Mutant X Transcripts: Ep 104 "Fool for Love"
Mutant X Episode Transcripts
Mutant X Episode #104 Transcript: " Fool for Love”
[Opening Scene: Wearing a low-cut black dress, Shalimar waits at the bar inside a crowded nightclub, turning down guy after guy after...girl who approaches her. Finally, Shalimar calls Sanctuary over her comlink.]
Shalimar: I’ve been waiting here for over an hour. If I said yes to half the guys who wanted to buy me a drink, you'd be pouring me out of this meat rack.
Adam: All in the line of duty, Shalimar.
Shalimar: Yeah, but why here?
Adam: Well, with Donna so reluctant, I wanted to let her choose the rendezvous spot.
Shalimar: This seems more like Brennan’s kind of assignment, if you ask me.
Adam: Well, she seemed more comfortable meeting you. Maybe because you’re both members of the feral sisterhood.
Shalimar: Ah, so I’m the lucky sister who gets to ease her transition into the underground.
Adam (grinning): Well, you knew the job was dangerous when you took it.
Shalimar: Yeah, well, I guess I missed the babysitting part of the job description. [She looks up as Donna enters the club.] You said nine o’clock.
Donna: I’m sorry I’m late.
Shalimar (getting up): Bag in the car?
Donna (smiling): I didn’t pack my bag. I changed my mind. I don’t need to go into the underground.
Shalimar (sitting down again): Donna. We’re pretty sure the GSA has you in their sights.
Donna: Well, they’re only looking for new mutants, right?
Shalimar: Which you clearly are.
Donna (shrugging): Listen, I’ve gotta go. My date’s waiting.
Shalimar (grabbing her shoulder): Hey! You’ve got a date. With me.
Donna: Adam told me entering the underground was completely voluntary.
Shalimar: So?
Donna: So, you tell Adam that I said thanks for everything, but no thanks. [She walks off. Shalimar starts to follow when she’s accosted by yet another guy.]
Bar Guy: Woah. Hey, there, sugar. Do you believe in love at first sight? Or should I walk by again?
Shalimar: Yeah, only this time, don't stop. [She tries to get around him, but he blocks her path.]
Bar Guy: I may appear drunk. But I’m just intoxicated by you. [Pinching his chin, Shalimar flashes her feral eyes at him as she physically lifts him out of her way. He stares after her in shock.]
Shalimar (walking up to the bouncer): Hey. Did you see a tall brunette pass by here?
The Bouncer: Yeah, she took off in a black Beamer.
Shalimar: Thanks. [She leaves.]
[The BMW in question is currently parked inside a garage, beside Donna and her date, Jack. They flirt by the chain-link garage door.]
Donna: So. How big are we talking, Jack?
Jack: 63 inches.
Donna: Ooo.
Jack: Wide screen.
Donna: Uh-huh.
Jack: 10 thousand dollar surround sound system. It’s better than the multiplex.
Donna: Well, something tells me I’m not the first girl that's got to check out your home entertainment system.
Jack: Maybe not, but you’d be the best. [They kiss. Suddenly, Donna pushes away, holding her head. Jack follows her over to the car] You okay? Donna?
Donna (bent over the hood): I don’t think so. [Her feral eyes flash.]
Jack: If...If you’re sick, I can get you to the hospital. There’s one right over on- [Donna spins around and punches him in the face. He looks up at her in surprise, holding his cheek, and she kicks him against the garage door. Crying out in pain, Donna leaps up onto the ledge over the garage door, then down onto the pavement outside. She takes one last look at Jack through the door, then runs off into the night.]
Jack (slumped against the door): What was that?
Opening Credits. "Fool for Love."
[Back at Sanctuary's lab, Shalimar’s filling Adam in on what happened.]
Shalimar: I warned her there was a good chance the GSA has her targeted.
Adam: And she refused to accept the gravity of the situation?
Shalimar: Yeah, it was like she felt like she didn’t need to worry about it.
Adam: It’s classic denial. It’s a mind that can't deal with the facts, just willing them out of existence.
Jesse (walking in): Adam? Adam, Donna’s name came up on the Genomex scan again.
Adam: All right, see, they’re after her for something.
Shalimar: I should never have let her leave.
Adam: Well, we can’t force somebody into the underground against their will.
Jesse: I thought we had her convinced.
Adam: Well, so did I. [He turns back to Shalimar.] Will you go see her again? Maybe in the cold light of day, she’ll see reason.
Shalimar: I’ll give it a shot. [Shalimar and Jesse leave the lab.]
[At Genomex headquarters, accountant Karen Bell pokes her head into Mason’s office, then quickly ducks out again. Taking a deep breath, she determinately walks in to stand in front of his desk.]
Mason (glancing up from his computer): Miss Bell.
Karen: Mr. Eckhart.
Mason: You work in auditing. Is that right?
Karen: Yes, sir.
Mason: Well, I have to say, you are quite the little go-getter.
Karen: Well, if you look at my employee progress reports, you’ll see very high marks for initiative.
Mason: Yes, I’m not surprised, seeing as how you accessed my private email.
Karen: Well, I felt that what I uncovered warranted the risk of bypassing my immediate superiors.
Mason: And what exactly did you uncover?
Karen: During an internal audit, I stumbled across several anomalies. Inconsistent equipment appropriations, unlogged mainframe time, altered supply requisitions. All pointing to the one conclusion.
Mason: Unauthorized research at Genomex labs.
Karen: Indeed.
Mason: That’s a very serious charge.
Karen: So you understand why I had to bring it immediately to your attention.
Mason: Absolutely. And do we know who’s involved and what they’re doing?
Karen: I’m following several leads, sir. Rest assured, I will find the culprit.
Mason: Your diligence will not go unnoticed.
Karen (smiling): Thank you, sir. [She leaves.]
[In Sanctuary, Jesse and Brennan are practicing their combat moves on one another in the dojo. As Emma walks up the stairs towards them, Brennan fires an electrical arc at Jesse, who phases to avoid it.]
Emma: Nice shot!
Jesse (turning to her): What’s up?
Emma: Well, I thought I’d work out with you guys.
Brennan: Ah, yeah, these are physical exercises, Emma, not mental ones.
Emma: So? I can be just as physical as you. [Brennan laughs at her.]
Jesse: Yeah, I mean, when it comes to bending spoons with your mind, you’ve got us beat, but...
Brennan: Yeah. We just don’t want you to get hurt, that’s all. Okay? [He bends down to get a bottle of water. Pissed off, Emma psionicly makes Jesse feel a slap on the back of his head.]
Jesse: Ow! [Thinking it was Brennan, Jesse smacks Brennan's head, making him spit out his water.]
Brennan (coughing): What the hell was that for?
Emma: Ahem. [They both turn to look at her as she stomps down the stairs.] Let’s try to play nice, hm, boys?
[Shalimar's outside Donna's apartment building, ringing the doorbell repeatedly.]
Shalimar (into her comlink): Donna’s not here. I’ve been ringing for a few minutes, there’s no answer.
Adam (in the lab): Can you get into her apartment, see what you can find out?
Shalimar (looking up at the second floor balcony): Not a problem.
Adam: Good. I’ll have Brennan and Jesse try to find the date from last night.
Shalimar: Cool. [She leaps up onto the balcony.]
[Brennan and Jesse visit Donna's nightclub; Brennan hands the cute bartender a picture of Donna.]
The Bartender: Yeah, she’s a regular. I’ve seen her in here with any number of different guys.
Brennan: Do you remember seeing her with anyone last night?
The Bartender (shaking her head): ‘Fraid not.
Brennan (flirting): Would you remember me if you saw me last night?
The Bartender (smiling): Did... this conversation suddenly take a turn?
Brennan: I hope so. [Behind him, Jesse’s questioning the club’s bouncer.]
Jesse: So, you didn’t get a look at the driver?
The Bouncer: Like I said. Car pulls up, she comes in for a few minutes, goes back out, they take off. [He hands back Donna’s picture and walks away just as Emma enters.]
Emma: Hey, guys! How’s it going?
Brennan: What are you doing here?
Emma: Thought I’d see if you needed any help.
