Mutant X Transcripts: Ep 204 "Whose Woods These Are"
Mutant X Episode Transcripts
Mutant X Episode #204 Transcript: " Whose Woods These Are"
[Opening Scene: Brennan and Shalimar walk through a national park campsite filled with hunters.]
Shalimar: Four killings in six weeks. Add in three sightings of a mysterious creature in the same time period, and welcome to Bigfoot fever.
Brennan: You know, I still don’t understand why Adam sent us out here. I mean, it’s not like these disappearances have anything to do with new mutant activity.
Shalimar: Yeah, well, once you start questioning where Adam gets his inside information, we’re talking some serious mystery.
Brennan: Well, in case you haven’t noticed, blind trust? Is not my favorite course of action, okay?
[Meanwhile, two young hikers, Matt and Stacy, make their way through the unpopulated forest on the other side of the mountain. Matt grows increasingly annoyed as Stacy insists on making snide comments into her video camcorder.]
Matt: Stacy, turn off the camera! Can we just enjoy the walk here? Okay, we’ve gotta go this way.
Stacy (into her video camcorder): We are now going off the trail.
Matt (waving for the camera): Hi, Stacy. Now would you put that camera away and watch where you’re going?
Stacy: Why? I wanna get this. It’s not every day we get a monster in these mountains.
Matt: Well, it’s probably a pack of wolves.
Stacy (into the camera): Werewolves!
Matt: Or a bear....or something.
Stacy (into the camera): Definitely not human.
Matt: Okay, look. Are we hiking or making movies? Because I’m ready to start back.
Stacy: Come on, you said you’d show me where they found the bodies.
Matt: Then we have to keep going. [She rolls her eyes.] What? It’s like a three mile hike from here.
Stacy (into the camera): Maybe it was a witch! [Zooming in on her face, she pretends she’s in The Blair Witch Project.] I’d just like to apologize to Matt’s mother. I’m so sorry. It was all my fault!
Matt (grabbing the camera): Get over there. [She strikes a sexy pose.] Oh, nice.
Stacy: You know, you say this thing’s a man-eater. Does that mean I’m safe?
Matt: Not from me. [He leans in for a kiss. They are so engrossed in one another that they don’t notice the bear-like beast approaching them until it attacks. Matt drops the camera as the beast mauls him. Stacy tries to crawl away, but the beast drags her back by the leg.]
Opening Credits. “Whose Woods These Are”
[Having made the rounds of the park campsite, Brennan rejoins Shalimar.]
Brennan: Hey, Shal.
Shalimar: What’s up?
Brennan: Man, I can’t believe some of these people carry guns. Did you find anything on your end?
Shalimar: Not really. [She stops, listening for something up the mountain.]
Brennan: What’s up? [She doesn’t answer.] Hey, you wanna talk to me, or just ignore me?
Shalimar: Something’s definitely out there, Brennan. [Her feral eyes flash.]
[In Sanctuary's main room, Jesse, Adam and Emma watch footage of the beast's attack salvaged from Stacy’s video camera.]
Emma: This is awful.
Jesse: Yeah, but the question is, is it real?
Emma: It’s real. I mean, it’s gotta be. No one could fake that kind of fear.
Adam (over his comlink): Brennan, Shalimar, what’s your sense?
Shalimar (watching from their trailer): That Emma’s right. It’s real. And I think whoever killed those kids is a new mutant.
Brennan: I don’t know, Shal.
Shalimar (to Jesse): Freeze the image right there. Zoom in. Enhance. You see? His eyes are glowing. I tell you, he’s a new mutant.
Jesse: Oh, come on. That could be the way the light’s reflecting off of it; it could be video glitch, who knows?
Brennan: Huh. If you ask me, it’s a bear.
Shalimar (snapping at him): It’s not a bear!
Adam: I’m inclined to agree.
Brennan: Adam, we’re not in the animal control business, all right? Yogi had a bad day. Case closed.
Adam: Well, Brennan, you’re gonna have a chance to prove your theory. You and Shalimar are gonna stay on the scene to investigate.
Brennan: I don’t do nature.
Shalimar: Well, if you’re too scared, I’m sure Jesse’d be willing to--
Brennan: Whoa, wait. Scared’s got nothing to do with it. [Jesse and Emma laugh.]
Adam: Good, then it’s settled. A couple of days out in the fresh air’ll do you good. If anything happens out there, you let us know. We’ll send you whatever backup you need. [He shuts down the connection.]
Brennan: Forget the backup, I’d settle for a warm weekend at the downtown Four Seasons.
Shalimar: Well, you can take the boy out of the city, but...
Brennan: Ahem. [Stepping out of the trailer, Brennan and Shalimar overhear one of the hunters bragging.]
Clay Preston: Well, it’ll be quite the bear rug for in front of the fireplace for whoever bags it.
Shalimar: Planning on shooting him?
Clay: Well, somebody has to. It’s a killer.
Shalimar: He’s probably just protecting his territory.
Clay: What are you, tree hugger?
Brennan: Animal rights activist. [He leads Shalimar away.] C’mon, Shal.
Clay (calling after them): Yeah, well, I’m an activist too. For the parents of the kids that thing slaughtered.
Brennan: Yeah.
Grady Colt (catching up to them): You guys up here to try and study the beast?
Shalimar: Something like that.
Grady: Name’s Grady.
Shalimar: Shalimar.
Brennan: Brennan.
Shalimar: So you’re not one of the hunters?
Grady: No, I’m a cryptozoologist. I study hidden animals, new species yet to be discovered. Hopefully, we can all get a look at it before one of those yokels goes gun-crazy on it. [He walks off.]
Shalimar: Not if we get there first.
[Back at Sanctuary, Emma and Jesse search the internet for more information.]
Emma: Maybe this is somehow related to modern-day lore. You know, something akin to Yeti or Sasquatch sightings.
Jesse (calling her over): Hey, take a look at this. There’s four reported attacks? Well, there was one more. I just recovered a deleted file from the police database.
Emma: Another killing?
Jesse: No. This guy survived.
[Brennan trudges dejectedly up the mountain behind Shalimar, walking stick in hand.]
Shalimar: It’s amazing up here. The air is just so alive.
Brennan: Yeah, whatever. You sure we’re on the right path?
Shalimar: Yep. [She picks off some tree bark and licks it.] Positive. [Going to the next tree, she picks something off the trunk.] This is weird.
Brennan: What is it?
Shalimar: It’s human hair, but everything else I’ve been picking up on has been animal. [Her feral eyes glow and she takes off. Brennan follows her into a clearing.]
Brennan: Hey-- [He stop short at the sight of Shalimar facing down a huge grizzly bear. Brennan lights a tesla coil, but Shalimar holds up her hand.]
