The Outer Limits

OFFICER TRAINING MANUAL SECTION THREE,

SUBHEADING "GENETIC REJECTION SYNDROME, OR G,R,S,":

A RECENT PHENOMENON LINKED TO THE BLACK MARKET

IN GENETIC ENGINEERING OF THE DNA OF HUMAN FETUSES

RESULTING IN TRAGIC IRREVERSIBLE MUTATIONS,

ANOTHER G,R,S, ATTACK FOR YOU, RAY,

WHAT DO WE GOT?

NIGHT WATCHMAN WENT TO MAKE HIS ROUNDS,

NEVER CAME BACK,

SUPERVISOR SHOWED UP, FOUND THE BODY,,,

IT WAS TOO LATE,

LET'S HAVE A LOOK,

EVENING, CAROLYN,

DETECTIVE VENABLE,

HOW LONG'S HE BEEN DEAD?

JUDGING FROM TEMP AND LIVIDITY, HALF HOUR, 45 MINUTES,

CAUSE?

CERVICAL TRAUMA,

SOMEONE WITH A LOT OF STRENGTH SNAPPED HIS NECK,

BITE AND CLAW MARKS ARE POST-MORTEM,

TISSUE AND SERIOLOGY?

ALREADY ON RUSH TO THE LAB,

YOU'RE THE BEST,

YOU SAY THAT TO ALL THE GIRLS,

YEAH, RENFRO HERE,

OKAY, HOLD YOUR 20,

WE'LL BE RIGHT THERE,

THEY GOT HIM SPOTTED,

COVER THE EXITS,

THERE!

RAY, BE CAREFUL,

YOU SEE ANYTHING?

RAY!

WHAT ARE YOU, NUTS? LET IT GO!

RAY!

HANG ON, MAN!

HANG ON, RAY!

HANG ON, RAY,

HANG ON,

LAY OFF OF HIM!

GOT HIM,

THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH YOUR TELEVISION,

DO NOT ATTEMPT TO ADJUST THE PICTURE,

WE ARE NOW CONTROLLING THE TRANSMISSION,

WE CONTROL THE HORIZONTAL,

AND THE VERTICAL,

WE CAN DELUGE YOU WITH A THOUSAND CHANNELS

OR EXPAND ONE SINGLE IMAGE TO CRYSTAL CLARITY,,,

AND BEYOND,

WE CAN SHAPE YOUR VISION

TO ANYTHING OUR IMAGINATION CAN CONCEIVE,

FOR THE NEXT HOUR,

WE WILL CONTROL ALL THAT YOU SEE AND HEAR,

YOU ARE ABOUT TO EXPERIENCE THE AWE AND MYSTERY

WHICH REACHES FROM THE DEEPEST INNER MIND

TO --THE OUTER LIMITS,

WITH EVERY SCIENTIFIC ADVANCE

WE GROW CLOSER TO UNLOCKING

THE MYSTERIES OF LIFE AND CREATION,

BUT WHAT HAVE WE GAINED IF IN THE PROCESS

WE LOSE OUR HUMANITY?

THIS SUSPECT, HE'S DEFINITELY

ONE OF THESE GENETIC REJECTION CASES?

YES, SHE'S G,R,S,

BUT BASED ON THE LAB WORK

AND THE TEETH AND CLAW MARKS,

SHE COULD NOT HAVE BEEN THE KILLER,

LIEUTENANT O'NEILL,

IF SHE DIDN'T KILL THIS MAN, WHO DID?

WE'RE WORKING ON THAT,

HOW?

WITH YOUR FANCY G,R,S, RESPONSE UNIT

THAT'S COST THE TAXPAYERS HALF A MILLION DOLLARS

AND IS SO FAR COMPLETELY INEFFECTIVE?

WE CAPTURED ANOTHER ONE LAST NIGHT,

NOT THE ONE RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS ATROCITY,

HE'S STILL OUT THERE,

FREE TO KILL AGAIN,

THE SWITCHBOARD AT CITY HALL

IS FLOODED WITH CALLS FROM SCARED CITIZENS,

RADIO'S RUNNING WILD WITH G,R,S, STORIES,

I WANT TO KNOW

WHAT EXACTLY IS BEING DONE TO ADDRESS THIS SITUATION,

DETECTIVE VENABLE IS OUR EXPERT

ON THE SUBJECT,

DETECTIVE, PLEASE BRING

THE CHIEF AND COUNCILMAN UP TO SPEED,

I'M NO EXPERT, BUT I DO KNOW WE'RE NOT UP AGAINST

THE SAME PROBLEM WE WERE

WHEN THIS STARTED SHOWING UP ABOUT 10 YEARS AGO,

UNDERGROUND LABS TURNED OUT GENE-ALTERING DRUGS,

AND MOST OF THE TIME IT WORKED--

PERFECT KIDS WHO GREW UP TO BE PERFECT ADULTS,

BUT SOMETIMES IT RESULTED IN G,R,S, KIDS,

THEY LOOKED SCARY, THEY HAD BAD TEMPERS

AND THEY ATTACKED PEOPLE SOMETIMES,

A LOT OF THEM GOT CAUGHT AND PEOPLE GOT BORED

WITH THE STORY,

BUT THE ONES THAT SURVIVED WENT UNDERGROUND

AND THEY GREW UP,

THEIR HORMONES KICKED IN,

AND YOU CAN MULTIPLY THE THREAT BY A HUNDRED NOW,

WE'VE GOT G,R,S, ADULTS RUNNING AROUND,

AND THEY ARE STRONGER AND FASTER AND SMARTER THAN EVER

AND THEY'RE GETTING BOLD,

YOU REALLY PUT THEIR MINDS AT EASE,

O'NEILL CAN GET SOMEONE ELSE TO TELL HIM FAIRY TALES,

BESIDES, IF I REALLY WANTED TO SHAKE HIM UP,

I'D HAVE SHOWN HIM THIS,

LOOKS LIKE AN ENHANCEMENT SERUM,

DID YOU BUST A LAB?

