Mutant X s01e06 Episode Script

The Meaning of Death

You know, i've got to say it's great to finally meet you, rick.
Getting all those new mutants in the underground has made you quite the legend.
Well, i've been lucky.
What? Getting that shape shifter past the gsa blockade in akron, i think that took a little bit more than luck.
Well, hopefully we can keep these two under their radar.
Yeah.
What's their story? They seem okay.
Something's a little off, if you know what i mean.
Huh.
What about their mutancy? Hey, todd.
Whoa, superspeed.
Yeah.
That's going to come in handy.
Yeah.
He's a show-off.
Oh, my wife, jerri.
Of course, you've got plenty to show off there yourself, big guy.
She's got x-ray vision.
Oh, hey , brennan.
Rick? Stay back.
Are you okay? I can't stop.
Adam, we've got a problem.
That should contain his powers.
Even while his vital signs are weakening.
I thought you had him stabilized.
I've done the best i can.
But i'll be honest with you: He's barely holding on.
He's not going to die, is he? I don't know.
All i know for sure is he's completely lost control of his new mutant abilities.
Better run a battery of tests to help me figure out what's causing this.
Well, once you've got that figured out you'll be able to treat him, right? Well, diagnosis is the first step.
And what if we figure out whatever he has is contagious? Well, rick might just be the tip of the iceberg.
A new mutant was brought in this morning.
It's the second case in two days we've discovered.
And that's the operative word here, isn't it, mr marlowe? Sir? "Discovered".
There's no telling how many of these aberrant loose cannons are wreaking havoc out there.
Well, this loose cannon turned the entire city aquarium into one ice block.
Killed all the fish inside.
Ichthyology has never been a particular interest of mine.
Well, along with the diver who was feeding them.
What about the other one? Her new mutant power of suggestion caused a thirty-two-car pile-up on the trans-island highway.
Any human fatalities there? Two, sir.
That's tragic.
But a credible excuse to initiate a clampdown.
What have your interrogations revealed? Since being apprehended, they have fallen extremely ill.
High fevers, deteriorating vital signs.
And you still have no idea what's causing this? No.
But our medical staff are running batteries of tests and we just need more time.
Well, you don't have more time.
Solving this problem is priority one.
I want all squads on full alert to locate and incarcerate these out-of-control new mutants.
Yes, sir.
Brennan checked in and asked me for a progress report.
Alright, anyway, tell him that he and the wileys should avoid using their powers.
Using them accelerates the spread of the infection.
I think he's more concerned about how long he's going to have to stay cooped up with them.
Well, you tell them that he's not to leave the safehouse under any circumstances.
How come? Because any new mutant who's been exposed to this thing needs to remain quarantined.
But i thought you said there was a good chance rick didn't enter the infectious stage until after he left the safehouse.
Yeah, but until we're certain of that isolation is the only way to keep this thing from spreading.
Got any idea what we're dealing with? Yeah.
Off.
Cladosporium.
Here.
There it is.
It's simple, common, airborne spore.
Completely harmless to most human beings, but in the case of a rare genetic aberration, which occurs in less than 1% of all new mutants, exposure to the spore causes uncontrolled mutation and eventually death.
Less than 1%? Well, not to sound heartless, but i mean if we're only talking less than It's what happens after the exposure that's the big deal.
Once the person shows symptoms they become highly infectious and the disease is passed on.
New mutant to new mutant.
Sorry, guys, but we've got a little setback here.
Setback? What kind of setback? Well, we're all under quarantine.
Quarantine? Huh, for how long? Until they figure out what infected rick.
Wait a minute, you mean we've been exposed to something? We could get sick? Don't worry.
I'm sure we'll all be fine.
You know, it's just a precaution.
It's only going to be delayed a little while, right? I think i've got it.
It starts in the throat, right? Come on, jer, you never get sick.
So what are we looking at here, an hour or two? Huh? I can't answer that.
And until we do figure out what we're dealing with, adam thinks we should stop using our mutant abilities.
It could trigger an episode.
Fine.
Todd? Please.
Right.
Right.
It's in my throat.
No doubt about it.
It's going to be a long day.
So what's this fire we're investigating? Alice robbins.
She has the power to throw off thermal energy.
I remember.
We slipped her into the underground last year.
Sounds like she's becoming the latest victim of this infection.
Her powers are spinning completely out of control.