Shalimar: Don’t.
Brennan: Look, I don’t wanna end up as this guy’s dessert, okay? [Shalimar stands still until the bear calms and ambles away.]
Shalimar: Let’s go.
Brennan: Wha-wait. Why didn’t you let me blast him?
Shalimar: ‘Cause he’s not our killer.
Brennan: How do you know?
Shalimar (smirking): I asked him. [Brennan chuckles.]
[In Sanctuary, Adam joins Jesse and Emma as they research the police files.]
Emma: So why would the police want to cover this up?
Adam: No, someone outside the police department deleted the file.
Jesse: Well, his name is Nathaniel Block, but that’s about all I got. It’s like he didn’t even exist before the attack.
Emma: Someone tried to erase his identity?
Adam: And nearly succeeded.
Jesse: Ah, but not quite. According to the admission records, he was transferred to a veteran’s hospital upstate.
Adam: Better check the visiting hours.
Emma (nodding at Jesse): Come on.
[Tired of following Shalimar, Brennan sits down on a tree trunk to rest.]
Shalimar: He’s close. He knows we’re here.
Brennan (swatting at a bug): Are you sure it’s not your friend the bear?
Shalimar: No, this is different. I’ve never sensed anything like this before. It’s familiar, but it’s so...different.
Brennan (swatting another bug): Damn! Come on!
Shalimar (laughing): Let me see those bug bites.
Brennan: What are you gonna do, suck the poison out of them?
Shalimar: Gonna take me to dinner first? [Leaning over, she rubs some leaves on his neck.] It’s peppermint. It’s a natural bug repellent.
Brennan: I wish you woulda told me that before I got bit. [Suddenly, Shalimar stands up, her feral eyes flashing.] What? What is it?
Shalimar: Down there, about a hundred yards.
Brennan: All right, I’ll take him head on. You go around the back. [He runs off. Shalimar’s running in the opposite direction when the beast attacks her. Hearing the commotion, Brennan starts back.] Shal! Shalimar! [The beast claws Shalimar's abdomen and throws her against a tree. Hiding behind a bush, Grady’s snapping pictures of the scene when Brennan hurls several electrical arcs at the beast. The beast throws him to the ground, then flees when Brennan forms another tesla coil. Shalimar helps Brennan to his feet.]
Shalimar: Hey. You okay?
Brennan: What the hell was that?
Shalimar: He’s one of us.
******Commercial Break********
[Brennan chides Shalimar as they continue down the mountain.]
Brennan: I can’t believe you sent me off on purpose. You really think you could take this creature down on your own?
Shalimar: We’re not trying to take him down! We have to find him and get him back to Sanctuary.
Brennan: If we can.
Shalimar: You’d kill him if you had the chance!
Brennan: If that’s what I had to do, yeah.
Shalimar (stopping): There’s something wrong with him. He’s confused. And he’s in pain. And he’s a feral. Like me.
Brennan (scoffing): No, he’s nothing like you.
Shalimar: Yeah, well, maybe he was. Maybe this is my future.
Brennan: Oh, so what, you’re just suddenly gonna mutate into that?
Shalimar: No, not suddenly. Slowly. We’re all still mutating, you know. You know it could be true. Scares you. [She starts to walk away, but Brennan grabs her arm.]
Brennan: Hey, wait. [She winces in pain.] Oh, my God, you’re bleeding! [He pulls up her shirt, revealing bloody claw-marks on her stomach.] Oh, he really clawed you!
Shalimar (pushing his hand away): It’s nothing. Don’t. [She looks up, feral eyes flashing again.]
Brennan: What? What, is he coming back?
Shalimar: I don’t know. Something’s out there.
Brennan: Okay. Okay, you stay here. I’m gonna go check it out. I’ll be right back. [Retracing their steps, Brennan finds Grady packing up his gear.]
Grady: I heard noises. You see anything?
Brennan: You didn’t?
Grady: I just got here. You all right?
Brennan (noting the camera in his pack): Taking pictures?
Grady: Not yet. If it looks like an undiscovered species, photos could be priceless.
[Shalimar’s sitting on the ground, tending to her wound when she hears a rock fall nearby and goes to investigate. She jumps at the sound of Clay's voice behind her.]
Clay Preston (holding up his rifle): Old hunter’s trick. If you were that freakish thing, you’d already be dead.
Shalimar: Yeah, well, you’re underestimating him. And you’re definitely underestimating me.
Clay: You shouldn’t be out here, none of you.
Shalimar: What about you?
Clay: I know what I’m doing.
Shalimar: Yeah, you’re gonna blow it away, right? Pretty brave, hiding behind your heavy artillery.
Clay: Out here, life is simple. There’s your predator and your prey. I promise you, I make it a habit to be the predator.
Shalimar: Predator? You’re nothing but a little man with a big gun. But there’s something in these woods that’s gonna teach you what a predator really is. Something that deserves the name.
Clay: I know what I’m doing. You fool around out here any longer and that thing is gonna tear your pretty little head right off. You wanna protect something? Start with your own hide. [He walks off.]
[Jesse and Emma stand outside the Chelton Veteran’s Hospital.]
Jesse: According to the building plans, security wing’s on the third floor. Bars, armed guards, alarms...
Emma: Hardly your average psych ward.
Jesse: At least we won’t be bored. [They walk towards the entrance.]
[Brennan and Shalimar have returned to their trailer. Shalimar tosses and turns on the couch.]
Brennan: Shal, you okay?
Shalimar: Yeah. I just didn’t get much sleep.
Brennan (sitting next to her): You sure you’re okay? You don’t look so good.
Shalimar: Thanks.
Brennan (feeling her forehead): You’re warm.
Shalimar: I’m fine.
Brennan: Shal, you’re really-
Shalimar (pushing his hand away): Hey, I’m okay.
Brennan: All right. [Looking out the window, he sees Grady heading back into the woods.] Okay, you know what? Get some rest. I want to talk to Grady; I saw him hanging around where we fought that beast. He had a camera.
Shalimar (sitting up in alarm): You think he caught us using our powers?
Brennan: Well, if he did, he’s not gonna develop the film. [He leaves.]
[Jesse phases Emma and himself through the wall into the secured wing of Chelton Veteran's Hospital, only to come upon a guard sitting at the front desk.]
Emma: Right. One panic attack coming up. [She telempathically delivers a wave of panic at the guard, who immediately gets up and runs out the door.]
Jesse: Nice work. [Emma leads Jesse down the corridors, pulling him back when he heads in the wrong direction.]
