(In a mental hospital, a man looks out his window and talks to his roommate.)

MENTAL PATIENT: Stan, my man, you should really check this out!

(His roommate, who is bound in a straitjacket and gagged, lies down on the bed.)

MENTAL PATIENT: Ah, never mind.

(He starts to file one of the bars on the window. It is obvious he has been working on it for a long time.)

(Outside, the Familiars are standing around a fire, wearing cloaks and holding a ceremony. There is a meteor shower going on. As a shooting star passes overhead, Senator McKinley raises a torch toward the sky, and the older priestess raises a hand toward it.)

OLDER PRIESTESS: Kon'ta ress!

(The others all raise their hands to the sky as well. More shooting stars go by.)

YOUNGER PRIESTESS: Ken'da hiff!

ALL: Ken'da hiff!

MENTAL PATIENT: And they call us crazy.

(Senator McKinley opens a wooden box, and the older priestess removes from it a snake.)

OLDER PRIESTESS: Adara mos rekali, konoss rehu jek.

(She passes the snake to the younger priestess, who holds it above her head. Meanwhile, the mental patient finishes detaching the bars from the window.)

MENTAL PATIENT: Ha ha! It's my chance! I'm out of here! Huh? (Pretends to listen to Stan) Yeah, I'm going to miss our talks, too. Take care, okay?

(He climbs out the window and jumps to the ground outside, a short distance from the ceremony. Some extra cloaks sit in boxes nearby; he puts one on and sneaks into the ceremony.)

ALL (chanting repeatedly): Adara mos rekali, konoss rehu jek.

(The younger priestess dances around with the snake above her head. Then she hands it to a couple of other people, and they pass the snake above their heads to the mental patient. He sneaks it into his cloak and slips out of the ceremony.)

(Somewhere else, White stands on a hillside, watching the sky. He is quietly chanting to himself.)

WHITE: Adara mos rekali, konoss rehu jek.

(Otto approaches behind him.)

OTTO: Agent White?

WHITE (without turning around): It's beautiful, isn't it?

OTTO: Yes, sir. Just wanted to remind you...you've got an eight-o'-clock with the chief of police to discuss jurisdictional issues.

WHITE: Right. (Turns to Otto) Is it just me, or was this job more fun when we were covert, hunting transgenics all on our own?

OTTO: It's getting late, sir. You should probably knock off.

WHITE (turning back to the sky): What, and miss the show? It only happens once a year.

OTTO: Really? Didn't know you were into astronomy.

WHITE: There's a fair number of things you don't know about me, Otto.

OTTO: Good night, sir.

WHITE: Good night.

(Max enters the building at Terminal City with a couple containers of gasoline.)

MAX: Gas up the generator. Got anything?

(Luke sits at the closed-circuit television sets.)

LUKE: It's all quiet on the transgenic front.

MAX: Let's hope it stays that way.

JOSHUA: Hey, little fella.

MAX: Hey. Logan managed to grab this out of his apartment before White's guys trashed it. (Hands him his pendant)

JOSHUA: I'll have to thank him.

MAX: Listen, about that symbol...

JOSHUA: Father told me that the two snakes interwind together.

DIX: Sort of a caduceus. You know--the wand carried by Hermes, messenger of the gods.

JOSHUA (to Max): Messenger, like you.

DIX: The Greeks adapted it from a more ancient Babylonian symbol representing fertility. (Notices the others looking at him) I read a lot.

MAX: All I know is it's the same symbol White's breeding cult uses. I hate to say this, but maybe Sandeman was involved with them somehow.

JOSHUA: No, Max.

MAX: These are major bad guys. I mean, I'm wondering if--

JOSHUA: I don't like you wondering. Father was a good guy. I remember.

MAX: If you say so.

LUKE: Good or bad, if Sandeman did create Manticore, he was one strange dude. I mean, look at us. What was he thinking?

DIX: And why did he bother? Humans hate us.

MOLE: The feeling's mutual.

JOSHUA: People afraid of things that they don't understand.