NO, TOOK IT OFF THE G,R,S, GIRL LAST NIGHT,

WHY DO YOU THINK SHE'D HAVE IT?

WHEN EVERYBODY STARTED CRACKING DOWN

ON GEN-ENGINEERING,

LABS NEEDED A NEW MARKETPLACE,

SOMEBODY HID THEM, MAKING THIS STUFF

CUSTOM ENGINEERED FOR ADULTS--

CATCH UP WITH THE ONES

WHO HAD A HEAD START IN THE WOMB,

WHAT WOULD SOMEONE WHO'S ALREADY G,R,S, WANT WITH IT?

IN THEORY IT WORKS LIKE A BOOSTER FOR THEM,

THEIR SYSTEMS ARE ALREADY ALTERED,

THE SERUM JUST HEIGHTENS THE EFFECTS,

THE STUFF WE'VE TESTED CAN BE COUNTERACTED UP TO 72 HOURS

AS LONG AS THE TOTAL AMOUNT INGESTED IS MINIMAL,

IT BONDS WITH THE MITOCHONDRIAL CHAIN,

AND MAKES THEM PERMANENTLY MORE MUTATED?

MAYBE THEY LIKE BEING WHAT THEY ARE,

BE ALL THAT YOU CAN BE,

YEAH, RIGHT,

YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT CIVIL RIGHTS?

TAKE IT UP WITH THE SUPREME COURT,

DO YOU BELIEVE THIS?

SOME LAWYER WANTS TO TALK

TO THAT G,R,S, GIRL BEFORE WE DO,

MAYBE HE KNOWS WHAT HAPPENS TO THEM AFTER WE INTERROGATE,

NO, HE KNOWS HE CAN GET PUBLICITY

FOR TRYING TO DEFEND A FREAK,

I JUST CAME HERE TO TELL YOU

THAT YOU'VE GOT VISITORS,

HEY, DAD,

HEY, PAL!

THIS IS A SURPRISE,

UH, IT SHOULDN'T BE,

YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO TAKE JESSE

TO HIS BASEBALL PRACTICE

WHILE I VISIT MY MOTHER,

OH, I'M SORRY, HONEY,

I COMPLETELY FORGOT,

AGAIN?

HEY, JESS, WHY DON'T YOU GO DOWN

TO THE SQUADROOM FRIDGE, GET YOURSELF A SODA?

OKAY,

AND ONE FOR YOUR OLD MAN TOO,

LOOK, LOOK,

I KNOW THIS IS MY FAULT,

BUT THIS IS A REALLY BAD TIME,

WE'RE GETTING A LOT OF HEAT FROM DOWNTOWN ON THIS CASE,

IT'S OKAY,,,IT'S ALL RIGHT,

I'LL JUST GET TO MY MOM'S A BIT LATE,

JESSE WAS REALLY COUNTING ON YOU,

I KNOW, I KNOW,

I'LL MAKE IT UP TO HIM,

RAY, THEY'RE READY FOR YOU,

AND YOU TOO,

SURE,

LEAVE HER HANDS FREE,

I'LL TAKE RESPONSIBILITY,

THAT WAS BRAVE,

NOT REALLY,

WE BOTH KNOW THOSE LEG RESTRAINTS ARE HOTWIRED,

YOU TRY ANYTHING, I JUST HIT THAT BUTTON,

110 VOLTS? I'D BARELY FEEL IT,

THEN I'M MORE STUPID THAN BRAVE,

WHAT'S YOUR NAME?

YOU MUST THINK I'M --STUPID, DETECTIVE,

YOU DON'T CARE WHAT MY NAME IS,

YOU'RE RIGHT,

I'M MORE INTERESTED IN YOUR AGE, WHERE YOU LIVE--

MELANIE,

I WAS NAMED FOR MY GRANDMOTHER, BUT SHE WAS SHORT,

MY PARENTS WANTED ME TO BE TALL,

HERE I AM, 5-FOOT-7,

THEIR PRIDE AND JOY,

YOU LIVE WITH YOUR PARENTS, MELANIE?

YOU JUST WANT TO HEAR ME TALK,

WATCH ME MOVE,

GET INSIDE MY HEAD,,,

YOU'RE NOT TESTING ME,

YOU'RE TESTING YOURSELF,

INSIGHT,

THAT'S NOT LISTED IN G,R,S, STUDIES,

DON'T FLATTER ME,

YOU THINK WE'RE THE SICK ONES?

BUT IN NATURE STRONGER AND FASTER

EQUALS SUPERIORITY,

ANYTHING ELSE YOU'D LIKE TO ASK BEFORE THEY EXTERMINATE ME?

THAT DOESN'T HAVE TO HAPPEN,

YOU WANT TO KNOW