ACT ONE

FADE IN:

EXT. MOJAVE DESERT - NIGHT

To establish. The moon is full, bathing the parched land in silver light.

EXT. PAINTED DESERT NURSERY - NIGHT

Not much stirs in the groves of the nursery, save one lone figure. Lupe Perez walks among the trees. He's wearing a backpack sprayer and sings an old song from his homeland of Chile. He stops at a tree and stops the sprayer.

Lupe pulls a flashlight off his belt and shines it on the bark. The tree has been damaged from something. He touches it, muttering in Spanish. He stops talking. He can hear a noise, like a million gnashing teeth. Lupe shines his light in the direction of the sound. The ground looks like it's breathing.

Lupe slowly walks toward it. He trips over a PVC pipe and shines his light on it. He reaches down, picking up the nine foot long pipe. He drops it suddenly, jumping and aiming his light on the ground. His eyes widen when he sees he's standing in a sea of fire ants.

Lupe panics and runs toward the desert, smacking the ants crawling up his body. He trips and falls, rolls, gets up and runs screaming into the desert.

SMASH TO WHITE:

EXT. PAINTED DESERT NURSERY - LATER

A Hazmat team is near an open grave, spraying a crude coffin.

Clutching a camera in one hand and his kit in the other, NICK stands at the edge of a grave staring into it. The bottom is alive with fire ants. The sight stirs buried emotions in Nick.

CATHERINE walks up to him, also staring into the grave. Behind them, Doc ROBBINS walks into the desert where Lupe collapsed in the throes of death. Catherine looks up at Nick.

CATHERINE
Nick?

He looks at her.

CATHERINE (CONT'D)
Are you sure you want this case?
Being allergic to fire ants is a
good enough excuse to be reassigned.

He smiles.

NICK
It's just a few ants. I'll be fine.

She's not convinced.

CATHERINE
Do you have Epi's?

He pats his vest pocket.

CATHERINE (CONT'D)
Okay. Stay safe on this one, Nick.
Don't you dare go macho on me. If you
run into problems, call me. Got it?

NICK
No macho, macho man. Got it.

She laughs as she heads into the desert to join Robbins.

Nick turns back to his crime scene. He sets his kit and camera down, and then walks over to a pile of soil. With the toe of his shoe he sifts through the soil a little. A few ants are still alive. Nick steps away and looks around him.

NICK (CONT'D)
All these fire ants... And no mound...

Nick pulls his Maglight off his belt and starts a spiral search for a fire ant mound. The Hazmat team finishes clearing the coffin. One HAZMAT GUY turns and looks for him.

HAZMAT GUY

Hey, Nick. We've cleared the coffin
as best we can. It's ready when you are.

Nick walks back to them.

HAZMAT GUY (CONT'D)
There's a few still fighting, so be
careful when you open her up. We
put in a call for a real exterminator
to spray the grave with more powerful stuff.

NICK
Thanks.

The man and his team start up the hill toward their truck. Nick puts his Maglight back in the holster on his belt and starts snapping photos of the coffin and area.

INT. MAOPA VALLEY - NIGHT (RE-ENACTMENT)

Ten years ago, on a moonless night, a man trots across the dark land. He's a nice looking man, in his mid thirties, and well dressed. He looks out of place to be in this remote farm area.

He slows as he sneaks past a freshly painted farmhouse. In the window on the second floor a young boy is sitting by the window looking up at the stars, he doesn't see the man. In the living room, the boy's parents are watching TV.

The man's face, later to be discovered as Edith Stuckley, flashes through the light before he disappears into the peach grove near the house. The trees are just blossoming and petals fall around him.

It's a dreamy sight that he stop to admire for a moment before he starts a slow jog. Beyond the grove he hears a sound and turns as he stops.

He can still hear it -- a low groan, almost like a person in pain. Suddenly the ground opens under his feet, dropping him into a black hole. Seconds after he disappears, there is a loud splash, but the man doesn't make a sound.

INT. FARMER DELL'S WELL - PRESENT - DAY

There's a steady drip of water dripping into water. In the darkness of the well, the well preserved remains of the fallen man sit hunched over. In the dark, it looks like he's just fallen into the well and has been there for only a few days.

But there is no water. Dampness clings to the walls and forms little pools, but that's not enough to make a splash.