Jesse: Thanks, Emma, but I think we’re doing fine on our own.
Emma: Ah. So, what’d you find out?
Brennan: Bartender’s free tomorrow night. [Nodding, Emma retrieves the bouncer and interrogates him while Brennan and Jesse watch from the bar.]
Emma: Just think about the car. Everything you saw.
The Bouncer: Look, I already told these guys-
Emma (interrupting him): I know. Just think. [She sends him a telempathic boost as he thinks back to the BMW; he suddenly sees the license plate number clearly in his mind.]
The Bouncer: QRS-592.
Emma (grinning): The license plate right?
The Bouncer: Yeah! Does that help?
Emma: Yeah. Big time. [She smiles triumphantly at Brennan and Jesse, who shake their heads, impressed.]
[Shalimar quietly sneaks down the hallway of Donna’s apartment, noticing the furniture is covered with sheets. A man, Dr. Richard Saunders, suddenly rushes at her from behind; she twirls into the air to avoid him and lands in a crouch, her feral eyes flashing. He attacks her again, but she dodges his blows, kicking him in the face. When he lands in a crouch across the floor, his own feral eyes flash. Smiling, Shalimar leaps at him, and they meet mid-air. He pulls off her jacket and tosses it aside. As he admires her figure, she kicks him in the face again, then stomps a foot down between his legs. He rolls away, but she kicks him in the face a third time, knocking him backwards onto the bed. She lands on top of him.]
Richard (smiling up at her): I’m not used to losing, but I could get used to it.
Shalimar: What are you doing in Donna’s apartment?
Richard: I could ask you the same thing. [A knock on the door startles them.]
The Landlady: What’s going on in there? Open up, or I’ll call the police! [She goes away, and Shalimar turns back to Richard.]
Richard: So, you got a name?
Shalimar: Shalimar.
Richard: You're a friend of Donna’s?
Shalimar: More or less. Now who are you?
Richard: Donna and I have a standing appointment.
Shalimar: Really? You a married man?
Richard: Uh...no, nothing like that. I’ve been treating her.
Shalimar: To what?
Richard (chuckles): Oh, you’re good.
Shalimar: Obviously.
Richard: I was supposed to meet her here this morning.
Shalimar: And when she doesn’t show up, you just let yourself in.
Richard (holding up his key): No, that’s why she gave me this. Any idea where she is?
Shalimar: I don’t know. Looks like she split.
Richard: Well, I knew she was leaving town, but not before her final treatment.
Shalimar: Yes. What are these treatments? [They sit up when they hear sirens outside.]
The Landlady: I told you I’d call the police! They’re on their way!
Richard: Ah...my car’s out front.
Shalimar: My bike’s out back. [She lets him up, and he leaves. Looking after him regretfully, Shalimar climbs back out the window.]
********Commercial Break*********
[Back at Sanctuary, Shalimar’s describing Richard to Adam, who is creating a 3-D hologram of Richard’s face on the main computer.]
Shalimar: Eyebrows weren’t quite that heavy. And he had these cute dimples... [She pokes at her cheeks to demonstrate.] Right here. [Adam, looking annoyed, makes the changes.]
Adam: Like that?
Shalimar (biting her lip): That’s him. Now what?
Adam: Now we’ll cross-reference his face with all the pertinent databanks and see what we can find. [He notices that she’s entranced by the image.] This guy really got to you, didn’t he?
Shalimar: It was like, BAM! The second we laid eyes on each other.
Adam: Hm. An instant feral attraction.
Shalimar (shaking her head): No, it was more than that. I mean, you hear about love at first sight...
Adam: Mm-hm. It’s basically a shift in brain chemistry. In your case, accelerated by your shared mutancy.
Shalimar: Believe me, Adam. My brain had nothin' to do with what went on back there.
Adam: Of course it did. You found yourself in a highly charged situation. The dopamine and phenylethylamine released in your brain created a euphoria. Simultaneously, the norepinephrine triggered an adrenaline release, which stimulated flushed cheeks, heavy breathing, sweaty palms, and this sudden shift probably triggered a limbic system takeover, allowing reduced integration with your cortex, resulting in feelings of infatuation.
Shalimar: Whatever. That was hot! [Adam rolls his eyes. Shalimar sighs happily.]
[Karen Bell is working at a computer in a Genomex scientific laboratory. Coming up behind her, Richard leans over her shoulder.]
Richard: What are you doing with my computer?
Karen (caught in the act): It’s a Genomex computer. We just work here.
Richard: Doesn’t explain what you’re doing.
Karen: Work authorization says you’ve got a frozen hard drive.
Richard (menacingly): There’s nothing wrong with my hard drive.
Karen (airily): So I see. Must have been a screw-up on our side. Sorry for the inconvenience. [Grabbing her disk, she walks off.]
[Back at Sanctuary, Shalimar and Adam are reading Richard’s database profile.]
Shalimar (smugly): Richard Saunders, PhD. [Adam rolls his eyes again, then they both frown at the new information scrolling across the screen.] Research associate at Genomex?
Adam: Well, if he’s been treating Donna, that would explain why her name kept popping up on our scans.
Shalimar: Adam, my guy works for Genomex!
Adam: Well, that doesn’t necessarily mean what you think.
Shalimar: Oh, come on. I mean, we’re talking about the cover corporation for the GSA.
Adam: Yeah, but except for the top echelon, Genomex employees are kept in the dark about GSA activities.
Shalimar: So he may have no idea who these bastards are he’s working for?
Adam (shaking his head): Research associate? Probably not.
Shalimar: Well, I’ve gotta let him know. Jesse can turn out a Genomex ID for me, right?
Adam: Sure he can, but wait a minute. I can’t just let you go waltzing into Genomex alone.
Shalimar: Well, you wanna know about these treatments too, right?
Adam: Well, yeah, but it’s dangerous.
Shalimar: Well, I’m a big girl, Adam. Besides, what can I say? [She elbows him.] What can I say? I’m a fool for love.
[Mason’s standing at the window of his office when Karen returns, carrying a disk.]
Karen: Mr. Eckhart. [He turns; she sits in the chair in front of his desk.] I believe I’ve tracked down the source of the unauthorized research. But I still don’t have irrefutable evidence.
Mason (smiling): You’re new to the inner workings of our organization, Karen. The GSA's criteria for determining guilt is...rather less stringent then you'll find out there. [He comes around the desk.] When can I expect some results?
Karen: Well, now that I’ve narrowed the field, I’m monitoring computer activity. When the suspect opens the incriminating files, I’ll gain full access and establish culpability. At that point, I’ll inform you and you can initiate seizure.
Mason (examining her closely): Or you can initiate seizure.
Karen: Me, sir?
Mason: I assume your ambitions lie beyond the auditing department.
Karen (standing): Well, yes.
Mason: I’ll arrange for a couple of GS agents for you. [She nods, smiling, and walks towards the door. Mason turns back to his window, calling back over his shoulder.] Good luck.
Karen: Yeah. [She leaves.]
[In the lab at Sanctuary, Adam’s traced the license plate number that Emma got from the nightclub bouncer. He calls over his comlink to tell Jesse, Emma, and Brennan, who are still at the nightclub.]
Adam: Jack Mitchell. The car is registered to his business, Hartwell Brokerage. 6th and Mason.
Emma: Great! I know that part of town.
Brennan (excluding Emma): *We’ll* go talk to the guy.
Adam: Find out what happened to Donna last night.
Jesse: Brennan and I are on it, Adam.
Adam: Give me an update within the hour.
[In her office at Genomex, Karen waits at her computer until Richard opens the forbidden files on his computer. Her face lights up when the sign “Security Breach” flashes on her screen.]
Karen: Got him! [She rushes to inform her GS agents.]
[Down in Richard’s lab, he’s just started working on his computer when he’s surprised to see Shalimar walk up to him.]
Shalimar: Not very gentlemanly to leave a girl hanging high and dry.
Richard: Shalimar. What are you doing here?
Shalimar (leaning close to him): Well, for one, I wanna know about these treatments you’ve been giving Donna.
