Mutant X Transcripts: Ep 302 "Wages of Sin"
Mutant X Episode Transcripts
Mutant X Episode #302 Transcript: " Wages of Sin"
[Opening scene: The rooftops of a city block at night. Shalimar jumps from rooftop to rooftop until she reaches the edge. Gazing down upon the alleyway below her, she leaps to the ground just behind Brennan, startling him. He spins around, ready to punch his assailant, then laughs when he recognizes her. She playfully grabs his fist, and the two continue to search the alleyway.]
Shalimar (into her comlink): Nothing, anywhere.
Brennan: Hey, Lexa, are you sure you’re right about your tip? [In Sanctuary, Jesse and Lexa are walking through the main room.]
Lexa: Of course. My contacts tell me someone’s developed a new genetically based weapon and they’re looking to hook it up with a buyer tonight.
Brennan: Well, maybe they’re wrong.
Lexa: Never.
Brennan: Well, if they know everything about everything, then why are we out here running their errands?
Lexa: Because they’re the ones paying the bills for Mutant X, Brennan.
Jesse: If the stuff being moved tonight is genetically based, Brennan, it’s either an ex-Genomex person or someone else opening up the same can of misery.
Brennan (whispering to Shalimar): You know, I still think we’re wasting our time.
Shalimar (smiling): You have a lot to learn about hunting, Brennan. This is the best part, the anticipation. [Leaning close, she touches Brennan’s chest.] The stillness. Waiting for your prey to show itself. [Suddenly, they hear a car’s wheels screeching. Shalimar shoves Brennan back against the wall, out of sight of the approaching car.]
Brennan: Ow. [They watch a man get out of the car and drop something into a slot in the wall.]
Brennan: Maildrop. [He reads the license plate.] Plate is...623 LXM.
Jesse (at the computer): I’m running it.
Shalimar: I’ll collect what he left.
Brennan: No, no, no. Let’s see who picks it up, then we’ll collect them too.
Jesse: The car is registered to the Westland Casino.
Lexa: Check it out. [Jesse does so, shaking his head at her bossy tone.]
Shalimar: Someone’s coming. [Two men emerge from a building across the street and walk toward the maildrop.]
Man #1: Don’t do anything until I tell you. And watch your back. Get the sample.
Man #2 (picking out the container): How dangerous is it?
Man #1: That’s what we’re here to find out. [Opening the container, he sprays the contents in his companion’s face. The second man panics as his face bleeds, then he falls to the ground.]
Brennan: All right, this has gone bad; we’re going in. [Running up, Shalimar drops the man with a back-kick to the face, but he manages to hurl a knife at Brennan. Shalimar races towards Brennan and catches the knife mid-air before it hits Brennan’s face. The man takes off in the car, leaving an ID card and the container on the ground.]
Opening Credits. “Wages of Sin”
[At Sanctuary, Jesse's showing Brennan and Shalimar the results of his computer analysis.]
Jesse: That’s what was in the container. It’s called a prion.
Shalimar: What is it, some kind of poison?
Jesse: It’s a modified protein molecule. Now there it is up against a normal body protein. The amino acid sequence is the same in both, but the three-dimensional configuration is different. Basically, the prion is a mirror-image of a normal protein. The nasty part is that it’s able to convert a normal protein to its own shape, molecule by molecule.
Brennan: The biological equivalent of a nuclear meltdown.
Jesse: Yeah. And it’s been weaponized. It’s distributed in an aerosol form. Now just a couple of ounces of this in the water supply will take out half a city.
Lexa (coming down the stairs): Yeah, which is why it would’ve been nice if we’d taken out one of the players. We’re no closer to whoever created this stuff than we were last night.
Brennan: Yeah, and I bet you would’ve done better if you had been there.
Lexa: Well, I couldn’t have done worse. I mean, if the buyer hadn’t dropped this [She holds up the ID card], we wouldn’t have had anything on him.
Brennan: He didn’t drop it. We knocked it out of him.
Lexa: The point is, we need information, and we need it fast. A lot of people will die if this stuff gets used.
Shalimar: Well, I assume you were able to find out something about the Westland Casino?
Lexa (sitting at the computer): Yeah. It’s pretty high-end. [She pulls up a picture of a blonde woman.] Kristen Greg. She bought the casino a couple of years ago for 30 million dollars.
Shalimar: Think she’s involved?
Lexa: Well, nobody’s sure where the 30 mil came from. I think she’s worth looking at.
Brennan (smiling): Well, can’t argue with that. Got any background on her?
Lexa: She got into the gambling circuit quite young. She disappeared to Europe for a couple of years. She’s got a reputation as a hard-core risk-taker.
Brennan: Oh, sounds like my kind of girl. I think Shal and I should go work the casino and check her out. [Brennan and Shalimar head off.]
Lexa: Okay, be careful. [She hands the ID card to Jesse.] Here. You should be able to hack into the database, get me a room number for this.
Jesse: All right.
Lexa: Meantime, I’ll see if our killer’s up for a visit.
[Scene: The Westland Casino. Kristen Greg strolls around the room of happy gamblers, watching the activities closely. In walks Shalimar in a red dress, surreptitiously holding up her comlink to get video view of the room for Jesse, back at Sanctuary.]
Shalimar: Looks like a girl could have fun in a place like this.
Jesse (at the computer): Ah, nice place. Videolink is active. Okay, let’s start to the right, Shal. Get as many faces as you can. [He searches his computer database for each face Shalimar captures. The first is James Donald.] Let’s keep an eye on that guy. Nice, okay keep going. What’s at the next table? Poker! Say cheese. [He captures Michael Jones.] Looks like that guy could use a drink, huh? Okay, keep going. Next table. What about him over there? [He captures Thomas Sands, then Shalimar passes Brennan at the roulette table.] Okay, try your luck at the bar, Shal. [Shalimar's standing at the bar, capturing images for Jesse, when a man, Eduardo Cruz, walks up to the bar and signals the bartender.]
Eduardo: Scotch, lemon.
Bartender: Okay.
Jesse: This guy could be a hopeful. See if I can get an ID. Keep him close for a minute.
Shalimar (to Eduardo): Luck no good?
Eduardo (smiling): I think it just got better.
Jesse: Oh, smooth. [He pulls up Eduardo's profile on his computer.] Oh, smooth and watch this guy, Shal. His name is Eduardo Cruz. Chilean, worked with Pinochet. Accused of killing thousands of dissidents. Oh, but he skipped through the trials. Aha! Connections to right-wing terrorist groups. And there’s nothing in here about him being a gambler, so....
Shalimar: My name’s Linda.
Eduardo (shaking her hand): Eduardo. I like a strong woman.
Shalimar: You don’t know the half of it. [She notices that Eduardo's playing with a gold chip in his hand.] So, I didn’t know that this casino even had gold chips.
Eduardo: For very special clients. Care to join me?
Shalimar: I wouldn’t have it any other way. [They leave the bar to sit at a table, passing Brennan on the way.]
Jesse: Try to get some more faces, Shal. So far, I’ve found three terrorists with expertise in biological weapons at that casino.
Brennan (listening in over his comlink): Are they all here for the prion?
Jesse: Well, it sure looks that way. Oh, and by the way, according to the fingerprints on that keycard we retrieved, our killer’s a terrorist as well. His name’s The Tiger.
Brennan: The Tiger. That’s it?
Jesse: That’s it. There’s no photograph on the record and no one seems to know his real name. The prints were retrieved from a bombing in Spain, that’s all there is.
Brennan: Well, do we have any idea who’s running the auction?
Jesse: The same person who’s running the casino. Kristen Greg.
Brennan (spotting Kristen across the room): Well, then I’d better get to know her better. (He returns to the roulette table and hands in some chips.) Cash these, please.
