A lot happens between a writer conceiving of an idea for an episode and that episode appearing on the air. Besides hammering out just the right dialog and action for the show the technical aspects of the plot must also be addressed. For a medical show like The Burning Zone the medical consultant for the show is an important element in script development. Thanks to Ransom we can now share with you some of the interchange that took place between Cole and Dr. Kimberly Shriner, the shows medical consultant during the scripting of the BZ episode “Arms of Fire”. As well as possessing expert medical knowledge, Dr. Shriner also displays a rare wit as her faxes can attest. Many thanks go to Dr. Shriner and her associate Pam Morris for bringing medical fact and feasibility to The Burning Zone.

TEASE

1. PITTSBURGH - DOOLEY HIGH SCHOOL GYMNASIUM - AFTERNOON.
Sitting in a rough neighborhood Dooley High is bordered by crumbling residential buildings and industrial factories. The afternoon sun streams into the high windows of the gymnasium. It seems empty except for the echoing sound of a basketball. At the far end of the court, a brutal game of one-on-one is being played. It's obviously a grudge match and seems on the verge of disintegrating into an actual fistfight at any moment. The boys are big and evenly matched but DUCE LUGE has the edge over KEVEN MACKEY and Mackey is getting mad. Mackey spins around Luge and jumps up shooting the ball. Luge elbows him in the stomach. That's it. Mackey's Out for blood. POV Mackey as he stares in rage at Luge. Fire literally curls on the edge of his vision.

Suddenly Mackey doubles over, screaming. Blisters appear on his back, arms and face. They blacken and burst as if a match were under his skin. Mackey stands up, crying for help. Luge watches, terrified, as Mackey's stomach splits open gushing strange fire. In less than six seconds all that's left of Keven is blackened bone fragments, dust and a pair of Nikes. Luge can't believe his eyes. He's out of there as fast as he can run. A handful of people, including a teacher see him blast through the doors of the gym and disappear into the streets.

2. GYMNASIUM - LATE AFIERNOON. Police and Firemen are on the scene in the gymnasium. DETECTIVE AL HOUFAK is investigating the remains along with an arson investigator and the coroner. They're puzzled because there's no evidence of gasoline, kerosene, or any hydrocarbons. But Houfak has witnesses that have identified Duce Luge fleeing the scene. He's put Out an APB for Luge's arrest. As the coroner works on gathering Mackey's remains a tall, strong-looking man approaches and flashes credentials. He works for the Ashburn-Crowe Pharmaceutical Chemical company. His name is CAROL NOVICK. He was just there to meet with the principle regarding contributions to the school on behalf of his company. There's something odd in his fascination with the burnt human remains scattered across the floor.

3. STREETS OF PITTSBURGH AFTERNOON. Luge is walking quickly through a poor residential area of town. He's finally heading home. A police cruiser spots him, slows down and the chase is on. Through back alleys, over fences, until Luge twists his ankle. The police throw him against the wall and cuff him.

4. ASHBURN-CROWE PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANY - PRESIDENT'S OFFICE -EARLY EVENING. Novick is sitting across the desk from a Woman in her late forties. She's beautiful and strong and dressed like a professional shark. This is VIRGINIA ASHBURN. There is something soft and compassionate about her eyes as she listens to Novick relate the incident at the school. He's very concerned. They walk together through the halls of the company. It's protected by a series of sophisticated electronic locks and guarded by what looks like a small army. As they walk they debate about what should be done. Are they actually responsible? Should they go public with what they know, which is very little. They come to an elevator guarded by a retinal scanner and enter. There is only one button. The doors open onto...

ASHBURN-CROWE PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANY - BIOIHAZARD LAB.
Ashburn and Novick stand on an observation level looking down into a shadowy biohazard lab. Employees move around in full hazard gear. As Ashburn and Novick debate they watch their fully suited people work on what looks like human form. He's hooked to oxygen and IVs and seems to be covered in liquid soaked towels. Ashburn wonders how much longer he'll live. Novick shakes his head. He should be dead already.

5. ASHBURN-CROWE PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANY - LOADING DOCK. The loading dock at the company is shutting down for the day. An employee, in his mid-fifties, hangs up his hard hat and punches the clock. He's not feeling well and he's looking forward to being home. He's so damn thirsty. And he's got these hot blotches on his skin, almost like fever blisters. Getting in his car he rubs his finger on the dirt on the windshield. He'd promised to get the car washed. The car pulls out of the company parking lot.

6. CARWASH - EARLY EVENING. Our guy is definitely not doing well as he pulls into the wash. The machine catches the wheels of the car and pulls it forward into the suds and brushes. The guy, inside the car, pulls at his collar. He looks down at his arms. The hot spots burst into blisters and turn black. Suddenly fire explodes from his stomach and arms at once.

A car wash attendant stares into the rinse cycle. What was that light? Rinsed and clean the car rolls forward. No one is in the driver's seat. Before it rolls into the street, the attendant opens the door. Dust and bone fragments fall on to the damp asphalt.