Emma: Wait! This way. [Emma discovers Nathanial's room listed on a patient roster on a hallway desk.] 248 D. [They find the room and cautiously enter, Emma taking his chart off the wall.] Nathaniel Block? [They see Nathaniel, hirsute and semi-conscious, bound to a chair. Surgical tools rest on a table next to him.]
Emma: Let’s get him out of here.
Jesse (going to the room's computer): Yeah. I’m gonna see what I can get.
[Gun at the ready, Clay Preston’s exploring the woods when Nathaniel attacks him from behind. Shalimar jerks awake in the trailer.]
Shalimar: Brennan?
[Meanwhile, Grady’s squatting in another section of the woods, talking into his headpiece.]
Grady: I’m in sector Foxtrot 21 quadrant 433, point of last known contact, recovering trace evidence. [He listens.] Yes sir, his exit was in a southwesterly direction from the site. Well, you know-- [He stops abruptly when he hears Brennan coming up behind him.] What are you doing here?
Brennan: Well, that’s funny, I was about to ask you the same thing.
Grady: I was just searching the area.
Brennan (leaning over his pack): That’s some pretty fancy equipment for a zoologist.
Grady: Hey, get out of my bag!
Brennan (pulling out a silver gun): Whoo. Like I said, some pretty fancy equipment.
Grady: Well, the beast might be dangerous. It’s...uh...merely a tranquilizer gun.
Brennan (handing it back to him): See, I know tranq guns. And this is nothing I’ve ever seen before.
Grady (pointing the gun at him): Maybe it’s not. How would you like to feel its effect?
Brennan: Who are you, and what are you doing here?
Grady: Why don’t you take a hint? Mind your own business and stay out of mine.
Brennan: Well, maybe my business is getting all over your business. [As he and Grady struggle for control of the gun, they tumble down a small hill, coming to a rest beside Clay Preston’s dead body. Brennan and Grady look up when they hear the beast growling at them from a short distance away.]
*******Commercial Break*********
[Grady dives towards the gun, managing to grab it before The Beast throws him backwards. Brennan picks up the gun with one hand and Grady with the other.]
Grady: Shoot him! Give me the gun! Shoot him!
Shalimar (leaping into the line of fire): Wait! [She faces the Beast down, feral eyes flashing. The Beast's eyes glow in response before he runs away.]
Brennan: Why didn’t he go for you?
Shalimar: I don’t know. Maybe he recognized something in me. [She notices Grady's nursing his knee.] What happened to him?
Brennan: Turns out he’s as much of a zoologist as I am.
Shalimar: So our animal loving scientist is just a hunter after all, huh?
Grady: We’re all after the same thing. [He reaches towards Brennan.] Give me back my gun.
Brennan: Yeah, right.
Shalimar: What are we gonna do with him?
Grady: What are you gonna do with me? I’m going after him. [He limps off. Rolling her eyes at Brennan, Shalimar follows.]
[In Nathanial's hospital room, Emma releases Nathaniel from his restraints. Jesse calls her over to the computer.]
Jesse: Hey, check this out. Project 318. It was a secret offshoot of the space program. It was an experiment, a feral they acquired from Genomex.
Emma: They souped up his animal DNA?
Jesse: Yeah. They were gonna splice in elemental and molecular genes as well; they didn’t get that far.
Emma: Why is he like this?
Jesse: I don't know.
Emma: What were they after?
Jesse: There. They were trying to create an astronaut who could withstand alien environments. I’m gonna download the whole database. We could take it to Adam. [Behind her, Nathaniel wakes up and starts towards them.]
Emma: Uh-oh. [She blasts him with a psionic bolt, and he falls to the floor, holding his head.]
Jesse: Nathaniel, calm down. We’re not with the hospital. Trying to get you out of here. [Three armed guards storm in through the door. Nathaniel knocks the first two out, but the last one shoots him twice in the chest before Emma can stop him with a psionic blast. Jesse and Emma grab Nathaniel’s arms and help him out of the room.]
Jesse: Come on.
[In the woods, Shalimar, Grady, and Brennan hike up a hillside, with Brennan carrying Grady’s pack. Grady sits down on the ground.]
Grady: I need to rest a minute.
Shalimar: This guy’s really starting to annoy me.
Brennan: Yeah, why should we wait for you?
Grady: Your powers didn’t work very well for you yesterday, did they? [Shalimar and Brennan look at each other.] I know what kind of freaks you are.
Shalimar: You watch your mouth. Or the only thing you’ll be good for is bait. [Brennan opens his camera, throwing the film on the ground. They walk off, forcing Grady to get up and limp after them.]
[Back in Sanctuary's lab, Nathanial lies on the biobed as Emma places a neural scanner on his head. Jesse watches from the doorway and Adam stands at the lab table, working on his palm pilot.]
Emma: It’s okay. Shh. Shhh. Calm down.
[Grady struggles to follow Shalimar and Brennan up another hill, but has to sit again.]
Grady: Slow down. I’ve gotta stop. [They keep walking.] Hey, I’ve got a first aid kit in my bag. At least you can give me that, huh?
Shalimar (holding up the first aid kit): Why don’t you start by telling us what you want with that thing. I’ll betcha a bandage and some painkillers would help with that leg of yours.
Grady: Just give it to me.
Brennan: Oh, that’s nice. Especially coming from a guy that just tried to kill me a few minutes ago. Now let me ask you a question. How long do you think it’s gonna be before that thing comes back this way, huh?
Grady (giving in): He was an experiment. The space agency, project 318.
Shalimar: You created a mutant?
Grady: We got him from Genomex. He was supposed to be the ultimate astronaut. But he got sick. The genetic modifications created some kind of virus that started changing him.
Brennan: So it’s not bad enough that you ruin his life, but you gotta create a plague too?
Grady: It’s not like that. It’s only infectious to feral mutants. [He and Brennan glance at Shalimar.]
Brennan: So that’s your job, just to make sure nobody finds out?
Shalimar: So, this freak that you have to kill. Does he have a name?
Grady: Ward. Michael Ward. [She tosses the first aid kit at him, then collapses to the ground.]
Brennan: You okay? What happened? [He lifts her shirt to look at her wounds again. Behind them Grady grabs the bag and limps off.]
Shalimar: Brennan!
Brennan: Don’t worry about him, we’ve gotta take care of you.
Shalimar: I was really dizzy.
Brennan: Shut up, lie down. Oh, man, you’re burning up. Whatever turned that creature into what he is, you’ve got it.
*****Commercial Break*****
[Brennan and Shalimar return to the trailer to call Adam via video link.]
Adam: Shalimar, you’re suffering from some kind of virus. Now based on the bloodwork that you beamed me in, it’s the same virus that Nate Block got from his friend.