(A voice comes over the monitors)

VOICE: All cars, we have a transgenic on the loose, heading eastbound towards...

LUKE: Uh-oh.

MAX: What's going on?

LUKE: Transgenic. The cops got him on the run.

MAX: Location?

LUKE: Sector five. Last seen headed east on Fourth. White's men are on their way.

MAX: So are mine.

(At Jam Pony, Alec talks to a fellow male X-series, who is now employed there.)

X-MESSENGER: No, first thing we ever did together was the Volkovitch job, over in Kezmekistan or wherever.

ALEC: Oh, yeah, that's right. Ooh, the off-hours were definitely the highlight of that mission.

BOTH: Lola.

ALEC: Yeah. (His cell phone rings) Hang on.

(He answers the phone)

ALEC: Yeah?...We'll meet her there. (Hangs up) Let's go.

(At a sector checkpoint, there is a long line of people waiting to pass through.)

SECTOR COP: Just a few more minutes 'til we get the all-clear, folks. There's something going down in sector five.

(Max arrives on her Ninja and pulls up to Alec and the other X-series, who are already in line. They are also riding motorcycles.)

MAX: Ready?

ALEC: I'm always ready.

X-MESSENGER: Funny...that's what Lola said.

(They move up to the front of the line. Max flashes her I.D.)

MAX: Jam Pony messenger.

ALEC: Got a pickup for Harbor Lights Hospital.

(The sector cops let them through.)

(In sector five, a transgenic with white skin and hair runs through the street, pursued by several police cars and by White's car.)

WHITE (into radio): This is White. All units form a perimeter.

(The cars surround the transgenic. The cops get out and take aim at him.)

COPS: Freeze! Don't move!

(Alec, never leaving his motorcycle, grabs a pole and uses it to knock down a couple of the cops. The other X-series kicks some cops down as he rides by them. Max pulls up to the transgenic.)

MAX: Come on!

(He climbs on the Ninja, behind her. Alec shoots out the tires of a police car. White arrives on the scene and takes aim at Max and the other transgenic. The other X-series shoots out White's tires. White is momentarily distracted by that, and Max takes the opportunity to kick him in the head as she passes by. Otto and White both fire at her, but she gets away. In anger, White throws his gun after them and knocks down one of the cops.)

(At the edge of Terminal City, Joshua and another transgenic stand watch on top of a building. Max and the others approach.)

JOSHUA: Here they come! Open the gate!

(The gate is opened long enough for them to ride through, and then is closed again. They are joined by other transgenics as they dismount.)

LUKE: Way to go, guys. You okay, pal?

RESCUED TRANSGENIC: I am now.

MAX: Welcome to Terminal City.

(At Jam Pony, Alec sees Normal making copies of some flyers.)

ALEC: Whatcha got there, boss?

NORMAL (handing him one): Check it out.

ALEC (reading): Coalition for a Transgenic-Free Seattle.

NORMAL: That's right. The mutants are getting organized; we're getting organized, too.

ALEC: Yeah, good idea.

NORMAL: It's not the ones that look like monsters we gotta worry about. It's the other ones, the X-series. They look just like you and me, so you really can't tell.

(The other X-series rides in on his motorcycle and comes to a stop in front of Normal's desk.)

NORMAL: Hey! What are you doing? Don't ride the motorcycle inside!

ALEC: Cut him some slack, Normal. You know, Biggs here has already been on three runs this morning, huh?

BIGGS: And I'm ready for my next one, boss.

ALEC: What'd I tell you? I told you he was a good worker. And, you know, my idea about doing the deliveries on motorcycles has upped our efficiency by, what, fifteen percent?

NORMAL: Yes, Moto-Pony is a huge success. Doesn't mean you can ride the hogs indoors.

(A couple of new messengers, one male and one female, enter.)

ALEC: Hey, did you get those sector passes I wanted for these guys?

NORMAL: What? Yeah, here. (Hands him two sector passes)

ALEC: Ah, perfect. (Passes them out) There you go. There you go. Happy riding.