ACT ONE

7. WASHINGTON DC - SPORT'S BAR - NIGHT. Marcase is relaxing at a sports bar after work, trying to enjoy himself. A gorgeous blonde sits down next to him and he lights up. She asks what he does and he replies, “I'm a doctor." Things are off to a good start when Cassian comes in and Says "Come on Edward, tell her what you really do. Every day you work with diseases that could destroy mankind. Did you wash your hands when you left the lab?" Marcase's chances are ruined and Cassian tells him never to leave his pager at home again.

8. PITTSBURGH POLICE STATION - JAIL. Luge is sitting in jail, alone and afraid. He's been roughed up and hassled because as far as the police are concerned, Luge is the only one who could have killed Mackey. They haul him in to an interrogation room. Houfak is waiting for him. The questioning is really tough. They ask him why he hated Mackey, why they were alone in the gym, what he used to burn Mackey up. Luge keeps telling them what happened but Houfak just can't believe his ears. He's heard a lot of wild stories in his time but this one... well, at least it's creative. Houfak tells Luge that he's gonna be put away for a long time.

Back in his cell, Luge is more frightened than ever. In the cell next to Luge is another man who is listening to him. The man is sitting in a wheelchair, obviously paraplegic. It's the van driver from the pilot. He begins to talk to Luge, first introducing himself and then asking questions. As Luge begins to tell the van driver about his life he calms down. He comes from a good family, his mother and his stepfather have worked hard to raise him well, he gets good grades and he's on his way to play ball at UNLV on a scholarship. He's on his way out of this city and he's gonna take his family with him. Until this. As he speaks, he's getting visibly dehydrated, very thirsty.

Both cases are identical in result to the one they have before them. Two of the victims were students at Dooley High School. The third was an employee for Ashburn-Crowe Pharmaceutical Company. Marcase grudgingly admits they ought to check it out. Quietly. They're on a shuttle to Pittsburgh.

10. ASHBURN-CROWE PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANY - BIOHAZARD LAB -DAY. Virginia Ashburn is suited up and moves through the shadowy lab to the bedside of the man we saw the night before. A medical technician is working on him, keeping the

towels moist. As the towels are lifted Virginia can see that the man's right forearm is blackened, shriveled and curled up. There are black blotches on his skin where it looks as if someone tried to burn his skin from the inside out. Skin is scaling on his face in dried flakes. The tech quickly covers him again with fresh towels and checks the IV. Then Virginia is left alone with FRANK KASSER, the former head of R & D who has been brought down by this mysterious disease.

Kasser has continued researching with the help of the team and he has made some discoveries. Nothing concrete yet, but he is sure they are responsible. They must contact the authorities. He must get to a hospital. The President gently caresses a gloved hand across his forehead. They have contacted the authorities but no one believed them, Kasser insists, “You must make them believe. This may spread out into the community." Virginia lies again. “There have been no other cases reported, Frank, it's contained. Keep working and don't worry I'll do everything I can." She leaves. But Kasser isn't stupid. He watches her, knowing she lied, knowing he's trapped.

11i. PITTSBURGH POLICE STATION - JAIL - AFTERNOON. Luge is still in his cell and he's definitely sick. He can't drink enough to keep from drying out. The hotspots are breaking out on his skin, not yet blisters. His POV flickers with surreal flames. Luge is getting really scared. The Van Driver tells him to stay calm. If he becomes frightened, he will die, if he gets angry, he will die. The Van Driver tells him that people are coming that will help him, very soon, but he must find peace. But Luge can't do it on his own. He asks the Van Driver to pray with him. As they pray, light pours out from the Van Driver. Luge calms down, almost to the point of sleep.

12. PITTSBURGH POLICE STATION - JAIL - AFTERNOON. Our team has arrived and they're led into the jail by Det. Houfak. Luge is lying there in his cell, alone, almost asleep but for the words of the prayer he is whispering. Marcase carefully examines him and asks him questions. He determines that the boy is sick; with what, he doesn't know. They've got to take him to the lab.

No way, says Houfak, “You can't just walk in here and remove a prisoner. We'll transfer him to secure ward at the hospital IF our doctors think he's sick.” Cassian has no patience for territorial pissing. In a few brief words and a thinly veiled threat he makes it clear to the Detective that he can and will do whatever he wants.

13. DOOLEY HIGH SCHOOL – LOCKER HALLWAYS EVENING. A security guard is making his rounds inside the school1 making sure everything is locked up for the night. He drinks soda from a huge 48 ouncer. In his POV strange flashes dance on the edge of his vision. Suddenly, hears a crash and then laughter from another hallway. He sets his drink down and runs around the corner. A handful of kids are covering the walls with graffiti. They scatter and run when they see the guard. He gives chase halfway down the hall. Suddenly he cries out, doubles over and bursts into flames.

ACT TWO

14. DOOLEY HIGH SCHOOL - LOCKER HALLWAYS - NIGHT. An investigation of the death of the security guard is underway. Both the police and our team are there. The police are still angry over Cassian violating their jurisdiction regarding the kid so they're being uncooperative. Cassian has to bully his way into letting Marcase and himself do their examination. Marcase decides that he needs blood samples from everyone in the school. The Principle turns over a list of the students' names and addresses to Cassian and they send out people to gather the samples. The Principle is talking to Novick who has also shown up. Hailey informs Cassian about Novick and his connection to Ashburn-Crowe. Cassian tells Hailey that it's time to begin a more thorough examination of that company.