The footsteps stop and there's a loud scraping noise as the overhead cover is removed. It lets in an explosion of light and the morning sounds of a farm.

Four faces peer into the well: LANGSTON, assistant M.E. DAVID, State Patrolman Paul SHOEMAKER, and FARMER DELL.

EXT. FARMER DELL'S PEACH GROVE - DAY

The corpse at the bottom of the well doesn't look normal. From their height, it's hard to tell what makes this corpse unique. Langston lowers to one knee, shining his flashlight down the shaft.

He can tell that some of the hair has fallen out, the body looks bloated, but in an abnormal way. The skin has a strange, waxy sheen to it. One leg is bent under the man, the other sticks out. Gleaming white bone can be seen sticking from the lower half, but there's no blood around the wound or on the clothes.

To further throw things out of context, the clothes have decayed to shreds and pieces.

FARMER DELL
I told you. I have a mummy in my well.

He pulls off his Maglight, shining it on the corpse. The light glints across the skin.

LANGSTON
It looks like a wax statue. David,
perhaps we had better use a
biohazard bag for transport.

David trots off toward the coroner's van.

FARMER DELL
Look, I don't want this taking forever.
I want it out of my well. Now!

LANGSTON
Sir, even after the body is moved,
this is still considered a crime
scene until I can prove no crime
has been committed. I will release
it as soon as I can

FARMER DELL
I want my well back now. Can your
nigger ears understand that?

Langston and Patrolman Shoemaker both look up at Farmer Dell. He doesn't show any remorse for his racial slur.

LANGSTON
Yeah. I heard you!

Farmer Dell tromps off. Langston looks up at Shoemaker. He slowly shrugs.

SHOEMAKER
Just brush it off, Doctor Langston.
He's old. Needs a companion. Maybe
I should give him one of my sheep.

Shoemaker's joke relaxes Langston. The CSI looks back down into the well, shining his light around the area below. The light glints off something at the bottom. He leans over a little further.

LANGSTON
Is that money?

Patrolman Shoemaker leans over, bracing his hands on his knees.

SHOEMAKER
Sure looks it.

Langston leans back, frowning.

LANGSTON
I do not like small, confined spaces.

Patrolman Shoemaker smiles.

SHOEMAKER
Just think. You gave up tenure at
the university to become a CSI.
Wasn't that a great career move?

Langston laughs as he stands. The two head back to their vehicles.

EXT. PAINTED DESERT NURSERY - DAY

Nick kneels on one knee next to the loosened coffin lid. He carefully lifts it off, turning it so it slides gently onto the ground. Dead fire ants drip from the underside.

Inside are the partial remains of a woman. The ants have eaten fleshy areas down to the bone. A portion of her left eye remains; she was blue eyed.

Nick pulls on a pair of heavy work gloves. He picks up a garden spade and clean, empty paint can, and begins scooping fire ants into the paint can. The tip of the spade brushes the woman's hand, turning her wedding ring.

His eyes move to her curled fingers. Nick picks up her hand, turning it as far as he can. Her fingers are worn raw and several fingernails are missing.

Catherine walks up to him, fiddling with her camera.

CATHERINE
I'm heading back to town with my body.

Nick doesn't acknowledge her. She looks down at him. He's seeing a ghost.

CATHERINE (CONT'D)
Are you all right?

Nick slowly stands, looking at the lid. Most of the ants have fallen off and now he can see the underside. The missing fingernails are embedded in the wood. There are long, bloody scratches on the wood.

CATHERINE (CONT'D)
Nick, why are you shaking?

Nick looks into the coffin and doesn't see the woman -- he sees himself. It causes him to retreat toward the open grave.

Catherine looks at the coffin and then him.

CATHERINE (CONT'D)
Nick, talk to me. What's wrong?

The hallucination of himself turns its head, reaches a grotesque, half eaten hand out, mouthing 'help me.' Nick retreats faster.

CATHERINE (CONT'D)
Nick, what-- Nick stop. STOP! NICK!

Catherine grabs for his arm as his last step sends him plummeting into the grave.

I/E. PLEXIGLASS COFFIN - NIGHT

Nick lands hard at the bottom of the coffin and the lid slams shut, sealing him in. Nick screams and beats his fists against the lid. Overhead, he sees Walter Gordon start shoveling dirt onto the lid, smiling as he does it.

NICK
HELP! HELP!