Brennan: Okay, well, what does that mean?
Adam: I’m not sure, but right now you’d be better off back here in the lab at Sanctuary.
Shalimar: No way, Adam. Not till we find Mike and help him.
Adam: No. Your safety is more important right now.
Shalimar: I’m not gonna let them kill him.
Adam: I’m working on a cure for both of you. Right now, I want you to avoid him. Whatever relationship you think you have with him, he is sick; he is scared, and if he corners you, he will kill you.
Shalimar: How long do I have?
Adam: The virus attacks the nerve pathways to the cerebrum. It destroys brain cells. Shalimar, right now, I have no idea how it will affect your specific metabolism.
Shalimar: Answer my question, Adam.
Adam (sighing): We may not have more than another day.
Emma (calling Adam to the lab): Adam! [Nathaniel’s heart has stopped. Adam runs in and starts pumping on his chest.]
Adam: Nate! Nate, breathe. Come on, breathe. Come on, breathe.
Jesse: He’s gone.
Adam: Come on, breathe!
Jesse (putting an arm around his shoulders): Adam. [Adam stops.]
Adam: Did you get any bloodwork done?
Jesse: Yeah. I’ve isolated the virus, but killing it is a whole other thing. [Adam covers Nathaniel’s face with the sheet.]
[Brennan and Shalimar sit opposite each other in the trailer, waiting for Adam to call back. Shalimar impatiently starts towards the door. Brennan grabs her arm.]
Brennan: Hey, hey, hey! Shal, he said wait for him!
Shalimar (shrugging him off): Since when are you so interested in following the rules? [She storms out. Brennan hurries to the computer to alert Adam.]
Brennan: Adam, we’ve got trouble. Shal’s gone, I’m going after her.
Adam: All right, get on it! If she starts to lose control, we need to have her someplace safe until I can work out a cure. [Brennan goes after Shalimar. Adam gathers up his equipment and runs out the lab door, calling Emma and Jesse.] Jesse, fire up the Helix! Emma, let’s go, we’re on the move!
[Shalimar leads Brennan into a clearing in the forest.]
Shalimar: He’s here.
Grady (emerging from the trees ahead of them): Get down! [They duck as he shoots at Michael Ward, who has come up behind them.] Get out of here. Get out of here, I’ll get the bastard! [Michael rushes Grady, hitting him repeatedly. Brennan drags Shalimar away.]
Brennan: Let’s get out of here! Come on, let’s go! Let’s go! [Michael gives chase, but they hide behind a rock until he’s passed.] He’s gone. Come on, Shal, we’ve gotta get Grady’s gun. Come on. Come on, Shal, come on.
********Commercial Break********
[Jesse, Adam, and Emma are on their way to the park in the Double Helix. Jesse tries to call Shalimar and Brennan's comlinks.]
Jesse: Brennan? Shalimar? Still can’t reach them.
Adam: Well, it could be satellite interference. It will clear up as we get closer.
[Brennan steadies Shalimar as they make their way through the forest.]
Brennan: You can make it, Shal. You can make it.
Shalimar (stopping): Wait.
Brennan: What?
Shalimar: My vision’s changing. [She blinks, trying to clear the yellow haze in front of her eyes. Brennan's voice becomes indistinct.]
Brennan: What do you mean?
Shalimar: Must be the virus.
Brennan (taking her arm again): We’ve gotta get you to base camp.
Shalimar: Wait. We’re going the wrong way. We have to go and help him.
Brennan: What are you talking about? You’re not thinking clearly. There’s nothing we can do for him now.
Shalimar (pulling away): No, you’re wrong.
Brennan: We need to keep going.
Shalimar (eyes glowing red): I said you’re going the wrong way!
Brennan: Shalimar? [She punches him in the face, then beats him with a stick until he falls to the ground. She runs off.]
[Up in the Helix, Emma watches Adam as he tries to come up with a cure.]
Emma: How’s it going?
Adam: Well, I’m flying blind here. I’m hoping the antivirus works, but I’m not gonna know for sure until it’s tested.
Emma: And Shalimar’s the guinea pig.
Adam: Yeah.
Emma: Look, we’re all worried about her, Adam. But it’s gonna work, I know it is.
Adam (smiling at her): Thanks.
[Brennan's searching for Shalimar, who is searching for Michael.]
Brennan: Shalimar! Shalimar! [Shalimar tracks Michael’s scent into a cave in the mountain. Michael enters behind her, growling, but pauses when Shalimar picks up a photograph from the ground and holds it up.]
Shalimar: Michael. Is this you? Is this your family? Is this you? [Michael snatches the photo from her. She knocks him to the ground and flees.]
[Having reached the park, Adam tries to reach Brennan again as he walks through the woods with Jesse and Emma.]
Adam: Brennan? Can you hear me?
Brennan: Yeah, I’m here. I’ve lost Shalimar. She’s not rational anymore, Adam, I think we’re losing her.
Adam: Well, we’ve still got time. We have to get to her fast.
Emma: Is she close?
Brennan: Yeah, I think I’ve got a fix on her; you have to track me on my comlink.
Brennan: Shalimar?
Shalimar (hearing his voice): Brennan?
Brennan: Shal? [Michael suddenly hits Brennan from behind, shoving him to the ground. Jesse arrives just in time to mass in front of Brennan, protecting him from Michael’s assault. Emma shoots a psionic blast at Michael’s head to slow him. Adam aims his gun at Michael's head, but Shalimar snatches the gun away.]
Shalimar: No! [Adam loses his balance and falls backwards into Michael’s chokehold.] Michael stop! I know who you are. I know what they did to you. We want to help.
Michael: Kill me.
Shalimar: I can’t. [Michael raises his arm to hit Adam, forcing Shalimar to shoot him with Grady’s gun. Releasing Adam, Michael collapses. Shalimar kneels by his side, crying.] I’m sorry.
Michael: Thank you. [He dies. Adam helps Jesse and Emma wake Brennan up.]
Adam: Brennan? Brennan, you okay? You all right?
Shalimar (closing Michael’s eyes): They turned him into a monster! He was one of us. [She faints, falling across Michael’s body.]
[Back at Sanctuary, Emma, Jesse, and Brennan gather around Adam when he emerges from the lab, where he’s been treating Shalimar.]
Brennan: Well, can you tell us?
Adam (smiling): Well, her fever’s down, she’s responding to the anti-virus.
Brennan: Well, why aren’t I feeling relieved?
Emma: There’s more to it than that, isn’t there? I mean, you may have been able to save her this time, but, I mean, we’ll never know what our mutations will leave us open to, will we?
Adam: There’s no guarantees in life, Emma. Not for new mutants. Not for anybody.