15. STREETS OF PITTSBURGH NIGHT. Hailey follows Novick when he leaves. Almost as soon as he gets in his car Novick phones Asbburn at home. Hailey uses a Cell Channel Modulator to listen in on the conversation. He hears Novick give a basic report of what happened and then debate with the President what they should do. Novick is getting worried. But they still don't know anything for sure.

16. SECURITY GUARD'S HOME - NIGHT. Marcase has gone to interview the family of the security guard who died. It's a touching scene as Marcase tries to be comforting and gather information at the same time. One odd thing that he does find in the medicine cabinet are numerous free samples of medication - all from Ashburn-Crowe. Marcase finds out that the guard had had a flu recently and had been taking medicine from AshburnCrowe. They give him the left over bottle of pills.

ACT THREE

They've also determined, from studying Kasser and Luge that an usual chemical process is taking place in their livers. When Kasser comes around he calls Cassian over and shares with him the actions of Ashburn-Crowe. For the past eight years, the pharmaceutical company has been releasing these genetically engineered viruses into the population of the high school and distributing various anti-viral drugs to test their potency That's how Ashburn-Crowe has been able to be on the cutting edge of anti-viral medicine. Is this related to the cases of spontaneous combustion? Kasser isn't sure but he thinks it is.

20. ASHBURN-CROWE PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANY - PRESIDENT'S OFFICE -NIGHT. Virginia Ashburn, Novick and their head of security are in a tense and angry meeting. How could Kasser escape and who could have pulled off such a job? Even if the spontaneous combustion isn't their fault Kasser knows too much about the company's illegal actions over the past eight years. The phone rings. Ashburn picks it up. It's Cassian and he wants to meet with her now. At the high school, alone.

As they walk around the school, Cassian relates a story to Ashbum. He tells her about a hypothetical company that released disease on an unsuspecting population. It was all really harmless and done with the best of intention but then... an unusual combination of these unstable engineered viruses took place in the chemical factory called the liver. And people began to die. Horribly, burning up from the inside.

Cassian turns to her in the hallway where the guard died. He's going to give her one chance. She has to turn over everything to him. Ashburn asks what evidence he has. Cassian is silent. She asks for guarantees. He offers none. She asks for time to think about it. Cassian gives her one hour.

22. HIDDEN LAB - NIGHT. Marcase and Shiroma are working frantically, trying to isolate the combination that starts the process of combustion in the liver. Kasser has

passed on all that he knows and he's dying fast. Smoke curls from his fingertips and hotspots dance under his skin. He knows his time is short.

The blood samples from the school have come back. Almost all of them are infected. Marcase charts an epidemic arc and predicts that within twenty-four hours, over fifty people will come down with the disease and die.

Kisser speaks to Luge. He is responsible for the research that led to Luge becoming infected. He is the cause of this epidemic. As blisters burn out on his wracked body he asks forgiveness. Luge grants it.

In an explosion of fire, Kasser burns to dust in a few seconds, leaving his ashes floating on the surface of the water.

ACT FOUR

23. ASHBURN-CROWE PHARMACEUTiCAL COMPANY - NIGHT. In her office the President gives the order to shut down the lab and destroy all evidence of the project. She puts security on full alert.

24. HAILEY'S CAR - NIGHT. Cassian and Hailey are listening in on a phone tap. Cassian shakes his head. He hoped it wouldn't come to this. Hailey says that his team is ready to go.

26. ASHBURN-CROW PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANY - BIOHAZARD LAB -

NIGHT. The security team, lead by Novick are heading down to start the destruction process.

27. ASHBURN- CROW PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANY - NIGHT. Hailey is leading a team of soldiers in black combat gear. Marcase is with them. They break in quickly and efficiently to the company and take out security guards with potent tranquilizer dart guns. They fight their way into the lab and take control of it right before Novick destroys the compound that they need to stop the epidemic.

After Hailey's forces have complete control of the building, Cassian comes in and places Virginia under arrest.

28. DOOLEY HIGH SCHOOL - GYM - MORNING. The gym is packed with students and teachers. Nurses are administering shots to everyone. Marcase and the team are overseeing the process. They've also sent teams out into the neighborhood and the CDC has issued an alert to all hospitals, doctors and law enforcement about the symptoms. Luge and his family thank the team for their efforts.

29. HIDDEN LAB - NIGHT. Cassian comes into the lab, late that night. It's empty except for the tank where Luge was held. Floating in the tank is Virginia Ashburn. She's got the symptoms of the disease. Cassian tells her that they've run out of the compound before they were able to inoculate her. It should be only two to three weeks before they've manufactured more. Kasser almost survived that long. Remember, he tells her, don't become frightened. They've found that adrenaline is a co-factor that can accelerate the disease dramatically. He walks away and shuts off the lights, leaving her floating in the dark. Alone.