CATHERINE (o.S.)
PANCHO, GRAB MY HAND!

EXT. PAINTED DESERT NURSERY - DAY

The name brings Nick back. He's covered with fire ants. At the edge of the grave Catherine and the Hazmat Guy are holding out their hands to him.

CATHERINE
Grab my hand!

Nick lunges forward, grabbing their hands. He's already having difficulty breathing. Catherine and the Hazmat Guy haul him out. A uniformed officer and another Hazmat man are running toward them with fire extinguishers.

Catherine drops to her knees, cradling Nick's face against her stomach. She ducks her head as the men spray Nick with fire extinguishers. Nick can't get a breath and in a panic, tries to push Catherine away.

CATHERINE (CONT'D)
Hold on, Nicky. Hold on.

Nick's fight grows weak until he doesn't move.

HAZMAT GUY

Clear!

She sits up, looking into Nick's eyes. He's barely conscious, his lips are turning blue, and he's lost color in his face. His breathing has been reduced to short, forced gasps.

She starts to cry from her own panic. With a shaking hand she rips the zipper across the vest pocket he'd patted earlier. Three Epipens spill onto the ground. Before she can reach for them, Robbins appears and grabs one.

CATHERINE
Hurry!

Robbins preps the injector and falls to one knee. He winces fiercely, but he's focused on saving Nick's life.

ROBBINS
Stay with us Nick. Stay with us.

He jams the injector against Nick's thigh.

FADE TO:

EXT. PAINTED DESERT NURSERY - LATER

Nick leans against the CSI vehicle grill. His eyes are closed. He draws in a deep breath and holds it, then slowly releases it. He opens his eyes at the sound of someone walking toward him. Catherine passes in front of him on her way to the driver's side.

CATHERINE
Okay. The scene's secured. Get in
and let's get you to the hospital.

Nick doesn't answer or move. His expression is blank, but his eyes reveal that his Mr. Hyde has come calling.

Mr. Hyde has one purpose in Nick's life: solve the crime that brought him out at any cost. He doesn't care who he has to destroy doing it and that includes Nick. He is disillusioned into thinking he's invincible and if anyone gets in his way, he will tear them to shreds.

He almost surfaced once when a little girl left a bubble gum trail. Before that, only four people on the graveyard shift had ever seen him. Only two had ever been able to control him, but one is dead and the other has left the country.

Nick reaches down, picks up the field kit at his feet, and starts walking back his crime scene.

Catherine turns at the door, watching him walk away. She jogs to catch up, stopping in front of him. He steps around her, continuing. She falls in beside him, watching his face.

CATHERINE (CONT'D)
Where are you going?

NICK
I have a crime scene to process.

CATHERINE
No. Nick, we're going to the
hospital. You're more important
than a crime scene.

Nick keeps marching. She grabs his arm to stop him. He swings as if he plans on hitting her. She winces, stepping back fast. It gets the attention of the uniformed officers around them.

Catherine immediately recognizes that Nick's Mr. Hyde has surfaced. She has to work to hide how nervous he really makes her, or that she knows there is no one to control him.

CATHERINE (CONT'D)
(quietly)
You will not get in this mood,
Nicholas! I am not Grissom and I
will not let you put the lab
through a week of hell while you
nearly breaking every law just to
solve your case! You will snap out
of it and you get in that car! We
are going to the hospital.

NICK
Get out of my way, Catherine.

The challenge is open and they stare at each other a moment.

Mr. Hyde slowly walks around her, holding her gaze as he passes, challenging her authority. Her bluff called, Catherine doesn't follow him or stop him. She watches him walk away because she knows there is nothing she can do.

INT. AUTOPSY A - NIGHT

The doors open as Greg pushes in a cart with an assortment of home tar removal remedies. Robbins and David are working on Nick's victim. David is about to make a 'Y' incision, Robbins is getting ready to open the skull.

Both pause to watch Greg. Greg stops, looking at the two empty autopsy tables, and then the coroners.

GREG
Where's my vic?

DAVID
The tarred and feathered corpse?

GREG
Yeah.

The two point to the alcove off the morgue. Greg turns. The corpse is still in the body bag. Greg looks back at them.

GREG (CONT'D)
Why is it still in the body bag?

ROBBINS
Did you really think we were going
to get tar all over the morgue? And
if you get tar anywhere in my morgue,
you're cleaning it up.