Richard: And for another? [She leans in for a kiss, but one of Richard’s associates walks past them, clearing his throat loudly. They both stand up, embarrassed.]
Shalimar: The treatments?
Richard: Donna wants a normal life. I’ve been helping her to find it. I’ve developed a serum to help reverse genetic mutation. The treatment takes a few weeks, and once the genetic codes are realigned, all traces of mutancy will disappear.
Shalimar (blinking in shock): Wow. [An alarm on Richard’s computer goes off and “Security Breach”flashes on his screen.]
Richard: Damn it! They got in. [Pulling his disk out of the drive, he packs it in a metal suitcase which he hands to Shalimar.] Here. Let’s go. [They leave just as Karen and one of her two GS agents enter the lab. The guard outside the lab slides down the window, having been knocked unconscious.]
Karen (to her remaining agent): Find them!
******Commercial Break******
[Karen stands in Mason’s office again as he angrily rifles through files on his desk.]
Mason: Well, that was sloppy, Karen. He should never have gotten away.
Karen: I had no idea they were new mutants, sir.
Mason: If you want to play in the big leagues, you have to do your homework and know who you're dealing with.
Karen: Mr. Eckhart, obviously you weren't aware that Richard Saunders was a new mutant either! [Caught by his glare, her eyes widen with fear when she realizes what she’s just said. She quickly changes the subject.] I have information from his files.
Mason: Are you trying to win me over again, Ms. Bell?
Karen: Richard Saunders was working on a process to reverse new mutancy.
Mason: Do we have the formula?
Karen: He only kept half in his work computer.
Mason: Well, locate him. Bring me the other half.
[Richard and Shalimar return to Donna’s apartment.]
Richard (going to the bed): We’ll be safe here. [Feeling her appreciative eyes on him as he takes off his jacket, he turns.] What?
Shalimar: Adam says I’ve been blinded by your feral charms.
Richard: Oh yeah?
Shalimar: Yeah. [Taking off her coat, he kisses her shoulders.]
Richard: Well, we’ll soon see if there’s any truth to Adam’s theory.
Shalimar: And what do you mean by that?
Richard: In a few days, I won’t be a new mutant anymore.
Shalimar (shocked): You’re taking the serum too? [They sit on the bed, and he takes a packet out of the suitcase.]
Richard (showing her a needle): This is it.
Shalimar: You see, I don’t get this. Once I got used to it, I can’t imagine not being a new mutant.
Richard: Yeah, that’s fine for some. But for others...
Shalimar: Like Donna.
Richard: And me. Shal, I’ve never felt comfortable in my own skin. That’s what drove me to get my doctorate, take the position at Genomex. I'm using their technology to come up with a cure.
Shalimar: A cure? Richard, it's not an illness. It's a state of being.
Richard: A state of being that sets us apart.
Shalimar: That makes us special.
Richard: Don't you ever get tired of feeling special? Don't you ever long for a normal life?
Shalimar: Sometimes. But not now. [Drawing him close, she kisses him and they make love in Donna’s bed.]
[Meanwhile, Jesse and Brennan find Jack’s BMW parked outside Hartwell Brokerage.]
Brennan: Yeah, this is nice...if you like driving a sardine can. [Jesse laughs, pulling a parking ticket out from under the windshield wiper. Jack walks up to them, unlocking his car door.] Hey! How’s it going, Jack?
Jack: Who are you two?
Jesse (handing him the ticket): Just a moment of your time, Jack. [As Jack reads the ticket, Brennan zaps the car door lock, locking the door again. Jack frowns at his car door opener in confusion.]
Brennan: We came to talk to you about Donna Morse.
Jack: What about her? [Jesse and Brennan just stare at him.] Woah. I didn’t do anything to her.
Jesse: Sure you didn’t.
Brennan: Happen to know where she’s at?
Jack: Why did she file some sort of bogus assault charge, is that what’s going on?
Jesse: Did she have reason to?
Jack: No. If anything I’m the one who should be filing charges. She attacked me like a wild animal!
Brennan: Well, you know, you still didn’t answer the question. Where’s she at, Jack?
Jack: I have no idea. She disappeared into the night.
Jesse: Tell us the truth, Jack. What did you do with her?
Emma (coming up behind them): He is telling the truth. I’m glad I kept an eye on you guys. He’s not lying and he’s not hiding anything. So let’s go. [She walks off.]
Jesse: You know, that’s twice she’s done that. Think she’s trying to tell us something?
Brennan: Uh, yeah. Yeah, and I’m beginning to hear her loud and clear. [As they leave, Brennan electrically sets off the BMW's car alarm. Jack pushes buttons on his controller in vain, trying to turn it off.]
[Shalimar and Richard lie in bed together.]
Richard: Have you ever had a moment in your life that you wanted to last forever?
Shalimar: Not until now. This is perfect.
Richard (wiping a tear from her eye): Do you always cry when things are perfect?
Shalimar: Only when I know it can’t last.
Richard: But it can.
Shalimar: You want me to take the serum too?
Richard: Why not?
Shalimar: That is a huge step!
Richard: I don’t want you to do anything you’re not a hundred percent sure of because once you start, you can’t go back. But remember: Perfect may only come around once in a lifetime.
********Commercial Break******
[In the lab at Sanctuary, Adam’s scanning Brennan on the biobed.]
Adam: Well, that should bring you back into alignment, help you regulate your voltage output.
Brennan (forming a tesla coil): Yeah! Yeah, that feels a lot better. [Shalimar walks in.]
Brennan: Hey, Shal! How you doin’?
Shalimar: Perfect. [She holds up a vial.] Here you go. Richard said he didn’t mind.
Adam (taking the vial): The magic elixir for every new mutant who ever wanted a chance at a normal life. [Shalimar takes a seat by the door.]
Brennan: Is that a blessing or a curse?
Adam: Could be an option. If it works.
Brennan: I don’t know. You let that genie out of the bottle, it could grant your wishes or bring disaster.
Adam: Or sometimes both at the same time. I don’t want you to do anything until I've had a chance to run some tests, see what your boyfriend’s come up with here.
Shalimar: Sounds like you guys are trying to discourage me. [Adam glances at Brennan, who gets the hint.]
Brennan: Hey! Think I’ll let the two of you talk this out amongst yourselves. [He hits Shalimar's leg and leaves the lab.]
Adam: No, I just want you to see all sides of the equation before you make a decision.
Shalimar: Everything inside me tells me I could be happy with Richard, living a normal life.
Adam: And that’s great, but are you prepared to lose such an important part of yourself? To give up your life here?
Shalimar: If it was anyone else, I’d say no. But there’s something about him...
Adam: Shalimar, don’t let your feral emotions overwhelm your sense of reason.
Shalimar: Well, when we’re together, it’s hard not to. What would you do?
Adam (kneeling in front of her): Well, the Chinese say wait three days before you make a big decision. But in the meantime, I’d listen very closely to my own heart.
[In Mason’s office, Karen walks to Mason’s side as he looks out of his window.]
Karen: Mr. Eckhart.
Mason: Miss Bell.
Karen: I’ve got something interesting.
Mason: Mm-hmm.
Karen: Friend of mine works at the medical examiner’s office. During a Jane Doe autopsy, they found DNA they couldn’t identify.
Mason: A new mutant.
Karen: Definitely. The examiner’s opinion is that her DNA was recently altered.
Mason (finally looking at her): I want that body transferred to my laboratory as soon as possible. [Karen nods, smiling.]
[Emma’s practicing her high-kick in the dojo when Jesse walks up the steps towards her.]
Emma (sensing his approach): Apology accepted.
Jesse: Huh?
Emma: I accept your apology for your obnoxious attitude earlier.
Jesse: You know, you should allow me to apologize for myself before you--
Emma: No, you wouldn’t have done it nearly as quickly as I did it for you.
Jesse (smiling): Yeah.
Emma: And if you would really want to make amends, I would love to work out with you guys. [Jesse nods.]
Brennan (running up the steps to join them): Check it out! I've got 2-1 odds and 100 bucks that says Shalimar's not going to go through with it. Anybody?
Jesse: You know, this is the most important decision of her life. How could you be so cold?
Brennan: Even odds?