[Scene: Lexa, dressed as a maid, arrives at The Tiger’s hotel room and knocks on the door.]
Lexa: Housekeeping! [Receiving no answer, she opens the door with the keycard and enters the room. She finds nothing in the desk drawers, but on opening the cabinet drawer, she sees a safe. Lexa smiles.]
[Back at the Casino, Brennan’s betting at the roulette wheel.]
Brennan: 28 Black, please. [With one finger under the table, Brennan shoots an electrical arc at the turning mechanism so that the ball stops at 28 black.]
Dealer: 28 Black wins. [Applause around the table. A guard informs Kristen about Brennan’s winning streak, and she saunters over to stand beside him.]
Kristen: A man who’s not afraid to take a chance.
Brennan: Well, you can’t win if you can’t play. [He zaps the device under the table again.]
Dealer: 30 Red wins. [More applause.]
Kristen: You’re a lucky man, Mr. Dawson.
Brennan: I have good timing. And you have good information. How’d you know my name?
Kristen: Information’s part of my job.
Brennan: And you’re working right now?
Kristen (smiling): Well, it could be personal interest.
Brennan: Well, that I like the sound of. (To the dealer) 11 Black. All of it.
Kristen: That’s a big bet.
Brennan: Small stakes aren’t worth playing.
Kristen: Oh, I couldn’t agree more. [Brennan zaps the mechanism again.]
Dealer: 11 Black wins. [Applause.]
[Meanwhile, in The Tiger’s room, Lexa’s using a laser to cut a hole around the safe’s lock. She opens it and pulls out a bunch of passports. Cut back to The Casino: Brennan and Kristen are walking down the hallway.]
Kristen: You just walked away with a lot of my money.
Brennan (pretending to be surprised): The place is yours? Then maybe you should let me buy you a drink. It’s the least I can do.
Kristen: I’m a working girl right now. But I’ll take you up on that later. You can bet on it. [She leaves. Brennan smiles to himself.]
[Back to The Tiger's hotel room, where Lexa's opening one of The Tiger's passports. She jumps as she hears a gun cock behind her.]
The Tiger: The pictures don’t do me justice.
Lexa: Yeah. You’re a lot uglier in person.
The Tiger: Think I’m going to enjoy killing you.
Lexa: You already missed your chance. [She spins around, grabbing the gun. They fight until they reach the balcony, and Lexa kicks him over the railing to the ground below. Just then, she hears a knock on the door.]
Maid (outside the room): Housekeeping!
Lexa: No! Uh-not right now, thanks.
Maid: Okay, Ma’am. [The maid leaves, and Lexa hurries to look over the balcony, but there's no sign of The Tiger's body.]
******Commercial Break**********
[Scene: The gang meets back at Sanctuary. Lexa and Jesse are at the computer when Brennan and Shalimar walk in, still dressed in their Casino outfits.]
Brennan: Find out where he went?
Lexa: Hell, I don’t even know how he got away.
Brennan (sarcastically): Nice work.
Lexa: One for you. Here’s a little souvenir I picked up. [She tosses him a gold chip.]
Brennan: It’s pretty light.
Jesse: Yeah, and it’s filled with electronics. Some kind of an encrypted digital ID, is my guess.
Shalimar: You know, my new boyfriend had one of these too. Said it made him a special client.
Jesse: Special client with a chance to buy the prion weapon, huh?
Brennan: Yeah. Any more information on Kristen Greg?
Jesse: Yeah. Got a Fed file on her. Looks like most of it’s been sanitized, by someone with top level clearance. She’s uh... [He glances at Lexa as she visibly reacts to the photo.]...connected to some pretty big hitters, Brennan. Got some ex-GS agents on her payroll too.
Shalimar: Okay, so, what now?
Jesse: Well, we’ve been talking about discrediting the seller. Making it impossible for her to move any more.
Shalimar: How?
Jesse: Well, switch the canister for something harmless. Make it look like the whole thing was a scam.
Brennan: Okay. So all we gotta do now is find the stuff.
Jesse: Yeah, but to do that, I’ve got to get into their computers. The problem is the computer is a discrete system. It’s not connected to the outside. But it will be, once my fiesty feral friend here hooks this up to the sp portal on the computers. [He hands Shalimar a connector.]
Shalimar (laughing): No problem.
[In the privacy of her Sanctuary office, Lexa sits at her personal computer to call her Dominion Contact over video link.]
The Contact: Yes?
Lexa: I need to get to Kristen Greg.
The Contact: Why?
Lexa: She’s connected to Dominique.
The Contact: I see. The sale of the prion must not be allowed to go through.
Lexa: I have it covered.
The Contact: You’d better. You’ll have your ID in an hour. Be careful, Lexa. Don’t get in over your head.
Lexa: I was born there. [She shuts off the connection.]
[Back at the Casino, Brennan and Kristen walk through the game room with glasses of wine.]
Brennan: I’m guessing you like winning.
Kristen: Winning, losing, it’s all the same. As long as everything’s on the line every minute.
Brennan: Well, you’ve got a lot to lose here.
Kristen: Yeah, that’s what makes the game so sweet. I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Brennan: Well, then, you and I are a lot alike.
Kristen: Are we? Or are you just playing me.
Brennan: I don’t think anyone could play you.
Kristen: Yeah, that’s what I mean. You’re just a little too cool for school.
Brennan: Well, that’s a gamble you’re just gonna have to take. Are you up for it?
Kristen: Still figuring my odds. I do like the look of the game, though. See you later, Mr. Dawson. [She walks off, and Lexa comes up to Brennan.]
Brennan: What the hell are you doing here?
Lexa: Well, it’s pretty clear what you’re up to.
Brennan: Yeah, I’m doing my job. Trying to stop this whole deal from going through.
Lexa: Mission’s changed. You and Shalimar are backing off.
Brennan: Excuse me?
Lexa: There are bigger things at stake here.
Brennan: Bigger things than thousands of lives?
Lexa: We’ll take care of the weapon another way.
Brennan: No! If we let any one of these guys get their hands on it, we will never find it again.
Lexa: We’ll find it.
Brennan: Is this what your contacts want?
Lexa: It’s what I’m telling you we’re doing.
Brennan: Oh, and I’ll bet you’re used to getting your way, aren’t you? [Lexa kisses him.] Hm. Well, what was that for?
Lexa: I just wanted to get that out of the way. Now you won’t have to wonder what it’d be like. And you won’t have to think it’ll happen again. Stay out of my way, Brennan. [She walks away.]
[Scene: Kristen’s office. Lexa’s standing in front of Kristen’s desk, holding a silver suitcase.]
Kristen (on the phone): She’s here with me now. Thanks. [She hangs up] Okay. You are who you say you are. What exactly do you want with me?
Lexa: I know what you’re selling. I want in.
Kristen: It’s late to get in on the game.
Lexa: My money’s good. And as you may have just learned, unlimited.
Kristen: You might have just said the magic word.
[Three-way split screen: Brennan and Shalimar are walking around the casino, Jesse’s in front of the computer at Sanctuary.]
Brennan (into his comlink): Hey, Jess. Have you heard from Lexa?
Jesse: She’s turned off her comlink. I guess she doesn’t want us to reach her, huh?
Brennan: Did she tell you why?
Jesse: No. But I think she might have seen something that changed her mind.
Shalimar (into her comlink): What?
Jesse (pulling up Kristen’s Fed file): There’s a picture in that Fed file. Here it is. It’s a picture of Kristen with someone named Dominique.
Shalimar: Who’s Dominique?
Jesse: I don’t know. All I’ve got is a picture.
Brennan: All right, Jess. Get more.
Jesse: Yeah. You’re coming in?
Brennan: Not yet.
Shalimar: You know, maybe we should let Lexa play out her hand. See what she’s up to.