GREG
We don't know if its tar.

ROBBINS
And I'm Queen Sheba.

Robbins and David chuckle over the joke. Greg doesn't. He heads for the alcove with his cart.

DAVID
What is all that stuff?

GREG
Everyone I've talked to had some idea
about how to get the tar off. I've--

ROBBINS
I thought it wasn't tar.

Greg ignores Robbins' taunt.

GREG
I've never had to remove tar from
anything, so I figured I'd try
stuff till I find one that works.

ROBBINS
Greg...

Robbins puts down the bone saw and pulls off his gloves, following Greg. David continues working.

ROBBINS (CONT'D)
You can't try things haphazardly.

Greg stops and turns.

GREG
You know how to get it off? Please
tell me you do.

ROBBINS
I don't. Call Grissom.

Behind Robbins, David jumps back from the body.

DAVID
(concerned)
Doctor Robbins.

GREG
He's not a CSI. I can't discuss an
ongoing case with him.

DAVID
Uhm... Doctor Robbins!

ROBBINS
Just a minute, David. So don't
discuss the ongoing case with him.
Just ask him how to get tar off a
person, or a corpse. That's not
giving out details, just asking for advice.

DAVID
Doctor Robbins, we have a serious
problem here!

Robbins turns. Greg looks around him. Fire ants are pouring from the 'Y' incision.

ROBBINS
David, grab fire extinguishers!

GRISSOM (ON PHONE)
(sleepy)
Good morning, Greg. It's awfully
late. Is everything all right?

GREG
Sorry. I didn't mean to wake you.
I'll call later.

Robbins hobbles back to David, taking the fire extinguisher he hands him. The two start spraying the corpse with CO2. Greg pushes his cart into the alcove, and then calls Grissom.

ROBBINS
THE ANTS, DAVID! SPRAY THE DAMNED
ANTS, NOT ME!

GRISSOM (ON PHONE)
No, it's okay. What did you need?

GREG
Hypothetically, if you were working
here still, and you got a body that
had been tarred and feathered, how
would you get the tar off?

DAVID
(terrified)
Get 'em off! Get 'em off! Get 'em off!

GRISSOM (ON PHONE)
What is going on in the background?

Greg looks back. David is dancing around the room, batting at ants that have crawled onto him. Robbins is trying to spray him and the corpse with a fire extinguisher. Greg turns, staring at the body bag before him.

GREG
Robbins and David are having issues with a corpse. So about the tar. What would you do?

GRISSOM (ON PHONE)
I can't answer that. I don't work for
the LVPD anymore. You know that.

GREG
This is a hypothetical. Let's just
say that once you had a corpse like
that. What would you have done?

Something crashes and he looks back again. The ants are making their way off the autopsy table. David is still dancing.

ROBBINS
Stop hopping around and call
Hazmat, David!

Greg turns away again.

GRISSOM (ON PHONE)
I sounds like they're being
attacked. What is going on?

GREG
I can't tell you everything but it
involves fire ants. Did you know
they can live in a corpse for a while?

GRISSOM (ON PHONE)
Yes. I do. Is there a hypothetical
explanation about why they're in
the morgue?

GREG
Body buried with fire ants. Can't
say much more. About my hypothetical
tar covered corpse...

Something else crashes but Greg resists looking.

GRISSOM (ON PHONE)
Tar is nearly impossible to get
off. All the cleaners you could use
would damage the body and any
evidence on it. You could try
submerging the body in ice water
and then chip it off, but it's
going to take a long time.

GREG
I have thirty years or so.

GRISSOM (ON PHONE)
It won't take quite that long.

The fire alarm is tripped and the sprinklers turn on. Greg closes his eyes, shaking his head.

GREG
I was joking. Look, I gotta go.
They set off the sprinklers and
everything's getting soaked.
Thanks for helping me.

GRISSOM (ON PHONE)
Sounds like I'll be missing an
interesting case.

GREG
You are missing a couple good ones
tonight. Ray has himself a soap mummy.

GRISSOM (ON PHONE)
Perhaps you can call me when the
case is closed and share some
more information about them.

GREG
Sure! I'll do that. Send you
some pictures too. Night, Grissom.

GRISSOM (ON PHONE)
Good night, Greg.

Greg hangs up and jogs over to help the Medical Examiners.

FADE OUT.

END OF ACT ONE