Pilot: Satellite reentry zone
Should be about five minutes ahead, MacGyver.
Roger.
You with me, Pete?
I've got you.
Let's run a final check on Mike levels.
Do you read me?
Affirmative.
Testing, one, two, three, four...
Five, six, seven, eight. Do you copy?
Roger.
Activate the camera.
Camera activated. Take a look, Pete.
Looks good.
Recording.
You getting all this, Pete?
Yeah.
Camera works fine.
When you pulled him out of bed
in the middle of the night for this,
I wonder if he really knew
what he was getting into.
He knew the same things all of us knew.
I didn't hold anything back from him.
Why him, Pete? Why MacGyver?
Because he has the scientific knowledge
And knows how to move fast through rough country.
Aside from that, he's the best person I know
to deal with... Whatever it is
he's gonna deal with out there.
And he volunteered.
Wouldn't have it any other way.
Pilot: Satellite reentry zone coming up.
Stand by for drop-off.
Reporter: A tragic sight greeted rancher Elmer hoggins this morning.
He awoke to find his entire herd of 900 sheep lying dead
in his fields.
Our reporter, Nancy bartlett, is on the scene.
As of now we've gone public.
Everything I own gone, just wiped out.
I've lived next door to this... Military station over here
for a lot of years now,
and I guess it always bothered me.
But I believe in america
And they told me this kind of thing could never happen.
Are you accusing the United States government
of causing this?
Yes, ma'am, I am.
There's nerve gas over there or something.
Captain, how do you respond to this?
Uh, categorically denied.
You're denying that your installation
is a biochemical warfare testing tank?
Absolutely.
Then how do you explain the 900 dead sheep
in those pasture lands?
We heard of the incident, and while we...
I wonder if our good Dr. Millhouse
Is watching the results of her great experiment.
Well what else could have done it?
I have no further comment.
A harmless organism sent into space had mutated
Into something extremely deadly.
The satellite carrying it had crashed to earth
without warning.
I had to find the satellite and retrieve the capsule
before the military unleashed "firestorm,"
the code name for a napalm strike designed
to stop the spread of the organism.
Confirming arrival at primary drop zone.
Proceeding to target.
Roger. According to our last fix,
you're about 200 yards from target.
Proceed now 22 degrees north by northeast.
Roger. What's the countdown to firestorm?
42 minutes... and counting.
But don't worry.
We've got plenty of time to get you out of there.
So take it slow and easy.
Slow and easy. Roger.
You can tell your Dr. Millhouse
that bug she put in the satellite
Kills more than just sheep.
( Jet aircraft approaching )
Firestorm aircraft?
What are they doing here already?
Only standing by. That's sop.
I've still got more than 30 minutes left.
Get 'em out of here.
MacGyver, I thought we all understood the rules
we have to play by here.
Pete?!
Call them off!
Right now!
I don't want him worried
about getting fried in a napalm strike
While he's looking for that thing!
Call them off!
Firestorm team, extend your radius two miles
and stand by.
Extend 20 miles, 20 miles!
That's two minutes flying time.
Let's have a little margin of safety here.
Correction, firestorm team:
Make that 20 miles and await further orders.
Roger, twin Ridge.
Extending patrol radius to two-zero miles.
It looks like very dense forest.
Watch yourself.
Right.
Whatever it is, it killed them fast.
Dropped 'em right in their tracks.
It's devastating, Pete.
Like walking through a graveyard.
Yeah, we see it.
Do you see anything, any evidence of burning?
The satellite would have been red-hot from reentry.
No. Nothing yet.
MacGyver?
I'm okay, Pete.
I've never seen anything like this.
Everything's dead.
Everything.
I see the satellite, Pete.
It's on the...
MacGyver? What's happening?
MacGyver? What's going on out there?
MacGyver!
Talk to me!
He's down. It's taken him down.
We don't know that, not yet.
Pete, you saw what I saw.
He's flat on his back.
Something dropped him like a rock.
We have to wait.
Anything could have happened out there.
That's right, and the recovery plan spells out exactly
What our obligation is if anything like this happens.
I know the plan. I also know MacGyver.
Hey, listen...
I'm still in one piece.
I'm okay.
Maybe his suit got torn,
Or whatever wiped out that area ate through his suit.