Brennan: No. There’s too much at stake here.
Jesse: You know, she might have a good reason.
Brennan: I’ll believe it when I hear it.
[Brennan finds Kristen again, and they stroll around the game room together.]
Kristen: So, you’re bored cleaning out my roulette tables.
Brennan: No, I’m bored waiting for you to finish work so I can get you alone.
Kristen: You’ll find I’m always working, Mr. Dawson.
Brennan: Well, maybe you can work somewhere a little more private.
Kristen (walks away, then turns): Do you like champagne? [She takes Brennan into her office.]
Brennan: Well, this is certainly more private. I was just looking for something a little more...
Kristen: Comfortable? [As she walks to the back room, Brennan fires off an electrical arc, disabling the outside door’s lock for Shalimar.]
Brennan: Well, this is a little more like it.
Kristen (handing him a bottle of champagne): As promised.
[Shalimar enters Kristen's outer office through the door Brennan's left open for her, and inserts Jesse’s device into the computer. Lexa, invisible, enters the room behind her.]
Lexa (turning visible again): What part of “Stay out of this” do you two not understand?
Shalimar: The part where you forgot to tell us why.
Lexa: You have no idea what’s at stake here.
Shalimar: Well, tell us!
Lexa: You have to leave, now.
Shalimar [feral eyes glowing]: Someone’s coming. [An armed guard, Carter, enters the room.]
Carter (holding up a gun): Hold it! [He shoots a psionic blast at Lexa, immobilizing her.]
********Commercial Break********
Carter (resting an arm on Lexa’s shoulder): It’s frustrating not being able to move, isn’t it? [He licks her cheek. Shalimar uses the opportunity to attack him, getting the gun away from him. As they fight, Brennan and Kristen continue to flirt in the next room.]
Kristen: You know, you have me at a disadvantage. [When Carter’s punch misses Shalimar and hits Lexa’s face instead, Shalimar throws him against the table.] Did you hear something? [Brennan shrugs.] I feel like you know the game we’re playing. And I’m still not so sure.
Brennan: It’s a simple game. Men and women have been playing it forever.
Kristen: I think it’s more than that. You want something.
Brennan (chuckling): You’re absolutely right. [He pulls her in for a kiss. In the next room, Shalimar slams Carter over the table; he falls to the floor, out cold.]
Kristen (pulling away): I’m sure I heard something.
Brennan: I didn’t. [Kristen goes to check. Shalimar grabs Lexa’s arm, and the two hide under the table with Carter’s body. Lexa turns them invisible, so Kristen sees nothing. When Kristen leaves, Lexa turns them visible again.]
Lexa: Okay, let’s get him out of here. I’ll call a clean-up team.
Shalimar: A clean-up team?
Lexa: You don’t want to know.
Shalimar: Or you don’t want to tell me.
Lexa: You’re catching on. [She sees the hurt look on Shalimar’s face and relents.] Okay, I didn’t mean it like that. It’s just that what I’m doing, I need to do it alone, all right?
Shalimar (sitting back): Knock yourself out. [She watches smugly as Lexa tries in vain to move Carter’s heavy body by herself. Lexa finally gives up, and looks at Shalimar for help.] That’s what I thought. [They drag the body out together. Meanwhile, Kristen and Brennan are making out in the next room.]
Kristen (pulling away): I have to leave you for a few minutes. Can you hold that thought till I get back?
Brennan: As long as you promise to make it worth my while.
Kristen: Oh, I will. [Brennan kisses her.] You can count on it. [She goes into the next room, and picks up the phone.] Have you run that check I asked you about?
[Cut to: Shalimar, walking around the casino again when Jesse calls her from Sanctuary.]
Jesse: Shal, do you copy?
Shalimar (into her comlink): Loud and clear.
Jesse: Good. I’ve got the building plans. I’m going to push them to your data screen.
Shalimar (taking out her compact, which doubles as a mini-computer): Got it.
Jesse: Okay I’m in the security video system. Found it. The vault’s in the basement. It’s marked 143A on the plan.
Shalimar: Got that too.
Jesse: All right. Okay, I’ll make a duplicate of the cylinder, and we’ll make the switch.
Shalimar: Sounds easy.
Jesse: Oh, it’s not gonna be. Security system’s state of the art. The walls on that vault are too thick for me to phase through. I’m gonna copy the plans to Brennan. We’ll work something out.
[Back in Kristen’s inner office, Kristen has returned to Brennan.]
Brennan: I was beginning to think you weren’t coming back.
Kristen: Oh, I wouldn’t miss this for the world. [She pulls out a gun.]
Brennan: Just when I thought we were getting along so well.
Kristen: Who are you?
Brennan: Allan Dawson.
Kristen: Doesn’t exist. The truth or you’re dead.
*****Commercial Break****
Brennan: This is no way to treat a customer.
Kristen: You would have done well to gamble elsewhere.
Brennan: All right. This is not about gambling. I’m here to bid on the weapon. They call me The Tiger.
Kristen: Why should I believe you? [Brennan reaches into his jacket pocket.] Don’t move!
Brennan: Easy. I just wanna show you something. [He pulls out the gold chip.]
Kristen: If you were the Tiger, why didn’t you just say so?
Brennan: Because I was ambushed when I went to pick up the sample. I didn’t know if I should trust you.
Kristen: The question is, why should I trust you?
Brennan: You’re a gambler. Trust your instincts.
Kristen: I don’t go on instinct. Let’s hope this is your last deception. For your sake. Bidding starts in an hour. My office. [She lets him go.]
[Cut to: Jesse, watching the computer in Sanctuary, calls Brennan.]
Jesse: Well, Lexa’s guys are good. They’ve already fed me the DNA analysis of the mutant that attacked Lexa and Shalimar.
Brennan: Why would they give us that?
Jesse: Why do they do anything? I’m sure glad they did, though.
Brennan: It’s interesting.
Jesse: You could say so. Brennan, this guy’s mutation is similar to ours, but it’s stable.
Brennan: Stable?
Jesse: His genetic code has been fixed. There’s no continuing mutation. Brennan, this guy could live to see his grandchildren!
Brennan: Wait, that’s impossible. Adam’s the one who invented that technology and even he couldn’t stabilize the mutation.
Jesse: Yeah, well, someone did. Dominique?
Brennan: Dominique. Maybe she can stabilize us too? [Out of the corner of his eye, Brennan sees Lexa coming down the stairs towards him] Could be why Lexa’s so hot to find her. [He walks over to her.] Well, my cover’s blown. Almost got me killed. Was that your work?
Lexa: Well, you didn’t have to come back here. I warned you.
Brennan: Oh, well, thanks a lot.
Lexa: Look, I know you don’t trust me. But you’re going to have to give me some time.
Brennan: Well, why don’t you tell me about Dominique, and maybe I will.
Lexa: How do you know about her?
Brennan: I guess we both have our secrets. [Lexa smiles and walks off. Brennan speaks into his comlink again.] All right, sorry, Jess. Listen, what can you tell me about The Tiger?
Jesse: Almost nothing. He could turn up there at any time. Brennan, it’s time to get out. [Shalimar, having returned to Sanctuary, comes to stand next to Jesse.]
Brennan: No. No, I’m betting he thinks Kristen set him up. I’m guessing this is the last place he’d want to be.
Shalimar: That’s too big a bet. Jesse’s right. You need to get out of there.
Brennan: Listen, Kristen’s already suspicious. If I disappear, the auction stops. And then what?
Jesse: Then we come up with another plan.
Brennan: What, and risk losing track of the weapon? Nah, I’ll take my chances.
Shalimar: Come on, Brennan.
Brennan: Shal, listen. I’ll be okay.
Jesse: Okay. Well, security’ll be all tied up during the auction, so we’ll try to make our move.
