Original subtitles

These stories are inspired by the actual case files of the Office of Scientific

Investigation and Research.

Why would there be one hut all by itself, over a mile from the rest of the

village? That's just another one of the many Chaco Canyon mysteries.

Look, we just made the biggest new discovery since they discovered the main

village 20 years ago.

Enjoy it, Simon.

Hey, guys.

Come and check this out.

What is it?

Darren.

This is a man-made war.

His camouflage played well.

Looks like a substantial space.

Well, let's see what they were trying to hide.

Sonny, come.

He's never done this before.

Yeah, well, he shouldn't be coming in here anyway.

Stay.

From there.

Look at that.

The triangular body figures.

They're the ones with the crescent-shaped halo floating about

their heads.

A mistake of the anesthesia.

We're going to get it on you for sure now.

Let's see another opening.

No. Looks like we broke a vacuum seal or we penetrated the outer wall.

Simon, the wind's got to be coming from somewhere.

In our planet's history, some civilizations have disappeared

mysteriously. The lost tribes of Israel and the Essenes, for example.

North America has had its lost peoples, too.

Sir Walter Alley's Virginia colony, and some 300 years earlier, the Anasazi, a

culturally advanced Indian people of the American Southwest, suddenly abandoned

their ancestral homeland.

In the course of investigating violent deaths in a cavern somewhere in New

Mexico... Did the OSIR uncover a clue regarding the fate of the Anasazi tribe?

File number 288128, case manager Connor Doyle, initial case log.

Commence briefing of the team regarding an apparently fatal phenomenon in a cave

in northern New Mexico.

Two archaeologists died in the cave. Witness Simon Benito believes the inner

chamber is directly responsible for the deaths. He managed to remove the bodies

of his friends without setting foot inside.

I guess that's when the DCC was called in. And despite Benito's warnings, two

DCC agents entered the inner chamber.

They were pronounced dead on the scene.

There's no biological or chemical agent currently known to man that could

penetrate that suit.

The Anasazi are the ancestors of the modern-day Pueblo people.

About a mile south of here, there's the ruins of an ancient Anasazi village, and

there's lots of unanswered questions about the site.

For one...

Why did they build a village so far from the source of water?

Arthur Quigley, DCC.

Professor Doyle, this is Simon Benito, the anthropologist mentioned in my

report. Professor Doyle. Mr. George Featherstone of the Native American

Tribal Council.

We're turning the investigation over to you at this point.

There might have been a ritual pilgrimage to the village, like it was

the capital city.

Tell me about the cave.

We were excited when we discovered the lone hut.

It was a major find.

Then when we uncovered the cave opening inside, well, it was awesome.

I... I can't get the image of them writhing in agony out of my mind.

I never felt so helpless.

There has been much harm done by false speculation from the academic community.

Some have suggested the Anasazi practice cannibalism.

Even the name Anasazi came from another native tribe.

It can be translated as ancient enemies.

We prefer ancient ones.

Okay, visuals up.

Sensors online.

Probe moving at one foot per second. Any traces?

No hazardous materials, toxic traces, or abnormal energy fields.

Everything's well within normal range.

All right, we're nearing the mouth of the chamber.

Unusual atmospheric readings.

I'm getting increasing air pressure coming from deep within the cave.

It must be the air current the witnesses described.

Seems like it. Let's get a sample.

Wait a minute.

Something's disrupting the signal.

We're losing telemetry.

Bring it back.

I can't. Increase signal transmission

power.

Increasing to maximum power.

Okay, okay, we're getting control.

Should I proceed?

Now, pull it out.

Let's examine it.

You got it.

The probe's internal function was undamaged, but I don't know what caused

the interference.

What did the ground-penetrating radar tell us?

We couldn't get a clear analysis of the cave.

Why not?

Something disrupted the equipment.

It's possibly the same phenomenon that caused the probe to malfunction.

Run a full diagnostic analysis of the equipment before we rule out mechanical

failure.

Natasha, what have you found out?

I spoke to a number of Pueblo people. They're usually quite receptive to

outsiders. However, my experience was somewhat less than warm and friendly.

Mr. Featherstone is quite concerned that these unfortunate events will put

another negative spin on the Anasazi image.

The Pueblo believe that ancient spirits may guard the remains of the Anasazi

dwellings. What's it guarding?

Case file update.

The entrance and outer room of the cave have proven non-hazardous, but for

safety reasons, we've sealed the inner chamber and the corridor beyond.

Your last name, Benito.

Isn't that the Pueblo name of the ancient village that occupied the canyon

not too far from here?