(In the locker area Max and Original Cindy talk. Original Cindy checks out the new female messenger as she passes by.)

ORIGINAL CINDY: That is one fine transgenic sister.

(Normal passes out the flyers.)

NORMAL: Vigilance, yeah? They're everywhere, people. Our fair city has become Transgenic Central. Don't be afraid to rat out your friends and neighbors.

ORIGINAL CINDY: Normal, how do we know that's you're not a transgenic that's just running a game so that nobody suspects you?

(Normal laughs and walks away)

MAX: Normal's calling for vigilance. Meanwhile, Jam Pony's home to the transgenic underground.

(Later, in Terminal City, Biggs is revving his motorcycle as Luke and Mole watch.)

BIGGS: It keeps backfiring on me.

LUKE: Timing must be off. I'll take care of it.

(Nearby, a computer beeps. Logan appears on its screen.)

LOGAN: Anybody home?

LUKE: Hey, Logan. Adjust your camera. You're a little off-center.

(In Joshua's house, Logan sits down at a desk where he has set up his computer equipment, which looks worse for the wear. He adjusts the camera mounted on top of his monitor and sees that Joshua has joined Luke at their computer.)

LOGAN: How's that?

LUKE: Much better.

JOSHUA: How's the new digs, Logan?

LOGAN: They're pretty sweet, Joshua. Thanks for letting me crash.

LUKE: No problem. You need anything?

LOGAN: Well, yeah. Talked to Eyes Only; he's trying to get his operation up and running again.

LUKE: Takes some pretty sophisticated hardware to pull off those cable hacks of his.

LOGAN: Getting on the air isn't the hard part. It's not getting traced.

LUKE: What does he need?

LOGAN: I.T. server. Couple of C-34 processors, for starters.

LUKE: I'll look around. You ordinaries--no offense--left a lot of good stuff behind when you cleared out of Terminal City.

LOGAN: I appreciate it.

(Alec and Max enter the building.)

ALEC: Hey, Mole. Look what I got.

MAX: Here.

(They drop off some stuff they've brought.)

JOSHUA: Hey, little fella.

MAX: What's up?

JOSHUA: Logan's on TV.

(Max approaches the computer. She and Logan talk awkwardly.)

MAX: Hey, you.

LOGAN: Hey yourself.

MAX: Doesn't exactly have the penthouse view. How's it going?

LOGAN: Warm and dry. Can't complain. How you doing?

MAX: All right.

LOGAN: Good. Was that Alec I heard?

(Alec, overhearing, looks up in surprise.)

MAX: Yeah.

LOGAN: How's he doing?

MAX: Good.

LOGAN: Good.

MAX: So, um...catch you later?

LOGAN: Yeah. See ya, Max.

MAX: See ya.

(Later, Max and Alec walk through an abandoned building somewhere in Terminal City. It looks like it must have been a lab at one point, but is now littered with debris.)

ALEC: Each place worse than the last. We're never going to find anything Logan can use in this dump.

MAX: Here we go. (Finds a piece of computer equipment) This looks salvageable.

ALEC: Good. Can we go now?

MAX (reading a sign on the wall): "Advanced Recombinant Genetics." Wonder who they were.

(While Max puts the computer equipment in her bag, Alec pokes around the lab.)

ALEC: So how are you and Logan? (Max gives him a look) Just making conversation, Max. You oughta try it sometime.

MAX: It's over. I already told you that.

ALEC: Why was he asking about me?

MAX: Just making conversation, Alec.

(Alec idly opens an autoclave and finds a snake inside.)

ALEC: Whoa!

MAX: What?

ALEC: Look at that.

MAX: Ugh. What the hell is that doing here?

ALEC: I don't know. Can we please go now?

(Alec closes the autoclave and they start to walk out of the lab.)

MAX: What is it with these snakes? It's like Ames White and his Familiars are following me around.

ALEC: "Ames White and his Familiars." Kinda sounds like a rock band, you know?

(After they leave, the mental patient enters. He opens the autoclave and gently removes the snake.)