Yeah, i would have thought in a situation like this the they would have been, but they got called off by higher authority.
Jesse told me.
Better activate your hazmat suit.
Good.
How come you're not wearing one? Well, not being a new mutant i'm immune.
So i'm the only one that gets to make a hazmat fashion statement? But you just wait, it'll be the rage of the spring collection.
I'm sure.
It's locked.
It's hot.
Alice? Alice? You think you can take this down? I guess so.
Well, if you're afraid of catching something, don't be - the suit will protect you.
No, it's not that.
It's you know how i am around fire.
Shalimar, the fear of fire is perfectly naturally for a feral.
You and i both know that there's only one way for you to get over it.
Well, you better stand over there, then.
God, she she's burning up.
I mean, literally.
Adam.
Is there anything we can do? Too late.
Just go.
How long until her next flare? Not long.
I'm afraid the next one might kill her.
So, it looks like the news is out.
Well now i know who called off the authorities.
Back off or he's dead.
Like i give a damn.
Well working for eckhart has brought out your sensitive side, huh marlowe? See, now that's not fair.
I was bitter long before i took this job.
Yeah, well we'll deal with your psyche some other time.
Miss robbins here is about to reach her ignition point.
There's not a lot we can do.
I suppose that would mean a swift death for her.
Yeah, and for anyone else in the vicinity.
Don't stay on my account.
Alice, what can i do? Just go, please.
Just go.
We've got to get out of here.
Marlowe.
Tell me.
Look out! Well, i gather you've met my new lieutenant.
This infection, it just killed this woman.
It could wipe out every new mutant in a week.
Now, i might be able to beat it, but i don't stand a chance if i have to fight you at the same time.
What are you suggesting? A truce to accomplish a common goal.
What? Do you honestly believe i'd shed a single tear if your freakish monstrosities were wiped out? If the new mutants disappear, so does the gsa, mason.
Overnight you're obsolete.
Obsolescence in the wake of total victory is a mixed blessing, but a blessing nonetheless.
Yes, but what about you? You lose your bete noir, your reason for living.
I'm deeply touched by your concern for my welfare, adam.
For a man who's life is completely defined by that which he hates the most, this could be your undoing.
Give me a moment.
So who's the new lieutenant? Charles marlowe.
I lost track of him since he left genomex.
I think it's a huge mistake to trust adam with the gsa technologies and secrets.
While gaining access to his genius and expertise.
Bottom line is our priorities and his remain fundamentally opposed.
Well, under normal circumstances you'd be absolutely correct.
But right now we find ourselves in the rare position of having our agendas intersect.
At least until he discovers a remedy.
He really hates you, you know? Eckhart's always hated me.
I'm talking about marlowe.
Hm.
Tell me what you need.
You made a deal with the devil.
I can't deny that, emma.
Look, what have they got that we don't have here? Highly trained scientists and medical staff that works around the clock with unlimited funds.
If rick stays here, there's no reason to risk moving him.
But eckhart is going to try i know, i can handle eckhart, all right? The real problem here is the speed of this infection.
Now, we have approximately twenty hours before the majority of new mutants are cut down.
Hey, buddy.
I've been thinking, we've been here a few hours, right? If we were going to get sick, chances are it would have happened by now.
Follow me? Yeah, i think i follow you.
So in that case, i figure we may as well get the hell out of here.
No.
Aw, come on.
Hey, look, until i get the world we stay put.
And that's that.
Hey, speedy, was i talking to myself or did you not hear me say no using our abilities, huh? What are you, fast and deaf? So you think we'll be okay? Yeah, we'll be fine.
What? Oh, hey, come on you're not using your x-ray vision, are you? No, don't be silly.
Yeah.
It looks pretty good from this angle too.
Please.
God, brennan's got to be going nuts trapped in the safehouse with that couple.
Yeah, not knowing.
Yeah.
Not knowing.
That's the part that would drive me crazy.
You don't think he's got it, do you? I wouldn't know, jesse.
Well, can't you do one of your tele-empathic tune-ins and see if he's infected? It doesn't work like that.
Hm.
I've got to go check in on rick.
You've got to stay in there, rick.
Just until we find a way to make you better.
Adam, i'm your liaison.
I don't recall having a liaison looking over my shoulder as part of the deal.
Not my call.
Alright, so what is your mandate, mr marlowe? Report your progress on mr eckhart.
Just the thought of working with him again.
Stop kidding yourself, adam, you two are joined at the hip.