Coleman Luck Ill
"Arms of Fire"
The Burning Zone
Universal Studios

Dear Cole:
     
Barbecue, anyone?! I like it, but it will be one of the more challenging scripts from a physiologic standpoint Not having witnessed spontaneous combustion myself (although I do have a dangerously flatulent rottweiler at home), we'll have to come up with our own theories. Pam Morris is looking into some of the reported cases, so we may have to modify things a bit as we learn more about it I will make a few comments. You're free to adopt (or adapt) them as you like.

1) A scary image. Remember that flames require oxygen (something the Star Wars people continually forget). Obviously, the highest concentrations of oxygen and other volatile gases are in the bowel (hence the killer three bean salad) and the lungs. For your interest, there are occasional "intratracheal" fires which have been reported in patients undergoing laser therapy of lung cancer, so we're not totally out there with this stuff. You could consider having the flames come out the mouth (although it might be mistaken for dragon breath) but I have to admit that the stomach image is catchy. Perhaps there could be an accumulation of bile in the stomach (which will coincide with the liver connection) which could then lead to the fire. Whatever....

lsn’t the male version of Carol, Carroll (picayune, I admit)

2) It's unlikely that if all the long bones and cranium (not to mention teeth) are burned that the feet would survive. I would suggest that you keep the top of the skull and throw in a few teeth in the box.

3) I would have Shiroma order a CBC, chem 20, cardiac enzymes and a serum phosphorous level.

4) Call them influenza viruses, it sounds more scientific. They can be genetically altered, but no one can make artificial viruses, so scratch that part. How does Marcase know that this medication is antiviral?

5 )Why would a company that donates antibiotics and antivirals to the Third World (which is rare, by the way) suddenly become so malignant?

6) How about a few smoldering bandages instead?

7) OK, now to the meat of the story. First of all, to determine the chemical reaction that is taking place, the scientists would not be looking under the microscope. They would be doing chemical tests, ie. chromatography (gas or liquid), titrations etc. I would have them hovering over flasks, piping and Bunsen burners instead. I could show you what gas or liquid chromatography looks like. These probably would be the tests performed, though we can look into it more thoroughly. But definitely, no microscope. Perhaps the special effects guys could sort of imitate the spontaneous combustion in a test tube, then the scientists could add the antiviral agent which would halt the process (sort of like the antacid commercials.)

In terms of how this might take place, the liver performs various chemical processes all of which either detoxify, modify or metabolize substances. Some of the chemical processes which Occur are:

I have to admit that this is one of the more elaborate, if not physiologically challenged explanations, but what the heck. If you don't like this idea, we can always go back to the killer gas producing bacteria. Anyway, Pam Morris and I can work on the particulars. I do think that Marcase may have to say a few big words in this script, but I would leave the liver language to Shiroma. Reminds me of a song…"Fifty ways to Love you liver..."

Have fun. Please feel free to call for clarifications.

1. INT. DOOLEY HIGH SCHOOL GYMNASIUM -- AFTERNOON.
Sitting in a rough neighborhood Dooley High is bordered by crumbling residential buildings and industrial factories. The afternoon sun streams into the high windows of the gymnasium. It seems empty except for the echoing sound of a basketball. At the far end of the court, a brutal game of one-on-one is being played. It's obviously a grudge match and seems on the verge of disintegrating into an actual fistfight at any moment. The boys are big and evenly matched, but DUCE LUGE has the edge over KEVEN MACKEY and Mackey is getting mad. Mackey spins around Luge and jumps up shooting the ball. Luge elbows him in the stomach. That’s it. Mackey's out for blood. POV Mackey as he stares in rage at Luge. Fire literally curls on the edge of his vision.

Suddenly Mackey doubles over, screaming. Blisters appear on his back, arms and face. They blacken and burst as if a match were burning under his skin. Mackey stands up, crying for help. Luge watches, terrified, as Mackey's stomach splits open gushing strange fire. Luge can't believe his eyes. A teacher comes in, sees Mackey burn up and shouts, "Hey, what are you doing to him." Luge panics and is out of there as fast as he can run. A handful of people watch him blast through the doors of the gym and disappear into the streets. In less than thirty seconds blackened bone fragments, dust and a pair of Nikes scattered across the gym floor are all that’s left of Keven.

2. INT. GYM - LATE AFTERNOON. Police and Firemen are on the scene in the gymnasium. DETECTIVE AL HOUFAK is examining the remains along with an arson investigator and the coroner. They're puzzIed because there's no evidence of gasoline, kerosene, or any hydrocarbons. But Houfak has witnesses that have identified Duce Luge fleeing the scene. He's put out an APB for Luge's arrest. As the coroner works on gathering Mackey's ashes a tall, strong-looking man approaches and flashes credentials. He works for the Beatty-Crow Pharmaceutical company. His name is KEN NOVICK. He was just there to meet with the principal regarding contributions to the school on behalf of his company. There's something odd in his fascination with the burnt human remains scattered across the floor. Behind his eyes there is a terrible fear.

3. EXT. STREETS OF NEWARK - LATE AFTERNOON. Luge is walking quickly
through a poor residential area of town. He's finally heading home. A police cruiser
spots him, slows down and the chase is on. Through back alleys, over fences, until
Luge twists his ankle. The police throw him against the wall and cuff him.

