Connor: Cutter! I found it!
Nick rushes into the room.
Connor: I was right, it is still here.
Claudia: Good work.
Nick: How deep could this be?
Connor: A creature that size? 50 feet, maybe.
Nick: All right, fine, I’m going in.
Claudia: That’s crazy.
Nick: There’s no other way of finding out where it’s gone.
Connor: I’m going to come too.
Nick: Aye.
Connor: Right.
Nick runs off to grab a glass bottle full of turpentine.
Connor: Cool, okay, um… [To Abby] Look, if I don’t come back, you can have my Star Trek Next Generation top trumps.
Abby: I’ll treasure them.
Connor: You know what, on second thoughts, maybe you should bury them with me.
Nick (to Connor and Ryan): Here, put this on your clothes. It’s turpentine. Bugs hate it. All right?
Ryan and Connor do as instructed and then the three of them enter the tunnel. Connor glances back once before he enters, and after he has gone, Claudia crouches by the tunnel entrance. Nick and Ryan have torches, but Connor doesn’t. The tunnel is just wide enough for them to crawl through and there are loads of roots coming out of its sides.
Connor: I won’t have a panic attack. I will not have a panic attack.
They come out the other end into an area that looks a bit like an underground building site. The walls are concrete and there is a structure made of large steel girders, which is several storeys high.
Connor: Could it really have climbed up there?
Nick: Let’s find out.
Ryan starts to go up the stairs first, but Nick stops him.
Nick: Just got to give it a chance to get to me first.
Connor: Claustrophobia and vertigo on the same day. This is, um, fabulous.
Nick: Whatever happens, don’t shoot until we’ve got the venom.
The reach the top storey. There was a fence around the platform at the top, keeping people out, but there is a hole in it, which Nick, Ryan and Connor go through. This area is electrified, as shown by a ‘Danger of Death’ sign on the twisted ruins of the fence. The Arthropleurid is on one of the girders above them. They don’t notice until Connor accidentally knocks over a stool and they turn around. It comes down the girders towards them and Nick steps forwards.
Nick: Come on.
The Arthropleurid lunges at Nick, who raises his arm. The Arthropleurid releases Nick and he stumbles back. Ryan shoots at the creature but it has not effect apart from making it angry. The Arthropleurid lunges at Ryan and knocks him back, but doesn’t bite him. Connor grabs the stool that he knocked over earlier (a metal stool in an electrified area, that’s clever), and he lunges at the Arthropleurid with it.
Nick: Careful, Connor.
The Arthropleurid grabs hold of the stool and pulls it out of Connor’s grasp.
Ryan: Let it go!
The stool has become jammed in the Arthropleurid’s mouth and it tries to get rid of the stool by thrashing around. The stool accidentally hits one of the electrified areas, electrocuting the Arthropleurid, which then falls off the platform and to the ground. The guys all take a couple of deep breaths before Nick and Ryan start to laugh in relief (Connor is mildly shocked that he saved the day). Nick pulls back his sleeve, revealing the plastic bag full of Arthropleurid venom.
Nick: Lets get this back to Stephen.
HOSPITAL TAKE 3:
Stephen is unconscious, but looking a lot better. Abby is sitting in a chair by his bedside when Connor enters.
Connor: How is he?
Abby: The convulsions have stopped. That’s something.
Connor: You really like him, don’t you?
Abby: I don’t know him.
Connor: When has that ever stopped people from fancying each other before. You see, the same thing happened to me once. With Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I admit she’s a fictional character, but, you know, when it feels real… Then she starts hanging around with this badly animated dog and it all got a bit weird. Always break your heart in the end though, eh?
Stephen starts to cough, and his eyes open. Connor goes to the door as Abby leans closer to Stephen.
Connor: Doctor! I think he’s back.
HOSPITAL TAKE 4:
It’s later that day. Stephen is sitting up in bed, reading a book and looking a lot better. Claudia enters.
Claudia: Hi.
Stephen: Hi.
Claudia: How are you feeling?
Stephen: Like I gargled with sand and slept inside a tumble dryer.
Claudia: So, tell me about Helen.
Stephen: What about Helen?
Claudia: You saw her.
Stephen: I saw her? When?
Claudia: In the tunnel. That’s what you said.
Abby arrives at the door and listens in.
Stephen: I… I was gone, you know. I don’t remember anything. I was probably just seeing things.
Claudia: Yeah, probably.
Claudia leaves and Abby enters.
Stephen: What was all that about?
Abby: You really can’t remember a thing after you were bitten? None of the things you said in the ambulance?
Stephen: What did I say?
Abby: Oh, just stuff. I just thought some of it might of stuck, that’s all.
Stephen: Was it important?
Abby: Nah,, nah. No, not really.
Stephen: Thanks for looking after me, Abby.
UNDERGROUND TUNNELS TAKE 13:
Nick is sitting in front of the anomaly, looking sorry for himself. Connor enters via the hole in the fence and goes to sit next to him.
Connor: Hi. Hey, um… Does this mean I’m back in?
Nick: Any way we can keep you out?
Connor: I just want to help.
Nick: You did a good job.
Connor: Oh my god. You know what? All my life I’ve wanted to be in a crime-busting gang. And now I am. Sort of. I don’t suppose you would consider giving me a cool nickname, would you?
Nick: No.
Connor: Oh well. I thought not.
Connor leaves, but Nick is looking marginally less sorry for himself. Until he turns back to the anomaly. He gets up and walks closer to it and reaches out a hand.
Nick: Where are you Helen? What do you want?
Trailer for next episode.
End credits.