Closing Credits.
Mutant X Episode #204 Transcript: " Whose Woods These Are"
[Opening Scene: Brennan and Shalimar walk through a national park campsite filled with hunters.]
Shalimar: Four killings in six weeks. Add in three sightings of a mysterious creature in the same time period, and welcome to Bigfoot fever.
Brennan: You know, I still don’t understand why Adam sent us out here. I mean, it’s not like these disappearances have anything to do with new mutant activity.
Shalimar: Yeah, well, once you start questioning where Adam gets his inside information, we’re talking some serious mystery.
Brennan: Well, in case you haven’t noticed, blind trust? Is not my favorite course of action, okay?
[Meanwhile, two young hikers, Matt and Stacy, make their way through the unpopulated forest on the other side of the mountain. Matt grows increasingly annoyed as Stacy insists on making snide comments into her video camcorder.]
Matt: Stacy, turn off the camera! Can we just enjoy the walk here? Okay, we’ve gotta go this way.
Stacy (into her video camcorder): We are now going off the trail.
Matt (waving for the camera): Hi, Stacy. Now would you put that camera away and watch where you’re going?
Stacy: Why? I wanna get this. It’s not every day we get a monster in these mountains.
Matt: Well, it’s probably a pack of wolves.
Stacy (into the camera): Werewolves!
Matt: Or a bear....or something.
Stacy (into the camera): Definitely not human.
Matt: Okay, look. Are we hiking or making movies? Because I’m ready to start back.
Stacy: Come on, you said you’d show me where they found the bodies.
Matt: Then we have to keep going. [She rolls her eyes.] What? It’s like a three mile hike from here.
Stacy (into the camera): Maybe it was a witch! [Zooming in on her face, she pretends she’s in The Blair Witch Project.] I’d just like to apologize to Matt’s mother. I’m so sorry. It was all my fault!
Matt (grabbing the camera): Get over there. [She strikes a sexy pose.] Oh, nice.
Stacy: You know, you say this thing’s a man-eater. Does that mean I’m safe?
Matt: Not from me. [He leans in for a kiss. They are so engrossed in one another that they don’t notice the bear-like beast approaching them until it attacks. Matt drops the camera as the beast mauls him. Stacy tries to crawl away, but the beast drags her back by the leg.]
Opening Credits. “Whose Woods These Are”
[Having made the rounds of the park campsite, Brennan rejoins Shalimar.]
Brennan: Hey, Shal.
Shalimar: What’s up?
Brennan: Man, I can’t believe some of these people carry guns. Did you find anything on your end?
Shalimar: Not really. [She stops, listening for something up the mountain.]
Brennan: What’s up? [She doesn’t answer.] Hey, you wanna talk to me, or just ignore me?
Shalimar: Something’s definitely out there, Brennan. [Her feral eyes flash.]
[In Sanctuary's main room, Jesse, Adam and Emma watch footage of the beast's attack salvaged from Stacy’s video camera.]
Emma: This is awful.
Jesse: Yeah, but the question is, is it real?
Emma: It’s real. I mean, it’s gotta be. No one could fake that kind of fear.
Adam (over his comlink): Brennan, Shalimar, what’s your sense?
Shalimar (watching from their trailer): That Emma’s right. It’s real. And I think whoever killed those kids is a new mutant.
Brennan: I don’t know, Shal.
Shalimar (to Jesse): Freeze the image right there. Zoom in. Enhance. You see? His eyes are glowing. I tell you, he’s a new mutant.
Jesse: Oh, come on. That could be the way the light’s reflecting off of it; it could be video glitch, who knows?
Brennan: Huh. If you ask me, it’s a bear.
Shalimar (snapping at him): It’s not a bear!
Adam: I’m inclined to agree.
Brennan: Adam, we’re not in the animal control business, all right? Yogi had a bad day. Case closed.
Adam: Well, Brennan, you’re gonna have a chance to prove your theory. You and Shalimar are gonna stay on the scene to investigate.
Brennan: I don’t do nature.
Shalimar: Well, if you’re too scared, I’m sure Jesse’d be willing to--
Brennan: Whoa, wait. Scared’s got nothing to do with it. [Jesse and Emma laugh.]
Adam: Good, then it’s settled. A couple of days out in the fresh air’ll do you good. If anything happens out there, you let us know. We’ll send you whatever backup you need. [He shuts down the connection.]
Brennan: Forget the backup, I’d settle for a warm weekend at the downtown Four Seasons.
Shalimar: Well, you can take the boy out of the city, but...
Brennan: Ahem. [Stepping out of the trailer, Brennan and Shalimar overhear one of the hunters bragging.]
Clay Preston: Well, it’ll be quite the bear rug for in front of the fireplace for whoever bags it.
Shalimar: Planning on shooting him?
Clay: Well, somebody has to. It’s a killer.
Shalimar: He’s probably just protecting his territory.
Clay: What are you, tree hugger?
Brennan: Animal rights activist. [He leads Shalimar away.] C’mon, Shal.
Clay (calling after them): Yeah, well, I’m an activist too. For the parents of the kids that thing slaughtered.
Brennan: Yeah.
Grady Colt (catching up to them): You guys up here to try and study the beast?
Shalimar: Something like that.
Grady: Name’s Grady.
Shalimar: Shalimar.
Brennan: Brennan.
Shalimar: So you’re not one of the hunters?
Grady: No, I’m a cryptozoologist. I study hidden animals, new species yet to be discovered. Hopefully, we can all get a look at it before one of those yokels goes gun-crazy on it. [He walks off.]
Shalimar: Not if we get there first.
[Back at Sanctuary, Emma and Jesse search the internet for more information.]
Emma: Maybe this is somehow related to modern-day lore. You know, something akin to Yeti or Sasquatch sightings.
Jesse (calling her over): Hey, take a look at this. There’s four reported attacks? Well, there was one more. I just recovered a deleted file from the police database.
Emma: Another killing?
Jesse: No. This guy survived.
[Brennan trudges dejectedly up the mountain behind Shalimar, walking stick in hand.]
Shalimar: It’s amazing up here. The air is just so alive.
Brennan: Yeah, whatever. You sure we’re on the right path?
Shalimar: Yep. [She picks off some tree bark and licks it.] Positive. [Going to the next tree, she picks something off the trunk.] This is weird.
Brennan: What is it?
Shalimar: It’s human hair, but everything else I’ve been picking up on has been animal. [Her feral eyes glow and she takes off. Brennan follows her into a clearing.]
Brennan: Hey-- [He stop short at the sight of Shalimar facing down a huge grizzly bear. Brennan lights a tesla coil, but Shalimar holds up her hand.]
