Swamp Thing Page #2

The damnedest thing.

You know this new batch you had me|cook up with the host from Alessandro?

I knew we were up to something|revolutionary, but this is dynamite.

Watch.

- Incredible.|- Weird, huh?

- Yeah.|- Congratulations.

You've managed to reinvent nitro. Let's|hope this project doesn't end with a bang.

Come on, Charlie, please.|I gotta write this down.

I thought you were|working on a weapons system.

- I knew it wasn't just plants.|- Plants, plants.

The only way I thought my work|would be explosive was socially.

It's never been this volatile before.

Linda, prep a sample of that|for the electron microscope, please.

- And be very careful with it.|- What is it you've been doing here?

Come over here. I'll show you.

You see those little guys?

DNA chromosomes|from the common lab bacilli E. coli.

Now, you see that one? Another simple|bacilli. Plant matrix called D complex.

Each of these organisms have existed in|the labs for years, but always separately,

since one is animal, the other's vegetable.

This is what we've developed|over the last couple of months.

See that little guy? Never existed on the|face of the earth before. That's my baby.

A simple vegetable cell with|an unmistakable animal nucleus.

Recombinant DNA?

Hey, that's very good.

I am very close to developing a plant with|an animal's aggressive power for survival.

A plant for the 21st century.

You want watermelons|the size of weather balloons

or tomatoes that'll fetch a stick?

Or a tomato that could grow in the desert.|Or soybeans that could thrive in Biafra.

Or corn that could grow in the USA|in the year 2001,

when there'll be 6.5 billion people|on this planet, all of them hungry.

- How you doin' there, Linda?|- It's all set. Vector 3379.

OK.

- It's replicating like mad.|- It certainly is.

Let's try it on something.

Cable, would you bring that flask of water|over here, please?

Thank you.

If it would work on plants the way|you want it to, what will it do to people?

- And what if it falls into wrong hands?|- Arcane boogieman mentality, huh?

OK, now we begin. 2000 water,

one part formula.

How long before you'll know?

What do you want it to do,|jump out and dance a fandango?

I don't know.|A week maybe, maybe longer.

This has all the thrills|of watching grass grow.

Aren't there some sensors|you could be working on?

Oops.

Forget it. He's just ridiculously sensitive.|Our dad was the same.

Your dad?

You've never heard of Walter Holland|the biophysicist?

Nobel prize. He used to throw|a mean Bunsen burner, I can tell you.

Alec and I spent half our childhood|cleaning up after his tantrums.

Perfectionist to the day he died.|Alec's the same.

- Oh, my God.|- What is that?

Cable, I don't believe this.

All the places that Linda dropped|the formula, the boards grew.

- Who are you kidding?|- No, I'm not kidding.

Alec...

Linda! Get in here quick!

This is fantastic. This is incredible.

Oh...

Alec, the formula?

Ritter. He's got to be told right away.

I wanna see that bastard's face|when he realises we've done it.

Ritter?

Ritter?

- You guys seen Ritter?|- He's in the command shed.

Thanks.

Ritter!

Charlie...

Get up!

Hold it!

- I'm holding.|- It's over, lady.

- Arcane, right?|- Shut up.

Alec, watch out!

- Very interesting, Dr Holland.|- On your feet.

- Who are you?|- Interesting.

Now, I know I haven't seen|anything like this before.

Have you?

What the hell do you want?

I represent a certain party|that's interested in your formula.

He'd give an arm and a leg for it.

Your arm and leg, if necessary.

Get outta my lab! Get out!

Alec!

What's the hold-up?

He's being difficult.

No, Ritter. Not you.

No, Dr Holland, not Ritter.

Ritter, poor fellow, is long dead.

You have heard of but never seen me,|so I will introduce myself.

My name is Arcane.

Linda, come here. Here.

Leave her alone.

Thank you.

All materials pertaining|to the substance, now,

or she dies.

What sort of rejuvenation|will you be able to perform on her then?

- Don't, Alec.|- It's all right.

The actual solution as well.

Linda!

Linda! Linda...

What is best for you is not|to be born, not to be, to be nothing.

But the second best for you|is to die soon. Nietzsche.

- The notebooks.|- I never seen anything like that.

The notebooks, good.

Strip it. No bodies.

No witnesses.

No survivors. No trace of them.

You, come here. Burn the papers.

Burn everything. Come on, get a move on.

Somebody help Bruno with the bodies.|I want this place clean by dawn.

- Is that the last of 'em?|- That's it.

Then get the lead out.

- A final check, then vacate the premises.|- Right. Take that to the boat.

Hurry it up.

Wait a minute.|I'm finding lots of stuff down here.

What kind of stuff?

A little of this, a little of that.|Come on down and take a look.

What you got?

- Found some money, a watch, and...|- No, this.

Oh, that. I took it off the girl.

You can have it. Ain't worth nothin'|compared to the watches.

Get out in front.|We're getting out of here.

Ferret?

Plannin' on goin' somewhere?

Come on, let's take a little walk.

Bastard!

My, haven't you gotten dirty?|My goodness!

Tyrone, come here.

I think this lady needs a bath.|Let's take her down to the dock.

Where'd she come from?

Help!

Help!

Get the boat ready.

Move it. We don't have all day,|and I wanna teach this lady how to swim.

The first lesson's called the Dead Man's...

Ow!

You wanna play rough, huh?

Say hello to your boyfriend, baby.

What the hell was that?

Willie! Tyrone! shoot the damn thing.

Get it! Kill it - and her!

You, too!

Back in the swamps.

Willie, go that way.|Tyrone, cover that area.

(cough)

So long, baby.

Willie?

Flank right.

No, no, no! What are you doin?

What the hell are you doin', Danny?

Spread out.

Keep your head.

- Where's Danny?|- Where's Willie?

- Maybe Willie's with Tyrone.|- Danny shot Tyrone.

Oh, yeah.

(roaring)

- Maybe we should...|- Get the hell outta here.

The work with DNA, I expected.

But the combining|of plant and animal is astonishing.

Astonishing.

- You should sleep, sir.|- I can't.

It was all so near,|right there in the palm of my hand, and...

But it's lovely not to sleep,

knowing that I'll soon|make the substance for myself.

Have some coffee, sir.

Thank you.

Holland had great talent.

But talent does only what it can.

Genius does what it must.

It is master of man, power absolute.

And in your hands, sir, how magnificent.

- How beautiful.|- Yes.

The world will bow, or starve.

Yes.

Yes.

Four, five, six.

- How many notebooks were there?|- Six, I think.

But six ends with notes two weeks old.

It's unfinished.

There must be another,|a seventh notebook.

Ferret has just radioed, sir.|Something's happened.

What?

Something about a...

Well, you'd better|speak to him yourself, sir.

(roar)

- What?|- You're not gonna believe this.

Something incredible|came out of the swamps.

What came out of the swamps?

Some kind of animal or something.|It got the men.

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