Mutant X Transcripts: Ep 113 "Blood Ties"
Mutant X Episode Transcripts
Mutant X Episode #113 Transcript: " Blood Ties"
[Opening Scene: Loud techno music plays inside a popular nightclub at night. Jesse saunters out of the club, searching the parking lot until he spots Brennan flirting with a dark-haired woman just outside the front doors. Coming to a stop behind Brennan, Jesse clears his throat loudly. Brennan pretends not to hear him.]
Dana (giggling): My car’s not far from here.
Brennan: Uh...
Jesse (interrupting): I’m calling it a night. You coming home?
Brennan (finally turning around): Uh...After I walk Dana to her car.
Jesse (nodding): See you soon.
Brennan (smiling): Not too soon, I hope. [Laughing, Jesse heads into the parking garage. He hasn't walked far when he realizes someone is sneaking along behind him. Jesse phases into the wall to hide until the man has passed, then quickly re-emerges to confront him.]
Jesse: Who the hell are you and why are you following me?
Noah (spinning around): It’s me, Jess.
Jesse (in shock): I can’t believe it.
Noah (laughing): Hey, you’re getting bigger! Hitting the gym, huh? [He hugs Jesse.] Oh, it’s good to see you.
Jesse: Um, what are you doing here?
Noah: I’m on an undercover assignment, Jess. It’s gotten kind of ugly. [Just then, shots ring out and a couple of bullets barely miss Jesse’s head. Grabbing Jesse's coat, Noah dives to the floor as the shooter races past them in a black car.]
Jesse (sitting up, peering out after the car): What’s going on?!
Noah: I’m in a little bit of trouble.
Jesse: Who are these guys?
Noah (slipping a disk into Jesse’s jacket pocket): Nexxogen Security. Now, we’ve gotta get outta here. Now! [They duck behind a wall as the car returns for a second pass. A woman in black, Nicole Carter, comes running into the garage and calls to Noah.]
Nicole Carter: You can’t keep running, Noah! Give it up! [Noah flees as the shooter’s car barrels towards him at top speed. Jesse runs directly into the car's path, pushing Noah away.]
Jesse: Noah! Noah, get out of the way! [Jesse masses, and the car smashes into him. The driver crawls out of the front seat, badly hurt.]
Nicole: He’s one of Eckhart’s new mutants! [She gets into a second black car and drives away, while the shooter and the limping driver escape the garage on foot. Jesse looks around, but Noah has disappeared.]
Jesse: Noah? [Jesse retrieves Noah's dropped cell phone from the ground at his feet just as Brennan finally enters the garage. He sees the smashed car and rushes to Jesse’s side.]
Brennan: Hey! You okay? What the hell happened here?
Jesse (grinning happily): My dad showed up. [He walks off. Completely confused, Brennan hurries after him.]
[Emma and Jesse stroll along the ground floor of Sanctuary beside the waterfall, talking about the night’s events.]
Jesse: And all of a sudden, bam! There he was, standing right in front of me. I mean, it was...it was great.
Emma: I’ve never heard you talk about your dad before.
Jesse: Well, that’s because I don’t get to see him very much. He’s a covert operative, so he’s always away on assignment. [She hands him a mug of cocoa, smiling.] Thanks. What?
Emma: I’ve just never seen you this happy. Or this wired.
Jesse: Well, it’s great to see him again. But um...I am a little concerned about what’s happening with him.
Emma: Who did you say was after him?
Adam (coming in): Nexxogen. It’s a bioengineering firm specializing in the genetic replication of protoplasm.
Jesse: You mean, cloning?
Adam: In a way. And it seems likely that Genomex has had something to do with them in the past.
Emma: Outsourcing?
Adam: Well, you remember we heard about Nexxogen last year? They had an industrial accident outside the city of Martez?
Jesse: Right. Big fire at their facility.
Emma: Yeah, didn’t they blame that on a gas leak or something?
Adam: Yeah.
Jesse: Hey, maybe...maybe my dad’s investigating it.
Adam: Yeah, it could be. Have you heard from him again?
Jesse: No, not yet. Why?
Adam: All right. You let me know the minute he calls. Maybe we can do something help.
Jesse (nodding): Okay. [Adam leaves. Jesse and Emma exchange a happy smile.]
[Inside Genomex headquarters, Mason’s walking along the lower catwalk when he’s approached by one of the Genomex guards.]
Calvin: Mr. Eckhart, sir? My name is Calvin Porter, and I was hoping to speak to you about a promotion. I understand a field agent position has just opened up, and I’d like to be considered for the job.
Mason: That information is classified. Whoever told you about that is in serious trouble.
Calvin: Actually, I heard it from you, sir. [Mason stops walking to face him.] I'm a new mutant, sir, with genetically enhanced hearing.
Mason: Is that so?
Calvin: Yes sir. In fact the sounds of the world nearly drove me out of my mind until the Genomex biotech lab created this audio filter. Now I can pinpoint any frequency over many miles. A great advantage in a field agent.
Mason: Well, Mr. Porter. With those outstanding abilities, I assume you'll be able to hear this: Don't ever speak to me directly again. [Glaring, he starts to walk away when he notices that Calvin’s concentrating on something coming through his audio filter.]
Nicole’s voice (upstairs, outside Mason’s office): I don’t care. Tell Eckhart that Nicole Carter is here to see him.
Mason: What is it?
Calvin: There’s a woman named Nicole Carter here to see you. And she’s giving your assistant hell. [Eyes widening, Mason hurries upstairs to find Nicole in front of his office door, facing down two Genomex guards.]
Nicole: Call off your dogs, Eckhart. We have to talk.
Mason: Of course. That will be all, gentlemen. [The guards nod, allowing them to enter.] How can I help you, Miss Carter?
Nicole: We have a problem.
Mason (skeptically): We?
Nicole (firmly): We. A member of my security staff invaded our database and downloaded sensitive information regarding the Martez incident.
Mason (sitting at his desk): How awful for you.
Nicole: I'm not alone out on this limb, Eckhart. Genomex shares responsibility for what happened there.
Mason: That's fascinating. We have entirely different memories of that tragedy. As far as the public is concerned, Genomex saved Nexxogen from bankruptcy, which I've always regarded as an act of unbelievable generosity...since your company is technically our competition.
Nicole: Is that how we're going to play this game? Well, let me be more clear. A computer disk with information implicating your company in that incident has been stolen. If this information comes to light, the world will learn that Martez was no industrial accident.
Mason (suddenly interested): In other words...
Nicole: If I go down...you go down.
Mason: I'll put my agents at your disposal.
Nicole: I thought that might change your tune.
Mason: We need to get that disk back immediately.
Nicole: Ya think? [She turns away, then turns back again.] Oh, and I believe one of your new mutants is standing in our way. One of my men wrapped a car around him, but he walked away without a scratch.
Mason: I’ll see if I can help.
Nicole: You do that. [She walks out. Mason sighs, then stands to gaze through his window at the ground floor. Sure enough, Calvin is still standing on the lower catwalk, his back turned to him.]
Mason: Mr. Porter. [Calvin stiffens and looks up at him.] Since I assume you’ve been eavesdropping already, I have an assignment for you. Get that disk Nexxogen is chasing, and you might just earn yourself that promotion. [Calvin smiles.]
[Jesse is practicing combat moves on holographic assailant in the dojo when Shalimar walks up the stairs to join him.]
Shalimar: How’re you doing?
Jesse: Well, I’ll be doing a lot better when my dad calls.
Shalimar (sitting on the steps): I saw the picture of the two of you you’ve got in your room.
Jesse: Oh, the father-son martial arts tournament. [As he’s talking, the hologram kicks him in the face. Jesse serves him several blows until he drops to the floor and vanishes. Jesse sits down next to Shalimar.] Yeah. We went every year until my parents split up. My dad’s job with the Feds took him undercover and overseas.
Shalimar: Is that why I never met him?
Jesse (nodding): Yeah. I haven’t even seen him since he went off to Europe.
Shalimar: You okay? You look a little worried about him.
Jesse: The guy is a decorated hero. He’s been on a lot of assignments, but something’s...something’s different.
Shalimar (taking his hand): Well, if you need any of us to jump in and help, you just say the word.
Jesse (smiling): Thank you.
[Brennan comes up to Adam in the hallway as he’s leaving the lab.]
Brennan: Oh, hey! I did a little nosing around in Nexxogen’s personnel files.
Adam: Yeah?
Brennan: Turns out Noah Kilmartin is listed as the head of security until a month ago.
Adam (surprised): He works for them?
Brennan Yeah, until he got fired. Seems like he may have tried to screw them over.
Adam (going to the main computer): Well, let’s keep digging before we pass judgment. What else did you find?
Brennan (pointing to Nicole’s profile on the flat screen): Some interesting information on Nicole Carter. She’s the director of operations at Nexxogen.