Brennan: Okay, I’ll make sure that it doesn’t end too quickly.
[Scene: The Westland Casino’s vault. Shalimar, clothed in black, enters through a panel in the vault’s ceiling as Jesse follows her progress from Sanctuary.]
Shalimar (hanging from a bar in the ceiling): I’m in.
Jesse (at the computer): Okay, that’s great. Woah. The floor has a pressure-sensitive sensor. Don’t touch it.
Shalimar (managing to land perfectly onto the stairwell’s railing): Great. [She swings across the room on a series of bars in the ceiling.]
[Cut to: A small gathering of bidders attending the auction for the prion weapon, which is in progress in Kristen’s office.]
Kristen: I have four million seven hundred.
Eduardo: Five million dollars.
Lexa: Seven.
Eduardo: Ten million.
Kristen: Ten million. I think you can do better than that.
[Shalimar reaches the vault’s inner door, and hangs herself upside down by the knees in front of the safe door.]
Jesse: Okay. Now the locking mechanism is old school. It’s mechanical all the way. With your feral hearing, you should hear the tumblers fall into place.
Shalimar (fiddling with the lock): Got one....got another one....looks like I was made for this.
Jesse (grinning): Good. [Shalimar enters the vault, stopping in front of a bunch of lasers.] Okay, now you’ve got the laser sensors to deal with. Their wavelength should be within your visual range.
Shalimar: I can see ‘em. [She works her way toward the prion container in the wall, avoiding the lasers.]
[Back at the auction...]
Lexa: Thirteen two fifty.
Eduardo: Thirteen five. Now who’s backing down? [The Tiger suddenly enters the room.]
The Tiger: Fourteen million.
Kristen: Who are you?
The Tiger: The Tiger is all you need to know. [Kristen motions for her guards to cover Brennan.]
[Cut to Shalimar, stepping over lasers in the vault. Just as she’s almost reached the wall, the lasers shut off.]
Shalimar: Jess, what happened?
Jesse: Someone’s turned the alarm off. [Shalimar puts her fake container in the wall next to the real one, then her feral eyes flash.]
Shalimar: Someone’s coming. [A guard enters the vault. As they fight, they knock both containers to the floor. Shalimar wrings his neck.]
Jesse: There’s more of them. Shalimar, get out of there. [Shalimar rushes to pick up both containers from the floor - but now she doesn’t know which is which.]
******Commercial Break*******
[In the auction room, Brennan’s still being held at gunpoint. The Tiger is explaining to Kristen who Brennan is.]
The Tiger: He ambushed me at the drop off, then took my place here. Very sloppy of you to let him in.
Kristen (to Brennan): I knew you were lying to me.
Brennan: He’s lying.
Kristen: You will tell me who you’re working for. It may take a little time, and be very painful. But you’ll talk. (To the guards) After he’s talked, kill him. [The guards begin to drag Brennan away. Seeing that she has no choice, Lexa temporarily blinds everyone in the room with a starburst of light. She and Brennan run for their lives. The guards follow, guns blazing.]
Lexa: Damnit, Brennan, I told you to stay out of this!
Brennan: Can we argue about this later?
[Cut to: Shalimar in the vault. Holding the dead guard’s body and one of the containers, she watches silently from on a grille near the ceiling as another guard enters to get the prion container for Kristen. When she speeds out of the vault, she runs into Lexa and Brennan, who are being pursued by a group of guards.]
Lexa: Dead end!
Shalimar: No, no, dead end here too! [The guards force the three back towards the vault. Brennan holds them back with electrical arcs. Kristen and The Tiger are watching the fight in Kristen’s office on her private computer.]
The Tiger: I’d be very upset if word of this gets out.
Kristen: You don’t have to worry about that. It’ll be taken care of before you leave.
[Brennan, Shalimar, and Lexa hide from the guards’ bullets just outside of the vault doors.]
Brennan (running out of juice): That’s all I got!
Shalimar: You’re not 18 anymore, are ya? [The three run into the vault.]
[Cut back to Kristen’s office.]
Kristen (smiling, to The Tiger): Might as well enjoy this. [She closes the vault’s door by remote control, locking Shalimar, Brennan, and Lexa inside.] Do you mind if I buy back a little of that weapon from you?
The Tiger: Of course.
[Back in the vault.]
Lexa: Well, this is cozy.
Shalimar (listening at the door): There’s three of them out there.
[Kristen’s office.]
Kristen (to The Tiger): Since you’ve shown such an interest in our prion weapon, I’ve arranged a little demonstration.
[The Vault.]
Brennan (to Shalimar): You switched the containers, right?
Shalimar: Yeah.
Jesse (watching them from his computer): Well, there might have been a little-
Shalimar: Shut up, Jess!
Lexa: What? A little what?
Shalimar: I got the right one. [Still unsure, Jesse rewinds the video of the switch, trying to determine whether Shalimar actually picked the right container.]
[Kristen’s office.]
Kristen: I’ve isolated the ventilation to the vault. And now, a small whiff of the weapon... [Gas starts coming in through the vault’s vents.] It’ll disperse in seconds.
[The Vault.]
Jesse: Guys, I’m going to reverse the flow in those vents, try to push that stuff back at them.
Lexa: That’s a good idea.
Jesse: Yeah. It’s not working. [Shalimar frantically pushes on the vault’s door before collapsing.]
Brennan: Shal, Shal! Shal! [Choking, Brennan and Lexa also fall and lie motionless. Jesse watches, powerless to do anything.]
[Kristen’s office: The Tiger and Kristen watch the scene from her computer.]
The Tiger: Very nice.
Kristen: I assume I’ve addressed your security concerns?
The Tiger: Perfectly.
[The Vault: The guards unlock the vault door to retrieve the bodies, but as they are about to enter, they are surprised to see a perfectly healthy Lexa standing in front of them.]
Lexa: Hello, boys. [She emits a burst of light to blind them.]
[Scene: The full team has returned to Sanctuary. Shalimar walks down the hall with Jesse, holding the real prion weapon container.]
Shalimar: Told you I was right.
Jesse: Never doubted you. [She throws him a look.] Really!
Lexa (entering the room with Brennan): I’ll tell you where to send the weapon. [They all look at her] Don’t worry, it’s to be destroyed. [She walks off.]
Brennan: You know, I still don’t know what to make of her.
Shalimar: Well, she saved your life. [Brennan shrugs.]
[Meanwhile, Kristen sits alone in her office, on the phone.]
Kristen: Yes....I don’t know what happened....Maybe the weapon is unstable. [Cut to: A tropical location, a woman is sitting with her back to the camera. It’s the woman in the hat from the Fed file, Dominique. She’s talking to Kristen.]
Dominique: You know it isn’t.
Kristen: It won’t happen again.
Dominique: I know, it won’t. [She hangs up the phone and hands it to a man in a towel.] Find out whatever you can about whoever stole that weapon. We don’t want anymore interference. As for Kristen, you know what to do. [The man nods.]
[Back at Sanctuary, Jesse walks into Lexa’s office, where she’s working on the computer.]
Jesse: So who is Dominique? [Lexa doesn’t answer.] I think we deserve to know.
Lexa: Maybe it’s just a myth. But they say she holds the power to life and death. That she controls an army of half-human monstrosities. That she gained her knowledge from a demon lover.
Jesse: That’s good. That’s what they say. What do you say?
Lexa: That she knows more about genetic engineering than anybody else.
Jesse: So Brennan was right. This is about fixing our DNA, prolonging our lives.
Lexa: That’s part of it. But you see there’s someone who needs her help. And I may have just lost my only chance to get it for him.
Jesse: Who? We can help.
Lexa: You have no idea how much damage you’ve already done. Get outta here, Jess, I’ve got work to do. [She glares at him until he leaves.]