That's an ugly thought.
You need eckhart as much as eckhart needs you.
Oh, i thought i left all that behind.
Well, the past has this funny way of sneaking up on you, doesn't it? Yes, and rearing it's ugly head.
It's a tough thing to escape.
So, what, you're his eyes and ears around here, mr marlowe? Yes.
As well as making sure that gsa technology is not used for detrimental purposes.
Detrimental to what, the imprisonment and the murder of new mutants? Hey, i just work here.
Yeah.
And that doesn't give you pangs of guilt? No.
It's a free marketplace, adam.
My services are available to the highest bidder.
Which, by the way, if you want to make a bid that beats out genomex.
What, so so you're a mercenary now? Yes, i am.
And you better get used to me being on this side of the fence.
Besides, my retinal scan is the only way to get access to that computer.
Limited access, i'm sure.
Of course.
Of course.
How are you and sunshine getting along? After he left genomex he must have suffered a major psychological trauma.
Or maybe he's just a creep.
No, people don't have such a change in personality for no reason his anger's got to have a source.
Think he's having a hard time dealing with his new mutant abilities? Well, that's definitely part of it, yeah.
Didn't turn the rest of us into creeps.
Well, none of you had to deal with his invulnerability.
Are you kidding me? I would love to have his power of invulnerability.
No, no, listen, think about this now.
All human behaviour and animal behaviour, for that matter, is predicated on one simple motivation - survival, right? Yeah.
Alright, so what happens when survival isn't an issue? When the motivation is taken away? I guess there's no telling how someone would react.
Exactly.
Unpredictability.
Which makes marlowe more dangerous then eckhart.
Tell me.
Tell me! Hey! Hey! What was that all about? What was that all about? I asked him a question.
I got no answers for you.
Alright, then you're banned from this ward! You are a guest here! You get out of here! This is not your turf.
You remember that, adam.
Come on, rick, just hang in there.
Come on, rick.
Emma? Emma, are you okay? Why did you do that, jesse? You were in trouble.
Well we've both been exposed.
Oh, man, you don't give up, do you? What you don't understand is that i need to get out of here, okay? And now.
What's your rush, todd? We've got no place to go.
I'm not in a rush, jerri.
Okay? I just want out.
Excuse me.
Sorry about that, but i don't think you're going to get very far without this.
What the hell is that in there? In where? There's a picture in your wallet.
I got lots of pictures in my wallet.
Oh, you mean this picture? Who the hell is this? A friend.
She teaches a spin class at my gym.
Yeah.
I bet that's not all she teaches.
Now, that was really swift.
See, now it doesn't take a genius to know that a married man does not carry a picture of his girlfriend around in his wallet.
Adam? I just came through the ward.
Marlowe is at it again.
Alright.
Thanks, take over.
Take another reading, quick.
Come on, you can do it.
What are you, the angel of death? No, i'm just asking those on the edge a few questions.
Alright, there's a lot of people on the edge around here.
We're trying to save their lives.
Well, you don't seem to be doing a very good job, do you? Yeah, and you're not helping.
I'm not here to help.
Alright, there's no place for voyeurism.
I want you to keep your distance.
Well, we can't all have what we want, can we now? You know, i can't believe that you've ended up like this.
A man with your incredible gift.
Let me tell you about the precious gift you gave me, doctor.
Standing in the wreckage of a car crash you caused.
Seeing your wife and child, breathing their last terrified breaths.
And you're just going to walk away.
Knowing that you're never going to see them again.
Not in heaven, not in hell.
And for that i thank you, good doctor.
Thank you.
Thank you.
How are you feeling, jess? Never better.
You? Fine.
Perfectly normal.
As normal as we ever get, huh? I feel bad about rick.
Yeah, me too.
You think he suffered? I don't know.
It didn't like the most peaceful way to go.
Hard to think that's what we've all got coming, huh? I can't think that way, jesse, and neither should you.
Well you better face reality, emma.
What if adam can't come up with a cure? He will.
Besides, we both feel fine, right? Right.
So far so good.
Maybe we got lucky, huh? Maybe we did.
Alright.
Okay.
Emma.
Get it off.
Emma, are you all right? Say something.
Open your eyes.
What happened? Come on, we've got to get you to bed.
You've got it too.
Adam.
Jesse.
Emma's sick.
I think i've got it too.
Alright, jess, you be careful.