Adam: Since before the explosion.
Brennan: Yeah. She must be pretty powerful or bullet-proof to have lasted.
Adam: Yeah, maybe a little of both. According to this, Nexxogen would have gone belly-up if they hadn’t gotten funding from Genomex.
Brennan: Exactly. But why would Eckhart wanna keep them in business?
Adam: Well, my first guess is that Genomex had something to do with the incident.
Brennan: Well, do you think Jesse’s father is tied to the incident too?
Adam: I think I know a way we can find out.
[Jesse’s walking towards his room when the cellphone in his pocket rings.]
Jesse: Dad?
Noah (walking along a bridge, on his cellphone): Sorry about last night, Jesse. I didn’t mean to run out on you and leave you in the lurch like that.
Jesse: You all right?
Noah: Oh, I’ll live. But I didn’t want to get you involved in this. I, I just had no idea where else to turn.
Jesse: No, forget about it, we’re family. Let me come get you.
Noah: Oh, I don’t know. The situation’s kind of dangerous right now.
Jesse: And all the more reason why we should be handling this together.
Noah: All right. But you have to come alone, and you have to promise not to tell anybody about this. [Jesse glances into the next room, where Adam and Brennan are talking.]
Adam: You think he’d be up for it?
Brennan: I could talk to him.
Adam: Check it out.
Brennan: All right. [He heads towards Jesse’s room.]
Noah: Jesse? Are you still there?
Jesse: Uh, yeah, Dad, I’m here, but...
Noah: Look, there’s no buts.
Jesse (frowning): Okay. I won’t tell anyone. [Calvin Porter eavedrops on the phone conversation from a nearby rooftop.]
Noah: That’s my boy. I knew I could count on you.
Jesse: Look, I still think you’re taking a big chance here.
Noah: Then that’s a chance we have to take.
Jesse: If you say so. Now where are you?
Noah: Okay. I’ll be in the courtyard of the Fairview Complex.
Jesse: I’m on my way.
Calvin (smiling, to his GS agents): Got ‘em. Let’s go.
[Shalimar and Emma join Adam in the lab as he works on the computer.]
Shalimar: Hey, Adam.
Adam: You ready to give Nexxogen a visit?
Emma: Absolutely.
Adam: I want you both to be careful.
Shalimar: So Brennan tells us they’ll be on heightened security alert?
Adam: Yeah, well, we’ll have you covered on that. Here, Emma. Give me your thumb. [She places her thumb on the device he holds out.] And press.
Emma (yanking her hand away): Ow!
Adam: Sorry.
Shalimar (alarmed): What is that?
Adam: They screen all their employees through thumbprint identification. This’ll get you in.
Shalimar (laughing at Emma): Big baby. So what’s the best place to tap into their database?
Adam: Uh, their main computer system. [Shalimar gasps in pain as her own thumb is printed. Emma grins, vindicated.] Sorry. From there, we can access all their files. With this little baby over here, we can have you in and out with a couple of minutes. [He holds out a round case to Shalimar.]
Shalimar: What do we do with it?
Adam: Install it into their system. Then we can copy all the files here at Sanctuary without detection.
Shalimar: Okay.
Emma: Let’s get to work.
Adam: Good luck.
Shalimar: Thanks. [She follows Emma out of the lab.]
[Heading out to meet his father, Jesse passes Brennan at the main computer.]
Brennan: Hey!
Jesse: Hey.
Brennan: Is it just me, or have you been a little AWOL since your dad popped up?
Jesse: No, I’ve been around, I just figured you’ve been busy.
Brennan: Ha. Yeah. So Adam and I did a little research on Nexxogen. Sounds like your dad had a pretty rough time.
Jesse: You might say that. I mean, they did try to run the guy over with a car.
Brennan: Oh, yeah? Does that happen a lot?
Jesse (annoyed): Does what happen a lot?
Brennan: You know, your dad showing up out of nowhere with a bunch of guys chasing him?
Jesse: Well, you never know what to expect with him, I mean, he has had a pretty amazing life.
Brennan: Ah, no kidding? Not your average guy, huh?
Jesse (defensively): No. I mean, he’s not exactly what you’d call a stay-at-home dad, but he’s always been there for me.
Brennan: Yeah, I’m just saying--
Jesse: Yeah, I know exactly what you’re saying, and you’re wrong.
Brennan: Jesse, my father wasn’t exactly the perfect dad either--
Jesse (interrupting him): Brennan, please don’t start this whole 'your childhood, my childhood competition' thing now, okay? Look, I’ve gotta go; I’ve got a date. I’ll see you.
Brennan (calling after him): Yeah, be careful, huh?
[Jesse arrives at the meeting place in the silver Audi. Not seeing his father, he gets out of the car to search for him.]
Jesse: Noah? Noah! [His cellphone rings.] Dad?
Noah (on the other line): Get in the car.
Jesse: Well, where are you?
Noah: Just get in the car! [Calvin Porter and his GS agents emerge from a building nearby.] These guys aren’t gonna take no for an answer.
Jesse: I’m not leaving without you.
Noah: Well, that’s not gonna happen. [Spotting him, all three GS agents start running towards Jesse, who hurries back into his car. Noah pops up in the back seat behind him, his face covered with new bruises.] What are you waiting for? Go! [Jesse peels off, leaving the GS agents in the dust.]
******Commercial Break*******
[Jesse leads his father into a new mutant safehouse near a subway station.]
Noah: What’s this place supposed to be?
Jesse: Well, it’s supposed to be a new mutant safehouse. I’ll explain later. Why don’t you go on down, let me patch you up.
Noah: Oh, come on, Jess. I’m fine.
Jesse (following him down the stairs): Yeah.
Noah: You know, you’re just like your mom. You’re always trying to take care of things, you know?
Jesse: Well, that’s funny. She was always saying I was just like you ‘cause I was always acting up.
Noah (chuckling): I see.
Jesse: I guess I got a foot in both camps, huh? [He hauls a green bin of medical supplies from under a table as Noah sits on a bench facing him.] So, you wanna tell me why those guys were chasing you?
Noah: Well, I was doing pretty good at this job until I got...downsized. That’s when I went to Nexxogen. I stumbled on this company’s scandal involving new mutants.
Jesse: Does it have anything to do with the Martez accident?
Noah: Well, what do you know about that?
Jesse: Just what was in the news.
Noah: Ah, that was all a cover-up. If the real truth came out, heads would roll.
Jesse: Let me guess. With your head first on the chopping block, huh?
Noah (chuckling): You got that right. When I realized what had happened, I knew that there was no turning back, so I downloaded everything about the incident as insurance.
Jesse: Where’s the file?
Noah: I put it on a disk...which I slipped in your coat pocket last night.
Jesse: What?
Noah: Well, I was afraid they would take it away from me, and... [He smiles.] Well, I knew they wouldn’t take it away from you.
Jesse (touched): I’m glad you trusted me, Dad.
Noah: Yeah.
Jesse: In fact, um, I have some pretty powerful friends who I trust, who I think might be able to help us.
Noah (standing): I can’t let you do that. These people are willing to kill at any cost to keep this secret.
Jesse: Yeah, no, you don’t understand, you-
Noah: I feel bad enough drawing you into it. I don’t want to risk anyone else. We handle this my way.
Jesse: All right, Dad.
Noah (hugging him happily): Okay. [Noah sits back down.]
Jesse (holding up a cotton swab): All right.
Noah: Okay. [He winces as Jesse dabs at his wounds.]
[Shalimar and Emma enter the Nexxogen headquarters' lobby, whispering to each other.]
Shalimar: I knew I shouldn't have worn these pants. My underwear is riding up big-time.
Emma (looking at her in surprise): You're wearing underwear?
Shalimar (looking at her in surprise): You're not?
Adam (with Brennan, listening in from Sanctuary): You two done?
Shalimar: Yep, I think that about covers it.
Adam (pulling up the blueprints on his screen): Good. Now the computer center shouldn’t be too far past the lobby. Once you pass through the employee’s entrance, get there fast. Your ID gives you limited access.
Emma: Shall we?
Shalimar: Yeah. [They join the line of employees entering the metal detector. Shalimar places her thumb on the ID pad, is identified as Sarah Farner, and steps through the metal detector, but when Emma puts her thumb down, the ID doesn’t register. The guard frowns down at his computer, holding up a hand.]
The Guard: Just a moment. [Shalimar, being scanned by a guard inside, exchanges a dismayed look with Emma.]
Nicole Carter (coming up): Is there a problem? [Finally, the computer finds Emma’s profile, identifying her has Jennifer Scott.]
The Guard (nodding): Go ahead.
Emma (smiling confidently at Nicole): No, no problem.
[At Genomex, Mason sits at his desk, listening to Calvin’s report.]