There are hundreds of us in the Taos Bumble.

Then you're Pueblo.

My family are of Pueblo descent, but I don't exactly consider myself in my

mother community, if that's what you mean.

Nor does the community recognize me for that matter.

It's just a name.

Do you ever know two young kids?

He looked at me as he laid there.

What could I do?

It's like there's this line right across the threshold.

You cross it, you die.

Simon?

What is it?

Over here.

Tasha, this wall appears to be constructed of primitive mortar.

For an ancient culture, this type of building blocks extremely advanced.

I defer to your expertise. My point, however, is how the dirt is packed

between the cracks and the bricks.

These look like finger indentations.

That is unusual.

See, Connor, they're on the inside of the wall. This wall may have been

completely sealed off by someone who remained inside the cave.

Simon?

Investigator Stevens was a good man.

You can tell his family that he died trying to save another man's life.

Okay. What about this Simon Bonito?

He claims to have blacked out and can't remember how he got into the chamber.

He's wracked with guilt over the death of Stevens.

As well, in retrospect, he thinks he could have saved his friends.

Awful situation.

However, maybe his apparent immunity can give some insights into the phenomenon.

Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be any explanation as to why Simon remained

unaffected. Increase the security outside the cave.

Now, obviously, I shall want you to proceed with a strong awareness of the

gravity of the circumstance.

The additional shielding of the probe's communication systems enabled us to send

the probe back into the chamber.

We had it introduce samples of human blood and tissue into the chamber

environment.

And nothing occurred.

And there was no unusual residue when the samples were extracted.

Mr.

Featherstone contacted me yesterday.

On behalf of the entire Native Council, he's strongly recommending that we close

down the investigation and seal up the cave.

He has repeatedly pointed out there's nothing to be gained except disrespect

for the Pueblo people.

Public safety is our primary concern.

We can't be sure the phenomenon will remain contained even if we do seal up

the cave.

I see no other way of gathering new information without actually sending

someone into the chamber.

Are you volunteering?

Uh, well, if that's what Connor wants.

We haven't tried sending the probe past the chamber into the inner corridor.

After that, we can discuss other options.

Nothing so far.

What's down there?

There's no definition on the scans.

Activate other scan modes.

Nothing's ready for him.

Hold on.

No, this can't be.

The probe's registering infinite space in front of it. That makes no sense.

Are we getting more interference?

That's the readings I'm getting. No measurable definition.

Send it in.

Hello?

We crashed.

All signals are down. Telemetry down.

Bring it back.

I can't believe we lost another probe.

Maybe it fell into a deep cavern.

How do you explain the loss of telemetry? It probably tied in with

whatever was interfering with the ground-penetrating radar in the probe's

communication systems.

But you said the probe's systems were working fine this time.

Well, yes, but I mean, that would mean that the corridor actually led to

infinite space.

Here's a different possible theory.

There are many theories as to why so many Anasazi abandoned their cultural

homeland. One of them is that a powerful new religion took shape east of here and

drew them away.

Long ago, when the ancient ones became divided,

Those that remained in the homeland could no longer defend themselves

against their enemies.

That was when the god of the mountain offered them a choice.

If they would follow, he would lead them back to a time when they could live in

peace and harmony.

And to prevent all the evildoers from following, he left a guardian at the

doorway. A guardian who would beckon all the good people who had been led astray

and destroy those that would threaten the peaceful, unthousy way of life.

Are you suggesting that in the depths of the cave somewhere, there's a

dimensional portal capable of transporting a human being from one time

or place to another? I'm suggesting that the phenomena we're dealing with may be

the spirit that guards the portal.

The fight is off limits, sir.

I have to get into the cave. I'm sorry, we have orders. No one is permitted

inside.

Let go of me!

You don't understand!

I have to get into the cave!

I don't know what came over me.

I just couldn't resist the urge.

Do you still feel this compulsion?

I don't know why, but I... I feel that the answer's in that chamber.

The answer to what?

I don't know.

Just more ridiculous than I thought.

I mean, why would a spirit beckon me? I've never believed in that type of

thing.

If you ask George Featherstone, he'll probably tell you that I'm not even a

quibble. Connor, can I have a word with you, please?

Getting an idea.

Let me guess, Peter.

You want to rig up Simon and send him into the chamber.

Look, he's already proven that he's unaffected by the phenomenon. On one

occasion, and we can't find a reason why.

Look, we're at the end of our rope.

We've tried fluxing the environment a dozen different ways. We keep coming up

empty.

I'll bring it up with headquarters, but ultimately it's up to Simon.

All right.