If you phase for more than thirty seconds you could dissipate for good.
Yeah, tell me something i don't know.
Shalimar, jesse and emma have come down with it.
Oh, no.
Alright, now i need you to get them over here as quickly as possible.
What happened? Apparently rick went into arrest, emma tried to revive him and jesse jumped in.
Okay, i'm on my way.
Go.
Now.
Hurry.
This partnership with adam seems to be as big a misfire as the one you forged twenty years ago.
You're giving him everything that he asks for, aren't you? Yes.
He still can't get a handle on the cure.
I have to say, mr marlowe, i find your attitude rather singular.
You certainly wouldn't be walking around today if it wasn't for adam's efforts.
I'm supposed to thank him for that? Most other new mutants seem to.
Yeah, well most other new mutants aren't blessed with my particular powers.
Powers, i must say, i wouldn't mind possessing were i one of you.
Well, then you should have gotten adam to twist up your dna when you were still on good terms with him.
That's not what genomex was about back then.
Yeah, well that was then this is now.
I can't believe you're putting your trust in him.
You haven't had anything to do with adam in years.
I've had everything to do with adam.
I know the man.
With something so dear to him at stake if there's a cure to be found, he'll find it.
That sounds like wishful thinking.
It's better than then your perpetual negative thinking, mr marlowe.
Negative, positive, what's the difference? In the end, the result's all the same to me.
Just don't let your personal despair impede the successful completion of this mission.
I told you, he's getting everything he wants.
Because whoever controls this disease and its cure controls new mutants.
You're talking about wresting it away from him, aren't you? Of course.
And with you heading the opposition, it won't be much of a fight.
No, it won't.
Multiple dvcs.
, he's crashing.
Three of o-negative, let's go.
O- negative, let's go, let's go.
We've got a he's still tachying.
She's not breathing.
Paddles, come on.
Give me a cbc on him.
Eckhart has more confidence in you than i do.
But he's a born optimist.
Scientists worked for years trying to cure the symbolist disease.
How can i be expected to solve this one in two days? One of the creators desperately struggles to try and save his precious creations.
That's right.
In a way, i think of you as my children.
A man shouldn't outlive his children, should he? I'm sorry for your loss.
I am.
I can't imagine the pain you've been through.
Well, i appreciate your expressions of sympathy, doctor.
But if it wasn't for you and your genetic tampering i'd be where i should be.
Next to my wife and child.
You also never would have seen your twelfth birthday or ever had a wife or a child, okay? The work that i did at genomex saved not only your life, but the life of every other new mutant.
Yeah, and you go take a look.
Take a look at the legacy, huh? Yeah, but you know there are a lot of other people who should have died who are out there leading productive lives.
They're using their abilities to help people.
I don't need you to judge me, adam.
I'm not judging you.
I'm telling you that there is a different way.
There is a way to give you a little peace in your life.
That is not going to happen.
Not for me.
And that is thanks to your experimenting.
All right, look, it was a new frontier.
It was genetics.
We were the pioneers.
Oh, so i'm a guinea pig now.
I saved your life.
Your parents brought you to me.
And you had no idea what was held in store for me.
No, not at the time.
Eckhart told me that i should kill you the second you found the cure.
But i'm not going to wait that long.
Of course.
What? I thought that you possessed invulnerability.
What you really got is a capacity for cellular generation which is off the charts.
Same difference.
No, no, no, not in my world it isn't.
Marlowe, you are the key to the cure.
Emma? Shalimar.
Jesse, you're sick.
You shouldn't be phasing in and out like that.
I can't help it.
How long has she been like this? Twenty minutes.
Can you walk? Yeah.
I have to get you guys to triage.
I need to isolate the dna strand that's in your system to beat this infection.
Now, the instruments to do that don't exist, okay? So i have to invent a whole new paradigm.
And i have to ask you to come back to my lab with me.
Because the lives of a lot of people that i care about are at stake here.
So what's in it for me? I don't know.
Jesse and emma are checked in.
Good.
Life support will keep them going for three to four hours.
Looks like you two are losing teammates.
I need your help, charles.
Please.
Okay, if i can identify and extract the proper genetic strand then i can execute a massive replication.
Yeah, but how are you going to get the antidote to the rest of the new mutants in time? Theoretically, if i can transform the binary components of your genetic code into a microwave form then i can uplink it into the gsa communications satellite and then disperse it across the continent in a biotransmission.