Closing Credits.
Mutant X Episode #302 Transcript: " Wages of Sin"
[Opening scene: The rooftops of a city block at night. Shalimar jumps from rooftop to rooftop until she reaches the edge. Gazing down upon the alleyway below her, she leaps to the ground just behind Brennan, startling him. He spins around, ready to punch his assailant, then laughs when he recognizes her. She playfully grabs his fist, and the two continue to search the alleyway.]
Shalimar (into her comlink): Nothing, anywhere.
Brennan: Hey, Lexa, are you sure you’re right about your tip? [In Sanctuary, Jesse and Lexa are walking through the main room.]
Lexa: Of course. My contacts tell me someone’s developed a new genetically based weapon and they’re looking to hook it up with a buyer tonight.
Brennan: Well, maybe they’re wrong.
Lexa: Never.
Brennan: Well, if they know everything about everything, then why are we out here running their errands?
Lexa: Because they’re the ones paying the bills for Mutant X, Brennan.
Jesse: If the stuff being moved tonight is genetically based, Brennan, it’s either an ex-Genomex person or someone else opening up the same can of misery.
Brennan (whispering to Shalimar): You know, I still think we’re wasting our time.
Shalimar (smiling): You have a lot to learn about hunting, Brennan. This is the best part, the anticipation. [Leaning close, she touches Brennan’s chest.] The stillness. Waiting for your prey to show itself. [Suddenly, they hear a car’s wheels screeching. Shalimar shoves Brennan back against the wall, out of sight of the approaching car.]
Brennan: Ow. [They watch a man get out of the car and drop something into a slot in the wall.]
Brennan: Maildrop. [He reads the license plate.] Plate is...623 LXM.
Jesse (at the computer): I’m running it.
Shalimar: I’ll collect what he left.
Brennan: No, no, no. Let’s see who picks it up, then we’ll collect them too.
Jesse: The car is registered to the Westland Casino.
Lexa: Check it out. [Jesse does so, shaking his head at her bossy tone.]
Shalimar: Someone’s coming. [Two men emerge from a building across the street and walk toward the maildrop.]
Man #1: Don’t do anything until I tell you. And watch your back. Get the sample.
Man #2 (picking out the container): How dangerous is it?
Man #1: That’s what we’re here to find out. [Opening the container, he sprays the contents in his companion’s face. The second man panics as his face bleeds, then he falls to the ground.]
Brennan: All right, this has gone bad; we’re going in. [Running up, Shalimar drops the man with a back-kick to the face, but he manages to hurl a knife at Brennan. Shalimar races towards Brennan and catches the knife mid-air before it hits Brennan’s face. The man takes off in the car, leaving an ID card and the container on the ground.]
Opening Credits. “Wages of Sin”
[At Sanctuary, Jesse's showing Brennan and Shalimar the results of his computer analysis.]
Jesse: That’s what was in the container. It’s called a prion.
Shalimar: What is it, some kind of poison?
Jesse: It’s a modified protein molecule. Now there it is up against a normal body protein. The amino acid sequence is the same in both, but the three-dimensional configuration is different. Basically, the prion is a mirror-image of a normal protein. The nasty part is that it’s able to convert a normal protein to its own shape, molecule by molecule.
Brennan: The biological equivalent of a nuclear meltdown.
Jesse: Yeah. And it’s been weaponized. It’s distributed in an aerosol form. Now just a couple of ounces of this in the water supply will take out half a city.
Lexa (coming down the stairs): Yeah, which is why it would’ve been nice if we’d taken out one of the players. We’re no closer to whoever created this stuff than we were last night.
Brennan: Yeah, and I bet you would’ve done better if you had been there.
Lexa: Well, I couldn’t have done worse. I mean, if the buyer hadn’t dropped this [She holds up the ID card], we wouldn’t have had anything on him.
Brennan: He didn’t drop it. We knocked it out of him.
Lexa: The point is, we need information, and we need it fast. A lot of people will die if this stuff gets used.
Shalimar: Well, I assume you were able to find out something about the Westland Casino?
Lexa (sitting at the computer): Yeah. It’s pretty high-end. [She pulls up a picture of a blonde woman.] Kristen Greg. She bought the casino a couple of years ago for 30 million dollars.
Shalimar: Think she’s involved?
Lexa: Well, nobody’s sure where the 30 mil came from. I think she’s worth looking at.
Brennan (smiling): Well, can’t argue with that. Got any background on her?
Lexa: She got into the gambling circuit quite young. She disappeared to Europe for a couple of years. She’s got a reputation as a hard-core risk-taker.
Brennan: Oh, sounds like my kind of girl. I think Shal and I should go work the casino and check her out. [Brennan and Shalimar head off.]
Lexa: Okay, be careful. [She hands the ID card to Jesse.] Here. You should be able to hack into the database, get me a room number for this.
Jesse: All right.
Lexa: Meantime, I’ll see if our killer’s up for a visit.
[Scene: The Westland Casino. Kristen Greg strolls around the room of happy gamblers, watching the activities closely. In walks Shalimar in a red dress, surreptitiously holding up her comlink to get video view of the room for Jesse, back at Sanctuary.]
Shalimar: Looks like a girl could have fun in a place like this.
Jesse (at the computer): Ah, nice place. Videolink is active. Okay, let’s start to the right, Shal. Get as many faces as you can. [He searches his computer database for each face Shalimar captures. The first is James Donald.] Let’s keep an eye on that guy. Nice, okay keep going. What’s at the next table? Poker! Say cheese. [He captures Michael Jones.] Looks like that guy could use a drink, huh? Okay, keep going. Next table. What about him over there? [He captures Thomas Sands, then Shalimar passes Brennan at the roulette table.] Okay, try your luck at the bar, Shal. [Shalimar's standing at the bar, capturing images for Jesse, when a man, Eduardo Cruz, walks up to the bar and signals the bartender.]
Eduardo: Scotch, lemon.
Bartender: Okay.
Jesse: This guy could be a hopeful. See if I can get an ID. Keep him close for a minute.
Shalimar (to Eduardo): Luck no good?
Eduardo (smiling): I think it just got better.
Jesse: Oh, smooth. [He pulls up Eduardo's profile on his computer.] Oh, smooth and watch this guy, Shal. His name is Eduardo Cruz. Chilean, worked with Pinochet. Accused of killing thousands of dissidents. Oh, but he skipped through the trials. Aha! Connections to right-wing terrorist groups. And there’s nothing in here about him being a gambler, so....
Shalimar: My name’s Linda.
Eduardo (shaking her hand): Eduardo. I like a strong woman.
Shalimar: You don’t know the half of it. [She notices that Eduardo's playing with a gold chip in his hand.] So, I didn’t know that this casino even had gold chips.
Eduardo: For very special clients. Care to join me?
Shalimar: I wouldn’t have it any other way. [They leave the bar to sit at a table, passing Brennan on the way.]
Jesse: Try to get some more faces, Shal. So far, I’ve found three terrorists with expertise in biological weapons at that casino.
Brennan (listening in over his comlink): Are they all here for the prion?
Jesse: Well, it sure looks that way. Oh, and by the way, according to the fingerprints on that keycard we retrieved, our killer’s a terrorist as well. His name’s The Tiger.
Brennan: The Tiger. That’s it?
Jesse: That’s it. There’s no photograph on the record and no one seems to know his real name. The prints were retrieved from a bombing in Spain, that’s all there is.
Brennan: Well, do we have any idea who’s running the auction?
Jesse: The same person who’s running the casino. Kristen Greg.
Brennan (spotting Kristen across the room): Well, then I’d better get to know her better. (He returns to the roulette table and hands in some chips.) Cash these, please.
[Scene: Lexa, dressed as a maid, arrives at The Tiger’s hotel room and knocks on the door.]