Jesse: You're on.
Emma: You're shaving points?
Brennan: Why? It's not a basketball game, Emma.
Emma (stomping down the stairs past him): Then maybe it's time you stopped treating it like one.
[Mason and Karen stand on either side of Donna’s dead body on a slab in Genomex’s laboratory.]
Mason: I’m always impressed with how comforting death looks. [They both lean over to examine her face.] Do we know the cause?
Karen: The coroner’s report attributes it to an unexplained shutdown of her central nervous system.
Mason: Somehow connected to the genetic alteration.
Karen (nodding): I cross-referenced her DNA with other strains in the Genomex system.
Mason: Tell me.
Karen: It matches the code Richard Saunders was working on.
[Back at Donna’s apartment, Shalimar watches Richard administer his shot before coming to sit beside her on the bed.]
Richard: That’s my last treatment.
Shalimar: Strange.
Richard: What is?
Shalimar: I can already feel you drifting away from me.
Richard: I know what you mean. But if we were on the same wavelength...twice a week for three weeks.
Shalimar: Poof, I’m not a new mutant anymore.
Richard: It’s as easy as that.
Shalimar: Adam thinks I should wait.
Richard: If you don’t want to do it, we could find another way to make it work out.
Shalimar: You know as well as I do it would never work, Richard.
Richard: I’m willing to try.
Shalimar: I’m not. [She touches his cheek, kissing him.] I don’t wanna lose you. [She takes off her comlink ring.] I’m ready.
Richard (injecting her arm): Welcome to our new life, Shalimar. [He kisses her hand.]
********Commercial Break*********
[Later that night, Shalimar wakes up alone in Donna’s bed. Looking around for Richard, she spots him huddled on the floor, groaning in pain. She kneels at his side.]
Shalimar (cradling his face): What’s wrong? You’re burning up!
Richard: Something’s wrong, Shal.
Shalimar: The serum?
Richard: I don’t know. I don’t know, but it’s bad. [She kisses his neck, hugging him.]
[At Genomex, Karen trots along behind Mason as he strides down the hallway past the mutants in stasis pods.]
Karen: I’m certain I can do it, Mr. Eckhart, if you just give me a chance!
Mason: You’re a bureaucrat, Karen, not a GS agent.
Karen Bell: I think I’ve proven to you that I’m a lot more than an auditor, sir.
Mason (turning to face her): Leading a GSA raid is much more complex than chasing down some wayward data on a computer.
Karen: It’s about strategy, determination, and a cold-hearted will to succeed. All of which I possess.
Mason (rolling his eyes): Oh, all right, Miss Bell. Take your best shot.
Karen: You won't regret this, Mr. Eckhart. [She walks off.]
Mason (gazing at the pods): I just hope you don't.
[In the lab at Sanctuary, Adam’s talking to Brennan and Emma as he analyzes Richard’s serum.]
Adam: I’ve completed analysis of the serum’s mionic crossover sequence
Brennan: And in English that means?
Adam: In mutant organisms, Richard’s serum causes an uncontrolled DNA breakdown.
Emma: So you’d lose all control of your new mutant abilities.
Adam: That’s the first symptom. And it’s followed by a complete shutdown of the subject’s central nervous system.
Brennan: Looks like the genie’s out of the bottle and he brought disaster.
Jesse (running in): Adam, check out Proxy Blue.
Adam (turning back to the computer): Proxy Blue.
Proxy Blue: ...you’ve got it covered. Police have discovered the body an unidentified woman, early twenties, in Hoyt Park.
Jesse: Now I checked Jack Mitchell’s files. That is two blocks away from his apartment. [Adam nods.]
Proxy Blue: Nothing out of the ordinary, except our sources report that the victim’s DNA had been somehow altered.
Adam: Sounds like Donna.
Jesse: Yeah.
Brennan: We need to warn Shalimar.
Adam: I’ve already tried her comlink. It’s been deactivated.
Emma (shaking her head): I promised her I wouldn’t tell anyone where she was.
Adam: Emma...
Emma: She’s hiding out with Richard at Donna’s apartment.
Adam: All right, you three get over there. I’ll work on an antidote to the serum. [They hurry out.]
[Returning to Donna’s bed, Shalimar puts her comlink ring back on, gets dressed, and goes back to Richard’s side.]
Shalimar: How are you doing?
Richard (panting): Not good.
Shalimar: Okay, I’m gonna call for help. [She talks into her comlink.] Adam?
Adam (in the lab): There you are!
Shalimar: Something’s happened to Richard.
Adam: You’ve got to get him in here immediately. Are you at Donna’s apartment?
Shalimar: Yeah.
Adam: Good. They’re on their way. [Shalimar helps Richard down the path leading from Donna’s apartment.]
Richard (groaning): It’s gotta be the serum. [They look up as Karen and two GS agents appear in front of them, blocking their way.]
Karen: We’ll take him. He’s Genomex property.
Shalimar: Back off! I’ll tear you apart.
Emma (walking up behind them): She warned you. [Jesse and Brennan stand on either side of her. When the GS agents draw their guns and start shooting, Jesse masses in front of Emma and Brennan hides behind her back, shooting electrical arcs at the agents over her shoulder. With both agents down, Jesse and Brennan release Emma.]
Jesse: Nice work!
Brennan: Right back at you, brother. [Finding herself surrounded and alone, Karen picks up a gun from one of the fallen GS agents.]
Karen: Turn him over or you're all dead! [Walking up to her, Emma kicks her in the face, knocking her unconscious. Brennan and Jesse look at each other in surprise; Emma grins triumphantly at Shalimar.]
Shalimar (supporting Richard): Guys, we’ve got to get him to Sanctuary. [Brennan and Jesse take his arms, and Emma hugs Shalimar as they run off together.]
[Richard lies on the biobed in Sanctuary’s lab as Shalimar caresses his face. Mutant X stands around them, waiting for Adam’s diagnosis.]
Richard (looking up at Adam): I’m dying, aren’t I?
Adam: Yes. I’m sorry.
Shalimar (starting to cry): Adam, do something!
Adam: I can’t. At this stage in the process, it’s irreversible.
Richard: But you can save her.
Adam: How?
Richard: Use my bone marrow. Make a protein antigen that will neutralize the dose she’s already taken. Do it.
Shalimar (seeing Adam’s reluctance): Why are you looking like that?
Adam: Because in his weakened state, it will accelerate the process.
Shalimar (shaking her head, weeping): I can’t.
Richard: Yes, you can.
Shalimar: No.
Richard: Do it. Please, Adam.
Adam (nodding): I will. [As he makes the preparations, Brennan, Emma, and Jesse sadly leave the room to give Shalimar time alone to say goodbye.]
[Back at the window in Mason’s office again, Karen stands in front of Mason.]
Karen: Mr. Eckhart, I want to apologize for failing to capture these new mutants.
Mason: And how do you plan to make up for that?
Karen: Actually, I think you were right in your assessment of me.
Mason: That you’re just a bureaucrat at heart?
Karen: I’d like to go back to my station, sir.
Mason: Unfortunately, at the GSA, there is no going back. Say goodbye, Karen.
Karen (grabbing his arm): Wh-wh-wait! Where am I going? [Mason removes her hand in disgust and nods down at the stasis pods below them.]
Mason: To your rightful station. [He walks out of the office as two guards come for Karen. In a panic, Karen presses herself against the glass, staring down at the pods, one of which is empty.]
Karen: What? No! You’ve got to be kidding! No! No!
[In the lab at Sanctuary, Shalimar and Richard lie on two beds, facing each other; Adam stands at a computer behind them.]
Adam: It’s time. [Shalimar reaches out and holds his hand.]
Richard: Shalimar, I’m dying a happy man. I’m in love for the first time in my life. I’m happier than I’ll ever be. I love you. [She nods, crying. His eyes close, and his hand falls from hers.]
[Afterwards, the mourning Shalimar lies on a ledge, looking out on the reflecting pool, filled with floating candles.]
Adam (kneeling behind her, caressing her arm): If you need us, you know we’re here for you.
Shalimar: I know. Thanks. [Emma, Jesse, and Brennan stand across the room, heads bowed in silence.]