Shalimar: Don’t.
Brennan: Look, I don’t wanna end up as this guy’s dessert, okay? [Shalimar stands still until the bear calms and ambles away.]
Shalimar: Let’s go.
Brennan: Wha-wait. Why didn’t you let me blast him?
Shalimar: ‘Cause he’s not our killer.
Brennan: How do you know?
Shalimar (smirking): I asked him. [Brennan chuckles.]
[In Sanctuary, Adam joins Jesse and Emma as they research the police files.]
Emma: So why would the police want to cover this up?
Adam: No, someone outside the police department deleted the file.
Jesse: Well, his name is Nathaniel Block, but that’s about all I got. It’s like he didn’t even exist before the attack.
Emma: Someone tried to erase his identity?
Adam: And nearly succeeded.
Jesse: Ah, but not quite. According to the admission records, he was transferred to a veteran’s hospital upstate.
Adam: Better check the visiting hours.
Emma (nodding at Jesse): Come on.
[Tired of following Shalimar, Brennan sits down on a tree trunk to rest.]
Shalimar: He’s close. He knows we’re here.
Brennan (swatting at a bug): Are you sure it’s not your friend the bear?
Shalimar: No, this is different. I’ve never sensed anything like this before. It’s familiar, but it’s so...different.
Brennan (swatting another bug): Damn! Come on!
Shalimar (laughing): Let me see those bug bites.
Brennan: What are you gonna do, suck the poison out of them?
Shalimar: Gonna take me to dinner first? [Leaning over, she rubs some leaves on his neck.] It’s peppermint. It’s a natural bug repellent.
Brennan: I wish you woulda told me that before I got bit. [Suddenly, Shalimar stands up, her feral eyes flashing.] What? What is it?
Shalimar: Down there, about a hundred yards.
Brennan: All right, I’ll take him head on. You go around the back. [He runs off. Shalimar’s running in the opposite direction when the beast attacks her. Hearing the commotion, Brennan starts back.] Shal! Shalimar! [The beast claws Shalimar's abdomen and throws her against a tree. Hiding behind a bush, Grady’s snapping pictures of the scene when Brennan hurls several electrical arcs at the beast. The beast throws him to the ground, then flees when Brennan forms another tesla coil. Shalimar helps Brennan to his feet.]
Shalimar: Hey. You okay?
Brennan: What the hell was that?
Shalimar: He’s one of us.
******Commercial Break********
[Brennan chides Shalimar as they continue down the mountain.]
Brennan: I can’t believe you sent me off on purpose. You really think you could take this creature down on your own?
Shalimar: We’re not trying to take him down! We have to find him and get him back to Sanctuary.
Brennan: If we can.
Shalimar: You’d kill him if you had the chance!
Brennan: If that’s what I had to do, yeah.
Shalimar (stopping): There’s something wrong with him. He’s confused. And he’s in pain. And he’s a feral. Like me.
Brennan (scoffing): No, he’s nothing like you.
Shalimar: Yeah, well, maybe he was. Maybe this is my future.
Brennan: Oh, so what, you’re just suddenly gonna mutate into that?
Shalimar: No, not suddenly. Slowly. We’re all still mutating, you know. You know it could be true. Scares you. [She starts to walk away, but Brennan grabs her arm.]
Brennan: Hey, wait. [She winces in pain.] Oh, my God, you’re bleeding! [He pulls up her shirt, revealing bloody claw-marks on her stomach.] Oh, he really clawed you!
Shalimar (pushing his hand away): It’s nothing. Don’t. [She looks up, feral eyes flashing again.]
Brennan: What? What, is he coming back?
Shalimar: I don’t know. Something’s out there.
Brennan: Okay. Okay, you stay here. I’m gonna go check it out. I’ll be right back. [Retracing their steps, Brennan finds Grady packing up his gear.]
Grady: I heard noises. You see anything?
Brennan: You didn’t?
Grady: I just got here. You all right?
Brennan (noting the camera in his pack): Taking pictures?
Grady: Not yet. If it looks like an undiscovered species, photos could be priceless.
[Shalimar’s sitting on the ground, tending to her wound when she hears a rock fall nearby and goes to investigate. She jumps at the sound of Clay's voice behind her.]
Clay Preston (holding up his rifle): Old hunter’s trick. If you were that freakish thing, you’d already be dead.
Shalimar: Yeah, well, you’re underestimating him. And you’re definitely underestimating me.
Clay: You shouldn’t be out here, none of you.
Shalimar: What about you?
Clay: I know what I’m doing.
Shalimar: Yeah, you’re gonna blow it away, right? Pretty brave, hiding behind your heavy artillery.
Clay: Out here, life is simple. There’s your predator and your prey. I promise you, I make it a habit to be the predator.
Shalimar: Predator? You’re nothing but a little man with a big gun. But there’s something in these woods that’s gonna teach you what a predator really is. Something that deserves the name.
Clay: I know what I’m doing. You fool around out here any longer and that thing is gonna tear your pretty little head right off. You wanna protect something? Start with your own hide. [He walks off.]
[Jesse and Emma stand outside the Chelton Veteran’s Hospital.]
Jesse: According to the building plans, security wing’s on the third floor. Bars, armed guards, alarms...
Emma: Hardly your average psych ward.
Jesse: At least we won’t be bored. [They walk towards the entrance.]
[Brennan and Shalimar have returned to their trailer. Shalimar tosses and turns on the couch.]
Brennan: Shal, you okay?
Shalimar: Yeah. I just didn’t get much sleep.
Brennan (sitting next to her): You sure you’re okay? You don’t look so good.
Shalimar: Thanks.
Brennan (feeling her forehead): You’re warm.
Shalimar: I’m fine.
Brennan: Shal, you’re really-
Shalimar (pushing his hand away): Hey, I’m okay.
Brennan: All right. [Looking out the window, he sees Grady heading back into the woods.] Okay, you know what? Get some rest. I want to talk to Grady; I saw him hanging around where we fought that beast. He had a camera.
Shalimar (sitting up in alarm): You think he caught us using our powers?
Brennan: Well, if he did, he’s not gonna develop the film. [He leaves.]
[Jesse phases Emma and himself through the wall into the secured wing of Chelton Veteran's Hospital, only to come upon a guard sitting at the front desk.]
Emma: Right. One panic attack coming up. [She telempathically delivers a wave of panic at the guard, who immediately gets up and runs out the door.]
Jesse: Nice work. [Emma leads Jesse down the corridors, pulling him back when he heads in the wrong direction.]
