Bats

A dire biological crisis has unfolded in Gallup, Texas, prompting the Center for Disease Control to interrupt Dr. Sheila Casper's (Dina Meyer) crucial research on the nocturnal creatures of Skull Valley, Arizona. The catalyst for this emergency lies six days prior, when two genetically engineered flying foxes escaped from Dr. Alexander McCabe's (Bob Gunton) laboratory, initially targeting animals but now feasting on human flesh. As a renowned wildlife zoologist specializing in bats (Chiroptera), Sheila has been summoned to assist in tracking down the duo before they claim more human lives or contaminate other bats in the region.

Accompanied by Sheriff Emmett Kimsey (Lou Diamond Phillips) and CDC specialist Dr. Tobe Hodge (Carlos Jacott), Sheila and her assistant Jimmy Sands (Leon) embark on a perilous quest to pinpoint the pair's roosting area. The first night proves disastrous as they are attacked by a swarm of the creatures, forcing them to capture one specimen and implant a homing device beneath its skin. When released, however, this bat becomes a sacrificial target for the super-intelligent, genetically engineered horde.

In response, Gallup's mayor is instructed to broadcast an urgent warning, cautioning residents to remain indoors and secure their homes. Yet, as panic sets in, chaos erupts: cars are ravaged, buildings ablaze, and victims succumb to the merciless onslaught. Tragically, Dr. Tobe Hodge falls prey to the very creatures they had hoped to contain.

In a desperate bid to regain control, Sheila establishes headquarters at the most secure location in Gallup – the local school. As the military arrives to evacuate the town, they grant her team 48 hours before unleashing aerial bombardment. Meanwhile, the Chromo-B340 satellite is repositioned to focus its infrared cameras on the area around Gallup, aiding their search for the bat roost.

However, even when located, the challenge of annihilating every last bat remains daunting. The sheer scale of the infestation – estimated in the thousands – suggests that bombing the roost would only disperse the creatures, creating new roosts and exacerbating the problem. Poisoning them is equally ineffective, as the most commonly employed bat poison (chlorofoccinol) offers only marginal efficacy against these genetically engineered menaces.

In a desperate bid to neutralize the deadly threat posed by the bats, Sheila advocates for a drastic measure: plunging the caverns into icy slumber through a controlled temperature drop. At 40 degrees Fahrenheit, the nocturnal creatures enter a state of torpor; at 32 degrees, their flight is frozen forever. In anticipation of this strategy, Jimmy orchestrates the delivery of an NGIC Industrial Coolant, a potent concoction of freon, carbon dioxide, and oxygen designed to induce a hibernative coma.

As the spy satellite begins transmitting images of the bats' roost, Emmett identifies the location as none other than the long-abandoned Black Rock mine. With everything set to commence at dawn, Jimmy's plan appears poised for success. However, the government has other ideas - ones that don't involve waiting patiently for morning. Under the cover of darkness, they secretly wire the mine with explosives, setting in motion a chain of events that will soon spiral out of control.

Unbeknownst to Sheila and her team, the bats have already exacted their revenge on those who dared to disturb their slumber. As our heroes arrive at the mine the next morning, they're met with a chilling update from the military: the coolant unit has been rendered inoperable, and the plan is now to bomb and gas the mine - starting in just one hour.

With time ticking away, Sheila and Emmett don their protective gear and venture into the mine, determined to salvage their original plan. Jimmy remains outside, poised to detonate the explosives at a moment's notice should things go awry. Despite the unpleasantness of wading through waist-deep bat guano, they manage to activate the coolant unit just in time.

As they make their escape, however, the bats - now freed from their torpor - begin their relentless pursuit. In a frantic bid for survival, Sheila and Emmett dash for the exit - only to find that Jimmy has already triggered the explosives, sealing their fate. With the mine reduced to rubble behind them, our heroes flee in terror as a lone bat, somehow escaped the chaos, lifts its head out of the sand on the road ahead... only to be mercifully crushed beneath the wheels of their speeding vehicle.