Calvin: It’s under control, sir.
Mason: Since you don’t have the disk, I’ll have to assume that your definition of control differs wildly from mine.
Calvin: The Nexxogen employee who stole the disk is Jesse Kilmartin’s father. And with a member of Mutant X involved, the playing field is very different.
Mason: Are you trying to shirk responsibility for your failure?
Calvin: I’m simply pointing out how complex the situation is.
Mason: Mr. Porter. I would like to make the situation crystal clear. If that file gets into the wrong hands, Genomex could be shut down permanently.
Calvin: I understand, sir, but... [He stops.] No more excuses.
Mason: There had better not be. [Mason presses a button on his desk to open the sliding door himself, dismissing him.]
[Jesse and Noah are eating sandwiches in the safehouse.]
Jesse (holding up a piece of cheese): It’s terrible, huh?
Noah (mouth full): No, it’s great! I was starving. You know, I think I may be getting too old for this kind of work.
Jesse (grinning): Oh, shut up! You’re not old, and you’re gonna be around for a long time, Dad.
Noah: No, you may have to take over for your old man, huh? But from what I hear, it sounds like you already have.
Jesse: What do you mean?
Noah: I know about you and your team. Mutant X?
Jesse: How?
Noah: I've got my sources. C'mon, I've been in covert ops my entire adult life. I know what's happening. [Jesse nods.] Particularly when it concerns my own son. I'm proud of you, Jess. It's great work you're doing.
Jesse (smiling): Thank you. [Noah sighs, rubbing his neck.] Dad?
Noah: No, I’m okay.
Jesse (getting up): You look beat. Look, why don’t you get some rest? I’ll get you some clean clothes and some real food.
Noah (shaking his head): No, I’ve got some work to do.
Jesse: Well, I’ll help you with that when I get back, okay?
Noah: What about the-
Jesse: I’ll get the disk, okay? Get some rest. There’s a cot right there. I'll be back soon. [He leaves.]
Noah (dialing his cellphone): You come to a decision? [He listens.] The price is non-negotiable. Besides, I have protection now. You can’t stop me. Step up with the cash, or I go public with the disk. [He hangs up.]
[At Nexxogen, Shalimar and Emma find two GS agents guarding the elevators.]
Emma: Don’t worry, I’ve got this covered. [She projects an illusion into the minds of the agents in front of her, making them believe she’s Nicole Carter.] I need you two to scout the outer perimeter. Get moving. [The agents leave, and Emma and Shalimar step into the elevator together.]
Shalimar (smiling): Nicely done.
Emma: Thanks.
Shalimar: Ready?
Emma: Yeah. [They step off the elevator, and are stopped by a fence of red lasers protecting the computer room. Shalimar calls Adam over her comlink.]
Shalimar: Adam, the computers are blocked by a laser grid.
Adam: I know. I’ll have to deactivate it. Uh, look around. There should be an unprotected keyboard somewhere.
Shalimar (finding the keyboard): Okay.
Adam: Okay, good. Now that you’ve got the keyboard, we can start the decryption for access. [Shalimar types in a command.] Okay, good. Now I want you to key in this sequence: 696241. [Shalimar enters the code, and the laser grid disappears.]
Emma: That did it. [Downstairs, the two GS agents are accosted by the real Nicole Carter.]
Nicole: Hold it right there! Why aren’t you guarding the computer center?
The Guard (calling her over): Miss Carter? Miss Carter! [She goes over to him.] We’ve got a breach.
Nicole: Where? [Sure enough, his monitor shows a breach in the computer center. Nicole looks up at the two hapless GS agents.] Move.
Emma (installing Adam's disk): All right, try that.
Shalimar (typing): All right, go.
Emma: Adam?
Adam: Yes. We’re getting the feed. I’m assuming that you haven’t had any problems with security?
Shalimar: No, it was pretty good. Emma had to get rid of a couple of GS agents, but aside from that...
Adam: What? GS agents?
Emma: Yeah.
Adam (alarmed): All right, both of you get out of there. Now.
Brennan: Woah, Adam, wait. We’re about three minutes away from a complete download.
Adam: Yeah, but if Eckhart’s men are there, they’ve changed the security codes. They’re gonna know we’re tapped into the system. I want you both out of there, now! [He turns to Brennan.] All right, I want you and Jesse to take the Double Helix, get over there, get them out.
Brennan: All right, well, there’s one problem with that. Jesse left a while ago, turned off his comlink.
Adam: All right, forget about Jesse. You go get them. Hurry! [As Nicole and the two GS agents wait for the elevator, Shalimar and Emma sneak down the stairs and hurry towards the exit. When they reach the metal detector, The Guard blocks their path.]
The Guard: Hold it.
********Commercial Break**********
[Four GS agents surround Emma and Shalimar in the Nexxogen lobby, but they fight their way free.]
Emma: Come on! [Emma punches out a fifth agent as they run out the door, followed by an army of GS agents. Outside, Emma and Shalimar manage to take out three more of their opponents before two snipers on the roof start shooting at them. Running up, Brennan hits the snipers with two electrical arcs, knocking them off the roof. He grins as Shalimar and Emma run up to him.]
Brennan: Somebody call for a ride?
Emma: We are so screwed!
Brennan: Deactivate cloak! [The Double Helix materializes in the field in front of them.]
Emma: Or not. [A dozen GS agents, led by Nicole Carter, back up as the Helix takes off and flies away.]
[At the safehouse, Noah gets a call on his cellphone.]
Noah: I knew eventually saner minds would prevail. Are you prepared to meet my price?
Nicole: Yes. I’m tired of dealing with your new mutant friends.
Noah (confused): What?
Nicole: When I hired you to head security, I never realized your extortion skills were so refined. It will take me at least a day to get the funds together.
Noah: Just call me when you have the money. [He hangs up just as the lights overhead go off. He’s starting cautiously up the stairs when the door blows in, throwing him down the stairs. Two armed GS agents, led by Calvin Porter, grab him.] How’d you find me here? My cellphone’s untraceable!
Calvin (smiling): Yes. But thanks to my specialty, your voice isn’t. [He punches Noah, knocking him out.] Go. Find the disk.
[Jesse’s returned to Sanctuary for the jacket he was wearing the night before. Just as he’s removing the disk from the pocket, Adam comes up behind him.]
Adam: Jesse?
Jesse (quickly replacing the disk): Yeah?
Adam: Have you heard from your father?
Jesse: Yeah, actually. I just...I just left him. Why?
Adam: I thought you were gonna let me know when he called.
Jesse (hesitating): I’m sorry, it obviously just slipped my mind.
Adam: Well, we could have used your help getting Emma and Shalimar out of Nexxogen.
Jesse: What?
Adam: Yeah, they broke into the databank. They found out why they‘re after your father.
Jesse: Yeah, he stole a file with the real story of Martez.
Adam (shaking his head): I’m afraid it goes a little deeper than that. Turns out your father stole the file to...blackmail Nexxogen.
Jesse: What?
Adam: Yeah. I’m sorry. I know it’s hard to hear something like this, but...
Jesse: Look, my dad is the good guy here. I mean, obviously they’re trying to frame him.
Adam: I don’t think so.
Jesse: Adam, we’re talking about my dad here. I think I know him a little better than you do.
Adam: Jesse, just listen. [He goes to the computer.] I want you to look at the evidence and see that, you know, we’re not just making this up. [Jesse stalks off.] Jesse!
[Back at Genomex, Calvin walks with Mason towards the interrogation room, where Noah is strapped to the metal chair.]
Calvin: He doesn’t have the disk, and refuses to tell us where it is.
Mason: So, Mr. Kilmartin. You’re as big a pain as your son. Perhaps I should turn you over to Miss Carter. She lacks my tolerance and patience.
Noah: Don’t threaten me. I know full well that Nexxogen is just a puppet of Genomex.
Mason: That’s impossible to prove.
Noah (chuckling): Don’t bet on it. How do you think the world would react if they knew what happened at Martez?
Mason: That was an industrial accident.
Noah: It was new mutants. And because of the experiments Nexxogen performed at your behest, their genes replicated out of control until their bodies simply exploded. Of course, the file goes into more graphic detail.
Mason (nodding to Calvin): My apologies at your rude reception, Mr. Kilmartin. [Calvin releases Noah, and Mason follows him out of the room.]
[Jesse returns to the safehouse, only to find the place has been torn apart.]
Jesse (looking around in vain): Dad? Dad! Dad!
********Commercial Break**********
[At Sanctuary, Adam walks down the stairs with Brennan and Shalimar.]
Adam: I tried to talk to him, but he wouldn’t hear it.
Shalimar: So you have no idea where he went?
Adam: No.
Brennan: Why can’t he just face it? His father’s not the good guy that he pretends to be.
Shalimar: Yeah, well, it’s a little more complex than that.