4. INT. NEWARK POLICE STATION - JAIL - NIGHT. Luge is sitting in jail, alone and afraid. He's been roughed up and hassled because as far as the police are concerned, Luge is the only one who could have killed Mackey. His parents, on vacation in the Middle East, have been notified but can't arrive for 48 hours, so he's all alone when they haul him in to an interrogation room. Houfak is waiting for him. The questioning is really tough. They ask him why he hated Mackey, why they were alone in the gym, what he used to burn Mackey up. Luge keeps telling them what happened but Houfak just can't believe what he hears. He's heard a lot of wild stories in his time but this one... well, at least it's creative. Houfak tells Luge that he's gonna be put away for a long time.

Back in his cell, Luge is more frightened than ever. In the cell next to him is a man who is sitting in a wheelchair, obviously paraplegic. It's the van driver from the pilot.

5. INT. BEATTY-CROW PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANY -PRESIDENT'S OFFICE - NIGHT. Novick is sitting across the desk from a man in his late forties. He's well-built, strong and dressed like a professional shark. This is WINSTON BEATTY. There is a false softness and compassion about his eyes as he listens to Novick relate the incident at the school. He's very concerned. They head down the halls of the company. It’s protected by a series of sophisticated electronic locks and guarded by what looks like a small army. As they walk they debate what they should do about the situation. Are they actually responsible? Should they go public with what they know? They know very little. They come to an elevator guarded by a retinal scanner and enter. Inside there is only one button. They push it and the elevator descends deep into the earth. The doors open onto...

INT. BEATTY-CROW PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANY --BIOHAZARD LAB. Beatty and Novick stand on an observation level looking down into a shadowy biohazard lab. Employees move around in full hazard gear. As Beatty and Novick talk they watch their fully-suited people work on a man on a table. He's hooked to oxygen and IVs and wrapped in bandages soaked in antibiotic impregnated cream. Beatty wonders how much longer he'll live. Novick shakes his head. They watch the medical technician peel some of the bandages from the man's right arm. The limb is twisted and blackened as if it were burned from the inside.

1. INT. WASHINGTON D.C. - CASSIAN'S OFFICE - NIGHT. The whole team is assembled in Cassian's office. On his desk is a glass case containing the dust remains and skullcap of Keven Mackey. Cassian gives the team a full rundown of the case including Luge's incarceration. All of this took place in the last two days. Cassian thinks this looks like a classic case of spontaneous human combustion or SHC. Shiroma and Marcase stand united, both openly skeptical about the possible reality of SHC. Hailey shares several historic references to spontaneous human combustion in literature and history, citing everything from Charles Dickens' Bleak House to the death of Aaron's sons in Exodus. And Shiroma can't say what happened when she gives her pathology report on Mackey's remains. It's pretty much the same as the police. No gasoline, kerosene or hydrocarbons, the entire body incinerated to dust except for the top of the skull and the feet. The burning happened very quickly. Impossibly fast.

Then Cassian tells them there were two more cases last night. One was a man in a car wash and the other was a mugger who robbed a lady in front of an ATM. He lays out police photos from the scenes on his desk Both cases are identical in result to the one they have before them. Two of the victims were students at Dooley High School. The man in the car wash was an employee for Beatty-Crow Pharmaceutical Company. Hailey has done some preliminary intelligence on the school and the area around it. Marcase grudgingly admits they ought to check this whole thing out. Quietly. They'll take the first shuttle to Newark

2. INT. NEWARK POLICE STATION -- JAIL - MORNING.
Luge is totally miserable. The Wheelchair Man in the next cell engages him in a conversation. Luge talks to him, glad to have a friend. He tells the man that he comes from a good family, his mother and his stepfather have worked hard to raise him well, he gets good grades and he's on his way to play ball at UNLV on a scholarship. He's had a few prior arrests when he was a sophomore, but a few days in Juvenile Hall straightened him out. His plan was to get out of this city and he was gonna take his family with him. Until this. As he speaks, he's getting visibly dehydrated, very thirsty.

3. INT. BEATTY-CROW PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANY --BIOHAZARD LAB - DAY. Winston Beatty is suited up and moves through the shadowy lab to the bedside of the man we saw the night before. A medical technician is working on him, keeping the bandages fresh. As the bandages are changed, Beatty can see the devastation on his body. There are black blotches on his skin where it looks as if someone tried to burn him from the inside out. Skin is scaling on his face in dried flakes. The tech quickly covers him again, checks the IV. Then Beatty is left alone with FRANK WALLIS, the former head of R&D who has been brought down by this mysterious disease.

Wallis is certain that research done by Beatty-Crow is responsible for his condition. He desperately wants to get to a hospital. He is afraid the plague may spread to the community, especially to the high school. He believes it's tied to his own activities and he doesn't want to be responsible for any more deaths. Beatty lies to him. "There have been no other cases reported, Frank, it's contained. This is the best place for you, you're getting the best care possible." He leaves. But Wallis isn't stupid. He watches him, knowing Beatty lied, knowing he's trapped.