Why were you drawn to the cave?

I don't know.

Maybe it's because I never really felt like I belonged anywhere.

Is that why you abandoned your family?

I just chose to live in the present day, in the real world.

Then why do you spend all your time searching in the past?

I piece together the past so that I can better understand the present.

The answers you seek are not with our ancestors, the Anasazi.

They're right here, right now.

What do you know?

I know who you are, Simon Benito.

It's a shame you don't.

Case log update.

OSIR headquarters agreed that despite the highly unusual nature of the

experiment, we should proceed.

We're rigging Simon Benito with full biofeedback equipment and a portable

video camera.

Okay, you're all set.

These visuals will be transmitted back to the lab.

I'm ready.

Good luck, Simon. Good luck.

Thanks.

Nothing different.

Biofeedback readings all normal.

I'm going to have a look down the corridor.

Look only, Simon.

Don't set one foot out of the chamber.

What do you see?

It's the haze.

It has a strange quality.

We're not reading any light waves on the monitor.

Can you describe it?

There's a light.

It's getting very bright.

Simon.

Connor, his brainwave patterns indicate he's entering a dreamlike state.

Simon, can you still hear me?

Can you speak to her?

I don't have to.

No. Simon!

You lost him, Connor.

You'll make sure it's sealed up tight?

Don't worry.

Johnny!

Come on!

Hate blog supplement.

Mr. Featherstone uncovered a portion of the lost probe that may have been pushed

to the surface by our explosion.

However, carbon dating indicates that this piece is at least 200 years old.

Analysis ongoing.

Doyle out.

There are many OSIR case files relating to mysterious and dangerous occurrences

associated with sacred tribal grounds.

In most of these cases, as in this one, the determinations were uniform.

There are some places that are best left alone.

I'm Dan Aykroyd for SciFactor.

What do they do in?

Any time now.

Good joy to take out on a cruise this time.

Sonny Brasco.

Is he Sonny Brasco? He's a new client of my husband's.

Bailey, every time you go on a holiday, he takes some criminal out in the boat

and you take a plane. That hardly seems fair.

Come on, Wilton.

Joey's only trying to build up a practice.

His clients love cruising the island.

Well, for what it's worth.

After years of watching you wait for your husband's boat to arrive, I'd like

to see you on it. Maybe just once.

That's sweet.

Thanks. But don't hold your breath.

There they are.

Like I said, always on time.

There's no one on deck, though. They're probably below putting their things

together.

Hold on, that's a distress flag.

I don't need you.

Joey? Joey?

Oh, my God.

Oh.

He's dehydrated.

He needs a doctor.

Joey, what happened to you?

I didn't look for us. Look for you? What are you talking about?

We went off.

We've been out there for so long.

Joey, you left Miami five days ago.

No one else on board.

Where's Sonny? He's gone.

The man on the ship.

He what?

We've been out there for five weeks.

The Bermuda Triangle has long

been associated with lost crews and vessels.

Since Columbus first traveled this route...

Hundreds of ships and planes have also reported encounters with unexplained

phenomena, and dozens of craft have vanished in these waters off the coasts

of Florida, Bermuda, and Puerto Rico.

What is the true nature of this strange triangular zone?

In the following case, the OSIR was engaged to confront an unusual series of

events in this famous and mysterious area of the world.

Joey, it's Bailey.

Can you hear me, honey?

Hi, babe.

Hi. It's good to see you.

It's good to see you.

Sonny, did you find him?

Coast Guard's been combing the area for nearly 12 hours.

Nothing yet.

Joey. You said you were lost.

Why didn't you radio for help?

Our instruments were dead. We were adrift.

Did you make good time getting here?

We were out there for at least five weeks.

Honey, I was there when you guys left.

Five days ago.

No.

That's impossible.

We ran out of food on day seven.

After day 11, there was no water.

And then... Please,

please, try to relax.

She must have veered off course, lost some supplies.

We saw things out there, things I can't describe.

Sonny panicked before I could stop him. He took off in a life raft.

Please, you have to believe me.

Please.

Initial case log entry, case manager Connor Doyle.

We've arrived in Bermuda to investigate claims of unusual marine phenomena in

the area.

As a matter of historical record, this is not the first time the OSIR has

investigated anomalous activity in this region.

Set up the mobile lab, establish a satellite link with headquarters.

So you're glad to be back, Connor?

Didn't know Doyle was our resident expert on Bermuda Triangle claims.

Six times I've led teams out there, six times we came back with nothing.

I don't expect this time to be any different.

Lindsay, get over to the hospital and land with Dr. Whitney. Begin preliminary

interviews. I'll get started on the witnesses here.

