You know, fear gets a bad rap, Salt. I don't want anybody working with me who isn't scared. Okay?
Maj. Salt Well then I'm you're man, sir.
Played by Cuba Gooding Jr. 
Outbreak (1995) · 29 quotes
Outbreak (1995) · 29 quotes
Tied for 4th most-quoted character in Outbreak (1995): in 4 of its 29 quotes
Most scenes with: Sam Daniels (4)
Scenes with Maj. Salt
4 scenes Maj. Salt [Daniels and Salt barge through a crowded line at a Federal export clearance office.]
Colonel Daniels, from USAMRIID. I'm sorry.
George
Yes, and I'm George from Sioux City, Iowa. Back of the line, Colonel.
We got a terrible epidemic. We're from Cedar Creek, George. [to the crowd] We're from Cedar Creek, California!
Maj. Salt CEDAR CREEK, SITE OF THE VIRAL INFECTION!
[Everyone backs away. George looks worried.]
George, you heard about this virus — need we say more? Okay, we need all the bills of lading from ships arriving from Africa [clasps George's hands] in the last three months. George!
George
[nervously]
Uh-huh... huh?
Shall I cough on you, George?
. . .
Maj. Salt The Tae Kuk has set out to sea already, sir.
So what?
Maj. Salt How're we gonna locate it?
Mrs. Pananides
I got a friend in the Coast Guard. I can make a call, easy.
How close a friend?
Mrs. Pananides
Closer than his wife would like.
Maj. Salt You want me to fly you out to sea... drop you onto a freighter? Sir, with all due respect, that is idiotic.
Idiotic? Lemme ask you a question. Are we fugitives from the law?
Maj. Salt Right.
Idiocy is our only option.
. . .
Just don't get negative on me.
Maj. Salt Affirmative.
. . .
That's it! Thank you, Mrs.— what's her name?
Maj. Salt Pananides!
Thank you, ma'am.
Maj. Salt [showing them the progression of the virus on a computer]
Okay, sirs, here we go. These pictures were taken over a period of eight hours. Normal, healthy kidney cells before they met the virus. In the space of an hour, a single virus has invaded, multiplied and killed the cell. And in just two hours, its offspring have invaded cells here, and here. Continually multiplying.
Jesus Christ, five hours? It infects the cell, replicates, and kills this fast? These numbers can't be right, Ebola takes days to do this damage.
Maj. Salt Sirs, the numbers are correct. I wish to God they weren't. One goes in, millions come out. Every cell is dead. Now we see them individually, searching for the next victim until there's nothing left to kill.
Mark this day, Salt. We could spend our whole careers waiting to see a new virus.
Maj. Salt [Salt zooms in some more]
Sirs, Mr. Motaba, up close and personal.
I hate this bug.
Come on, Casey. You have to love its simplicity. It's one-billionth our size and it's beating us.
So, what do you wanna do — take it to dinner?
Sam
No.
What, then?
Sam
Kill it.