4. INT. NEWARK POLICE STATION - JAIL -- AFTERNOON. Luge is still in his cell and he's definitely sick. He can't drink enough to keep from drying out. The hotspots are breaking out on his skin, not yet blisters. His POV flickers with surreal flames. Luge is getting really scared. The police will do nothing to help him. They don't believe him. The Wheelchair Man tells him to stay calm. If he becomes frightened, he will die, if he gets angry, he will die. The Wheelchair Man tells him that people are coming who will help him, but he must fmd peace. Luge can't do it on his own. He asks the Wheelchair Man to help him. As the Man talks to him Luge looks up at the ceiling. In his POV fire curls on the edge of his vision. Fear is overwhelming him. But the Wheelchair Man continues to talk and as he does so, white light overwhelms the f~e. The white light fills Luge's POV until he falls asleep. The Wheelchair Man watches Luge for a moment as he sleeps. The white light is pouring out of him.

5. EXT/INT. NEWARK POLICE STATION - JAIL - AFTERNOON. At that moment our team is arriving. They're led into the jail by Det. Houfak. Luge is asleep in

his cell. There is no one else around. When Luge sits up to meet them, he's calm. Then he sees the empty cell next to him. He asks where the man in the wheelchair went. The police shake their heads. There was no man in a wheelchair in that cell. It's been empty all night.

Marcase carefully examines Luge and asks him questions. He determines that the boy is sick; with what, he doesn't know. They've got to take him to the lab.

No way, says Houfak, "You can't just walk in here and remove a prisoner. We'll transfer him to the secure ward at the hospital IF our doctors think he needs it." Cassian has no patience for territorial pissing. In a few brief words and a thinly veiled threat he makes it clear to the Detective that he can and will do whatever he wants. He flashes his credentials and Luge is released to them.

6. INT. DOOLEY HIGH SCHOOL - HALLWAYS - NIGHT. Nine of the seniors from Dooley High School are running through the hallways carrying old tires. They're gonna stack them up three-deep, blocking in the administration offices. Among the teenagers is a pretty seventeen-year-old girl. This is KEESHA MERCHANT. Her boyfriend, VIG MARKER, is right next to her. They're lagging behind the rest of the group. Keesha isn't feeling well. She keeps drinking out of her water bottle but she can't seem to quench her thirst. Vig is concerned about her. A school prank isn't worth getting really sick over. But she insists on staying and helping. The work isn't far along when a Security Guard comes to check out the noise. His shout startles them. The kids rtin ~d he gives chase. Vig is trying to help Keesha keep up but halfway down the hall she cries out and doubles over. Blisters blacken and burst on her skin, shooting out tiny flames. Her stomach explodes with fire that consumes her whole body.

1. INT. DOOLEY HIGH SCHOOL - LOCKER HALLWAYS --EARLY MORNING. An investigation of the death of Keesha Merchant is underway. Students are being kept out of the school and rumors of the strange deaths are spreading. The kids are frightened. In the hallway, both the police and our team are there. The police are still angry over Cassian violating their jurisdiction regarding Luge so they're being uncooperative. Cassian has to bully his way into letting Shiroma and himself do their examination. Shiroma decides that they need blood samples from everyone in the school. The Principal turns over a list of the names and addresses to Cassian and they send out people to gather the samples.

The Principal is talking to Novick who has, not surprisingly, also shown up. Hailey points out Novick to Cassian and tells him about Novick's position at Beatty-Crow. He also shares some more of the intelligence that he's gathered on the company. For instance. They've had one employee who has been missing for nearly a month and their head of R&D, a Frank Wallis, hasn't been seen for nearly two weeks. Supposedly he's on vacation but Hailey checked it out and doesn't think Wallis ever left town. Cassian tells Hailey that it's time to begin a more thorough examination of that company.

2. INT./EXT. STREETS OF NEWARK - DAY. When Novick leaves the school, Hailey

follows him. Almost as soon as he gets in his car Novick phones Beatty at the office. Hailey uses a CellChannel Modulator to listen in on the conversation. He hears Novick give a basic report of what happened and then debate with the president about what they should do. Novick is getting worried. Beatty reassures him. The authorities still don't know anything.

3. INT. DOOLEY HIGH -- CLASSROOM - DAY. The students, including Vig Marker, are being held in a classroom. Shiroma comes in to take samples of blood and interview them. She's forced to deal with the kids' grief as well as their fear over what happened to Keesha. They share the rumors that have been going around about Luge's disappearance and Mackey's death. As Shiroma talks to them, she comforts them and finds out some interesting information. Both Keesha and Keven had been sick with a really bad flu a week earlier. It's been going around the school. The nurses office gives out medicine. Marker says some of it is still in Keesha's purse. Shiroma finds it but can't identify it. The label has only two words on it. BEATTY-CROW.

4. EXT. POWER STATION/INT. NEWARK LAB - DAY. The Newark Lab is entered through a shack in the middle of a power station. Luge is there already, floating in a bizarre tank filled with a clear liquid. He's got IVs feeding into his arms. Marcase does a full workup on him, CBC, chem 20, cardiac enzymes and a serum phosphorus level. As he works, they talk. Luge tells him about the experience with the man in the wheelchair. Marcase tells Luge about how he miraculously survived Ebola. It's a touching scene as they talk about their parents, Luge's mean so much to him while Marcase can barely remember his except for the pictures. As Marcase works he's all too aware that this boy's life is in his hands.