Brennan (scoffing): What’s complex? All the evidence is there in black and white.
Shalimar: Yeah, well, it’s not black and white to Jesse!
Brennan: Hey, don’t get mad at me.
Shalimar: I’m not, I just-
Adam: Hey, hey, Shalimar, look, I know that you and Jesse are close, but-
Shalimar: Listen, Jesse loves his dad, okay? He just wants to believe that he grew up with the perfect father.
Brennan: Yeah, well, I’ll talk to him when he gets back.
Shalimar: No, you won’t! Can’t we just give him some time to absorb this?
Adam: No, we don’t have time! Every minute that that disk is out there, we run the risk of the world finding out what happened in Martez. And if that happens, then our life and our cause gets that much more complicated.
[Nicole calls Mason from Nexxogen to inform him of the break-in.]
Nicole: Mason, there's been another security breach at Nexxogen.
Mason (pacing at his desk): Yes. I heard they'd installed a revolving door at your facility.
Nicole: Don’t try to pin the blame on me. It was more new mutants, and your GS agents were of no help whatsoever.
Mason: They will be disciplined. Are you any closer to retrieving the disk?
Nicole: I’m going to pay him off.
Mason (sitting): Really?
Nicole: I’m putting the funds together now.
Mason: Well, I hate to disappoint you, Miss Carter, but you’re a day late and a dollar short.
Noah (standing in front of Mason): The deal’s off. But thanks so much for helping to drive the price up.
Nicole: Eckhart! That disk is mine!
Mason: It was. But perhaps it will be a tad safer in my possession. [He turns off the speaker phone.] So, Mr. Kilmartin. Where exactly is the disk?
Noah (sitting down): You’ll have it soon enough.
Mason: Now how do you propose we conclude our transaction?
Noah: I’ve thought that through.
Mason: Somehow, I had a feeling you might.
[Jesse returns to the main room of Sanctuary to find Shalimar waiting up for him.]
Shalimar: Jess, where have you been? Adam’s been trying to find you all night.
Jesse: Why, did he find some more dirt on my dad?
Shalimar: Look, Adam’s not the bad guy in all this!
Jesse (facing her): But my dad is?
Shalimar (quietly): I’m not saying that.
Jesse (frowning in surprise): Yeah, you are.
Shalimar: Jess, come on.
Jesse: Well, you’re just like everybody else, aren’t you?
Shalimar: Look, Jesse, I know you love your dad, but I mean, come on, you can’t ignore what is right in front of you!
Jesse (pulling away from her): Do you know what it’s like to see your dad being shot at? Or found him beat to a pulp?
Shalimar: No.
Jesse: No. Well, I thought that of everybody, you’d be on my side. [He walks past her towards the lab, pulling out the ringing cellphone. He waits until he's in the lab to talk.] Hold on. Dad?
Noah: Thank God, Jesse.
Jesse: Dad, we’ve got a lot of documents from Nexxogen that make it look like...well, they make it look like you’re an extortionist.
Noah: Well, they’re trying to frame me, you know that.
Jesse: What happened at the safehouse?
Noah: A pack of GS agents tracked me down. I managed to get away.
Jesse: Are you all right?
Noah: For now. I want you to listen carefully to me, Jesse. I need you to take the disk back to the safehouse. I want you to leave it in the first aid kit, and then get out of there.
Jesse: Why don’t I meet you there?
Noah: Because I don’t want anything to happen to you. Now do as I say, Jess. My life is at stake. [He hangs up and looks over at Mason.]
Mason: You lie beautifully, Mr. Kilmartin.
Noah: Well, I'm not lying about this. If anything happens to my son, the deal's off.
Mason (sarcastically): Your loyalty is something to behold. [Calvin comes in.] Mr. Kilmartin will lead you to the disk. Once you have it, I’ll wire the money we agreed on. [Calvin follows Noah out. Mason swivels in his chair to watch them walk across the lower catwalk. When he's sure only Calvin can hear him, he speaks again.] Mr. Porter. Once you have that disk, kill him. [Calvin's face lights up.]
[Back at Sanctuary, Adam’s walking with Emma along the second floor balcony.]
Emma: Maybe I should try talking to him.
Adam: Well, Shalimar tried; he said he just wants to be left alone.
Emma: Well, shouldn’t we try again?
Adam: Might end up driving him farther away instead of helping him face the truth.
Shalimar (running up the stairs): Adam! Jesse just took off in the Double Helix.
Adam (calling over his comlink): Jesse? Jesse!
Jesse (in the Helix): Yes.
Adam: Where are you going?
Jesse: I’m going to give my dad the disk from the Martez incident.
Brennan: What? Why didn’t you tell us you had the disk?
Jesse: I couldn’t. I...uh...
Emma: Jesse, we’re all on your side!
Adam: All right, Jesse, look, I know this isn’t easy, but your dad is not the guy he pretends to be. You have to believe us!
Jesse: Look, I just don’t know what to believe right now.
Shalimar: Jesse, just come back. Come on, can’t we talk about this? [They wait.] Jesse?
Jesse (cutting the connection): Off. [Adam sighs in defeat.]
********Commercial Break*******
[At the safehouse, Calvin waits impatiently as Noah searches for the disk in vain.]
Calvin: Where the hell is it?
Noah (tossing the first aid kit on the ground): It was supposed to be here. I don’t know what happened to it.
Jesse (walking in): I do. Finally.
Noah: You were supposed to bring the disk here and then leave.
Jesse: Yeah, I lied. You know, like you did about giving these guys the slip.
Noah (rolling his eyes): Jesse, give me the disk.
Jesse (shaking his head): Everybody told me what was happening. I guess I had to see it for myself, huh? [He heads towards the stairs. Calvin grabs Noah by the neck, holding a gun to his head.]
Calvin: Hold it right there, champ. Hand over that disk, or become an instant orphan.
Jesse: Oh, go ahead. [Calvin and Noah gape at him.]
Noah: What?!
Jesse: Well, you've been using me all along. Go ahead. It's no loss. [Suddenly, Brennan bursts into the safehouse, and starts fighting the two GS agents on the landing. While Calvin's distracted, Jesse phases into the wall, comes out behind Calvin, and rips off his audio filter. He punches Calvin, massing to protect his father. Calvin's eyes widen as a GS agent raises his gun.]
Calvin: No, no, don’t shoot! Don’t! [He screams in agony at the deafening sounds of gunfire. Brennan and Jesse defeat the rest of the GS agents together.]
Jesse: You followed me.
Brennan: You’ve got that right. I’ve always got your back. [They slap hands.]
Jesse (returning his smile): Thank you.
Brennan: Yeah. [Jesse starts to follow Brennan out, but stops mid-stride at Noah's voice.]
Noah: Jesse?
Jesse (turning around): You know, Dad, I hate to break it to you. But the moment they had their hands on that disk, you were dead.
Noah: Look, all I ever wanted was a chance to start over again. I didn't mean to hurt you, Jesse, but I had no choice.
Jesse: No choice? You know, you've always got choices, Dad. You just made the wrong one.
Noah: My life wasn't going the way I wanted it to. I wanted to provide for you and your--
Jesse (shaking his head): Don't. Okay? Just, just don't.
Noah: Do you have the disk? [Shaking his head in disgust, Jesse pulls out the disk, crushes it in his massed hand, and drops it to the ground.]
Jesse: Why couldn't you have just come back for me, huh?
Noah: Look. I know the kind of father you want. And I'm sorry, but I'm not that guy.
Jesse: Yeah, I'm sorry too. [He turns and trudges slowly up the stairs.]
[Back at Genomex, Nicole enters Mason’s office, escorted by two GS agents.]
Nicole: Your GS agents have blocked me from entering my own facility!
Mason: It’s not your facility any more. I’ve convinced the federal government to allow Genomex to take over Nexxogen.
Nicole: What?!
Mason: Well, I certainly couldn’t keep letting people just run in there and take anything they wanted. I’ve ordered a complete overhaul of the database. And as far as the disk is concerned, you’ll be happy to know, it’s been destroyed.
Nicole: What am I going to do?
Mason: Well, we have some wonderful job opportunities on the Genomex website. But of course, we require excellent references. [They glare at each other until Nicole spins around and heads out the door, shoving the GS agents out of her way. Mason turns in his chair to look out the window at Calvin, who is entombed in a stasis pod below.] And as for you, Mr. Porter. You're going to be listening to me for a long time.
[Jesse’s walking sadly down Sanctuary's hallway when Shalimar pokes her head out her door.]
Shalimar: Jess? [He stops as she comes out.] I heard what happened. You okay?
Jesse: Yeah, I'm fine.
Shalimar: You want to talk about it?
Jesse: No.
Shalimar: Do you want me to leave you alone?
Jesse: No. [She takes his offered arm, returning his smile. They continue down the hallway together as Adam watches from the second floor.]