But he's not answering.
We agreed, you agreed, and MacGyver agreed
what had to be done.
We have to wait! We have to give him time!
It's part of the plan, Pete.
Oh, great. Broken antenna.
Give him more time!
Anything could have happened.
We can't take that chance.
Firestorm team, come in.
Give him five more minutes, please!
Pete? Pete, do we have audio?
Pete?
It could be a technical glitch. Anything!
Pete, it's too late.
We have a possible armageddon here.
I can't let that happen.
And neither can you.
Firestorm team, resume previous coordinates.
Go to code two.
Roger, twin Ridge, proceeding to heading 090.
I now have a lock on kill zone.
Eta to napalm strike 90 seconds.
Firestorm to twin Ridge. 80 seconds to kill zone.
Phelps: Roger, firestorm. Proceed.
Phelps, listen to me. Call them off.
Buy him five minutes. That's all I ask.
I have no choice, Pete, and you know it.
Firestorm, advise your position.
60 seconds to kill zone.
Advise your final approach.
Roger, twin Ridge. On approach now.
MacGyver,
Come in, please! Answer me, MacGyver!
They're starting the firestorm run.
Please, come in!
Come on! Come on!
Phelps: Firestorm, what is your etd to napalm drop?
Stall 'em, Pete. Stall 'em.
Twin Ridge, firestorm is 45 seconds to kill zone.
Roger, firestorm team.
Stand by to arm weapons.
Roger, twin Ridge. Standing by.
You've got to call them back!
Phelps: You know better. You saw.
Look, we've got to give him the full time allowed.
That's what we all agreed to.
Phelps: We agreed to what would happen if this thing went bad.
Everything's dead out there, Pete.
Your friend, too.
You got to face it, Pete: The only thing that matters now
is killing that organism!
Pete! Phelps!
Don't do this, please!
Arm weapons. Fire when ready.
Roger, twin Ridge.
Arming weapons.
On final approach now.
I'm here!
Do you read me? I'm okay!
Pete! Phelps!
I'm here. I'm okay!
He's okay! Call them off!
Base to firestorm, break it off. I repeat: Break it off.
Break off, firestorm. Do you read me?
Roger, twin Ridge. Breaking off.
Are you all right, MacGyver?
Yeah, Pete, I'm okay.
Send in the chopper.
We got what we came for.
Right through here, colonel.
The security lab is six stories underground.
Elevator's over there.
What about all your personnel?
They've been told there's an unscheduled maintenance shutdown
till after the weekend.
Kind of a pleasant surprise.
A few days paid vacation.
So the place is deserted.
Oh, except for essential personnel,
And only as long as necessary.
( Device beeps )
And Sandra millhouse feels she can handle
All the testing procedures by herself?
Listen, that young lady thinks
she can run the world.
What are a few tests on a little superbug?
There's a phone at the security station.
Code 34 to Washington, DC.
Sandra?
Sandra, are you in there? Sandra?
May I come in?
Sandra?
( Dog yaps )
All right. Hello, puppy. How are you?
Ah!
Dr. Millhouse, where are you?
So... here you are.
Hello, Pete.
"Hello, Pete?" That's it?
Sandra, how could you do this?
You smuggled that organism of yours
onto a Phoenix satellite!
It was essential to my work, Pete.
But you had no clearance!
But as usual, Dr. Millhouse knows best, right?
The same stunt you pulled
With that Dutch elm tree disease two years ago.
Haven't you learned anything since then?
Yes. I've learned that progress will not wait for a bunch
of bureaucrats to get off their duffs
to make a decision.
Yeah, well, because progress can't wait,
We are faced with a potential disaster here!
Pete, listen to me.
If you push the panic button too soon,
we're not gonna learn anything from this.
Look, don't talk to me about panic.
This has gone as far as I can let it go.
I'm sorry, Sandra, but you can't be trusted.
- Mmm. - You are not a responsible scientist.
How did I know the damn thing
was gonna fall out of orbit?
- I didn't expect to see it again. - Nobody knows that. They fall!
That is why I've been monitoring growth data
on the telemetry gear,
and Pete, the information I'm receiving is fantastic.
We have got to see this thing through.
Please, don't let them panic.
You don't even hear me, do you?
Sandra, it's over.