Lexa: Housekeeping! [Receiving no answer, she opens the door with the keycard and enters the room. She finds nothing in the desk drawers, but on opening the cabinet drawer, she sees a safe. Lexa smiles.]
[Back at the Casino, Brennan’s betting at the roulette wheel.]
Brennan: 28 Black, please. [With one finger under the table, Brennan shoots an electrical arc at the turning mechanism so that the ball stops at 28 black.]
Dealer: 28 Black wins. [Applause around the table. A guard informs Kristen about Brennan’s winning streak, and she saunters over to stand beside him.]
Kristen: A man who’s not afraid to take a chance.
Brennan: Well, you can’t win if you can’t play. [He zaps the device under the table again.]
Dealer: 30 Red wins. [More applause.]
Kristen: You’re a lucky man, Mr. Dawson.
Brennan: I have good timing. And you have good information. How’d you know my name?
Kristen: Information’s part of my job.
Brennan: And you’re working right now?
Kristen (smiling): Well, it could be personal interest.
Brennan: Well, that I like the sound of. (To the dealer) 11 Black. All of it.
Kristen: That’s a big bet.
Brennan: Small stakes aren’t worth playing.
Kristen: Oh, I couldn’t agree more. [Brennan zaps the mechanism again.]
Dealer: 11 Black wins. [Applause.]
[Meanwhile, in The Tiger’s room, Lexa’s using a laser to cut a hole around the safe’s lock. She opens it and pulls out a bunch of passports. Cut back to The Casino: Brennan and Kristen are walking down the hallway.]
Kristen: You just walked away with a lot of my money.
Brennan (pretending to be surprised): The place is yours? Then maybe you should let me buy you a drink. It’s the least I can do.
Kristen: I’m a working girl right now. But I’ll take you up on that later. You can bet on it. [She leaves. Brennan smiles to himself.]
[Back to The Tiger's hotel room, where Lexa's opening one of The Tiger's passports. She jumps as she hears a gun cock behind her.]
The Tiger: The pictures don’t do me justice.
Lexa: Yeah. You’re a lot uglier in person.
The Tiger: Think I’m going to enjoy killing you.
Lexa: You already missed your chance. [She spins around, grabbing the gun. They fight until they reach the balcony, and Lexa kicks him over the railing to the ground below. Just then, she hears a knock on the door.]
Maid (outside the room): Housekeeping!
Lexa: No! Uh-not right now, thanks.
Maid: Okay, Ma’am. [The maid leaves, and Lexa hurries to look over the balcony, but there's no sign of The Tiger's body.]
******Commercial Break**********
[Scene: The gang meets back at Sanctuary. Lexa and Jesse are at the computer when Brennan and Shalimar walk in, still dressed in their Casino outfits.]
Brennan: Find out where he went?
Lexa: Hell, I don’t even know how he got away.
Brennan (sarcastically): Nice work.
Lexa: One for you. Here’s a little souvenir I picked up. [She tosses him a gold chip.]
Brennan: It’s pretty light.
Jesse: Yeah, and it’s filled with electronics. Some kind of an encrypted digital ID, is my guess.
Shalimar: You know, my new boyfriend had one of these too. Said it made him a special client.
Jesse: Special client with a chance to buy the prion weapon, huh?
Brennan: Yeah. Any more information on Kristen Greg?
Jesse: Yeah. Got a Fed file on her. Looks like most of it’s been sanitized, by someone with top level clearance. She’s uh... [He glances at Lexa as she visibly reacts to the photo.]...connected to some pretty big hitters, Brennan. Got some ex-GS agents on her payroll too.
Shalimar: Okay, so, what now?
Jesse: Well, we’ve been talking about discrediting the seller. Making it impossible for her to move any more.
Shalimar: How?
Jesse: Well, switch the canister for something harmless. Make it look like the whole thing was a scam.
Brennan: Okay. So all we gotta do now is find the stuff.
Jesse: Yeah, but to do that, I’ve got to get into their computers. The problem is the computer is a discrete system. It’s not connected to the outside. But it will be, once my fiesty feral friend here hooks this up to the sp portal on the computers. [He hands Shalimar a connector.]
Shalimar (laughing): No problem.
[In the privacy of her Sanctuary office, Lexa sits at her personal computer to call her Dominion Contact over video link.]
The Contact: Yes?
Lexa: I need to get to Kristen Greg.
The Contact: Why?
Lexa: She’s connected to Dominique.
The Contact: I see. The sale of the prion must not be allowed to go through.
Lexa: I have it covered.
The Contact: You’d better. You’ll have your ID in an hour. Be careful, Lexa. Don’t get in over your head.
Lexa: I was born there. [She shuts off the connection.]
[Back at the Casino, Brennan and Kristen walk through the game room with glasses of wine.]
Brennan: I’m guessing you like winning.
Kristen: Winning, losing, it’s all the same. As long as everything’s on the line every minute.
Brennan: Well, you’ve got a lot to lose here.
Kristen: Yeah, that’s what makes the game so sweet. I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Brennan: Well, then, you and I are a lot alike.
Kristen: Are we? Or are you just playing me.
Brennan: I don’t think anyone could play you.
Kristen: Yeah, that’s what I mean. You’re just a little too cool for school.
Brennan: Well, that’s a gamble you’re just gonna have to take. Are you up for it?
Kristen: Still figuring my odds. I do like the look of the game, though. See you later, Mr. Dawson. [She walks off, and Lexa comes up to Brennan.]
Brennan: What the hell are you doing here?
Lexa: Well, it’s pretty clear what you’re up to.
Brennan: Yeah, I’m doing my job. Trying to stop this whole deal from going through.
Lexa: Mission’s changed. You and Shalimar are backing off.
Brennan: Excuse me?
Lexa: There are bigger things at stake here.
Brennan: Bigger things than thousands of lives?
Lexa: We’ll take care of the weapon another way.
Brennan: No! If we let any one of these guys get their hands on it, we will never find it again.
Lexa: We’ll find it.
Brennan: Is this what your contacts want?
Lexa: It’s what I’m telling you we’re doing.
Brennan: Oh, and I’ll bet you’re used to getting your way, aren’t you? [Lexa kisses him.] Hm. Well, what was that for?
Lexa: I just wanted to get that out of the way. Now you won’t have to wonder what it’d be like. And you won’t have to think it’ll happen again. Stay out of my way, Brennan. [She walks away.]
[Scene: Kristen’s office. Lexa’s standing in front of Kristen’s desk, holding a silver suitcase.]
Kristen (on the phone): She’s here with me now. Thanks. [She hangs up] Okay. You are who you say you are. What exactly do you want with me?
Lexa: I know what you’re selling. I want in.
Kristen: It’s late to get in on the game.
Lexa: My money’s good. And as you may have just learned, unlimited.
Kristen: You might have just said the magic word.
[Three-way split screen: Brennan and Shalimar are walking around the casino, Jesse’s in front of the computer at Sanctuary.]
Brennan (into his comlink): Hey, Jess. Have you heard from Lexa?
Jesse: She’s turned off her comlink. I guess she doesn’t want us to reach her, huh?
Brennan: Did she tell you why?
Jesse: No. But I think she might have seen something that changed her mind.
Shalimar (into her comlink): What?
Jesse (pulling up Kristen’s Fed file): There’s a picture in that Fed file. Here it is. It’s a picture of Kristen with someone named Dominique.
Shalimar: Who’s Dominique?
Jesse: I don’t know. All I’ve got is a picture.
Brennan: All right, Jess. Get more.
Jesse: Yeah. You’re coming in?
Brennan: Not yet.
Shalimar: You know, maybe we should let Lexa play out her hand. See what she’s up to.
Brennan: No. There’s too much at stake here.