Closing Credits.
Mutant X Episode #113 Transcript: " Blood Ties"
[Opening Scene: Loud techno music plays inside a popular nightclub at night. Jesse saunters out of the club, searching the parking lot until he spots Brennan flirting with a dark-haired woman just outside the front doors. Coming to a stop behind Brennan, Jesse clears his throat loudly. Brennan pretends not to hear him.]
Dana (giggling): My car’s not far from here.
Brennan: Uh...
Jesse (interrupting): I’m calling it a night. You coming home?
Brennan (finally turning around): Uh...After I walk Dana to her car.
Jesse (nodding): See you soon.
Brennan (smiling): Not too soon, I hope. [Laughing, Jesse heads into the parking garage. He hasn't walked far when he realizes someone is sneaking along behind him. Jesse phases into the wall to hide until the man has passed, then quickly re-emerges to confront him.]
Jesse: Who the hell are you and why are you following me?
Noah (spinning around): It’s me, Jess.
Jesse (in shock): I can’t believe it.
Noah (laughing): Hey, you’re getting bigger! Hitting the gym, huh? [He hugs Jesse.] Oh, it’s good to see you.
Jesse: Um, what are you doing here?
Noah: I’m on an undercover assignment, Jess. It’s gotten kind of ugly. [Just then, shots ring out and a couple of bullets barely miss Jesse’s head. Grabbing Jesse's coat, Noah dives to the floor as the shooter races past them in a black car.]
Jesse (sitting up, peering out after the car): What’s going on?!
Noah: I’m in a little bit of trouble.
Jesse: Who are these guys?
Noah (slipping a disk into Jesse’s jacket pocket): Nexxogen Security. Now, we’ve gotta get outta here. Now! [They duck behind a wall as the car returns for a second pass. A woman in black, Nicole Carter, comes running into the garage and calls to Noah.]
Nicole Carter: You can’t keep running, Noah! Give it up! [Noah flees as the shooter’s car barrels towards him at top speed. Jesse runs directly into the car's path, pushing Noah away.]
Jesse: Noah! Noah, get out of the way! [Jesse masses, and the car smashes into him. The driver crawls out of the front seat, badly hurt.]
Nicole: He’s one of Eckhart’s new mutants! [She gets into a second black car and drives away, while the shooter and the limping driver escape the garage on foot. Jesse looks around, but Noah has disappeared.]
Jesse: Noah? [Jesse retrieves Noah's dropped cell phone from the ground at his feet just as Brennan finally enters the garage. He sees the smashed car and rushes to Jesse’s side.]
Brennan: Hey! You okay? What the hell happened here?
Jesse (grinning happily): My dad showed up. [He walks off. Completely confused, Brennan hurries after him.]
[Emma and Jesse stroll along the ground floor of Sanctuary beside the waterfall, talking about the night’s events.]
Jesse: And all of a sudden, bam! There he was, standing right in front of me. I mean, it was...it was great.
Emma: I’ve never heard you talk about your dad before.
Jesse: Well, that’s because I don’t get to see him very much. He’s a covert operative, so he’s always away on assignment. [She hands him a mug of cocoa, smiling.] Thanks. What?
Emma: I’ve just never seen you this happy. Or this wired.
Jesse: Well, it’s great to see him again. But um...I am a little concerned about what’s happening with him.
Emma: Who did you say was after him?
Adam (coming in): Nexxogen. It’s a bioengineering firm specializing in the genetic replication of protoplasm.
Jesse: You mean, cloning?
Adam: In a way. And it seems likely that Genomex has had something to do with them in the past.
Emma: Outsourcing?
Adam: Well, you remember we heard about Nexxogen last year? They had an industrial accident outside the city of Martez?
Jesse: Right. Big fire at their facility.
Emma: Yeah, didn’t they blame that on a gas leak or something?
Adam: Yeah.
Jesse: Hey, maybe...maybe my dad’s investigating it.
Adam: Yeah, it could be. Have you heard from him again?
Jesse: No, not yet. Why?
Adam: All right. You let me know the minute he calls. Maybe we can do something help.
Jesse (nodding): Okay. [Adam leaves. Jesse and Emma exchange a happy smile.]
[Inside Genomex headquarters, Mason’s walking along the lower catwalk when he’s approached by one of the Genomex guards.]
Calvin: Mr. Eckhart, sir? My name is Calvin Porter, and I was hoping to speak to you about a promotion. I understand a field agent position has just opened up, and I’d like to be considered for the job.
Mason: That information is classified. Whoever told you about that is in serious trouble.
Calvin: Actually, I heard it from you, sir. [Mason stops walking to face him.] I'm a new mutant, sir, with genetically enhanced hearing.
Mason: Is that so?
Calvin: Yes sir. In fact the sounds of the world nearly drove me out of my mind until the Genomex biotech lab created this audio filter. Now I can pinpoint any frequency over many miles. A great advantage in a field agent.
Mason: Well, Mr. Porter. With those outstanding abilities, I assume you'll be able to hear this: Don't ever speak to me directly again. [Glaring, he starts to walk away when he notices that Calvin’s concentrating on something coming through his audio filter.]
Nicole’s voice (upstairs, outside Mason’s office): I don’t care. Tell Eckhart that Nicole Carter is here to see him.
Mason: What is it?
Calvin: There’s a woman named Nicole Carter here to see you. And she’s giving your assistant hell. [Eyes widening, Mason hurries upstairs to find Nicole in front of his office door, facing down two Genomex guards.]
Nicole: Call off your dogs, Eckhart. We have to talk.
Mason: Of course. That will be all, gentlemen. [The guards nod, allowing them to enter.] How can I help you, Miss Carter?
Nicole: We have a problem.
Mason (skeptically): We?
Nicole (firmly): We. A member of my security staff invaded our database and downloaded sensitive information regarding the Martez incident.
Mason (sitting at his desk): How awful for you.
Nicole: I'm not alone out on this limb, Eckhart. Genomex shares responsibility for what happened there.
Mason: That's fascinating. We have entirely different memories of that tragedy. As far as the public is concerned, Genomex saved Nexxogen from bankruptcy, which I've always regarded as an act of unbelievable generosity...since your company is technically our competition.
Nicole: Is that how we're going to play this game? Well, let me be more clear. A computer disk with information implicating your company in that incident has been stolen. If this information comes to light, the world will learn that Martez was no industrial accident.
Mason (suddenly interested): In other words...
Nicole: If I go down...you go down.
Mason: I'll put my agents at your disposal.
Nicole: I thought that might change your tune.
Mason: We need to get that disk back immediately.
Nicole: Ya think? [She turns away, then turns back again.] Oh, and I believe one of your new mutants is standing in our way. One of my men wrapped a car around him, but he walked away without a scratch.
Mason: I’ll see if I can help.
Nicole: You do that. [She walks out. Mason sighs, then stands to gaze through his window at the ground floor. Sure enough, Calvin is still standing on the lower catwalk, his back turned to him.]
Mason: Mr. Porter. [Calvin stiffens and looks up at him.] Since I assume you’ve been eavesdropping already, I have an assignment for you. Get that disk Nexxogen is chasing, and you might just earn yourself that promotion. [Calvin smiles.]
[Jesse is practicing combat moves on holographic assailant in the dojo when Shalimar walks up the stairs to join him.]
Shalimar: How’re you doing?
Jesse: Well, I’ll be doing a lot better when my dad calls.
Shalimar (sitting on the steps): I saw the picture of the two of you you’ve got in your room.
Jesse: Oh, the father-son martial arts tournament. [As he’s talking, the hologram kicks him in the face. Jesse serves him several blows until he drops to the floor and vanishes. Jesse sits down next to Shalimar.] Yeah. We went every year until my parents split up. My dad’s job with the Feds took him undercover and overseas.
Shalimar: Is that why I never met him?
Jesse (nodding): Yeah. I haven’t even seen him since he went off to Europe.
Shalimar: You okay? You look a little worried about him.
Jesse: The guy is a decorated hero. He’s been on a lot of assignments, but something’s...something’s different.
Shalimar (taking his hand): Well, if you need any of us to jump in and help, you just say the word.
Jesse (smiling): Thank you.
[Brennan comes up to Adam in the hallway as he’s leaving the lab.]
Brennan: Oh, hey! I did a little nosing around in Nexxogen’s personnel files.
Adam: Yeah?
Brennan: Turns out Noah Kilmartin is listed as the head of security until a month ago.
Adam (surprised): He works for them?
Brennan Yeah, until he got fired. Seems like he may have tried to screw them over.
Adam (going to the main computer): Well, let’s keep digging before we pass judgment. What else did you find?
Brennan (pointing to Nicole’s profile on the flat screen): Some interesting information on Nicole Carter. She’s the director of operations at Nexxogen.