MENTAL PATIENT: Oh, did they hurt you, George? Huh? I know, it does sound like a rock band. Question is, how do they know about all that, huh? It's a good thing you scared them off. Now we got the place to ourselves, huh?

(He dances around with the snake, singing a waltz.)

(At his headquarters, White joins Otto at a computer.)

WHITE: So what am I looking at here?

OTTO: Thermal imager. Fifth-generation. Very high sensitivity.

WHITE: And I should care about this because...?

(A man escorts an X-series into the room.)

WHITE: Why's he in here?

OTTO: Take a look. (Points to the transgenic's image on the computer) See how the image is whiter? That's 'cause the X-series run an average basal body temperature of 101.8 degrees--three degrees higher than a human being. Scan the crowd with the thermal gating set at, say, a hundred...

WHITE: ...It picks out transgenics. Otto, my friend, you have earned your pay this week. Requisition as many of these as you can, and get 'em in the field ASAP.

OTTO: Very good, sir.

(White's cell phone rings. The older priestess is calling him from the mental patient's room.)

WHITE (into phone): White.

PRIESTESS: He's escaped.

WHITE: Escaped? When?

PRIESTESS: Last night, during the ceremony.

WHITE: Any leads?

PRIESTESS: No, but we'll find him.

WHITE: We'd better. He knows too much. Fe'nos tol.

PRIESTESS: Fe'nos tol.

(In Terminal City, Mole assembles a gun next to a space heater. The transgenic Max and Alec rescued opens the fridge and sits on a crate in front of it.)

MOLE: Will you quit doing that?

RESCUED TRANSGENIC: It's hot as hell in here.

MOLE (to Luke): These Arctic Division guys. Always complaining.

ARCTIC GUY (to Luke): Would you listen to him? With his little space heater over there.

MOLE: When we took out Saddam, we did fifty clicks across the desert in one day.

ARCTIC GUY: Siberian campaign, we did sixty clicks through the snow in one night.

MOLE: I'm talking 115 degrees.

ARCTIC GUY: Wind chill 30 below.

MOLE: Baking sun.

ARCTIC GUY: Driving snow.

(They both look to Luke.)

LUKE: What do I know? They made me to dig trenches.

(Max and Alec enter the building)

MAX: We gotta get this over to Logan right away.

ALEC: Can't really send any of the, uh, mutant parade over there. I'll do it.

MAX (quickly): You don't have to.

ALEC: I don't mind.

MAX: I can ask Biggs to bring it when he gets here.

ALEC: Okay, I understand why you don't want to go over there, but I can do it. I mean, the sooner he gets it, the better.

MAX: Leave it.

ALEC: What's your problem?

MAX: I guess you're going to find out sooner or later. I told Logan you and me were together.

ALEC (dismayed): What?

MAX: I'm sorry. I had to.

ALEC: Are you kidding?

MAX: This virus thing isn't going anywhere, and I can't afford any more accidents.

ALEC: Why do you have to drag me into it?

MAX: I had to push him away.

ALEC: Yeah, so blame Alec, 'cause he's just the kind of jerk that'd steal another guy's girl. (Picks up the bag)

MAX: Please don't.

ALEC: Max, whatever's going on with you and Logan has nothing to do with me, okay? I'm not going to be the bad guy.

(At Joshua's house, Logan walks into the living room, wearing the exoskeleton. He briefly jumps up a few feet.)

LOGAN: Huh.

(He notices some large planks of wood lying by the fireplace. Logan props one up against the mantel and breaks it with a kick. As he throws the wood into the fire, Alec enters.)

ALEC: Hey.

LOGAN: Hey.

ALEC: Thought you didn't need that thing to walk anymore.

LOGAN: I don't.

ALEC: So is it more like an enhancer, then, or...?

LOGAN: Something like that. What are you doing here?

ALEC: I, uh, got that computer hardware you wanted.

LOGAN: Thanks.