Closing Credits.
Mutant X Episode #104 Transcript: " Fool for Love”
[Opening Scene: Wearing a low-cut black dress, Shalimar waits at the bar inside a crowded nightclub, turning down guy after guy after...girl who approaches her. Finally, Shalimar calls Sanctuary over her comlink.]
Shalimar: I’ve been waiting here for over an hour. If I said yes to half the guys who wanted to buy me a drink, you'd be pouring me out of this meat rack.
Adam: All in the line of duty, Shalimar.
Shalimar: Yeah, but why here?
Adam: Well, with Donna so reluctant, I wanted to let her choose the rendezvous spot.
Shalimar: This seems more like Brennan’s kind of assignment, if you ask me.
Adam: Well, she seemed more comfortable meeting you. Maybe because you’re both members of the feral sisterhood.
Shalimar: Ah, so I’m the lucky sister who gets to ease her transition into the underground.
Adam (grinning): Well, you knew the job was dangerous when you took it.
Shalimar: Yeah, well, I guess I missed the babysitting part of the job description. [She looks up as Donna enters the club.] You said nine o’clock.
Donna: I’m sorry I’m late.
Shalimar (getting up): Bag in the car?
Donna (smiling): I didn’t pack my bag. I changed my mind. I don’t need to go into the underground.
Shalimar (sitting down again): Donna. We’re pretty sure the GSA has you in their sights.
Donna: Well, they’re only looking for new mutants, right?
Shalimar: Which you clearly are.
Donna (shrugging): Listen, I’ve gotta go. My date’s waiting.
Shalimar (grabbing her shoulder): Hey! You’ve got a date. With me.
Donna: Adam told me entering the underground was completely voluntary.
Shalimar: So?
Donna: So, you tell Adam that I said thanks for everything, but no thanks. [She walks off. Shalimar starts to follow when she’s accosted by yet another guy.]
Bar Guy: Woah. Hey, there, sugar. Do you believe in love at first sight? Or should I walk by again?
Shalimar: Yeah, only this time, don't stop. [She tries to get around him, but he blocks her path.]
Bar Guy: I may appear drunk. But I’m just intoxicated by you. [Pinching his chin, Shalimar flashes her feral eyes at him as she physically lifts him out of her way. He stares after her in shock.]
Shalimar (walking up to the bouncer): Hey. Did you see a tall brunette pass by here?
The Bouncer: Yeah, she took off in a black Beamer.
Shalimar: Thanks. [She leaves.]
[The BMW in question is currently parked inside a garage, beside Donna and her date, Jack. They flirt by the chain-link garage door.]
Donna: So. How big are we talking, Jack?
Jack: 63 inches.
Donna: Ooo.
Jack: Wide screen.
Donna: Uh-huh.
Jack: 10 thousand dollar surround sound system. It’s better than the multiplex.
Donna: Well, something tells me I’m not the first girl that's got to check out your home entertainment system.
Jack: Maybe not, but you’d be the best. [They kiss. Suddenly, Donna pushes away, holding her head. Jack follows her over to the car] You okay? Donna?
Donna (bent over the hood): I don’t think so. [Her feral eyes flash.]
Jack: If...If you’re sick, I can get you to the hospital. There’s one right over on- [Donna spins around and punches him in the face. He looks up at her in surprise, holding his cheek, and she kicks him against the garage door. Crying out in pain, Donna leaps up onto the ledge over the garage door, then down onto the pavement outside. She takes one last look at Jack through the door, then runs off into the night.]
Jack (slumped against the door): What was that?
Opening Credits. "Fool for Love."
[Back at Sanctuary's lab, Shalimar’s filling Adam in on what happened.]
Shalimar: I warned her there was a good chance the GSA has her targeted.
Adam: And she refused to accept the gravity of the situation?
Shalimar: Yeah, it was like she felt like she didn’t need to worry about it.
Adam: It’s classic denial. It’s a mind that can't deal with the facts, just willing them out of existence.
Jesse (walking in): Adam? Adam, Donna’s name came up on the Genomex scan again.
Adam: All right, see, they’re after her for something.
Shalimar: I should never have let her leave.
Adam: Well, we can’t force somebody into the underground against their will.
Jesse: I thought we had her convinced.
Adam: Well, so did I. [He turns back to Shalimar.] Will you go see her again? Maybe in the cold light of day, she’ll see reason.
Shalimar: I’ll give it a shot. [Shalimar and Jesse leave the lab.]
[At Genomex headquarters, accountant Karen Bell pokes her head into Mason’s office, then quickly ducks out again. Taking a deep breath, she determinately walks in to stand in front of his desk.]
Mason (glancing up from his computer): Miss Bell.
Karen: Mr. Eckhart.
Mason: You work in auditing. Is that right?
Karen: Yes, sir.
Mason: Well, I have to say, you are quite the little go-getter.
Karen: Well, if you look at my employee progress reports, you’ll see very high marks for initiative.
Mason: Yes, I’m not surprised, seeing as how you accessed my private email.
Karen: Well, I felt that what I uncovered warranted the risk of bypassing my immediate superiors.
Mason: And what exactly did you uncover?
Karen: During an internal audit, I stumbled across several anomalies. Inconsistent equipment appropriations, unlogged mainframe time, altered supply requisitions. All pointing to the one conclusion.
Mason: Unauthorized research at Genomex labs.
Karen: Indeed.
Mason: That’s a very serious charge.
Karen: So you understand why I had to bring it immediately to your attention.
Mason: Absolutely. And do we know who’s involved and what they’re doing?
Karen: I’m following several leads, sir. Rest assured, I will find the culprit.
Mason: Your diligence will not go unnoticed.
Karen (smiling): Thank you, sir. [She leaves.]
[In Sanctuary, Jesse and Brennan are practicing their combat moves on one another in the dojo. As Emma walks up the stairs towards them, Brennan fires an electrical arc at Jesse, who phases to avoid it.]
Emma: Nice shot!
Jesse (turning to her): What’s up?
Emma: Well, I thought I’d work out with you guys.
Brennan: Ah, yeah, these are physical exercises, Emma, not mental ones.
Emma: So? I can be just as physical as you. [Brennan laughs at her.]
Jesse: Yeah, I mean, when it comes to bending spoons with your mind, you’ve got us beat, but...
Brennan: Yeah. We just don’t want you to get hurt, that’s all. Okay? [He bends down to get a bottle of water. Pissed off, Emma psionicly makes Jesse feel a slap on the back of his head.]
Jesse: Ow! [Thinking it was Brennan, Jesse smacks Brennan's head, making him spit out his water.]
Brennan (coughing): What the hell was that for?
Emma: Ahem. [They both turn to look at her as she stomps down the stairs.] Let’s try to play nice, hm, boys?
[Shalimar's outside Donna's apartment building, ringing the doorbell repeatedly.]
Shalimar (into her comlink): Donna’s not here. I’ve been ringing for a few minutes, there’s no answer.
Adam (in the lab): Can you get into her apartment, see what you can find out?
Shalimar (looking up at the second floor balcony): Not a problem.
Adam: Good. I’ll have Brennan and Jesse try to find the date from last night.
Shalimar: Cool. [She leaps up onto the balcony.]
[Brennan and Jesse visit Donna's nightclub; Brennan hands the cute bartender a picture of Donna.]
The Bartender: Yeah, she’s a regular. I’ve seen her in here with any number of different guys.
Brennan: Do you remember seeing her with anyone last night?
The Bartender (shaking her head): ‘Fraid not.
Brennan (flirting): Would you remember me if you saw me last night?
The Bartender (smiling): Did... this conversation suddenly take a turn?
Brennan: I hope so. [Behind him, Jesse’s questioning the club’s bouncer.]
Jesse: So, you didn’t get a look at the driver?
The Bouncer: Like I said. Car pulls up, she comes in for a few minutes, goes back out, they take off. [He hands back Donna’s picture and walks away just as Emma enters.]
Emma: Hey, guys! How’s it going?
Brennan: What are you doing here?
Emma: Thought I’d see if you needed any help.
Jesse: Thanks, Emma, but I think we’re doing fine on our own.