Adam: Since before the explosion.
Brennan: Yeah. She must be pretty powerful or bullet-proof to have lasted.
Adam: Yeah, maybe a little of both. According to this, Nexxogen would have gone belly-up if they hadn’t gotten funding from Genomex.
Brennan: Exactly. But why would Eckhart wanna keep them in business?
Adam: Well, my first guess is that Genomex had something to do with the incident.
Brennan: Well, do you think Jesse’s father is tied to the incident too?
Adam: I think I know a way we can find out.
[Jesse’s walking towards his room when the cellphone in his pocket rings.]
Jesse: Dad?
Noah (walking along a bridge, on his cellphone): Sorry about last night, Jesse. I didn’t mean to run out on you and leave you in the lurch like that.
Jesse: You all right?
Noah: Oh, I’ll live. But I didn’t want to get you involved in this. I, I just had no idea where else to turn.
Jesse: No, forget about it, we’re family. Let me come get you.
Noah: Oh, I don’t know. The situation’s kind of dangerous right now.
Jesse: And all the more reason why we should be handling this together.
Noah: All right. But you have to come alone, and you have to promise not to tell anybody about this. [Jesse glances into the next room, where Adam and Brennan are talking.]
Adam: You think he’d be up for it?
Brennan: I could talk to him.
Adam: Check it out.
Brennan: All right. [He heads towards Jesse’s room.]
Noah: Jesse? Are you still there?
Jesse: Uh, yeah, Dad, I’m here, but...
Noah: Look, there’s no buts.
Jesse (frowning): Okay. I won’t tell anyone. [Calvin Porter eavedrops on the phone conversation from a nearby rooftop.]
Noah: That’s my boy. I knew I could count on you.
Jesse: Look, I still think you’re taking a big chance here.
Noah: Then that’s a chance we have to take.
Jesse: If you say so. Now where are you?
Noah: Okay. I’ll be in the courtyard of the Fairview Complex.
Jesse: I’m on my way.
Calvin (smiling, to his GS agents): Got ‘em. Let’s go.
[Shalimar and Emma join Adam in the lab as he works on the computer.]
Shalimar: Hey, Adam.
Adam: You ready to give Nexxogen a visit?
Emma: Absolutely.
Adam: I want you both to be careful.
Shalimar: So Brennan tells us they’ll be on heightened security alert?
Adam: Yeah, well, we’ll have you covered on that. Here, Emma. Give me your thumb. [She places her thumb on the device he holds out.] And press.
Emma (yanking her hand away): Ow!
Adam: Sorry.
Shalimar (alarmed): What is that?
Adam: They screen all their employees through thumbprint identification. This’ll get you in.
Shalimar (laughing at Emma): Big baby. So what’s the best place to tap into their database?
Adam: Uh, their main computer system. [Shalimar gasps in pain as her own thumb is printed. Emma grins, vindicated.] Sorry. From there, we can access all their files. With this little baby over here, we can have you in and out with a couple of minutes. [He holds out a round case to Shalimar.]
Shalimar: What do we do with it?
Adam: Install it into their system. Then we can copy all the files here at Sanctuary without detection.
Shalimar: Okay.
Emma: Let’s get to work.
Adam: Good luck.
Shalimar: Thanks. [She follows Emma out of the lab.]
[Heading out to meet his father, Jesse passes Brennan at the main computer.]
Brennan: Hey!
Jesse: Hey.
Brennan: Is it just me, or have you been a little AWOL since your dad popped up?
Jesse: No, I’ve been around, I just figured you’ve been busy.
Brennan: Ha. Yeah. So Adam and I did a little research on Nexxogen. Sounds like your dad had a pretty rough time.
Jesse: You might say that. I mean, they did try to run the guy over with a car.
Brennan: Oh, yeah? Does that happen a lot?
Jesse (annoyed): Does what happen a lot?
Brennan: You know, your dad showing up out of nowhere with a bunch of guys chasing him?
Jesse: Well, you never know what to expect with him, I mean, he has had a pretty amazing life.
Brennan: Ah, no kidding? Not your average guy, huh?
Jesse (defensively): No. I mean, he’s not exactly what you’d call a stay-at-home dad, but he’s always been there for me.
Brennan: Yeah, I’m just saying--
Jesse: Yeah, I know exactly what you’re saying, and you’re wrong.
Brennan: Jesse, my father wasn’t exactly the perfect dad either--
Jesse (interrupting him): Brennan, please don’t start this whole 'your childhood, my childhood competition' thing now, okay? Look, I’ve gotta go; I’ve got a date. I’ll see you.
Brennan (calling after him): Yeah, be careful, huh?
[Jesse arrives at the meeting place in the silver Audi. Not seeing his father, he gets out of the car to search for him.]
Jesse: Noah? Noah! [His cellphone rings.] Dad?
Noah (on the other line): Get in the car.
Jesse: Well, where are you?
Noah: Just get in the car! [Calvin Porter and his GS agents emerge from a building nearby.] These guys aren’t gonna take no for an answer.
Jesse: I’m not leaving without you.
Noah: Well, that’s not gonna happen. [Spotting him, all three GS agents start running towards Jesse, who hurries back into his car. Noah pops up in the back seat behind him, his face covered with new bruises.] What are you waiting for? Go! [Jesse peels off, leaving the GS agents in the dust.]
******Commercial Break*******
[Jesse leads his father into a new mutant safehouse near a subway station.]
Noah: What’s this place supposed to be?
Jesse: Well, it’s supposed to be a new mutant safehouse. I’ll explain later. Why don’t you go on down, let me patch you up.
Noah: Oh, come on, Jess. I’m fine.
Jesse (following him down the stairs): Yeah.
Noah: You know, you’re just like your mom. You’re always trying to take care of things, you know?
Jesse: Well, that’s funny. She was always saying I was just like you ‘cause I was always acting up.
Noah (chuckling): I see.
Jesse: I guess I got a foot in both camps, huh? [He hauls a green bin of medical supplies from under a table as Noah sits on a bench facing him.] So, you wanna tell me why those guys were chasing you?
Noah: Well, I was doing pretty good at this job until I got...downsized. That’s when I went to Nexxogen. I stumbled on this company’s scandal involving new mutants.
Jesse: Does it have anything to do with the Martez accident?
Noah: Well, what do you know about that?
Jesse: Just what was in the news.
Noah: Ah, that was all a cover-up. If the real truth came out, heads would roll.
Jesse: Let me guess. With your head first on the chopping block, huh?
Noah (chuckling): You got that right. When I realized what had happened, I knew that there was no turning back, so I downloaded everything about the incident as insurance.
Jesse: Where’s the file?
Noah: I put it on a disk...which I slipped in your coat pocket last night.
Jesse: What?
Noah: Well, I was afraid they would take it away from me, and... [He smiles.] Well, I knew they wouldn’t take it away from you.
Jesse (touched): I’m glad you trusted me, Dad.
Noah: Yeah.
Jesse: In fact, um, I have some pretty powerful friends who I trust, who I think might be able to help us.
Noah (standing): I can’t let you do that. These people are willing to kill at any cost to keep this secret.
Jesse: Yeah, no, you don’t understand, you-
Noah: I feel bad enough drawing you into it. I don’t want to risk anyone else. We handle this my way.
Jesse: All right, Dad.
Noah (hugging him happily): Okay. [Noah sits back down.]
Jesse (holding up a cotton swab): All right.
Noah: Okay. [He winces as Jesse dabs at his wounds.]
[Shalimar and Emma enter the Nexxogen headquarters' lobby, whispering to each other.]
Shalimar: I knew I shouldn't have worn these pants. My underwear is riding up big-time.
Emma (looking at her in surprise): You're wearing underwear?
Shalimar (looking at her in surprise): You're not?
Adam (with Brennan, listening in from Sanctuary): You two done?
Shalimar: Yep, I think that about covers it.
Adam (pulling up the blueprints on his screen): Good. Now the computer center shouldn’t be too far past the lobby. Once you pass through the employee’s entrance, get there fast. Your ID gives you limited access.
Emma: Shall we?
Shalimar: Yeah. [They join the line of employees entering the metal detector. Shalimar places her thumb on the ID pad, is identified as Sarah Farner, and steps through the metal detector, but when Emma puts her thumb down, the ID doesn’t register. The guard frowns down at his computer, holding up a hand.]
The Guard: Just a moment. [Shalimar, being scanned by a guard inside, exchanges a dismayed look with Emma.]
Nicole Carter (coming up): Is there a problem? [Finally, the computer finds Emma’s profile, identifying her has Jennifer Scott.]
The Guard (nodding): Go ahead.
Emma (smiling confidently at Nicole): No, no problem.
[At Genomex, Mason sits at his desk, listening to Calvin’s report.]
Calvin: It’s under control, sir.