ALEC: Yeah, no problem. (Sets the bag down) Listen, um, this thing with Max and I--

LOGAN: Yeah, she told me. If you're here to apologize or give me some kind of explanation about how it happened, I'm not real interested. (Breaks another plank)

ALEC: No, no, no, no. You got it all wrong. You see--

LOGAN: Listen. We've been through some rough times, me and Max. But I never gave up on us. I always figured we'd get through it. Now, I guess...I don't know, I'm thinking maybe, uh...I've been selfish. With everything that's going on in the world...maybe she...should be with someone like her. Someone who understands what she's going through. But then the funny part is, it never mattered...to me what she was...or where she was from. Not to me.

ALEC: Logan--

LOGAN: Just treat her right.

(Logan breaks another plank. Alec leaves.)

(At Crash)

ORIGINAL CINDY: It had to come out sooner or later.

MAX: Yeah, I guess so.

(Alec joins them.)

ORIGINAL CINDY: Don't make her feel any worse than she already does.

(Original Cindy walks away. Alec takes her seat and sips his drink without a word.)

MAX: So you gonna tell me what happened?

ALEC: I didn't say anything.

MAX: Thanks. Why'd you change your mind?

ALEC: 'Cause you're right. I mean, you had to say something. Only, you didn't push him away. I'm not sure what could. He let go, because he wanted you to be happy. (Max doesn't say anything.) Now, don't start crying on me, 'cause he said I had to take care of you.

(As Max reaches for the pitcher of beer, Alec notices some marks on her wrist.)

ALEC: What is that? Your barcode's not enough, you're getting tattoos now?

(They both take a closer look. The marks resemble the symbols Max found in Ray's book.)

MAX: Oh, my God.

ALEC: What the hell are they?

MAX: I don't know.

(Later, in Terminal City, Max shows the symbols to Logan via the computer. The symbols look like runes--letters from an ancient alphabet.)

LOGAN: Huh.

MAX: "Huh" as in, "Strange, but I know exactly what it is, huh," or "Huh, what the hell is going on?"

LOGAN: Closer to the second one. So they just popped up? You didn't do anything...come into contact with anyone...drink anything?

MAX (sarcastically): Yeah. I drank a bottle of something that said "Tattoos From Within." Was that wrong?

LOGAN: Hey, take it easy.

MAX: Sorry. It's just freaking me out.

LOGAN: They look a little like the symbol on Joshua's medallion. Maybe they're like your barcode--some sort of genetically-encoded imprint, designed to appear on your skin at a given time.

MAX: What for and why now?

LOGAN: I don't know. Maybe it's a message.

MAX: From who?

JOSHUA: Father.

(Later, Alec and Biggs walk down the street toward their motorcycles.)

BIGGS: It's pretty freaky, huh?

ALEC: Logan'll figure out what's going on. He always does.

(Alec's cell phone rings. Biggs notices a man in the distance standing outside the Light of Life Mission, collecting change from passersby.)

MAN: Your donation will help keep this neighborhood clean. (Someone puts money in the cup) Thank you, sir.

ALEC (into phone): Hello? Hey, boss. Yeah, I'm on my way in right now...

MAN: Yes, one of those trannie freaks could be dating your daughter.

ALEC: All right, but you better put me on the clock now. Bye. (Hangs up) I gotta go for a pickup in sector nine.

BIGGS: All right.

ALEC: Catch you later.

BIGGS: See ya.

MAN: Those trannie freaks--they're all over the place, man.

(Alec and Biggs get on their motorcycles and leave.)

(At White's headquarters, Otto approaches a second man, who sits at the computer with the thermal imager.)

OTTO: How we doing?

SECOND MAN: Nothing yet.

(A man sits in the driver's seat of a taxicab, aiming a small handheld device at passersby. He has a small thermal imaging screen in the car)

MAN IN CAR (into radio): Control, this is Position Twelve.

SECOND MAN: You got something?

MAN IN CAR: Think so.

(Otto and the second man watch on the computer screen as a white image moves into view. Her temperature registers as 100.2 degrees. The man in the car sees it is a woman blowing her nose.)