Kind of like a blanket inoculation.
That's the idea.
All right, charles, i'm going to commence extraction.
Alright, the column on the right is cladosporium, the bacterial strain.
On the left here is the microwave form of the antidote.
Now, we're onto something if we can keep the bacterial level under ten.
It's happening.
Look at that.
It's happening.
That's it.
Bleeding.
I'm bleeding.
There's no sign of instant cellular regeneration.
I'll get the first-aid kit.
Yeah.
The extraction must have had a counter-mutating effect on your dna.
Is it permanent? I have no idea.
But right now there's nothing indestructible about you.
Hey, when you looked at that photo it looked to me like you recognized this friend of his.
You know what? I really don't want to get involved in your domestic problems.
And you wouldn't be if you would have let me get away when i had the chance.
Hey, todd, like i said i really, really don't want to get involved in your domestic problems.
Well, you know what? Forget that, honey.
You're stuck here with us.
Which means you're involved.
Hey, did you hear that? I didn't hear anything.
Yeah, you just got an e-mail.
No, i didn't.
Hey.
Hey, what did i say about using your powers, speedy? Huh.
It's from stanley gambert.
Hey, that's private.
"Missing you terribly, my sweet.
I count the minutes until we're together.
Love, stanley.
" Stanley stanley gambert? Okay, so we're both cheats.
You happy? You know, you're right.
You shouldn't have got involved.
Whenever you two are done tippy toeing around each other's backs, i think there's something you should know.
See, now i wasn't entirely sure when i saw that picture of your, well, girlfriend.
But when you received that e- mail from stanley gambert, all the pieces are fitting together.
Check it out.
One of the things that we do is keep a running gallery of all the gsa agents and their informants.
And you guys hit the jackpot.
Hoo.
Talk about picking winners.
So ain't this a pickle? See, now here you both are trying to use the new mutant underground as a way to ditch each other and, well, run off with your new red hot lovers.
Whose idea, by the way, of a romantic getaway is a statis pod.
So congratulations.
You've been had by the gsa.
Get word to adam.
I want marlowe here with the cure in half an hour or i start removing patients from life support.
Beginning with these two.
The bio-transmission code's here in my handheld.
I'll sneak in and hook it up.
All right, good, i'm going to check on jesse and emma and make sure they're alright.
Hey, wait.
I need you to go with shalimar.
Nah, i did my part.
No, no, no, your retinal scan is the only way to access the gsa communications satellite.
Why should i risk my neck for you? Because i just made it possible for you to understand what risk means again.
Okay.
Okay.
You ready? I was born ready.
Got it? We're in.
Great.
Can i assume you've completed? Call in a full retreat, mr eckhart.
What good is your gun against him? I must say, i'm very disappointed in you, mr marlowe.
You call in that retreat or you'll never get a chance to get over your disappointment.
This is mr eckhart.
Pull back all units at once.
We're almost there.
You've got these guys well-trained, don't you? Shoot him.
Everything's uplinked and ready to go.
I'll call a doctor.
No.
Adam, no.
This is what i want.
He's gone.
Let's do what we came to do.
Now.
That's step one.
Is it working? Well, if it is we should see immediate results.
I'll go check the ward.
How are you guys doing? Starting to feel better.
Good.
And you.
You are not supposed to be out of bed yet.
He's still got it.
Oh, no.
Oh, no.
That one? It was just for fun.
What is wrong with you? Hey, welcome.
You guys get through it okay? Yeah, twelve hours later and it was like we were never sick.
How about you? Yeah, well i survived.
Look, brennan, both jerri and i want to apologize for everything.
And thank you too for saving our lives.
Well, it's no big deal.
So what are your guy's big plans? Oh, we're going to give it another shot.
Really? Yeah, we both gave it some thought.
And we both realized there's still something there.
Well, the good news is the new mutant underground is a great place for a second chance.
So good luck.
Jerri? What the? Oh that, my friend is x-ray vision.
Hey.
Still upset about marlowe? Yeah.
Part of me feels responsible for his pain.
You know every new mutant alive today owes their life to you - for what you did at genomex.
I lost too many to this disease.
Then there's the ones like marlowe that choose to serve eckhart and the gsa.
I just don't understand that.
Someone once told me you can't force right or wrong on anyone.
All you can do is lead by example and hope they lean toward the light.
I'm glad you remembered.
Yeah.
Thanks.

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