Mason: Since you don’t have the disk, I’ll have to assume that your definition of control differs wildly from mine.
Calvin: The Nexxogen employee who stole the disk is Jesse Kilmartin’s father. And with a member of Mutant X involved, the playing field is very different.
Mason: Are you trying to shirk responsibility for your failure?
Calvin: I’m simply pointing out how complex the situation is.
Mason: Mr. Porter. I would like to make the situation crystal clear. If that file gets into the wrong hands, Genomex could be shut down permanently.
Calvin: I understand, sir, but... [He stops.] No more excuses.
Mason: There had better not be. [Mason presses a button on his desk to open the sliding door himself, dismissing him.]
[Jesse and Noah are eating sandwiches in the safehouse.]
Jesse (holding up a piece of cheese): It’s terrible, huh?
Noah (mouth full): No, it’s great! I was starving. You know, I think I may be getting too old for this kind of work.
Jesse (grinning): Oh, shut up! You’re not old, and you’re gonna be around for a long time, Dad.
Noah: No, you may have to take over for your old man, huh? But from what I hear, it sounds like you already have.
Jesse: What do you mean?
Noah: I know about you and your team. Mutant X?
Jesse: How?
Noah: I've got my sources. C'mon, I've been in covert ops my entire adult life. I know what's happening. [Jesse nods.] Particularly when it concerns my own son. I'm proud of you, Jess. It's great work you're doing.
Jesse (smiling): Thank you. [Noah sighs, rubbing his neck.] Dad?
Noah: No, I’m okay.
Jesse (getting up): You look beat. Look, why don’t you get some rest? I’ll get you some clean clothes and some real food.
Noah (shaking his head): No, I’ve got some work to do.
Jesse: Well, I’ll help you with that when I get back, okay?
Noah: What about the-
Jesse: I’ll get the disk, okay? Get some rest. There’s a cot right there. I'll be back soon. [He leaves.]
Noah (dialing his cellphone): You come to a decision? [He listens.] The price is non-negotiable. Besides, I have protection now. You can’t stop me. Step up with the cash, or I go public with the disk. [He hangs up.]
[At Nexxogen, Shalimar and Emma find two GS agents guarding the elevators.]
Emma: Don’t worry, I’ve got this covered. [She projects an illusion into the minds of the agents in front of her, making them believe she’s Nicole Carter.] I need you two to scout the outer perimeter. Get moving. [The agents leave, and Emma and Shalimar step into the elevator together.]
Shalimar (smiling): Nicely done.
Emma: Thanks.
Shalimar: Ready?
Emma: Yeah. [They step off the elevator, and are stopped by a fence of red lasers protecting the computer room. Shalimar calls Adam over her comlink.]
Shalimar: Adam, the computers are blocked by a laser grid.
Adam: I know. I’ll have to deactivate it. Uh, look around. There should be an unprotected keyboard somewhere.
Shalimar (finding the keyboard): Okay.
Adam: Okay, good. Now that you’ve got the keyboard, we can start the decryption for access. [Shalimar types in a command.] Okay, good. Now I want you to key in this sequence: 696241. [Shalimar enters the code, and the laser grid disappears.]
Emma: That did it. [Downstairs, the two GS agents are accosted by the real Nicole Carter.]
Nicole: Hold it right there! Why aren’t you guarding the computer center?
The Guard (calling her over): Miss Carter? Miss Carter! [She goes over to him.] We’ve got a breach.
Nicole: Where? [Sure enough, his monitor shows a breach in the computer center. Nicole looks up at the two hapless GS agents.] Move.
Emma (installing Adam's disk): All right, try that.
Shalimar (typing): All right, go.
Emma: Adam?
Adam: Yes. We’re getting the feed. I’m assuming that you haven’t had any problems with security?
Shalimar: No, it was pretty good. Emma had to get rid of a couple of GS agents, but aside from that...
Adam: What? GS agents?
Emma: Yeah.
Adam (alarmed): All right, both of you get out of there. Now.
Brennan: Woah, Adam, wait. We’re about three minutes away from a complete download.
Adam: Yeah, but if Eckhart’s men are there, they’ve changed the security codes. They’re gonna know we’re tapped into the system. I want you both out of there, now! [He turns to Brennan.] All right, I want you and Jesse to take the Double Helix, get over there, get them out.
Brennan: All right, well, there’s one problem with that. Jesse left a while ago, turned off his comlink.
Adam: All right, forget about Jesse. You go get them. Hurry! [As Nicole and the two GS agents wait for the elevator, Shalimar and Emma sneak down the stairs and hurry towards the exit. When they reach the metal detector, The Guard blocks their path.]
The Guard: Hold it.
********Commercial Break**********
[Four GS agents surround Emma and Shalimar in the Nexxogen lobby, but they fight their way free.]
Emma: Come on! [Emma punches out a fifth agent as they run out the door, followed by an army of GS agents. Outside, Emma and Shalimar manage to take out three more of their opponents before two snipers on the roof start shooting at them. Running up, Brennan hits the snipers with two electrical arcs, knocking them off the roof. He grins as Shalimar and Emma run up to him.]
Brennan: Somebody call for a ride?
Emma: We are so screwed!
Brennan: Deactivate cloak! [The Double Helix materializes in the field in front of them.]
Emma: Or not. [A dozen GS agents, led by Nicole Carter, back up as the Helix takes off and flies away.]
[At the safehouse, Noah gets a call on his cellphone.]
Noah: I knew eventually saner minds would prevail. Are you prepared to meet my price?
Nicole: Yes. I’m tired of dealing with your new mutant friends.
Noah (confused): What?
Nicole: When I hired you to head security, I never realized your extortion skills were so refined. It will take me at least a day to get the funds together.
Noah: Just call me when you have the money. [He hangs up just as the lights overhead go off. He’s starting cautiously up the stairs when the door blows in, throwing him down the stairs. Two armed GS agents, led by Calvin Porter, grab him.] How’d you find me here? My cellphone’s untraceable!
Calvin (smiling): Yes. But thanks to my specialty, your voice isn’t. [He punches Noah, knocking him out.] Go. Find the disk.
[Jesse’s returned to Sanctuary for the jacket he was wearing the night before. Just as he’s removing the disk from the pocket, Adam comes up behind him.]
Adam: Jesse?
Jesse (quickly replacing the disk): Yeah?
Adam: Have you heard from your father?
Jesse: Yeah, actually. I just...I just left him. Why?
Adam: I thought you were gonna let me know when he called.
Jesse (hesitating): I’m sorry, it obviously just slipped my mind.
Adam: Well, we could have used your help getting Emma and Shalimar out of Nexxogen.
Jesse: What?
Adam: Yeah, they broke into the databank. They found out why they‘re after your father.
Jesse: Yeah, he stole a file with the real story of Martez.
Adam (shaking his head): I’m afraid it goes a little deeper than that. Turns out your father stole the file to...blackmail Nexxogen.
Jesse: What?
Adam: Yeah. I’m sorry. I know it’s hard to hear something like this, but...
Jesse: Look, my dad is the good guy here. I mean, obviously they’re trying to frame him.
Adam: I don’t think so.
Jesse: Adam, we’re talking about my dad here. I think I know him a little better than you do.
Adam: Jesse, just listen. [He goes to the computer.] I want you to look at the evidence and see that, you know, we’re not just making this up. [Jesse stalks off.] Jesse!
[Back at Genomex, Calvin walks with Mason towards the interrogation room, where Noah is strapped to the metal chair.]
Calvin: He doesn’t have the disk, and refuses to tell us where it is.
Mason: So, Mr. Kilmartin. You’re as big a pain as your son. Perhaps I should turn you over to Miss Carter. She lacks my tolerance and patience.
Noah: Don’t threaten me. I know full well that Nexxogen is just a puppet of Genomex.
Mason: That’s impossible to prove.
Noah (chuckling): Don’t bet on it. How do you think the world would react if they knew what happened at Martez?
Mason: That was an industrial accident.
Noah: It was new mutants. And because of the experiments Nexxogen performed at your behest, their genes replicated out of control until their bodies simply exploded. Of course, the file goes into more graphic detail.
Mason (nodding to Calvin): My apologies at your rude reception, Mr. Kilmartin. [Calvin releases Noah, and Mason follows him out of the room.]
[Jesse returns to the safehouse, only to find the place has been torn apart.]
Jesse (looking around in vain): Dad? Dad! Dad!
********Commercial Break**********
[At Sanctuary, Adam walks down the stairs with Brennan and Shalimar.]
Adam: I tried to talk to him, but he wouldn’t hear it.
Shalimar: So you have no idea where he went?
Adam: No.
Brennan: Why can’t he just face it? His father’s not the good guy that he pretends to be.
Shalimar: Yeah, well, it’s a little more complex than that.
Brennan (scoffing): What’s complex? All the evidence is there in black and white.