MAN IN CAR: Never mind. Just an old lady with the flu.

SECOND MAN: Roger, Position Twelve.

(Moments later, Biggs rides into view and dismounts his motorcycle a short distance away. He shows up white on the thermal imaging screen, and his temperature registers at 101.8 degrees.)

MAN IN CAR: Wait a minute. Check it out.

SECOND MAN: Hey, copy, Position Twelve. We see him. Stay on him.

MAN IN CAR: Copy that.

(As Biggs stops at a juice stand, he notices several men in the area watching him, including a sector cop. Suspicious, he starts to walk away.)

OTTO (into radio): Listen up, people, you've been made. All units converge.

SECTOR COP: Control, this is Position Nine. We're in pursuit.

OTTO: Copy, Position Nine. Calling in backup now.

(The sector cop and a couple of the other men who had been watching Biggs now approach him. The cop takes aim at him.)

SECTOR COP: Freeze!

(Biggs throws his juice in one of the men's face and starts running. The cop fires and misses. Biggs, pursued by more police, manages to get away.)

SECTOR COP: Control, this is Position Nine. We lost him.

(In the abandoned lab, the mental patient uses a couple of mirrors to draw a barcode on the back of his neck.)

MENTAL PATIENT: That should do the trick. (To his reflection) Wish me luck.

(The snake hisses)

MENTAL PATIENT: All right, you can come. (Puts the snake into a bag)

(At Terminal City)

MAX: Logan says it's some branch of ancient Minoan language.

ALEC: Did he figure out what it says?

MAX: He's working on it. The problem is, no one's ever deciphered the whole alphabet.

ALEC: Well, that doesn't make sense. I mean, if Sandeman is involved with this breeding cult, and he did encode whatever that is into you, then why did he do it in a language you can't understand?

JOSHUA: Maybe he was going to teach her before she left.

ALEC: Yeah, but why not just plain English?

JOSHUA: So no one else could read it.

MAX: Sorta makes sense.

ALEC: Are we sure he's one of the good guys?

JOSHUA: Well, he left Manticore, didn't he?

MAX: Did he ever tell you why he left?

JOSHUA: No. He just left in a hurry.

(Luke escorts the mental patient into the building.)

LUKE: Hey, all. Say hello to the newest resident of Terminal City. (Making introductions) C.J., everyone. Everyone, C.J.

ALL: Hey, C.J.

DIX: Welcome.

MOLE: What are you? X-3? X-4?

C.J.: I'm X-5...dash four one one.

MAX (disbelievingly): X-5?

C.J. (saluting): The few, the proud. You don't believe me? Okay. (Hands his bag to Luke and strikes a fighting stance) You want a little, huh? You want a piece?

(He jumps around, making very bad martial arts moves, complete with strange noises- -including barking. The others stare at him. C.J. obviously has no fighting experience whatsoever.)

C.J.: Didja see that? The way I blurred?

MAX: No.

C.J.: Exactly. That's 'cause I'm so fast. Still don't believe me?

(He tries to fight Max to prove himself. She fends him off with hardly any effort, and fells him with a punch.)

C.J.: Ow.

(Joshua picks him up by the lapels and growls at him. C.J. notices Joshua's pendant.)

C.J.: Where'd you get that?

MAX: Why?

C.J.: No reason.

MAX: Is that something you've seen before?

C.J.: No.

LUKE: Guys! Hey, guys! Guys!

(A newscast has come on TV, announcing that the police are pursuing a transgenic. They show a picture of Biggs' face.)

ANCHORWOMAN: If you see this individual, please alert the authorities immediately. This alleged transgenic is considered to be a dangerous fugitive and should not be approached under any circumstances. It is unclear if the suspect is armed.

ALEC: It's Biggs. (Dials his cell phone) Come on.

(With everyone else suddenly distracted, C.J. sneaks out of the building.)

(Walking down the street, Biggs answers his cell phone.)

BIGGS: Hey. You won't believe what just happened to me.

ALEC: Where are you?

BIGGS: Near your place.