Dressed in combat H-gear, Hailey breaks into the building. He sneaks past the guards, to the lower hallways. Reaching the elevator and the retinal lock, Hailey pulls out a small case, opens it, and puts a contact lens in his eye. The lens is a full-eye contact of total silver. Tiny electronic filaments can be seen snaking through it. He punches the retinal scanner to read him. The light scans across Hailey's contact, very slowly. With a satisfying beep, the elevator doors open. Hailey pushes the button. The doors close and the elevator descends to the secret lab.

When the doors open he looks out on the biohazard lab. He sees Wallis confined inside in his bed. A medical technician approaches. Hailey with his one silver eye is a disturbing sight, but before the tech can sound an alert Hailey knocks him out. Suiting up, he goes in and talks to Frank Wallis. Wallis desperately wants to escape. He tells Hailey that he knows what Beatty-Crow has been doing. Hailey picks him up and helps him walk.

Getting out isn't a quiet affair. Wallis is so weak that Hailey is forced to carry him. Tripping alarms, now that he's encumbered with Frank Wallis, Hailey has to fight his way through the company's defenses. Even with Wallis' knowledge of the system, they barely make it out alive.

1. INT. NEWARK LAB - NIGHT. Marcase, Shiroma, Cassian and Hailey are all working hard. Wallis is unconscious and floating in a tank next to Luge. They're analyzing the samples and the workups on Wallis and Luge and what they've found is very strange. Each of the blood samples contain antibodies for flu viruses that the rest of the country hasn't experienced. They're unique, genetically engineered viruses that were artificially made to be unstable. They have a very short but virulent life. And the medicine that Shiroma found in Keesha's purse is a new anti-viral drug.

They've also determined, from studying Wallis and Luge, that the liver is the center for the unusual chemical process that leads to the burning. When Wallis comes around he calls Cassian over and shares with him the secret activities of Beatty-Crow. For the past eight years, the pharmaceutical company has been releasing these genetically-engineered viruses into the population of the high school and distributing various anti-viral drugs to test their potency. That's how Beatty-Crow has been able to be on the cutting edge of anti-viral medicine. Is this related to the cases of spontaneous combustion? When one of the lab techs working on the project died of spontaneous combustion just over a week ago, Wallis began searching for a connection. Shortly thereafter, he contracted the disease himself.

2. INT. BEATTY-CROW PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANY -PRESIDENT'S OFFICE - NIGHT. Beatty, Novick and their Head of Security are in a tense and angry meeting. How could Wallis escape and who could have pulled off such a job? Forget about the spontaneous combustion, Wallis knows too much about the company's illegal actions over the past eight years. He was the one who created the anti-viral program. The phone rings. Beatty picks it up. It's Cassian and he wants to meet right now. At the high school, alone.

3. INT. DOOLEY HIGH SCHOOL - NIGHT. Beatty comes in through an open door in the gym. Cassian is waiting for him. Cassian greets Beatty, they're old acquaintances. Cassian tells Beatty that he's always been impressed with his company. They've developed first-rate anti-viral and antibiotic drugs. They've saved hundreds, perhaps thousands of lives in the Third World through their generous donations of necessary medicines. Cassian would hate to see a company like that and a man like him destroyed unnecessarily.

As they walk around the school, Cassian relates what he knows to Beatty. Beatty-Crow has released disease on the unsuspecting population of the high school. They were minor viruses specially designed to have short life spans. The school, desperate for aid, was only too happy to take the help that Beatty-Crow offered in terms of free medicine and health supplies. The administration was totally unaware that, in some cases, they were being given drugs that hadn't even been tested yet. It was only because the FDA took so long to approve testing on the anti-viral drug Progen that Beatty took this

action. It was intended to save lives. But then an unusual combination of
These unstable engineered viruses took place in the liver, the chemical factory of the body. And people began to die. Horribly, burning up from the inside.
Cassian wants to know what happened to Beatty. What changed in him so that he could make such evil decisions?

Cassian turns to him in the hallway where the guard died. He's going to give Beatty one chance.. He has his own reasons for wanting to spare the company from public prosecution. Beatty asks what evidence he has. Cassian is silent. Beatty asks for guarantees. Cassian offers none. Beatty asks for time to think about it. Cassian gives him one hour.

4. INT. NEWARK LAB -- NIGHT. Marcase and Shirorna are working frantically. Wallis has given them clues which put them on the track to discover the process by which the combustion occurs. But they still don't know how to stop it. Wallis is dying fast. Smoke curls from his fingertips and hotspots dance under his skin. He knows his time is short.

The blood samples from the school have come back. Almost all of the students are infected. Marcase charts an epidemic arc and predicts that within twenty-four hours, over fifty people will come down with the disease and die.

Wallis speaks to Luge. They're alone. He tells Luge that he's responsible for the research that led to Luge becoming infected. He is the cause of this epidemic. As the blisters burn out on his skin, he asks forgiveness.

Wallis is calm as the fire starts to take his body. He has found peace. There's nothing Marcase and Shiroma can do but watch as Wallis dies.