Jesse: You know, she might have a good reason.
Brennan: I’ll believe it when I hear it.
[Brennan finds Kristen again, and they stroll around the game room together.]
Kristen: So, you’re bored cleaning out my roulette tables.
Brennan: No, I’m bored waiting for you to finish work so I can get you alone.
Kristen: You’ll find I’m always working, Mr. Dawson.
Brennan: Well, maybe you can work somewhere a little more private.
Kristen (walks away, then turns): Do you like champagne? [She takes Brennan into her office.]
Brennan: Well, this is certainly more private. I was just looking for something a little more...
Kristen: Comfortable? [As she walks to the back room, Brennan fires off an electrical arc, disabling the outside door’s lock for Shalimar.]
Brennan: Well, this is a little more like it.
Kristen (handing him a bottle of champagne): As promised.
[Shalimar enters Kristen's outer office through the door Brennan's left open for her, and inserts Jesse’s device into the computer. Lexa, invisible, enters the room behind her.]
Lexa (turning visible again): What part of “Stay out of this” do you two not understand?
Shalimar: The part where you forgot to tell us why.
Lexa: You have no idea what’s at stake here.
Shalimar: Well, tell us!
Lexa: You have to leave, now.
Shalimar [feral eyes glowing]: Someone’s coming. [An armed guard, Carter, enters the room.]
Carter (holding up a gun): Hold it! [He shoots a psionic blast at Lexa, immobilizing her.]
********Commercial Break********
Carter (resting an arm on Lexa’s shoulder): It’s frustrating not being able to move, isn’t it? [He licks her cheek. Shalimar uses the opportunity to attack him, getting the gun away from him. As they fight, Brennan and Kristen continue to flirt in the next room.]
Kristen: You know, you have me at a disadvantage. [When Carter’s punch misses Shalimar and hits Lexa’s face instead, Shalimar throws him against the table.] Did you hear something? [Brennan shrugs.] I feel like you know the game we’re playing. And I’m still not so sure.
Brennan: It’s a simple game. Men and women have been playing it forever.
Kristen: I think it’s more than that. You want something.
Brennan (chuckling): You’re absolutely right. [He pulls her in for a kiss. In the next room, Shalimar slams Carter over the table; he falls to the floor, out cold.]
Kristen (pulling away): I’m sure I heard something.
Brennan: I didn’t. [Kristen goes to check. Shalimar grabs Lexa’s arm, and the two hide under the table with Carter’s body. Lexa turns them invisible, so Kristen sees nothing. When Kristen leaves, Lexa turns them visible again.]
Lexa: Okay, let’s get him out of here. I’ll call a clean-up team.
Shalimar: A clean-up team?
Lexa: You don’t want to know.
Shalimar: Or you don’t want to tell me.
Lexa: You’re catching on. [She sees the hurt look on Shalimar’s face and relents.] Okay, I didn’t mean it like that. It’s just that what I’m doing, I need to do it alone, all right?
Shalimar (sitting back): Knock yourself out. [She watches smugly as Lexa tries in vain to move Carter’s heavy body by herself. Lexa finally gives up, and looks at Shalimar for help.] That’s what I thought. [They drag the body out together. Meanwhile, Kristen and Brennan are making out in the next room.]
Kristen (pulling away): I have to leave you for a few minutes. Can you hold that thought till I get back?
Brennan: As long as you promise to make it worth my while.
Kristen: Oh, I will. [Brennan kisses her.] You can count on it. [She goes into the next room, and picks up the phone.] Have you run that check I asked you about?
[Cut to: Shalimar, walking around the casino again when Jesse calls her from Sanctuary.]
Jesse: Shal, do you copy?
Shalimar (into her comlink): Loud and clear.
Jesse: Good. I’ve got the building plans. I’m going to push them to your data screen.
Shalimar (taking out her compact, which doubles as a mini-computer): Got it.
Jesse: Okay I’m in the security video system. Found it. The vault’s in the basement. It’s marked 143A on the plan.
Shalimar: Got that too.
Jesse: All right. Okay, I’ll make a duplicate of the cylinder, and we’ll make the switch.
Shalimar: Sounds easy.
Jesse: Oh, it’s not gonna be. Security system’s state of the art. The walls on that vault are too thick for me to phase through. I’m gonna copy the plans to Brennan. We’ll work something out.
[Back in Kristen’s inner office, Kristen has returned to Brennan.]
Brennan: I was beginning to think you weren’t coming back.
Kristen: Oh, I wouldn’t miss this for the world. [She pulls out a gun.]
Brennan: Just when I thought we were getting along so well.
Kristen: Who are you?
Brennan: Allan Dawson.
Kristen: Doesn’t exist. The truth or you’re dead.
*****Commercial Break****
Brennan: This is no way to treat a customer.
Kristen: You would have done well to gamble elsewhere.
Brennan: All right. This is not about gambling. I’m here to bid on the weapon. They call me The Tiger.
Kristen: Why should I believe you? [Brennan reaches into his jacket pocket.] Don’t move!
Brennan: Easy. I just wanna show you something. [He pulls out the gold chip.]
Kristen: If you were the Tiger, why didn’t you just say so?
Brennan: Because I was ambushed when I went to pick up the sample. I didn’t know if I should trust you.
Kristen: The question is, why should I trust you?
Brennan: You’re a gambler. Trust your instincts.
Kristen: I don’t go on instinct. Let’s hope this is your last deception. For your sake. Bidding starts in an hour. My office. [She lets him go.]
[Cut to: Jesse, watching the computer in Sanctuary, calls Brennan.]
Jesse: Well, Lexa’s guys are good. They’ve already fed me the DNA analysis of the mutant that attacked Lexa and Shalimar.
Brennan: Why would they give us that?
Jesse: Why do they do anything? I’m sure glad they did, though.
Brennan: It’s interesting.
Jesse: You could say so. Brennan, this guy’s mutation is similar to ours, but it’s stable.
Brennan: Stable?
Jesse: His genetic code has been fixed. There’s no continuing mutation. Brennan, this guy could live to see his grandchildren!
Brennan: Wait, that’s impossible. Adam’s the one who invented that technology and even he couldn’t stabilize the mutation.
Jesse: Yeah, well, someone did. Dominique?
Brennan: Dominique. Maybe she can stabilize us too? [Out of the corner of his eye, Brennan sees Lexa coming down the stairs towards him] Could be why Lexa’s so hot to find her. [He walks over to her.] Well, my cover’s blown. Almost got me killed. Was that your work?
Lexa: Well, you didn’t have to come back here. I warned you.
Brennan: Oh, well, thanks a lot.
Lexa: Look, I know you don’t trust me. But you’re going to have to give me some time.
Brennan: Well, why don’t you tell me about Dominique, and maybe I will.
Lexa: How do you know about her?
Brennan: I guess we both have our secrets. [Lexa smiles and walks off. Brennan speaks into his comlink again.] All right, sorry, Jess. Listen, what can you tell me about The Tiger?
Jesse: Almost nothing. He could turn up there at any time. Brennan, it’s time to get out. [Shalimar, having returned to Sanctuary, comes to stand next to Jesse.]
Brennan: No. No, I’m betting he thinks Kristen set him up. I’m guessing this is the last place he’d want to be.
Shalimar: That’s too big a bet. Jesse’s right. You need to get out of there.
Brennan: Listen, Kristen’s already suspicious. If I disappear, the auction stops. And then what?
Jesse: Then we come up with another plan.
Brennan: What, and risk losing track of the weapon? Nah, I’ll take my chances.
Shalimar: Come on, Brennan.
Brennan: Shal, listen. I’ll be okay.
Jesse: Okay. Well, security’ll be all tied up during the auction, so we’ll try to make our move.