Emma: Ah. So, what’d you find out?
Brennan: Bartender’s free tomorrow night. [Nodding, Emma retrieves the bouncer and interrogates him while Brennan and Jesse watch from the bar.]
Emma: Just think about the car. Everything you saw.
The Bouncer: Look, I already told these guys-
Emma (interrupting him): I know. Just think. [She sends him a telempathic boost as he thinks back to the BMW; he suddenly sees the license plate number clearly in his mind.]
The Bouncer: QRS-592.
Emma (grinning): The license plate right?
The Bouncer: Yeah! Does that help?
Emma: Yeah. Big time. [She smiles triumphantly at Brennan and Jesse, who shake their heads, impressed.]
[Shalimar quietly sneaks down the hallway of Donna’s apartment, noticing the furniture is covered with sheets. A man, Dr. Richard Saunders, suddenly rushes at her from behind; she twirls into the air to avoid him and lands in a crouch, her feral eyes flashing. He attacks her again, but she dodges his blows, kicking him in the face. When he lands in a crouch across the floor, his own feral eyes flash. Smiling, Shalimar leaps at him, and they meet mid-air. He pulls off her jacket and tosses it aside. As he admires her figure, she kicks him in the face again, then stomps a foot down between his legs. He rolls away, but she kicks him in the face a third time, knocking him backwards onto the bed. She lands on top of him.]
Richard (smiling up at her): I’m not used to losing, but I could get used to it.
Shalimar: What are you doing in Donna’s apartment?
Richard: I could ask you the same thing. [A knock on the door startles them.]
The Landlady: What’s going on in there? Open up, or I’ll call the police! [She goes away, and Shalimar turns back to Richard.]
Richard: So, you got a name?
Shalimar: Shalimar.
Richard: You're a friend of Donna’s?
Shalimar: More or less. Now who are you?
Richard: Donna and I have a standing appointment.
Shalimar: Really? You a married man?
Richard: Uh...no, nothing like that. I’ve been treating her.
Shalimar: To what?
Richard (chuckles): Oh, you’re good.
Shalimar: Obviously.
Richard: I was supposed to meet her here this morning.
Shalimar: And when she doesn’t show up, you just let yourself in.
Richard (holding up his key): No, that’s why she gave me this. Any idea where she is?
Shalimar: I don’t know. Looks like she split.
Richard: Well, I knew she was leaving town, but not before her final treatment.
Shalimar: Yes. What are these treatments? [They sit up when they hear sirens outside.]
The Landlady: I told you I’d call the police! They’re on their way!
Richard: Ah...my car’s out front.
Shalimar: My bike’s out back. [She lets him up, and he leaves. Looking after him regretfully, Shalimar climbs back out the window.]
********Commercial Break*********
[Back at Sanctuary, Shalimar’s describing Richard to Adam, who is creating a 3-D hologram of Richard’s face on the main computer.]
Shalimar: Eyebrows weren’t quite that heavy. And he had these cute dimples... [She pokes at her cheeks to demonstrate.] Right here. [Adam, looking annoyed, makes the changes.]
Adam: Like that?
Shalimar (biting her lip): That’s him. Now what?
Adam: Now we’ll cross-reference his face with all the pertinent databanks and see what we can find. [He notices that she’s entranced by the image.] This guy really got to you, didn’t he?
Shalimar: It was like, BAM! The second we laid eyes on each other.
Adam: Hm. An instant feral attraction.
Shalimar (shaking her head): No, it was more than that. I mean, you hear about love at first sight...
Adam: Mm-hm. It’s basically a shift in brain chemistry. In your case, accelerated by your shared mutancy.
Shalimar: Believe me, Adam. My brain had nothin' to do with what went on back there.
Adam: Of course it did. You found yourself in a highly charged situation. The dopamine and phenylethylamine released in your brain created a euphoria. Simultaneously, the norepinephrine triggered an adrenaline release, which stimulated flushed cheeks, heavy breathing, sweaty palms, and this sudden shift probably triggered a limbic system takeover, allowing reduced integration with your cortex, resulting in feelings of infatuation.
Shalimar: Whatever. That was hot! [Adam rolls his eyes. Shalimar sighs happily.]
[Karen Bell is working at a computer in a Genomex scientific laboratory. Coming up behind her, Richard leans over her shoulder.]
Richard: What are you doing with my computer?
Karen (caught in the act): It’s a Genomex computer. We just work here.
Richard: Doesn’t explain what you’re doing.
Karen: Work authorization says you’ve got a frozen hard drive.
Richard (menacingly): There’s nothing wrong with my hard drive.
Karen (airily): So I see. Must have been a screw-up on our side. Sorry for the inconvenience. [Grabbing her disk, she walks off.]
[Back at Sanctuary, Shalimar and Adam are reading Richard’s database profile.]
Shalimar (smugly): Richard Saunders, PhD. [Adam rolls his eyes again, then they both frown at the new information scrolling across the screen.] Research associate at Genomex?
Adam: Well, if he’s been treating Donna, that would explain why her name kept popping up on our scans.
Shalimar: Adam, my guy works for Genomex!
Adam: Well, that doesn’t necessarily mean what you think.
Shalimar: Oh, come on. I mean, we’re talking about the cover corporation for the GSA.
Adam: Yeah, but except for the top echelon, Genomex employees are kept in the dark about GSA activities.
Shalimar: So he may have no idea who these bastards are he’s working for?
Adam (shaking his head): Research associate? Probably not.
Shalimar: Well, I’ve gotta let him know. Jesse can turn out a Genomex ID for me, right?
Adam: Sure he can, but wait a minute. I can’t just let you go waltzing into Genomex alone.
Shalimar: Well, you wanna know about these treatments too, right?
Adam: Well, yeah, but it’s dangerous.
Shalimar: Well, I’m a big girl, Adam. Besides, what can I say? [She elbows him.] What can I say? I’m a fool for love.
[Mason’s standing at the window of his office when Karen returns, carrying a disk.]
Karen: Mr. Eckhart. [He turns; she sits in the chair in front of his desk.] I believe I’ve tracked down the source of the unauthorized research. But I still don’t have irrefutable evidence.
Mason (smiling): You’re new to the inner workings of our organization, Karen. The GSA's criteria for determining guilt is...rather less stringent then you'll find out there. [He comes around the desk.] When can I expect some results?
Karen: Well, now that I’ve narrowed the field, I’m monitoring computer activity. When the suspect opens the incriminating files, I’ll gain full access and establish culpability. At that point, I’ll inform you and you can initiate seizure.
Mason (examining her closely): Or you can initiate seizure.
Karen: Me, sir?
Mason: I assume your ambitions lie beyond the auditing department.
Karen (standing): Well, yes.
Mason: I’ll arrange for a couple of GS agents for you. [She nods, smiling, and walks towards the door. Mason turns back to his window, calling back over his shoulder.] Good luck.
Karen: Yeah. [She leaves.]
[In the lab at Sanctuary, Adam’s traced the license plate number that Emma got from the nightclub bouncer. He calls over his comlink to tell Jesse, Emma, and Brennan, who are still at the nightclub.]
Adam: Jack Mitchell. The car is registered to his business, Hartwell Brokerage. 6th and Mason.
Emma: Great! I know that part of town.
Brennan (excluding Emma): *We’ll* go talk to the guy.
Adam: Find out what happened to Donna last night.
Jesse: Brennan and I are on it, Adam.
Adam: Give me an update within the hour.
[In her office at Genomex, Karen waits at her computer until Richard opens the forbidden files on his computer. Her face lights up when the sign “Security Breach” flashes on her screen.]
Karen: Got him! [She rushes to inform her GS agents.]
[Down in Richard’s lab, he’s just started working on his computer when he’s surprised to see Shalimar walk up to him.]
Shalimar: Not very gentlemanly to leave a girl hanging high and dry.
Richard: Shalimar. What are you doing here?
Shalimar (leaning close to him): Well, for one, I wanna know about these treatments you’ve been giving Donna.
Richard: And for another? [She leans in for a kiss, but one of Richard’s associates walks past them, clearing his throat loudly. They both stand up, embarrassed.]