It stops right here.
Word from topside: Your man's on his way.
Technician: As soon as we incinerate your suit,
We'll begin the decontamination process.
Can we make this fast?
It's a little chilly in here.
We'll warm you up quick.
This decontamination chamber's gonna zap off
The outer layer of your skin.
Strictly a precaution.
Now, there's eyecups in there for you. Put 'em on.
Set it on medium well.
Will do.
All set.
Okay. That's it, Mr. MacGyver.
If you'll step out, we'll get you dusted off.
Reporter: With 2,000 acres already burned,
and thousands more in jeopardy,
the remote twin Ridge forest fire blazes out of control.
Authorities see little hope of containment at this hour,
with 60-mile-an-hour winds adding to the danger.
300 firefighters presently battle the flames,
and reserve teams brought up
from the Sierra monument forest...
Thornton and Dr. Millhouse
Are about to start the test on the canister.
You're not going to be there?
I have to give Washington an update,
Then look into buying up that sheep ranch.
MacGyver, about firestorm, I, uh...
Not necessary.
You had your orders.
This is the same area, you may remember,
where rancher Elmer hoggins
found more than 900 sheep dead just yesterday.
The hoggins ranch was consumed by the flames.
Will you look at that, Pete?
In the few months the organism was up there,
the weightless vacuum of space
allowed it to mutate at an amazing rate.
An alarming rate is more like it.
Oh, come on, Pete.
You're missing the point.
All I sent up was a simple mixture
of synthetic growth accelerators, nothing,
and it came back something else,
something I've never seen before.
Whatever it is, it's killing things.
MacGyver, this is Dr. Millhouse.
Dragon lady, as I'm sure you've been told.
Nice work out there.
Thanks.
Well, shall we get on with this?
Yes. First of all I want to see
how the organism
affects a live test subject.
Ah, haven't enough animals died for one day?
Listen, this is a laboratory,
not a high-school biology class, MacGyver.
Look, doctor, I saw animals out there drop dead on the spot.
They didn't get sick.
They didn't run off and hide.
They just died, hundreds of them.
Point made.
Well, what about the, uh, satellite?
Was there enough of it left to show
What might have caused it to go down?
No, reentry pretty much fried it.
There was a crack at one end of that canister.
Are you implying that there's a connection?
Oh, come on, you created this thing. You tell us.
Let's take a look.
Everything's new here.
The DNA structure is changed...
And whatever it is, it's getting stronger.
What do you mean, stronger?
This is so far away from the organism I sent up,
we could be dealing with an entirely new form of life here.
I just got the pathologist's report
on those dead sheep.
And?
Arterial blockage, brain malfunction,
Rapid and sudden muscle deterioration...
My god.
Well, what does that mean?
They died of old age.
Washington wants to discuss its disposition.
Oh, great. I guess this means we run scared and kill it
Before we have a chance to understand what it means.
Come on, Sandra. This bug has already shown us what it can do.
Pete, don't you understand
the potential of what we've got here?
Think about it:
Four crops a year instead of two;
livestock that matures three times as fast;
Shorter gestation periods.
The potentials are endless.
So are the risks.
- What if that thing had dropped on a city? - It didn't.
Pete! What are you going to tell them?
The truth.
I suppose you think I'm a crackpot too?
No, I think you're a dedicated scientist...
Who's gone too far.
May I show you just how far I've gone?
Please.
This is what Dr. Sandra millhouse is all about.
Some day, very soon, I'm going to be able
to plant these trees in the Sahara, the arctic,
and they will still bear fruit.
Heat, cold, pollution... they won't be a problem. And why?
Because they've absorbed organisms created in this lab...
Created by me.
Look, doctor, no one is saying your work isn't valid...
I'm a big fan of experimentation...
But there comes a time when you have to acknowledge
a right and a wrong way of doing things.
Have you ever seen hunger, MacGyver?
Yes, ma'am, I have.
I've also seen what an out- of-control experiment can do.
Those animals this morning? 900 sheep.
What about the millions of people who starved to death
in Africa last year? What about them?
That is not a rational argument
for what we're dealing with here.
Yes, it is.
If you'd watched a child starve to death
or seen old people living on dog food,
You might understand what I'm trying to do here.
An end to world hunger. That's it, huh?