Emma: Wait! This way. [Emma discovers Nathanial's room listed on a patient roster on a hallway desk.] 248 D. [They find the room and cautiously enter, Emma taking his chart off the wall.] Nathaniel Block? [They see Nathaniel, hirsute and semi-conscious, bound to a chair. Surgical tools rest on a table next to him.]
Emma: Let’s get him out of here.
Jesse (going to the room's computer): Yeah. I’m gonna see what I can get.
[Gun at the ready, Clay Preston’s exploring the woods when Nathaniel attacks him from behind. Shalimar jerks awake in the trailer.]
Shalimar: Brennan?
[Meanwhile, Grady’s squatting in another section of the woods, talking into his headpiece.]
Grady: I’m in sector Foxtrot 21 quadrant 433, point of last known contact, recovering trace evidence. [He listens.] Yes sir, his exit was in a southwesterly direction from the site. Well, you know-- [He stops abruptly when he hears Brennan coming up behind him.] What are you doing here?
Brennan: Well, that’s funny, I was about to ask you the same thing.
Grady: I was just searching the area.
Brennan (leaning over his pack): That’s some pretty fancy equipment for a zoologist.
Grady: Hey, get out of my bag!
Brennan (pulling out a silver gun): Whoo. Like I said, some pretty fancy equipment.
Grady: Well, the beast might be dangerous. It’s...uh...merely a tranquilizer gun.
Brennan (handing it back to him): See, I know tranq guns. And this is nothing I’ve ever seen before.
Grady (pointing the gun at him): Maybe it’s not. How would you like to feel its effect?
Brennan: Who are you, and what are you doing here?
Grady: Why don’t you take a hint? Mind your own business and stay out of mine.
Brennan: Well, maybe my business is getting all over your business. [As he and Grady struggle for control of the gun, they tumble down a small hill, coming to a rest beside Clay Preston’s dead body. Brennan and Grady look up when they hear the beast growling at them from a short distance away.]
*******Commercial Break*********
[Grady dives towards the gun, managing to grab it before The Beast throws him backwards. Brennan picks up the gun with one hand and Grady with the other.]
Grady: Shoot him! Give me the gun! Shoot him!
Shalimar (leaping into the line of fire): Wait! [She faces the Beast down, feral eyes flashing. The Beast's eyes glow in response before he runs away.]
Brennan: Why didn’t he go for you?
Shalimar: I don’t know. Maybe he recognized something in me. [She notices Grady's nursing his knee.] What happened to him?
Brennan: Turns out he’s as much of a zoologist as I am.
Shalimar: So our animal loving scientist is just a hunter after all, huh?
Grady: We’re all after the same thing. [He reaches towards Brennan.] Give me back my gun.
Brennan: Yeah, right.
Shalimar: What are we gonna do with him?
Grady: What are you gonna do with me? I’m going after him. [He limps off. Rolling her eyes at Brennan, Shalimar follows.]
[In Nathanial's hospital room, Emma releases Nathaniel from his restraints. Jesse calls her over to the computer.]
Jesse: Hey, check this out. Project 318. It was a secret offshoot of the space program. It was an experiment, a feral they acquired from Genomex.
Emma: They souped up his animal DNA?
Jesse: Yeah. They were gonna splice in elemental and molecular genes as well; they didn’t get that far.
Emma: Why is he like this?
Jesse: I don't know.
Emma: What were they after?
Jesse: There. They were trying to create an astronaut who could withstand alien environments. I’m gonna download the whole database. We could take it to Adam. [Behind her, Nathaniel wakes up and starts towards them.]
Emma: Uh-oh. [She blasts him with a psionic bolt, and he falls to the floor, holding his head.]
Jesse: Nathaniel, calm down. We’re not with the hospital. Trying to get you out of here. [Three armed guards storm in through the door. Nathaniel knocks the first two out, but the last one shoots him twice in the chest before Emma can stop him with a psionic blast. Jesse and Emma grab Nathaniel’s arms and help him out of the room.]
Jesse: Come on.
[In the woods, Shalimar, Grady, and Brennan hike up a hillside, with Brennan carrying Grady’s pack. Grady sits down on the ground.]
Grady: I need to rest a minute.
Shalimar: This guy’s really starting to annoy me.
Brennan: Yeah, why should we wait for you?
Grady: Your powers didn’t work very well for you yesterday, did they? [Shalimar and Brennan look at each other.] I know what kind of freaks you are.
Shalimar: You watch your mouth. Or the only thing you’ll be good for is bait. [Brennan opens his camera, throwing the film on the ground. They walk off, forcing Grady to get up and limp after them.]
[Back in Sanctuary's lab, Nathanial lies on the biobed as Emma places a neural scanner on his head. Jesse watches from the doorway and Adam stands at the lab table, working on his palm pilot.]
Emma: It’s okay. Shh. Shhh. Calm down.
[Grady struggles to follow Shalimar and Brennan up another hill, but has to sit again.]
Grady: Slow down. I’ve gotta stop. [They keep walking.] Hey, I’ve got a first aid kit in my bag. At least you can give me that, huh?
Shalimar (holding up the first aid kit): Why don’t you start by telling us what you want with that thing. I’ll betcha a bandage and some painkillers would help with that leg of yours.
Grady: Just give it to me.
Brennan: Oh, that’s nice. Especially coming from a guy that just tried to kill me a few minutes ago. Now let me ask you a question. How long do you think it’s gonna be before that thing comes back this way, huh?
Grady (giving in): He was an experiment. The space agency, project 318.
Shalimar: You created a mutant?
Grady: We got him from Genomex. He was supposed to be the ultimate astronaut. But he got sick. The genetic modifications created some kind of virus that started changing him.
Brennan: So it’s not bad enough that you ruin his life, but you gotta create a plague too?
Grady: It’s not like that. It’s only infectious to feral mutants. [He and Brennan glance at Shalimar.]
Brennan: So that’s your job, just to make sure nobody finds out?
Shalimar: So, this freak that you have to kill. Does he have a name?
Grady: Ward. Michael Ward. [She tosses the first aid kit at him, then collapses to the ground.]
Brennan: You okay? What happened? [He lifts her shirt to look at her wounds again. Behind them Grady grabs the bag and limps off.]
Shalimar: Brennan!
Brennan: Don’t worry about him, we’ve gotta take care of you.
Shalimar: I was really dizzy.
Brennan: Shut up, lie down. Oh, man, you’re burning up. Whatever turned that creature into what he is, you’ve got it.
*****Commercial Break*****
[Brennan and Shalimar return to the trailer to call Adam via video link.]
Adam: Shalimar, you’re suffering from some kind of virus. Now based on the bloodwork that you beamed me in, it’s the same virus that Nate Block got from his friend.
Brennan: Okay, well, what does that mean?