Shalimar: The treatments?
Richard: Donna wants a normal life. I’ve been helping her to find it. I’ve developed a serum to help reverse genetic mutation. The treatment takes a few weeks, and once the genetic codes are realigned, all traces of mutancy will disappear.
Shalimar (blinking in shock): Wow. [An alarm on Richard’s computer goes off and “Security Breach”flashes on his screen.]
Richard: Damn it! They got in. [Pulling his disk out of the drive, he packs it in a metal suitcase which he hands to Shalimar.] Here. Let’s go. [They leave just as Karen and one of her two GS agents enter the lab. The guard outside the lab slides down the window, having been knocked unconscious.]
Karen (to her remaining agent): Find them!
******Commercial Break******
[Karen stands in Mason’s office again as he angrily rifles through files on his desk.]
Mason: Well, that was sloppy, Karen. He should never have gotten away.
Karen: I had no idea they were new mutants, sir.
Mason: If you want to play in the big leagues, you have to do your homework and know who you're dealing with.
Karen: Mr. Eckhart, obviously you weren't aware that Richard Saunders was a new mutant either! [Caught by his glare, her eyes widen with fear when she realizes what she’s just said. She quickly changes the subject.] I have information from his files.
Mason: Are you trying to win me over again, Ms. Bell?
Karen: Richard Saunders was working on a process to reverse new mutancy.
Mason: Do we have the formula?
Karen: He only kept half in his work computer.
Mason: Well, locate him. Bring me the other half.
[Richard and Shalimar return to Donna’s apartment.]
Richard (going to the bed): We’ll be safe here. [Feeling her appreciative eyes on him as he takes off his jacket, he turns.] What?
Shalimar: Adam says I’ve been blinded by your feral charms.
Richard: Oh yeah?
Shalimar: Yeah. [Taking off her coat, he kisses her shoulders.]
Richard: Well, we’ll soon see if there’s any truth to Adam’s theory.
Shalimar: And what do you mean by that?
Richard: In a few days, I won’t be a new mutant anymore.
Shalimar (shocked): You’re taking the serum too? [They sit on the bed, and he takes a packet out of the suitcase.]
Richard (showing her a needle): This is it.
Shalimar: You see, I don’t get this. Once I got used to it, I can’t imagine not being a new mutant.
Richard: Yeah, that’s fine for some. But for others...
Shalimar: Like Donna.
Richard: And me. Shal, I’ve never felt comfortable in my own skin. That’s what drove me to get my doctorate, take the position at Genomex. I'm using their technology to come up with a cure.
Shalimar: A cure? Richard, it's not an illness. It's a state of being.
Richard: A state of being that sets us apart.
Shalimar: That makes us special.
Richard: Don't you ever get tired of feeling special? Don't you ever long for a normal life?
Shalimar: Sometimes. But not now. [Drawing him close, she kisses him and they make love in Donna’s bed.]
[Meanwhile, Jesse and Brennan find Jack’s BMW parked outside Hartwell Brokerage.]
Brennan: Yeah, this is nice...if you like driving a sardine can. [Jesse laughs, pulling a parking ticket out from under the windshield wiper. Jack walks up to them, unlocking his car door.] Hey! How’s it going, Jack?
Jack: Who are you two?
Jesse (handing him the ticket): Just a moment of your time, Jack. [As Jack reads the ticket, Brennan zaps the car door lock, locking the door again. Jack frowns at his car door opener in confusion.]
Brennan: We came to talk to you about Donna Morse.
Jack: What about her? [Jesse and Brennan just stare at him.] Woah. I didn’t do anything to her.
Jesse: Sure you didn’t.
Brennan: Happen to know where she’s at?
Jack: Why did she file some sort of bogus assault charge, is that what’s going on?
Jesse: Did she have reason to?
Jack: No. If anything I’m the one who should be filing charges. She attacked me like a wild animal!
Brennan: Well, you know, you still didn’t answer the question. Where’s she at, Jack?
Jack: I have no idea. She disappeared into the night.
Jesse: Tell us the truth, Jack. What did you do with her?
Emma (coming up behind them): He is telling the truth. I’m glad I kept an eye on you guys. He’s not lying and he’s not hiding anything. So let’s go. [She walks off.]
Jesse: You know, that’s twice she’s done that. Think she’s trying to tell us something?
Brennan: Uh, yeah. Yeah, and I’m beginning to hear her loud and clear. [As they leave, Brennan electrically sets off the BMW's car alarm. Jack pushes buttons on his controller in vain, trying to turn it off.]
[Shalimar and Richard lie in bed together.]
Richard: Have you ever had a moment in your life that you wanted to last forever?
Shalimar: Not until now. This is perfect.
Richard (wiping a tear from her eye): Do you always cry when things are perfect?
Shalimar: Only when I know it can’t last.
Richard: But it can.
Shalimar: You want me to take the serum too?
Richard: Why not?
Shalimar: That is a huge step!
Richard: I don’t want you to do anything you’re not a hundred percent sure of because once you start, you can’t go back. But remember: Perfect may only come around once in a lifetime.
********Commercial Break******
[In the lab at Sanctuary, Adam’s scanning Brennan on the biobed.]
Adam: Well, that should bring you back into alignment, help you regulate your voltage output.
Brennan (forming a tesla coil): Yeah! Yeah, that feels a lot better. [Shalimar walks in.]
Brennan: Hey, Shal! How you doin’?
Shalimar: Perfect. [She holds up a vial.] Here you go. Richard said he didn’t mind.
Adam (taking the vial): The magic elixir for every new mutant who ever wanted a chance at a normal life. [Shalimar takes a seat by the door.]
Brennan: Is that a blessing or a curse?
Adam: Could be an option. If it works.
Brennan: I don’t know. You let that genie out of the bottle, it could grant your wishes or bring disaster.
Adam: Or sometimes both at the same time. I don’t want you to do anything until I've had a chance to run some tests, see what your boyfriend’s come up with here.
Shalimar: Sounds like you guys are trying to discourage me. [Adam glances at Brennan, who gets the hint.]
Brennan: Hey! Think I’ll let the two of you talk this out amongst yourselves. [He hits Shalimar's leg and leaves the lab.]
Adam: No, I just want you to see all sides of the equation before you make a decision.
Shalimar: Everything inside me tells me I could be happy with Richard, living a normal life.
Adam: And that’s great, but are you prepared to lose such an important part of yourself? To give up your life here?
Shalimar: If it was anyone else, I’d say no. But there’s something about him...
Adam: Shalimar, don’t let your feral emotions overwhelm your sense of reason.
Shalimar: Well, when we’re together, it’s hard not to. What would you do?
Adam (kneeling in front of her): Well, the Chinese say wait three days before you make a big decision. But in the meantime, I’d listen very closely to my own heart.
[In Mason’s office, Karen walks to Mason’s side as he looks out of his window.]
Karen: Mr. Eckhart.
Mason: Miss Bell.
Karen: I’ve got something interesting.
Mason: Mm-hmm.
Karen: Friend of mine works at the medical examiner’s office. During a Jane Doe autopsy, they found DNA they couldn’t identify.
Mason: A new mutant.
Karen: Definitely. The examiner’s opinion is that her DNA was recently altered.
Mason (finally looking at her): I want that body transferred to my laboratory as soon as possible. [Karen nods, smiling.]
[Emma’s practicing her high-kick in the dojo when Jesse walks up the steps towards her.]
Emma (sensing his approach): Apology accepted.
Jesse: Huh?
Emma: I accept your apology for your obnoxious attitude earlier.
Jesse: You know, you should allow me to apologize for myself before you--
Emma: No, you wouldn’t have done it nearly as quickly as I did it for you.
Jesse (smiling): Yeah.
Emma: And if you would really want to make amends, I would love to work out with you guys. [Jesse nods.]
Brennan (running up the steps to join them): Check it out! I've got 2-1 odds and 100 bucks that says Shalimar's not going to go through with it. Anybody?
Jesse: You know, this is the most important decision of her life. How could you be so cold?
Brennan: Even odds?
Jesse: You're on.
Emma: You're shaving points?