The weather offices here and in Miami reported clear skies and calm winds all

along the route they were sailing.

According to the report of origin, they last checked in by radio with Miami four

days after they set sail.

They reported calm seas and that everything was fine.

Next day, we found them drifting offshore.

They looked like they'd been through hell.

We had clear sailing all the way past the Bahamas.

Four days out of the Caicos Passage, we hit some kind of zone, some kind of

place where time and weather...

The laws of nature, they just didn't apply.

Before I knew it, Sonny was gone.

According to the Bermuda police, nothing's been touched.

Everything's intact since the day she arrived.

She's not listing any. Doesn't appear to be taking on water.

Is there any damage visible below the waterline?

Nothing from initial inspection.

Jones, the guy who runs the marina.

He said the only thing he found was dead instrumentation. What does he mean by

dead?

Every piece of communication and tracking equipment is inoperable.

No sign of any damage. It just stopped working.

Let's have all this equipment removed from the vessel and sent to the lab for

analysis.

Whatever it was they encountered out there, it turned their compass, radio,

and radar into paperweights.

This part of the ocean is a breeding ground for shams about the Bermuda

Triangle. Yeah.

Tell a tale, get your face on the tabloid, and collect your money.

According to Joey's story, their watches stopped on day four when they

encountered some dense weather system, which apparently knocked out their

instrumentation. If they'd lost instrumentation, how could they possibly

know how much time it'll last?

There's no sun, no moon, no stars.

In Joey's interview, he mentioned an old clock here in the main cabin.

For some reason, it kept working.

Get this back to Len.

Joey, can you hear me?

Mm-hmm.

Where are you now?

I'm on the sun's prey with Sonny.

He left for Miami, going to meet Bailey in Bermuda.

We're having a great time.

Sonny had never been on the sea before.

What happened exactly?

I thought it was a storm.

But it wasn't any kind of storm I'd ever seen.

It was so bright, but there wasn't any sun.

Then what?

Then we were dead in the water.

No power.

No instrumentation.

Everything, all the equipment, dead.

We were out there.

No sense of day or night.

We drifted for days.

And days.

And then... Sonny couldn't stand the waiting anymore.

I never saw him again.

Were you able to pinpoint the exact time the sun spray left port in Miami?

Confirmed by the coast guard, date and time. We also confirmed the presence of

the other man on board.

The videotape Bailey below is made the day they left south port.

They look healthy enough.

Check out the date.

August 6, 1996.

It's been authenticated that was five days before they arrived in Bermuda.

And our physicians confirmed that Joey Veloz was exposed to the ailments for

nearly five weeks.

Here's where it gets even more interesting.

This is Sonny Brasco, the lost man.

Client of Joey's law firm. It gets better.

According to the Dade County DA's office, Sonny's also a mid-level

supplier to a major Colombian drug cartel.

He was in the process of turning state's evidence when he disappeared from Joey's

boat. You think someone in that cartel would like to see Sonny Brasco dead?

Maybe Joey got the job.

He is connected to some very high-level criminal elements.

So he concocted the Bermuda Triangle story.

To cover up a murder.

Case log update.

After completing our initial assessment, we have reason to believe that the sun's

break could have encountered some type of paranormal event.

And yet there remains a strong possibility of this being a hoax

perpetrated to cover up a murder.

These aerial survey maps were taken yesterday 100 miles off the Bermudian

coast. Looks like a tropical depression.

According to the weather offices here and in Miami, it isn't.

They report clear skies all along the entire Puerto Rican trench. And here's

why.

These photographs were taken three hours later. Same location.

Gone just like that?

Is there any pattern to it? None that we can detect.

They've only showed up once on our aerial surveys.

We've picked up no other irregular readings.

It's sketchy, but the evidence is mounting.

His DEP tests support his belief that he did encounter some kind of phenomenon.

And the inoperable equipment aboard the boat backs him up, too.

Why was the one clock we found aboard the sea spray still functioning?

The main difference between it and the rest of the equipment on board is the

fact that it was made entirely of brass components.

My guess is it was some electromagnetic interference that hit the rest of the

instruments. And the clock still functioned because brass isn't magnetic?

Exactly. It's paramagnetic. Made from copper and zinc components.

Low magnetic field elements.

The rest of the equipment on board was ferromagnetic. That is, made from iron

-based components.

Making them vulnerable to a magnetic charge.

Could Joey have created a charge big enough to knock out all their equipment?

Not without a huge electro-charged magnet on board, no.