You know, you're not the only one
Who wants to see that happen.
I am on to something that can make it happen.
So I don't care about right ways or wrong ways.
I care about results, and i'm going to keep on caring
Until I have my answers.
Yes, I'm sure you will, but this isn't the way.
Well, the decision's been made.
We've got orders to destroy the organism.
No.
No, Pete.
I am not going to have years of work lost
because of some paranoid bureaucrat.
( Speaker buzzes )
Attention, all personnel.
Attention, bio lab seal integrity compromised. Attention.
The lab!
Bio lab seal integrity compromised.
( Alarm ringing )
Attention, all personnel.
What's happening?
Bio lab seal integrity compromised.
What's wrong with the seal?
I don't see anything.
Thornton: There!
There, look.
Pete, stop!
Don't touch it.
Sandra, what is going on?
I'm not sure, Pete.
MacGyver: It's mutating even further...
and whatever it's become,
it's eating through that sealing compound.
It's getting loose.
Attention: If seal integrity is not restored,
Destruct sequence must begin in seven minutes.
Repeat: Destruct sequence in seven minutes.
If seal integrity is not restored,
Destruct sequence will begin in six minutes.
All right, everybody, stay away from that window.
Wait.
What are you going to do?
Got to seal it, Pete.
Attention:
if seal integrity is not restored,
destruct sequence
Will begin in six minutes.
( Hissing )
Attention: If seal integrity
is not restored...
Well, that's not going to stop it.
Not by itself it's not, you're right.
Five and a half minutes.
Sandra, give me a hand here.
Keep that going right there.
What are you going to do with the refrigerator?
Going to use the freon.
Need a pliers, vise grips, anything.
I'll see what I can find.
Attention: If seal integrity
is not restored...
Ah! Here.
Destruct sequence will begin in five minutes.
Perfect.
Attention:
If seal integrity is not restored,
step back.
Destruct sequence will begin
in four and a half minutes.
Phelps: What's he doing?
Well, he put the torch on it before
to melt the casement material
so it would fill in the holes.
Now freezing it locks it tight.
Right?
That's pretty good, Pete.
Attention: Seal integrity restored.
Resume non-emergency status.
All right.
Now kill that thing!
No.
Look, that patch isn't going to last forever,
and whatever that stuff is,
it could mutate into something that could eat through glass.
Now, come on.
Laser on-line.
Do it!
( Humming )
( Whirring )
How can we be absolutely sure that that thing is dead?
There's only one way.
I'll inform Washington.
One giant step backwards for mankind.
Now why don't you two go back to where you came from
and get the hell out of my lab.
Listen, you go on ahead, and I'll catch up with you.
( Knocking )
Millhouse: Yes?
You're pushing it, MacGyver.
Can't I even say good-bye?
Good-bye.
Look, for what it's worth...
the things you're trying to do...
I think they're good things.
Thank you.
But I've decided to go into a different direction.
I'm going to develop
An organism that eats red tape.
Hey, I'm not a big fan of red tape either,
but this...
I agree with 'em.
Some things take time.
Time.
This is time, MacGyver.
Time well spent.
Years of research
that ultimately could feed the world.
Don't miss your chopper, MacGyver.
One thing happened here.
You saw what was possible.
Might take a little longer,
but the world's going to hear from you again.
You can be sure of it.
( Barks )
Thornton: I'll be in touch with the final report.
Thanks again.
Well, I'm glad that's over with.
Me, too.
What's going to happen to her, Pete?
Well, I'm going to make my recommendation
and I'm afraid that's not going to be too good,
but it's really up to the executive board.
Listen, she and that dog of hers
Are going to land safely someplace.
She's too good not to.
Did I ever tell you the story about how she smuggled
Another bug out of the lab a few years ago?
Uh-uh.
Had to do with Dutch elm disease, right?
She transfused the bug into the dog's bladder.
Yeah.
He smuggled it out.
All she had to do was lead it to the trees,
let him lift the old leg.
Did it work?
Yeah. Strongest stand of Dutch elm
In the whole country.
But that's the problem.
She doesn't stop.
She won't give up.
Yeah, well, she gave up this time.
What?
She gave up way too easily.
Come on.
( Barks )
( Gasps )
Well, at least you still love me,
Don't you, ace?