Adam: I’m not sure, but right now you’d be better off back here in the lab at Sanctuary.
Shalimar: No way, Adam. Not till we find Mike and help him.
Adam: No. Your safety is more important right now.
Shalimar: I’m not gonna let them kill him.
Adam: I’m working on a cure for both of you. Right now, I want you to avoid him. Whatever relationship you think you have with him, he is sick; he is scared, and if he corners you, he will kill you.
Shalimar: How long do I have?
Adam: The virus attacks the nerve pathways to the cerebrum. It destroys brain cells. Shalimar, right now, I have no idea how it will affect your specific metabolism.
Shalimar: Answer my question, Adam.
Adam (sighing): We may not have more than another day.
Emma (calling Adam to the lab): Adam! [Nathaniel’s heart has stopped. Adam runs in and starts pumping on his chest.]
Adam: Nate! Nate, breathe. Come on, breathe. Come on, breathe.
Jesse: He’s gone.
Adam: Come on, breathe!
Jesse (putting an arm around his shoulders): Adam. [Adam stops.]
Adam: Did you get any bloodwork done?
Jesse: Yeah. I’ve isolated the virus, but killing it is a whole other thing. [Adam covers Nathaniel’s face with the sheet.]
[Brennan and Shalimar sit opposite each other in the trailer, waiting for Adam to call back. Shalimar impatiently starts towards the door. Brennan grabs her arm.]
Brennan: Hey, hey, hey! Shal, he said wait for him!
Shalimar (shrugging him off): Since when are you so interested in following the rules? [She storms out. Brennan hurries to the computer to alert Adam.]
Brennan: Adam, we’ve got trouble. Shal’s gone, I’m going after her.
Adam: All right, get on it! If she starts to lose control, we need to have her someplace safe until I can work out a cure. [Brennan goes after Shalimar. Adam gathers up his equipment and runs out the lab door, calling Emma and Jesse.] Jesse, fire up the Helix! Emma, let’s go, we’re on the move!
[Shalimar leads Brennan into a clearing in the forest.]
Shalimar: He’s here.
Grady (emerging from the trees ahead of them): Get down! [They duck as he shoots at Michael Ward, who has come up behind them.] Get out of here. Get out of here, I’ll get the bastard! [Michael rushes Grady, hitting him repeatedly. Brennan drags Shalimar away.]
Brennan: Let’s get out of here! Come on, let’s go! Let’s go! [Michael gives chase, but they hide behind a rock until he’s passed.] He’s gone. Come on, Shal, we’ve gotta get Grady’s gun. Come on. Come on, Shal, come on.
********Commercial Break********
[Jesse, Adam, and Emma are on their way to the park in the Double Helix. Jesse tries to call Shalimar and Brennan's comlinks.]
Jesse: Brennan? Shalimar? Still can’t reach them.
Adam: Well, it could be satellite interference. It will clear up as we get closer.
[Brennan steadies Shalimar as they make their way through the forest.]
Brennan: You can make it, Shal. You can make it.
Shalimar (stopping): Wait.
Brennan: What?
Shalimar: My vision’s changing. [She blinks, trying to clear the yellow haze in front of her eyes. Brennan's voice becomes indistinct.]
Brennan: What do you mean?
Shalimar: Must be the virus.
Brennan (taking her arm again): We’ve gotta get you to base camp.
Shalimar: Wait. We’re going the wrong way. We have to go and help him.
Brennan: What are you talking about? You’re not thinking clearly. There’s nothing we can do for him now.
Shalimar (pulling away): No, you’re wrong.
Brennan: We need to keep going.
Shalimar (eyes glowing red): I said you’re going the wrong way!
Brennan: Shalimar? [She punches him in the face, then beats him with a stick until he falls to the ground. She runs off.]
[Up in the Helix, Emma watches Adam as he tries to come up with a cure.]
Emma: How’s it going?
Adam: Well, I’m flying blind here. I’m hoping the antivirus works, but I’m not gonna know for sure until it’s tested.
Emma: And Shalimar’s the guinea pig.
Adam: Yeah.
Emma: Look, we’re all worried about her, Adam. But it’s gonna work, I know it is.
Adam (smiling at her): Thanks.
[Brennan's searching for Shalimar, who is searching for Michael.]
Brennan: Shalimar! Shalimar! [Shalimar tracks Michael’s scent into a cave in the mountain. Michael enters behind her, growling, but pauses when Shalimar picks up a photograph from the ground and holds it up.]
Shalimar: Michael. Is this you? Is this your family? Is this you? [Michael snatches the photo from her. She knocks him to the ground and flees.]
[Having reached the park, Adam tries to reach Brennan again as he walks through the woods with Jesse and Emma.]
Adam: Brennan? Can you hear me?
Brennan: Yeah, I’m here. I’ve lost Shalimar. She’s not rational anymore, Adam, I think we’re losing her.
Adam: Well, we’ve still got time. We have to get to her fast.
Emma: Is she close?
Brennan: Yeah, I think I’ve got a fix on her; you have to track me on my comlink.
Brennan: Shalimar?
Shalimar (hearing his voice): Brennan?
Brennan: Shal? [Michael suddenly hits Brennan from behind, shoving him to the ground. Jesse arrives just in time to mass in front of Brennan, protecting him from Michael’s assault. Emma shoots a psionic blast at Michael’s head to slow him. Adam aims his gun at Michael's head, but Shalimar snatches the gun away.]
Shalimar: No! [Adam loses his balance and falls backwards into Michael’s chokehold.] Michael stop! I know who you are. I know what they did to you. We want to help.
Michael: Kill me.
Shalimar: I can’t. [Michael raises his arm to hit Adam, forcing Shalimar to shoot him with Grady’s gun. Releasing Adam, Michael collapses. Shalimar kneels by his side, crying.] I’m sorry.
Michael: Thank you. [He dies. Adam helps Jesse and Emma wake Brennan up.]
Adam: Brennan? Brennan, you okay? You all right?
Shalimar (closing Michael’s eyes): They turned him into a monster! He was one of us. [She faints, falling across Michael’s body.]
[Back at Sanctuary, Emma, Jesse, and Brennan gather around Adam when he emerges from the lab, where he’s been treating Shalimar.]
Brennan: Well, can you tell us?
Adam (smiling): Well, her fever’s down, she’s responding to the anti-virus.
Brennan: Well, why aren’t I feeling relieved?
Emma: There’s more to it than that, isn’t there? I mean, you may have been able to save her this time, but, I mean, we’ll never know what our mutations will leave us open to, will we?
Adam: There’s no guarantees in life, Emma. Not for new mutants. Not for anybody.
Closing Credits.