Which means we can conclude that he definitely encountered something out

there. Well, the question is, is it worth having a look?

If Joey's story is true, the lost man could still be alive out there

somewhere.

I don't think we have a choice.

It's ready.

Okay. I'll get DeRay.

Give me the scans on the port side. Who's got the ionoscope?

Connor.

Joey wants to see you.

You wanted to talk to me, Mr. Villoz?

You think I killed Sonny Brasco, don't you?

You think I'd let you take my boat out to prove I fed him to the sharks?

Joey, they didn't accuse you of anything.

He bailed.

He abandoned me.

He deserves whatever happened to him. Maybe he's still out there.

Yeah, maybe.

If your friend is alive, we'll find him.

He was a client.

He was not my friend.

Just bring my boat back in one piece, okay?

You can try a cup of Peter's coffee and never have to prove your courage again.

Thanks. Radio the lab. Confirm our coordinates.

You know, I have to ask you.

What made you lead six investigations out here?

Just lucky, I guess.

Scientists have been coming out here for more than 60 years looking for any kind

of evidence.

But you come out here more times than anyone else.

When I was in the Navy...

I commanded a minesweeper stationed out of Guantanamo Bay.

I was out here on operations when we encountered an area of the sea where the

laws of physics just didn't apply.

We lost navigational control and did something.

This day I don't know what it was.

The ship began taking on water.

Going down.

I sounded general quarters. He had evacuation.

Most of the men got off the ship.

But by the time Air-Sea Rescue found us, my first mate and I were still alive.

What happened to your men?

Gone.

Disappeared. Drowned.

Sharks, maybe.

We never found their bodies or the ship.

I filed a report with the Navy that they suppressed.

So you want to know what's out here?

I just want the truth.

We're nearing the outer limit of the zone.

We'll be ready.

We've encased all of the backup systems in copper-based shielding.

from a Navi computer to chronographs and scanning devices that should keep it

safe from any outside electrical or magnetic charges. Are the engines

shielded as well? Let's double check all online. Yeah, tight as a drum. Copy

that. Don't worry, we'll be able to navigate no matter what hits us.

Primary scanning, sonar, radar, and visual equipment online and running.

Let's see how the phenomenon affects them.

If there is a phenomenon.

Two days of nothing.

Why do I feel like I've done this before?

If you have, you'd think I'd learn.

Any change in reading?

No.

You've seen this phenomenon before, haven't you?

That was a long time ago.

I didn't see all that much.

What do you make of this? You lost your crew?

Better tell Doyle.

I don't know any more about what could happen out here than the rest of us.

We've got something.

The company started acting strange as soon as it appeared on radar.

How far off?

Half a click.

Keep tracking it.

Get topside and try to get visuals.

Off the port bow.

Radar's picking up something really big.

Nearly on top of it.

Definitely not a weather front.

Radar's beginning to fade from some kind of interference.

We're now operating under cold bread status.

Man your stations and stay sharp.

Very localized and intensely focused.

We're being bombarded by electromagnetic fields.

Instrumentation. Instrumentation.

It's gone dead. We're switching to shielding instruments.

Backup system's operational.

Data recording is being maintained.

Not getting through the shielding.

I got something.

Half a click to the starboard bow.

Doyle? Do you...

Damn it.

Carter, we got something on radar.

Can you identify it?

Small crack.

Very small, actually.

Dead center of the phenomenon.

Could it be a life raft?

Could be.

I'm going to plot a course.

Direct to intercept.

300 meters off starboard.

I got him.

Get down there and get the exact coordinates.

Right.

Can you get a fix on him?

I don't have a problem.

He's disappearing.

One more speed, let's go!

Pull ahead!

Faster!

Come on, more speed, more speed, let's go!

Oh, no.

How long?

Inside the phenomenon, 58 minutes, 36 seconds.

Real time?

Mainland Bravo team, clock is inside the phenomenon at 5 minutes, 38 seconds.

Brasco?

He's gone.

Better trace.

Final case log entry.

After successfully recording a full range of data from our investigation of

the commuter triangle, we are still only just beginning to understand what the

phenomenon could be or where it might come from.

Whatever its origin, this phenomenon remains an ongoing mystery and a random

threat to any journey across the path.

Connor Doyle, out.

After their return to shore, the OSIR discussed many theories in attempting to

explain what they'd witnessed.

Perhaps they encountered geophysical anomalies or some unknown technology.

If anything, their experience demonstrates that much more research

must be undertaken.

For now, the Bermuda Triangle's secrets remain locked within its mysterious

waters and skies.

I'm Dan Aykroyd for SciFactor.