Brennan: Okay, I’ll make sure that it doesn’t end too quickly.
[Scene: The Westland Casino’s vault. Shalimar, clothed in black, enters through a panel in the vault’s ceiling as Jesse follows her progress from Sanctuary.]
Shalimar (hanging from a bar in the ceiling): I’m in.
Jesse (at the computer): Okay, that’s great. Woah. The floor has a pressure-sensitive sensor. Don’t touch it.
Shalimar (managing to land perfectly onto the stairwell’s railing): Great. [She swings across the room on a series of bars in the ceiling.]
[Cut to: A small gathering of bidders attending the auction for the prion weapon, which is in progress in Kristen’s office.]
Kristen: I have four million seven hundred.
Eduardo: Five million dollars.
Lexa: Seven.
Eduardo: Ten million.
Kristen: Ten million. I think you can do better than that.
[Shalimar reaches the vault’s inner door, and hangs herself upside down by the knees in front of the safe door.]
Jesse: Okay. Now the locking mechanism is old school. It’s mechanical all the way. With your feral hearing, you should hear the tumblers fall into place.
Shalimar (fiddling with the lock): Got one....got another one....looks like I was made for this.
Jesse (grinning): Good. [Shalimar enters the vault, stopping in front of a bunch of lasers.] Okay, now you’ve got the laser sensors to deal with. Their wavelength should be within your visual range.
Shalimar: I can see ‘em. [She works her way toward the prion container in the wall, avoiding the lasers.]
[Back at the auction...]
Lexa: Thirteen two fifty.
Eduardo: Thirteen five. Now who’s backing down? [The Tiger suddenly enters the room.]
The Tiger: Fourteen million.
Kristen: Who are you?
The Tiger: The Tiger is all you need to know. [Kristen motions for her guards to cover Brennan.]
[Cut to Shalimar, stepping over lasers in the vault. Just as she’s almost reached the wall, the lasers shut off.]
Shalimar: Jess, what happened?
Jesse: Someone’s turned the alarm off. [Shalimar puts her fake container in the wall next to the real one, then her feral eyes flash.]
Shalimar: Someone’s coming. [A guard enters the vault. As they fight, they knock both containers to the floor. Shalimar wrings his neck.]
Jesse: There’s more of them. Shalimar, get out of there. [Shalimar rushes to pick up both containers from the floor - but now she doesn’t know which is which.]
******Commercial Break*******
[In the auction room, Brennan’s still being held at gunpoint. The Tiger is explaining to Kristen who Brennan is.]
The Tiger: He ambushed me at the drop off, then took my place here. Very sloppy of you to let him in.
Kristen (to Brennan): I knew you were lying to me.
Brennan: He’s lying.
Kristen: You will tell me who you’re working for. It may take a little time, and be very painful. But you’ll talk. (To the guards) After he’s talked, kill him. [The guards begin to drag Brennan away. Seeing that she has no choice, Lexa temporarily blinds everyone in the room with a starburst of light. She and Brennan run for their lives. The guards follow, guns blazing.]
Lexa: Damnit, Brennan, I told you to stay out of this!
Brennan: Can we argue about this later?
[Cut to: Shalimar in the vault. Holding the dead guard’s body and one of the containers, she watches silently from on a grille near the ceiling as another guard enters to get the prion container for Kristen. When she speeds out of the vault, she runs into Lexa and Brennan, who are being pursued by a group of guards.]
Lexa: Dead end!
Shalimar: No, no, dead end here too! [The guards force the three back towards the vault. Brennan holds them back with electrical arcs. Kristen and The Tiger are watching the fight in Kristen’s office on her private computer.]
The Tiger: I’d be very upset if word of this gets out.
Kristen: You don’t have to worry about that. It’ll be taken care of before you leave.
[Brennan, Shalimar, and Lexa hide from the guards’ bullets just outside of the vault doors.]
Brennan (running out of juice): That’s all I got!
Shalimar: You’re not 18 anymore, are ya? [The three run into the vault.]
[Cut back to Kristen’s office.]
Kristen (smiling, to The Tiger): Might as well enjoy this. [She closes the vault’s door by remote control, locking Shalimar, Brennan, and Lexa inside.] Do you mind if I buy back a little of that weapon from you?
The Tiger: Of course.
[Back in the vault.]
Lexa: Well, this is cozy.
Shalimar (listening at the door): There’s three of them out there.
[Kristen’s office.]
Kristen (to The Tiger): Since you’ve shown such an interest in our prion weapon, I’ve arranged a little demonstration.
[The Vault.]
Brennan (to Shalimar): You switched the containers, right?
Shalimar: Yeah.
Jesse (watching them from his computer): Well, there might have been a little-
Shalimar: Shut up, Jess!
Lexa: What? A little what?
Shalimar: I got the right one. [Still unsure, Jesse rewinds the video of the switch, trying to determine whether Shalimar actually picked the right container.]
[Kristen’s office.]
Kristen: I’ve isolated the ventilation to the vault. And now, a small whiff of the weapon... [Gas starts coming in through the vault’s vents.] It’ll disperse in seconds.
[The Vault.]
Jesse: Guys, I’m going to reverse the flow in those vents, try to push that stuff back at them.
Lexa: That’s a good idea.
Jesse: Yeah. It’s not working. [Shalimar frantically pushes on the vault’s door before collapsing.]
Brennan: Shal, Shal! Shal! [Choking, Brennan and Lexa also fall and lie motionless. Jesse watches, powerless to do anything.]
[Kristen’s office: The Tiger and Kristen watch the scene from her computer.]
The Tiger: Very nice.
Kristen: I assume I’ve addressed your security concerns?
The Tiger: Perfectly.
[The Vault: The guards unlock the vault door to retrieve the bodies, but as they are about to enter, they are surprised to see a perfectly healthy Lexa standing in front of them.]
Lexa: Hello, boys. [She emits a burst of light to blind them.]
[Scene: The full team has returned to Sanctuary. Shalimar walks down the hall with Jesse, holding the real prion weapon container.]
Shalimar: Told you I was right.
Jesse: Never doubted you. [She throws him a look.] Really!
Lexa (entering the room with Brennan): I’ll tell you where to send the weapon. [They all look at her] Don’t worry, it’s to be destroyed. [She walks off.]
Brennan: You know, I still don’t know what to make of her.
Shalimar: Well, she saved your life. [Brennan shrugs.]
[Meanwhile, Kristen sits alone in her office, on the phone.]
Kristen: Yes....I don’t know what happened....Maybe the weapon is unstable. [Cut to: A tropical location, a woman is sitting with her back to the camera. It’s the woman in the hat from the Fed file, Dominique. She’s talking to Kristen.]
Dominique: You know it isn’t.
Kristen: It won’t happen again.
Dominique: I know, it won’t. [She hangs up the phone and hands it to a man in a towel.] Find out whatever you can about whoever stole that weapon. We don’t want anymore interference. As for Kristen, you know what to do. [The man nods.]
[Back at Sanctuary, Jesse walks into Lexa’s office, where she’s working on the computer.]
Jesse: So who is Dominique? [Lexa doesn’t answer.] I think we deserve to know.
Lexa: Maybe it’s just a myth. But they say she holds the power to life and death. That she controls an army of half-human monstrosities. That she gained her knowledge from a demon lover.
Jesse: That’s good. That’s what they say. What do you say?
Lexa: That she knows more about genetic engineering than anybody else.
Jesse: So Brennan was right. This is about fixing our DNA, prolonging our lives.
Lexa: That’s part of it. But you see there’s someone who needs her help. And I may have just lost my only chance to get it for him.
Jesse: Who? We can help.
Lexa: You have no idea how much damage you’ve already done. Get outta here, Jess, I’ve got work to do. [She glares at him until he leaves.]
Closing Credits.