we'll see.
with the aid of genetic labs throughout the country, we recombined cockroach dna with genetic information from termites and mantids. we were able to create a biological counter-agent. a new ally, if you will.
blattida traditor.
the "judas roach".
the judas is a non-carrier of stricklers, with a short life-span and heightened pheromone emission.
the female is basically a sexual magnet; common males travelled miles and fought for the right to mate with them.
when they did, they took away something else we added -- a hormone, passed through sexual congress that causes their metabolism to go into overdrive. no matter what their food intake, they starved to death in a matter of hours.
please.
do you think we did the right thing?
you know what i mean.
we did no impact evaluation. the consequences of.
we just don't know.
we're down to a "couple" now, huh?
don't worry, i'll save your honor. maybe i'll even marry you.
no, guys, these have to fit perfectly. no spaces in between. let me tell you why. insects have no hands. all they have is this set of mandibles.
see? this little piggy will grab the prey.
then this little piggy will tear it in half.
and this little one will grind it to a pulp and push it in.  all the way into the mouth. these are precision tools here. can you remember that?
good. then get it right.
don't tease.
monks bottle their own wine. don't they?
trust me. i've never been this late. never.
if nun's pee is what it takes.
you were the one who ran around with ice in his underwear, don't forget that.
i'll be late.
siri, sandblast that thing. it looks like trump tower. those mounds are supposed to be made of dirt and excretions.
as long as they're ready for the opening i don't care, just tell them that.
watch your step, siri. your grant could be on the line here.
what?
oh, jesus.
come on, darlin'.
what's this?
hello.
i suppose so.
metaxonycha godmani, trigonopelastes delta. field butterflies. have you been upstate?
i guess they got lost in this city.
you guys have done a nice job. how bout five dollars?
fellas, i'll tell you what. ten dollars for everything. plus a killing jar, some tweezers and mounts so the next bunch you catch will be in better shape.
alphabet city kids- there's much worse things they could be selling.
siri? siri?!
can you?
could you. help me?
i'm gonna pull it out and i want you to pin it down, okay?
i have no idea. are you ready?
it bit you.
leans to get a closer look at the nymph: deep dark brown, flat as a pancake, one rear leg broken, lower tail smashed.
this wing configuration. i've never.
and they're not fully developed. this thing's not even an adult.
my god.
it's breathing.
i know. help me get a sample.
hold on, big guy, hold on.
prepares a blue solution and places two drops on each smear slide.
watches the smear slide. the blue droplets begin to change color once in contact with the leg section.
hold on a second.
call security.
i needed to think. it was either this or the weather channel.
this thing was the size of my fist, peter!! that's off the charts!
don't you get it? it's more than that.
you know why insects don't grow larger? because they don't have a complex respiratory system. what i saw did. it had lungs.
evolution doesn't work that fast. something pushed that thing to take the leap. we need to find another specimen.
i did a ph test on its tarsal pads.
there's only two species who match the enzymes i found. one's a leaf-cutter ant in the amazon.
the other we released here two years ago.
keep going. we'll tell you when to stop.
even if they did.  that's all we have, isn't it?
pull over!
metaxonycha godmani.
we're here to deal.
you sure you didn't see one of these?
an "ootheca". an eggcase. it probably had more, uh "weirdbugs" inside.
kneeling, pushes aside a dented trash bin. behind it, there is a cabinet with rusty sliding doors.
you okay?
turns back to her locker. she withdraws a cheap plastic necklace from it. as she removes it, it breaks. a coulpe of beads fall away.
there's something under here.
let me try. my hands are smaller.
no, there's.
reaches further.
that's wonderful! what grade are you in?
i guess that could be arranged.
i heard how you talked to him.
he was just doing his job.
no such thing, baby.
i get the feeling they came more for the potroast than the apterids.
right.
oh. nothing that a little menopausal's pee daikiri couldn't cure. least that's what i thought.
i was just late.
ironic, don't you think? these guys can hatch hundreds of offspring in a single clutch of eggs, right? and here we are.
siri.
siri!
you don't even know what you're looking for.
why take the chance? just let me go down there with you.
it didn't bite me.
you tell me.
what about siri?
you think it's some form of strickler's, don't you?
oh, my god.
what's your name?
okay, jeremy. go get dr. chris raymond, will you?
did you hear me? get dr. raymond! now!!
where'd you find it?
posterior sternites are gone. half the protonum rotted off.
near hatching. thing must've died about three weeks ago.
do you have a polaroid?
it's me. can you hear me?
i have.
i'm on my way. i've got something for you to look at.
okay.
gets up nervously and heads for the dor to the locker room.
peter?
looks up. above her, a badly decomposing human foot, or what is left of it. all part of the excarnated corpse of the chinese preacher. his gold cross shines boldly in the dark.
jerks herself sideways.
help!!!
hears distant feet scurrying toward her, punctuated by a metallic clang! clang! clang!
looks around frantically. she crosses to a metal lid on the floor, lifts it.
don't.
no, jesus, no.
knows all too well what's coming for her.
peter.
it doesn't have a heart.
just inner chambers.
no.
that's what it wanted you to see.
that's camouflage.
this is mimicry. they evolve to mimic their predators. a butterfly can look like the eyes of an owl. a catterpillar can copy a snake.
this has evolved to mimic the most dangerous predator it's ever had.
us.
mantids can mimic. we gave the judas that code.
this, is our baby peter. yours and mine. aren't you proud?
all these. they're like tunnels of an insect colony. once these things hit a certain population density, they'll have to move out, form new colonies.
we have to get help down here. burn the tunnels before.
the lights!
i got it!
hurry! please!
oh, god. the blood.
his blood! it's driving them crazy! we have to mask the odor!
they don't know anything peter, they just sense. they're hardwired!
exac.
give me your razor.
rub it on the windows!
just do it!!
scent glands. insects use 'em to identify themselves to each other.
but the power.
peter, you couldn't even fix our tv!
peter-
the scent won't last.
approaches manny, who looks distractedly out the window.
manny.
we'll find him. we'll be back and find him.
you're going to have to keep it really slow. their eyes react to sudden movements.
don't touch it. and for godsakes, try not to sweat. they can sense chemical changes.
that's it. that's it. breathe easy.
open it.
watches nervously for the reaction of the mimics
pulls the tipcase of the flare tied to the dead mimic's midsection. fsst! the flare sparks alive.
choke on it, motherfuckers.
the scent's fading.
over here! over here! goddam you!!
the door! open the fucking door!
peter!!
run!! peter!!
go!!
what?
move back!!!
you all right?
which way?
we're no leaving you!
there.
i can't tell if it's working!
looks up, into the shaft.
oh, come on, come on!
your arm, you can't.
we're gonna make it!
ah.
peter.
don't look back!
no.
they've come up.