[Chapter 596: Poisoning Incident on Set]
The entire catering for the Titanic film crew was supplied by a four-star hotel affiliated with the studio lot. Breakfast and dinner were served daily in the hotel's restaurant. However, since the hotel was a bit of a distance from the soundstage, to maximize shooting efficiency, James Cameron insisted that lunch be packed and delivered to the temporary dining area set up near the soundstage.
That day at noon, all cast and crew members gathered at the makeshift dining area as usual for lunch. Typically, the film crew operated like a strict hierarchical society, with stark differences in treatment between ranks. This extended even to the meals: producers, directors, and lead actors enjoyed significantly better food than others.
Still, despite James Cameron's harsh and tyrannical demeanor on set, he ensured the baseline crew's meals were not subpar. At lunch, everyone was served the same high standard -- the crew's base-level workers ate just as well as the top officials. Each lunch was generously portioned, costing about thirty dollars per person.
That morning's last scene featured a key interaction between Linton and Kate Winslet. By the time James Cameron was satisfied with the shots, it was already 1:00 PM, and hunger pangs were loud among the crew. Once the driver announced break time and meal service, the crew swarmed the dining area to grab their lunches.
Today's menu included steak, roasted fish, fresh bread, salad, and a hearty seafood bisque. The food quality was quite good, and everyone was free to take what they wanted from the food truck.
...
Linton and Kate freshened up briefly in the makeup trailer, arriving slightly later than most. They took their reserved seats in the dining area, where Linton's assistant, Li Xiaoran, and Kate's assistant had already prepared their meals. Li Xiaoran had ensured that Linton's tray was fully loaded with every dish, while Kate's assistant opted for a lighter selection -- just a small piece of bread, salad, and a bowl of soup.
Linton invited Li Xiaoran and Kate's assistant to join him for the meal. After taking two bites of steak, Linton picked up the seafood bisque and took a sip. Immediately, he sensed something was terribly wrong with the soup. Being at the Celestial Presence stage, he could detect subtle abnormalities in food instantly.
He tasted carefully and concluded quickly: the seafood bisque was poisoned.
Anger surged through him. Who could be so reckless and desperate to poison his film crew? He realized he had been too lenient. But the priority was alerting everyone on set to avoid drinking the soup.
Too lazy to fetch a loudspeaker, Linton summoned some of his spiritual energy to project his voice powerfully: "Attention everyone! The seafood bisque is contaminated. Do not drink it!"
Unfortunately, it was already too late. Because Linton and Kate had spent extra time in makeup, many crew members had already started eating -- and some had even finished their soup. When Linton's warning echoed through, the crew's reaction was mixed. While the symptoms of poisoning had yet to appear, no one dared to drink any more soup after the alert.
...
Linton instructed the producer, Nacho Misi, to summon the resident on-set doctor for testing. Using basic tools, the doctor quickly detected hallucinogens in the soup, though precise identification and dosage required more advanced testing.
The crew was horrified. Some had already consumed the soup, potentially taking in the poison. Within 20 minutes of Linton's warning, the first symptoms manifested.
A background extra suddenly collapsed without warning, his body convulsing uncontrollably. Soon after, a crew member burst into tears, crying out, "Lisa, I want to go home. I miss you so much."
Then, much stranger behaviors erupted, turning the scene chaotic. Some grew nauseous, clutching trash cans to vomit or rushing frantically to the restroom. Others broke into loud, carefree singing and dancing, as if at a wild party.
A few exhibited extreme agitation -- stripping off their clothes and engaging in explicit displays right on set.
Even the two on-site doctors were caught in the hallucinatory grip, holding onto each other and murmuring incomprehensible words.
Faced with the worsening situation, Linton had no choice but to call for ambulances.
...
Around that time, James Cameron wrapped up his tasks and rushed to the dining area. Seeing the mayhem, he gasped, "Linton, what the hell's going on?"
"James, someone poisoned the lunch soup."
"What? Poisoned? Who the hell did this?"
"Let's get these people medical help first and deal with the rest later. I've already called the paramedics."
...
The studio lot was near Rosarito, a small town with only two ambulances. Soon, the wailing sirens grew louder as both vehicles entered the lot. After quick assessments, seven or eight of the most severely affected were loaded into the ambulances, while nearly two hundred others with milder symptoms piled onto buses sent from the crew, all heading for the hospitals.
Rosarito's limited medical resources quickly became overwhelmed, its two hospitals flooded with patients. Those with severe poisoning were admitted for observation, while others filled the emergency rooms.
The halls echoed with sobs, laughter, singing, groans, and disjointed ramblings. Doctors and nurses rushed about, administering treatment and conducting tests.
Professional toxicology tests on the soup samples came back soon after: they revealed a high concentration of PCP, a potent hallucinogen, had been deliberately mixed into the seafood bisque. The dose was staggering -- around a kilo of PCP dumped into the pot.
Such a massive amount could cause severe physical and psychological harm to anyone who consumed it.
Linton, Nacho, and James Cameron were shocked. Had they not acted quickly, lives could have been lost.