Shalimar: Yeah, well, it’s not black and white to Jesse!
Brennan: Hey, don’t get mad at me.
Shalimar: I’m not, I just-
Adam: Hey, hey, Shalimar, look, I know that you and Jesse are close, but-
Shalimar: Listen, Jesse loves his dad, okay? He just wants to believe that he grew up with the perfect father.
Brennan: Yeah, well, I’ll talk to him when he gets back.
Shalimar: No, you won’t! Can’t we just give him some time to absorb this?
Adam: No, we don’t have time! Every minute that that disk is out there, we run the risk of the world finding out what happened in Martez. And if that happens, then our life and our cause gets that much more complicated.
[Nicole calls Mason from Nexxogen to inform him of the break-in.]
Nicole: Mason, there's been another security breach at Nexxogen.
Mason (pacing at his desk): Yes. I heard they'd installed a revolving door at your facility.
Nicole: Don’t try to pin the blame on me. It was more new mutants, and your GS agents were of no help whatsoever.
Mason: They will be disciplined. Are you any closer to retrieving the disk?
Nicole: I’m going to pay him off.
Mason (sitting): Really?
Nicole: I’m putting the funds together now.
Mason: Well, I hate to disappoint you, Miss Carter, but you’re a day late and a dollar short.
Noah (standing in front of Mason): The deal’s off. But thanks so much for helping to drive the price up.
Nicole: Eckhart! That disk is mine!
Mason: It was. But perhaps it will be a tad safer in my possession. [He turns off the speaker phone.] So, Mr. Kilmartin. Where exactly is the disk?
Noah (sitting down): You’ll have it soon enough.
Mason: Now how do you propose we conclude our transaction?
Noah: I’ve thought that through.
Mason: Somehow, I had a feeling you might.
[Jesse returns to the main room of Sanctuary to find Shalimar waiting up for him.]
Shalimar: Jess, where have you been? Adam’s been trying to find you all night.
Jesse: Why, did he find some more dirt on my dad?
Shalimar: Look, Adam’s not the bad guy in all this!
Jesse (facing her): But my dad is?
Shalimar (quietly): I’m not saying that.
Jesse (frowning in surprise): Yeah, you are.
Shalimar: Jess, come on.
Jesse: Well, you’re just like everybody else, aren’t you?
Shalimar: Look, Jesse, I know you love your dad, but I mean, come on, you can’t ignore what is right in front of you!
Jesse (pulling away from her): Do you know what it’s like to see your dad being shot at? Or found him beat to a pulp?
Shalimar: No.
Jesse: No. Well, I thought that of everybody, you’d be on my side. [He walks past her towards the lab, pulling out the ringing cellphone. He waits until he's in the lab to talk.] Hold on. Dad?
Noah: Thank God, Jesse.
Jesse: Dad, we’ve got a lot of documents from Nexxogen that make it look like...well, they make it look like you’re an extortionist.
Noah: Well, they’re trying to frame me, you know that.
Jesse: What happened at the safehouse?
Noah: A pack of GS agents tracked me down. I managed to get away.
Jesse: Are you all right?
Noah: For now. I want you to listen carefully to me, Jesse. I need you to take the disk back to the safehouse. I want you to leave it in the first aid kit, and then get out of there.
Jesse: Why don’t I meet you there?
Noah: Because I don’t want anything to happen to you. Now do as I say, Jess. My life is at stake. [He hangs up and looks over at Mason.]
Mason: You lie beautifully, Mr. Kilmartin.
Noah: Well, I'm not lying about this. If anything happens to my son, the deal's off.
Mason (sarcastically): Your loyalty is something to behold. [Calvin comes in.] Mr. Kilmartin will lead you to the disk. Once you have it, I’ll wire the money we agreed on. [Calvin follows Noah out. Mason swivels in his chair to watch them walk across the lower catwalk. When he's sure only Calvin can hear him, he speaks again.] Mr. Porter. Once you have that disk, kill him. [Calvin's face lights up.]
[Back at Sanctuary, Adam’s walking with Emma along the second floor balcony.]
Emma: Maybe I should try talking to him.
Adam: Well, Shalimar tried; he said he just wants to be left alone.
Emma: Well, shouldn’t we try again?
Adam: Might end up driving him farther away instead of helping him face the truth.
Shalimar (running up the stairs): Adam! Jesse just took off in the Double Helix.
Adam (calling over his comlink): Jesse? Jesse!
Jesse (in the Helix): Yes.
Adam: Where are you going?
Jesse: I’m going to give my dad the disk from the Martez incident.
Brennan: What? Why didn’t you tell us you had the disk?
Jesse: I couldn’t. I...uh...
Emma: Jesse, we’re all on your side!
Adam: All right, Jesse, look, I know this isn’t easy, but your dad is not the guy he pretends to be. You have to believe us!
Jesse: Look, I just don’t know what to believe right now.
Shalimar: Jesse, just come back. Come on, can’t we talk about this? [They wait.] Jesse?
Jesse (cutting the connection): Off. [Adam sighs in defeat.]
********Commercial Break*******
[At the safehouse, Calvin waits impatiently as Noah searches for the disk in vain.]
Calvin: Where the hell is it?
Noah (tossing the first aid kit on the ground): It was supposed to be here. I don’t know what happened to it.
Jesse (walking in): I do. Finally.
Noah: You were supposed to bring the disk here and then leave.
Jesse: Yeah, I lied. You know, like you did about giving these guys the slip.
Noah (rolling his eyes): Jesse, give me the disk.
Jesse (shaking his head): Everybody told me what was happening. I guess I had to see it for myself, huh? [He heads towards the stairs. Calvin grabs Noah by the neck, holding a gun to his head.]
Calvin: Hold it right there, champ. Hand over that disk, or become an instant orphan.
Jesse: Oh, go ahead. [Calvin and Noah gape at him.]
Noah: What?!
Jesse: Well, you've been using me all along. Go ahead. It's no loss. [Suddenly, Brennan bursts into the safehouse, and starts fighting the two GS agents on the landing. While Calvin's distracted, Jesse phases into the wall, comes out behind Calvin, and rips off his audio filter. He punches Calvin, massing to protect his father. Calvin's eyes widen as a GS agent raises his gun.]
Calvin: No, no, don’t shoot! Don’t! [He screams in agony at the deafening sounds of gunfire. Brennan and Jesse defeat the rest of the GS agents together.]
Jesse: You followed me.
Brennan: You’ve got that right. I’ve always got your back. [They slap hands.]
Jesse (returning his smile): Thank you.
Brennan: Yeah. [Jesse starts to follow Brennan out, but stops mid-stride at Noah's voice.]
Noah: Jesse?
Jesse (turning around): You know, Dad, I hate to break it to you. But the moment they had their hands on that disk, you were dead.
Noah: Look, all I ever wanted was a chance to start over again. I didn't mean to hurt you, Jesse, but I had no choice.
Jesse: No choice? You know, you've always got choices, Dad. You just made the wrong one.
Noah: My life wasn't going the way I wanted it to. I wanted to provide for you and your--
Jesse (shaking his head): Don't. Okay? Just, just don't.
Noah: Do you have the disk? [Shaking his head in disgust, Jesse pulls out the disk, crushes it in his massed hand, and drops it to the ground.]
Jesse: Why couldn't you have just come back for me, huh?
Noah: Look. I know the kind of father you want. And I'm sorry, but I'm not that guy.
Jesse: Yeah, I'm sorry too. [He turns and trudges slowly up the stairs.]
[Back at Genomex, Nicole enters Mason’s office, escorted by two GS agents.]
Nicole: Your GS agents have blocked me from entering my own facility!
Mason: It’s not your facility any more. I’ve convinced the federal government to allow Genomex to take over Nexxogen.
Nicole: What?!
Mason: Well, I certainly couldn’t keep letting people just run in there and take anything they wanted. I’ve ordered a complete overhaul of the database. And as far as the disk is concerned, you’ll be happy to know, it’s been destroyed.
Nicole: What am I going to do?
Mason: Well, we have some wonderful job opportunities on the Genomex website. But of course, we require excellent references. [They glare at each other until Nicole spins around and heads out the door, shoving the GS agents out of her way. Mason turns in his chair to look out the window at Calvin, who is entombed in a stasis pod below.] And as for you, Mr. Porter. You're going to be listening to me for a long time.
[Jesse’s walking sadly down Sanctuary's hallway when Shalimar pokes her head out her door.]
Shalimar: Jess? [He stops as she comes out.] I heard what happened. You okay?
Jesse: Yeah, I'm fine.
Shalimar: You want to talk about it?
Jesse: No.
Shalimar: Do you want me to leave you alone?
Jesse: No. [She takes his offered arm, returning his smile. They continue down the hallway together as Adam watches from the second floor.]
Closing Credits.