MUTANT X'S "WASTELAND"

"Wasteland," a new episode of Mutant X, will air in syndication this week. The episode is written by Al Septien and Turi Meyer and directed by Rene Bonniere.

Below the photos is a thorough plot synposis, with spoilers. (Click on the thumbnails for larger images).

Making their way through a cornfield, Brennan (Victor Webster) and Shalimar (Victoria Pratt) comlink Lexa (Karen Cliche) to tell her the person The Dominion sent them to meet is nowhere to be found.

Shalimar's feral hearing picks up an odd hissing sound and they are suddenly engulfed by a massive swarm of locusts. Over the comlink, Lexa is startled to hear an explosion followed by a deathly silence.

Seconds later, Brennan informs her all of the bugs have mysteriously died. As he talks, his eye catches something in the field and when he pushes the stalks aside, he finds the manšs lifeless body covered in a blanket of dead locusts.

Brennan and Shalimar take locust specimens to The Dominion's entomologist, Dr. Bellows (Shannon Lawson), who tells them they have been genetically modified with such advanced reproductive cycles, that they could potentially eat all the vegetation and create a worldwide famine.

At Sanctuary, Lexa tells Jesse (Forbes March) that The Dominion's informant was murdered and that he worked for ZDT, a major agricultural conglomerate run by the Keary family, old friends of Jesse's.

The Dominion insists Jesse pose as a potential investor and meet with the head of ZDT to distract her while Lexa searches their files. When Lexa mentions that Alisha Keary (Krista Bridges) runs ZDT, Jesse admits they were close in high school.

A short time later, they arrive at the company and are greeted by Alisha's partner, Nate Gilmore (Sasha Roiz). Jesse introduces Lexa as his legal counsel just as Alisha enters. At Alisha's request, Nate escorts Lexa out of the room to attend to some documents. Jesse then tells Alisha that he heard some of her fields were attacked by an infestation. Obviously uncomfortable, she immediately changes the subject and asks what hešs really after. He simply admits that he's wanted to call her many times over the years, but never knew what to say.

As he walks away, Lexa comlinks Brennan and Shalimar who have now traced the insects path back to a barn on the edge of a cornfield which is owned by Pacific Bionetics. When Lexa mentions Alisha, Shalimar reveals that Jesse and her had been engaged. Meanwhile, Alisha's cell phone rings and after listening for a moment, she orders the caller to handle the situation.

Arriving at the barn, Brennan and Shalimar are wondering why the locusts didn't eat the corn there when two Jeeps pull up and the men inside open fire. As Brennan and Shalimar race into the field, Brennan turns and hits one of the Jeeps with a tesla coil, sending the men sprawling.

Meanwhile, Jesse asks Alisha to have a drink with him, but her cell phone rings and she turns and walks away.

Later that day, Brennan and Shalimar take a sample of the corn to Dr. Bellows and she discovers it has been genetically modified to be the only crop resistant to the locusts. This new revelation makes Shalimar realize that someone is using the locusts to wipe out all the corn competitors, causing a widespread case of supply and demand, which will turn a huge profit. Dr. Bellows then tells them that the locusts have a self-destruct mechanism and she is working to find the trigger.

Back at Sanctuary, Lexa informs Jesse that ZDT owns Pacific Bionetics and that they're going back to ZDT to look for more information. When Alisha opens the door, Lexa uses her powers to disappear and Jesse follows Alisha to her office. Alisha asks why he left her years earlier and he says that he didn't think it was fair to start a life with her where he didn't fit in. She suddenly kisses him and Jesse can no longer resist.

Meanwhile, Lexa logs on to one of the company's computers and discovers that the last call their informant made was to Alisha and that he threatened to expose the project she was working on.

Lexa comlinks Brennan and Shalimar who are still with Dr. Bellows to ask for any helpful information Bellows has on the locusts. Dr. Bellows says the locusts were fed a dry-spore mix known as Fer-lomant and when Lexa looks it up on the computer, she learns that a large shipment was delivered to a nearby farm.

Brennan and Shalimar take off to investigate while Lexa comlinks Jesse in Alisha's office to warn him that Alisha's behind everything.

Noticing a change in Jesse's attitude, Alisha questions him. He tells her he knows about the plan to profit from the pest-resistant corn and asks her to tell him the truth so he can help her. Alisha orders him to leave and then immediately calls Nate.

A short time later, Brennan and Shalimar arrive at the barn only to find it's been cleared out with the exception of a few live locusts on the floor. Suddenly hearing the sound of leaking gas, Shalimar grabs Brennan and they dive out just as the barn explodes.

Onboard the Helix, Brennan and Shalimar get a call from Dr. Bellows who's learned that the locusts die from a certain sound frequency and she is working to find the specific wave pattern.

Meanwhile, a desperate Alisha calls Jesse to tell him she's found files that confirm the creation of pest-resistant corn and begs him for help. As she hangs up, Nate walks in and reveals that he's behind the scheme and they are guaranteed to make billions once the plan unfolds.

Back at Sanctuary, Lexa sees Jesse rushing to his car and insists on going along. Just as they pull up to ZDT, Jesse spots Nate briskly walking toward his car and two thugs shoving Alisha into a van. When the van passes him, Jesse phases out and dives inside, landing in front of a confused and terrified Alisha.

Following in the car, Lexa comlinks Jesse and tells him they are travelling on the I-80 freeway. Hearing where they're heading, Alisha recalls seeing paperwork referring to a farm that ZDT leased along that route.

Meanwhile, Nate calls an armed guard who's stationed at the barn and tells him to release the bugs. The guard pulls the latch and a swarm of locusts pours out.

Just then, the van with Jesse and Alisha pulls up and when the guards open the door, Jesse bursts forward, knocking them unconscious.

Suddenly, another team of guards appears and opens fire, but Jesse masses out and shields Alisha. Lexa quietly comes up behind the guards and knocks them out and she, Jesse and Alisha flee into the field. As they run through the field, Alisha trips and Nate appears with a gun aimed at her. Before he can fire, Lexa refracts the light and blinds him and Jesse sends him sprawling with a series of kicks and punches.

At that moment, Brennan and Shalimar arrive at the farm and use the wave pattern Dr. Bellows sent them to destroy the bugs.

The following day, Jesse visits Alisha and though they both admit that they still love each other, they are not meant to be together.

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