1. INT. BEATTY-CROW PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANY -
NIGHT. In his office Winston Beatty gives the order to shut down the lab and destroy all evidence of the project. He puts security on full alert.

2. INT. HAlLEY'S CAR - NIGHT. Cassian and Hailey are listening in on a high-tech computer phone tap. Cassian shakes his head. He hoped it wouldn't come to this. Hailey says that his team is ready to go. A special ops unit is waiting in two windowless, grey vans, parked beside Hailey' s car.

3. INT. NEWARK LAB - NIGHT. Shiroma and Marcase are hovering over Bunsen burners, flasks and piping, performing chromatography (gas or liquid), titrations, etc. Through their experiments they isolate the exact process that is causing the combustion. The engineered viruses have changed the P450 metabolic pathway leading to the production of an acetylated substance which in the presence of high levels of endogenous adrenaline (epinephrine) leads to spontaneous combustion. But the process is extremely unstable.

Experimenting shotgun-style, Marcase tries to stop the process with various anti-viral drugs. The only one that has any effect at all is Progen. This is the drug that originally caused the process to begin. But at extremely high doses Progen pushes the process over the edge and it collapses before combustion occurs. But Progen is experimental and the company that holds the patent is Beatty-Crow. It was the primary part of their illegal program.

Marcase gets on the phone and calls Cassian. He tells him what they need. Hailey's about to lead his special operators into the Beatty-Crow building to take it over. Cassian orders him to wait for Marcase. Marcase will be able to identify the Progen.

4. INT. BEATTY-CROW PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANY --BIOHAZARD LAB - NIGHT. The security team, lead by Novick are heading down to start the destruction process.

5. EXT.IINT. BEATTY-CROW PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANY -
NIGHT. Hailey is leading his team of special operators in black H-gear. Marcase is with them. This entrance is not about subtlety. They punch their way through the front door, taking out security guards with potent electrically-charged stun dart guns. The guards fight back with real bullets, but Hailey's team is too good. They move through the building, clearing each section of guards until they reach the lower hallways. Hailey doesn't mess around with contact lenses this time. He blows the retinal lock off the wall.

When they enter the lab, Novick and Beatty are in the middle of destroying evidence, part of which is the only supply of Progen in the world. Marcase darts Beatty in the neck. The electrical energy has a strange effect on the man. In his POV he sees a surge of fire sweeping on the edge of his vision.

6. INT. DOOLEY HIGH SCHOOL - GYM - MORNING. The gym is packed with students and teachers. Nurses are administering shots to everyone. Marcase and the team are overseeing the process. They've also sent teams out into the neighborhood and the CDC has issued an alert to all hospitals, doctors and law enforcement about the symptoms. Luge's family has arrived and they thank the team for their efforts.

7. INT. NEWARK LAB -- NIGHT. Cassian comes into the lab, late that night. It's empty except for the tank where Luge was held. Floating in the tank is Winston Beatty. He's got the symptoms of the disease. Cassian tells him that they've nm out of Progen before they were able to inoculate him. It should be only two to three weeks before they've manufactured more. Wallis almost survived that long. Remember, Cassian tells him, don't become frightened. They've found that adrenaline is a co-factor that can accelerate the disease dramatically. He walks away and shuts off the lights, leaving Beatty floating in the dark. Alone.

10 July, 1996

Coleman Luck III
The Burning Zone
Universal Studios
RE: Arms of Fire

Dear Cole:

I like the revisions. I have a few more suggestions below:

1) For added effect, and since this fire started internally, you may want to show burns in the mouth. This area frequently is damaged even in external burns and it can look real icky. I would have the skin peeling with big, juicy blisters rather than dried flakes. Human skin usually doesn't flake off with burns.

2) Okay, so you couldn't give up the floating tank image. You may want Marcase to explain that this is some special substance..." an isotonic, electrolyte balanced solution that helps prevent body fluid losses and hypothermia..." (of course, Jeffrey may have to rehearse a bit.)

3) You may want to show the chemical structure of the new antiviral agent (I can make one up, if you like)

4) We do have a problem here. First, Wallis must be a real dumb cluck if he allowed himself to become infected. You may want to invoke a laboratory accident to justify his infection. Second, why would he then take the antiviral agent causing the inevitable problem?

5) Progen sounds like white blood cell stimulating agent, or better yet, a progesterone containing substance. How about something more viral...VIRUDEX? VIRUCIDE? ANTIVANIR? VIROGEN?

6) “But then, an unusual interaction (or, if you want to use medicalese, "synergy”) occurred between these viruses in the liver...”

7) Actually, the Bunsen burner image was sort of a joke. They would be hovering over lots of tubes, pipetters and sophisticated laboratory equipment that could do high performance liquid chromatography. We can have Pam show you (or the set guys) what this stuff looks like.

8) Again, you may want to show the chemical structure of the acetylated substance and just so some nurdly chemistry majors don't call in with complaints, we'll come up with a formula that has an acetyl component

9) How would you explain Wallis' infection. He would have also had to have taken the drug.

Otherwise, I like it. I just hope Abbott or Glaxo-Wellcome (which are big antiviral producers) don't take offense. Let me know if you have any other questions. Keep cool!