Nacho sighed with relief, patting his chest, "That was terrifying. Thank God you spotted it in time. Plus, our proximity to the hospital really helped."
James Cameron clenched his teeth, furious. "We have to report this. I'm going to find out which bastard did this."
Linton calmly placed a hand on both their shoulders. "This is Mexico. Calling the cops won't do much. Trust me, I'll find out who poisoned the soup. For now, focus on damage control -- making sure the shoot stays on schedule and enforcing a strict media blackout. If the press gets hold of this, it will be a nightmare."
Thankfully, those treated received care promptly. By afternoon, many recovered and returned to set. Of course, those who had consumed more of the soup needed days of continued hospital care.
...
That afternoon, Linton gathered all kitchen and delivery staff at the hotel for questioning. Using his Soul Induction ability, he forced them mentally, "Who poisoned the seafood bisque today at lunch?"
Under the spell, everyone claimed ignorance, proving the culprit was among the crew's ground-level support team.
That evening, Linton secured a large conference room at the hotel. Apart from the dozen or so still hospitalized, the remaining 727 crew members were summoned in batches to be questioned. The crew totaled 739. No one had fled, suggesting no guilty party tried to escape.
The room could only seat 110, so staff entered in seven shifts. Without wasting words, Linton used Soul Induction again, "Whoever poisoned the lunch, stand up and own your actions."
The room fell into uneasy silence. Most thought Linton's mind might still be affected by the hallucinogen, doubting anyone poisoned would admit it.
No one answered during the first batch. Five minutes later, they left; the second batch was questioned, then the third, and so on.
Amidst whispered speculation that Linton should seek medical help himself, an unbelievable event occurred during the sixth round: a man stood up willingly and confessed.
He was a bottom-tier crew member, a young 23-year-old black stagehand named Frost.
"Why did you poison the soup?"
"Because I couldn't take it anymore. Endless overtime, and James's brutal demands. One little mistake, and he'd publicly humiliate me without mercy."
"If you hated it so much, why didn't you quit like Shirick? Why poison everyone?"
"I planned to quit after I got this week's paycheck. But after all they put me through, just leaving felt like defeat. I wanted everyone to suffer like me."
"Did anyone else make you do it?"
"No."
"Did anyone encourage you?"
"No. It was my own grudge against James."
"Did you think about the consequences?"
"What consequences? With so many people on set, who would ever know it was me?"
The situation was clear: James Cameron's obsession with perfection, his relentless high-pressure management, endless overtime, and unforgiving public beratings had pushed the vulnerable Frost over the edge. Filled with resentment, he took drastic revenge by poisoning the crew.
...
James Cameron stood beside Linton the entire interrogation. At first, he laughed off the questioning -- thinking Linton was just hallucinating and causing a scene. But when Frost clearly recounted where and when he purchased the PCP, he was stunned.
He never imagined he inspired such hatred.
For the first time, his expression betrayed uncertainty. "Linton, what do we do now?"
"Report it to the police and hand Frost over to the Rosarito police station."
"But will they even care? They'll probably fine him and let him go."
"That's not our problem. He'll face his consequences. You need to focus on managing the crew better and ensuring the film's success."
"Fine. I didn't expect Frost to be this extreme."
Linton asked Nacho and the bodyguard, Danny, to contact the local police. He then turned to James Cameron: "Come with me to my room. We need to talk."
...
Linton had avoided interfering with crew management before, but after such a serious poisoning incident -- especially with over $300 million already invested and endless time and effort poured in -- the film had to succeed, no matter what.
Back in his room, they discussed next steps.
First, Linton praised James Cameron's high standards and tough demands, expressing his wish that he maintain his rigorous approach to make the film a classic.
However, after the poisoning incident, James acknowledged that relentless overtime and oppressive pressure were unsustainable, even compensating extra wouldn't fix the harm caused.
Linton also reminded him that, since there was no fixed release date and investment wasn't frozen, the intense overtime wasn't necessary. James agreed to limit filming to a regular eight-hour day moving forward.
Lastly, on James Cameron's habit of harshly berating the crew -- while common for directors worldwide, if unchecked, it could spiral out of control. Linton wasn't opposed to some venting but demanded limits: insults and scoldings must not exceed three minutes, and targets must be chosen carefully.
Management and department heads could be disciplined more severely, but the lowest-level workers deserved some compassion.
...
The next day, though the crew remained unsettled after the poisoning, filming resumed. With Linton's support, James Cameron kept firm control but eased the intensity, canceling overtime and limiting verbal abuse.
Within three days, the crew atmosphere lightened noticeably, morale improved, and work efficiency surged.
Five days later, as the severely poisoned returned fully healed to set, the production was back on track.
On that day, bodyguard Danny reported quietly to Linton: as expected, after squeezing Frost dry financially, the Rosarito police released him after five days in custody.
"Boss, Frost dared to sabotage your production. We can't just let him go."
"Let him go? Of course not. People like him deserve only one fate -- death without mercy."
"Should I take care of it? Dump him in the Pacific, feed the fishes?"
"Exactly."
*****
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