Well, the hell with them.
Come on. Come on.
All right, that's good.
We'll play in a little bit. Don't worry.
Right now...
We have a lot of work to do.
Sandra?
I'm sorry, MacGyver.
How'd you do it?
Well, I knew they were going to destroy it...
Or at least try to.
So I took just a little bit of the smear
before Pete got back to the lab.
It's too big a breakthrough.
I couldn't just walk away from that.
Sandra, it's too dangerous!
Nothing is going to happen.
Look what we have here, MacGyver.
Look at this.
No! Don't!
Ace!
Stay away from...
Sandra.
( Ace whimpering )
You stay away from there, baby.
Stay away.
Oh, ace.
Ace, come here.
( Whimpering )
Come here, baby.
Oh, come here.
Oh, ace, baby,
Does it hurt?
Oh, no.
( Sobbing ): Oh, please tell me it doesn't hurt.
( Alarm blaring )
Computer voice: Attention: Contamination recorded.
Hydroponics lab.
Organism unidentified.
This is a priority alert.
Repeat: Priority alert.
So here we are.
I guess you were right.
I love you, ace.
And look what I've done to you.
Oh, my sweet little friend.
I'm so sorry.
I'm sorry.
Attention:
Hydroponics lab.
Seal integrity compromised.
Repeat: Hydroponics lab.
Seal integrity compromised.
Sandra! Where is she?
She's in the hydroponics lab.
She held out on us, Pete.
She's been exposed.
Don't go in there!
Attention:
Hydroponics lab.
Seal integrity compromised.
Repeat: Hydroponics lab.
Seal integrity compromised.
Oh, my god.
My dear god.
( Strained breathing )
Here, Pete.
Put this on.
Thank you anyway.
Attention: If seal integrity is not restored,
destruct sequence will begin in seven minutes.
It's very interesting.
The contagion has mutated
to infest plant life.
It didn't do that before.
Sandra...
I'm sorry.
Pete.
Save my work.
Please.
All my other work, Pete.
It can be important.
I'll get it.
Attention: If seal integrity is not restored,
destruct sequence will begin in six and a half minutes.
Sandra?
I suppose...
( Labored breathing )
an "I told you so" is in order.
Attention: If seal integrity is not restored,
destruct sequence will begin in six minutes.
Did you get it?
Yeah.
Sandra.
We saved them.
We've got them.
We're going to get them out.
Thank... you...
She's gone, MacGyver.
There's nothing more we can do for her now.
- Attention: - ( Alarm blaring )
Biolaboratories and corridors will be sealed in sequence.
They're closing the sections, one by one.
We've got to get out of here.
Let's go!
Section one, hydroponics lab, sealed.
Section two, general biology lab, sealed.
Section three, bacteriology lab, sealed.
Section four...
The elevator shaft is our only way out!
( Grunting )
This facility will self-destruct in four and a half minutes.
There's got to be
a maintenance override switch up top.
You first.
One, two, three, go.
Push!
Okay, come on.
( Motor pulsating )
This facility will self-destruct in four minutes.
It's too slow!
We're never going to get up there
Before it blows up.
( Motor pulsating )
This facility
Will self-destruct in three minutes.
What are you doing?
We certainly can't climb out of here.
I'm going to have to speed things up.
Crank those doors open for me.
( Alarm wailing )
This facility will self-destruct in two and a half minutes.
( Electrical popping )
Come on.
All right, Pete,
let the doors go.
Come here and grab this.
This facility will self-destruct in two minutes.
This facility will self-destruct in one and a half minutes.
This transformer should zap the override,
make it all go faster, I think.
First we'll bypass the normal circuit to the transformer.
That'll juice the power, and if we're lucky, we're home free.
This facility will self-destruct in one minute.
All right, it's all yours.
( Motor whirs )
It's working.
I got it.
This facility will self-destruct in 30 seconds.
This facility will self-destruct in 20 seconds.
19...
- 18... - Come on!
17, 16, 15, 14,
13, 12, 11,
- ten, nine, - ( alarm wailing )
Eight, seven, six,
five, four,
let's go!
Three, two, one, destruct.
( Explosions )
( Grunting )
( Explosions )
( Grunting )
Go!
( Panting )
Oh, my god.
What a loss.