Brennan: Why? It's not a basketball game, Emma.
Emma (stomping down the stairs past him): Then maybe it's time you stopped treating it like one.
[Mason and Karen stand on either side of Donna’s dead body on a slab in Genomex’s laboratory.]
Mason: I’m always impressed with how comforting death looks. [They both lean over to examine her face.] Do we know the cause?
Karen: The coroner’s report attributes it to an unexplained shutdown of her central nervous system.
Mason: Somehow connected to the genetic alteration.
Karen (nodding): I cross-referenced her DNA with other strains in the Genomex system.
Mason: Tell me.
Karen: It matches the code Richard Saunders was working on.
[Back at Donna’s apartment, Shalimar watches Richard administer his shot before coming to sit beside her on the bed.]
Richard: That’s my last treatment.
Shalimar: Strange.
Richard: What is?
Shalimar: I can already feel you drifting away from me.
Richard: I know what you mean. But if we were on the same wavelength...twice a week for three weeks.
Shalimar: Poof, I’m not a new mutant anymore.
Richard: It’s as easy as that.
Shalimar: Adam thinks I should wait.
Richard: If you don’t want to do it, we could find another way to make it work out.
Shalimar: You know as well as I do it would never work, Richard.
Richard: I’m willing to try.
Shalimar: I’m not. [She touches his cheek, kissing him.] I don’t wanna lose you. [She takes off her comlink ring.] I’m ready.
Richard (injecting her arm): Welcome to our new life, Shalimar. [He kisses her hand.]
********Commercial Break*********
[Later that night, Shalimar wakes up alone in Donna’s bed. Looking around for Richard, she spots him huddled on the floor, groaning in pain. She kneels at his side.]
Shalimar (cradling his face): What’s wrong? You’re burning up!
Richard: Something’s wrong, Shal.
Shalimar: The serum?
Richard: I don’t know. I don’t know, but it’s bad. [She kisses his neck, hugging him.]
[At Genomex, Karen trots along behind Mason as he strides down the hallway past the mutants in stasis pods.]
Karen: I’m certain I can do it, Mr. Eckhart, if you just give me a chance!
Mason: You’re a bureaucrat, Karen, not a GS agent.
Karen Bell: I think I’ve proven to you that I’m a lot more than an auditor, sir.
Mason (turning to face her): Leading a GSA raid is much more complex than chasing down some wayward data on a computer.
Karen: It’s about strategy, determination, and a cold-hearted will to succeed. All of which I possess.
Mason (rolling his eyes): Oh, all right, Miss Bell. Take your best shot.
Karen: You won't regret this, Mr. Eckhart. [She walks off.]
Mason (gazing at the pods): I just hope you don't.
[In the lab at Sanctuary, Adam’s talking to Brennan and Emma as he analyzes Richard’s serum.]
Adam: I’ve completed analysis of the serum’s mionic crossover sequence
Brennan: And in English that means?
Adam: In mutant organisms, Richard’s serum causes an uncontrolled DNA breakdown.
Emma: So you’d lose all control of your new mutant abilities.
Adam: That’s the first symptom. And it’s followed by a complete shutdown of the subject’s central nervous system.
Brennan: Looks like the genie’s out of the bottle and he brought disaster.
Jesse (running in): Adam, check out Proxy Blue.
Adam (turning back to the computer): Proxy Blue.
Proxy Blue: ...you’ve got it covered. Police have discovered the body an unidentified woman, early twenties, in Hoyt Park.
Jesse: Now I checked Jack Mitchell’s files. That is two blocks away from his apartment. [Adam nods.]
Proxy Blue: Nothing out of the ordinary, except our sources report that the victim’s DNA had been somehow altered.
Adam: Sounds like Donna.
Jesse: Yeah.
Brennan: We need to warn Shalimar.
Adam: I’ve already tried her comlink. It’s been deactivated.
Emma (shaking her head): I promised her I wouldn’t tell anyone where she was.
Adam: Emma...
Emma: She’s hiding out with Richard at Donna’s apartment.
Adam: All right, you three get over there. I’ll work on an antidote to the serum. [They hurry out.]
[Returning to Donna’s bed, Shalimar puts her comlink ring back on, gets dressed, and goes back to Richard’s side.]
Shalimar: How are you doing?
Richard (panting): Not good.
Shalimar: Okay, I’m gonna call for help. [She talks into her comlink.] Adam?
Adam (in the lab): There you are!
Shalimar: Something’s happened to Richard.
Adam: You’ve got to get him in here immediately. Are you at Donna’s apartment?
Shalimar: Yeah.
Adam: Good. They’re on their way. [Shalimar helps Richard down the path leading from Donna’s apartment.]
Richard (groaning): It’s gotta be the serum. [They look up as Karen and two GS agents appear in front of them, blocking their way.]
Karen: We’ll take him. He’s Genomex property.
Shalimar: Back off! I’ll tear you apart.
Emma (walking up behind them): She warned you. [Jesse and Brennan stand on either side of her. When the GS agents draw their guns and start shooting, Jesse masses in front of Emma and Brennan hides behind her back, shooting electrical arcs at the agents over her shoulder. With both agents down, Jesse and Brennan release Emma.]
Jesse: Nice work!
Brennan: Right back at you, brother. [Finding herself surrounded and alone, Karen picks up a gun from one of the fallen GS agents.]
Karen: Turn him over or you're all dead! [Walking up to her, Emma kicks her in the face, knocking her unconscious. Brennan and Jesse look at each other in surprise; Emma grins triumphantly at Shalimar.]
Shalimar (supporting Richard): Guys, we’ve got to get him to Sanctuary. [Brennan and Jesse take his arms, and Emma hugs Shalimar as they run off together.]
[Richard lies on the biobed in Sanctuary’s lab as Shalimar caresses his face. Mutant X stands around them, waiting for Adam’s diagnosis.]
Richard (looking up at Adam): I’m dying, aren’t I?
Adam: Yes. I’m sorry.
Shalimar (starting to cry): Adam, do something!
Adam: I can’t. At this stage in the process, it’s irreversible.
Richard: But you can save her.
Adam: How?
Richard: Use my bone marrow. Make a protein antigen that will neutralize the dose she’s already taken. Do it.
Shalimar (seeing Adam’s reluctance): Why are you looking like that?
Adam: Because in his weakened state, it will accelerate the process.
Shalimar (shaking her head, weeping): I can’t.
Richard: Yes, you can.
Shalimar: No.
Richard: Do it. Please, Adam.
Adam (nodding): I will. [As he makes the preparations, Brennan, Emma, and Jesse sadly leave the room to give Shalimar time alone to say goodbye.]
[Back at the window in Mason’s office again, Karen stands in front of Mason.]
Karen: Mr. Eckhart, I want to apologize for failing to capture these new mutants.
Mason: And how do you plan to make up for that?
Karen: Actually, I think you were right in your assessment of me.
Mason: That you’re just a bureaucrat at heart?
Karen: I’d like to go back to my station, sir.
Mason: Unfortunately, at the GSA, there is no going back. Say goodbye, Karen.
Karen (grabbing his arm): Wh-wh-wait! Where am I going? [Mason removes her hand in disgust and nods down at the stasis pods below them.]
Mason: To your rightful station. [He walks out of the office as two guards come for Karen. In a panic, Karen presses herself against the glass, staring down at the pods, one of which is empty.]
Karen: What? No! You’ve got to be kidding! No! No!
[In the lab at Sanctuary, Shalimar and Richard lie on two beds, facing each other; Adam stands at a computer behind them.]
Adam: It’s time. [Shalimar reaches out and holds his hand.]
Richard: Shalimar, I’m dying a happy man. I’m in love for the first time in my life. I’m happier than I’ll ever be. I love you. [She nods, crying. His eyes close, and his hand falls from hers.]
[Afterwards, the mourning Shalimar lies on a ledge, looking out on the reflecting pool, filled with floating candles.]
Adam (kneeling behind her, caressing her arm): If you need us, you know we’re here for you.
Shalimar: I know. Thanks. [Emma, Jesse, and Brennan stand across the room, heads bowed in silence.]
Closing Credits.