(The man who was collecting donations is watching the newscast. He notices Biggs walking by, and he and his friends follow Biggs.)

ALEC: You need to get back to Terminal City right now, pal.

BIGGS: Why? What's wrong?

DONATION MAN: Excuse me.

BIGGS: Hang on a sec, Alec. (To the donation man) Yeah?

DONATION MAN: You wanna help keep the neighborhood trannie-safe?

BIGGS: Some other time.

(Biggs notices the newscast on a nearby TV. While he is distracted, the donation man takes the opportunity to hit him. Biggs' barcode is visible as he hits the ground)

DONATION MAN (to his friends): Hey! He's one of 'em!

(He and his friends begin beating Biggs.)

DONATION MAN: How do you like that, freak?

ALEC: Biggs! (To Max) He's in trouble.

MAX: Let's go.

(Some time later, after dark, Max and Alec arrive near the mission. Max talks to one of the people gathered around.)

MAX: Hey, what the hell's going on?

GUY: Bunch of the neighborhood guys got a hold of one of them mutants that's been on the news.

MAX: What do you mean, "Got a hold of"?

GUY: Gave 'em hell. (Points proudly) What do you think?

(Biggs has been hanged, upside-down. A large wooden X burns nearby.)

GUY: That oughta teach them freaks a lesson, huh?

(At Terminal City, everybody is watching the news on TV.)

REPORTER: The suspected transgenic met a violent end when it was confronted by members of a local neighborhood watch group. We take you live to Senator James McKinley, chairman of the Congressional task force on the transgenic threat.

(Senator McKinley is holding a press conference.)

McKINLEY: Obviously, I don't condone this sort of vigilantism. Though I understand the fear and anger that drove these people to take matters into their own hands, I have to ask you to remember these transgenics are dangerous. Let the authorities do their job.

LUKE: Yeah. Leave the trannie-killing to the experts.

McKINLEY: Progress is being made. A recent technological breakthrough helped us identify and capture three transgenics in the city of Seattle alone. We anticipate many more arrests in the days ahead.

REPORTER: Where are the captured transgenics being held?

McKINLEY: I'm afraid that information is classified. They'll be transported to a central and secure facility within the day. We are winning the war, ladies and gentlemen. You have my word.

(He walks away as the reporters continue to call out questions.)

SECOND REPORTER: Is the public in danger?

THIRD REPORTER: Senator, can you tell us more about the technology...

(White waits for him in the doorway. They speak quietly.)

WHITE: Imagine...a good old-fashioned lynching.

McKINLEY: I hope I didn't sound too disapproving. So, he escaped? During the Katara ceremony, no less. Could be bad for us...for you.

WHITE: I'll take care of it.

McKINLEY: See that you do. Fe'nos tol.

WHITE: Fe'nos tol.

(At Terminal City)

MAX: Are you still tight with the arms dealer in Koreatown?

ALEC: Yeah.

MAX: Tell him we're gonna need the nastiest stuff he's got. TK-67's, grenade launchers, whatever. Money's no object.

LUKE: Sorta is when you don't got any.

ALEC: Then we'll get some.

DIX: What's the plan?

MAX: We're gonna hit his headquarters and get those transgenics out of there before White ships 'em off.

MOLE: Sounds good to me.

MAX (to Luke): That so-called X-5 you brought here the other day--where's he from?

LUKE: Met him outside on the street. Why?

MAX: I think he's connected to White's breeding cult. I want to know what the hell he was doing here.

LUKE: Don't know. But, uh, he left this behind.

(He hands her the bag. She glances inside and looks at Alec. He empties the bag onto the table; George the snake was inside.)

(Otto and his men enter Jam Pony menacingly.)

OTTO: Reagan Ronald.

NORMAL: Hey, Special Agent Gottlieb. How you doing? Good to see you.

OTTO: Wish I could say the same.

(A short distance away, Sketchy suddenly looks nervous.)

ORIGINAL CINDY: You okay?

SKETCHY: That's the guy.

ORIGINAL CINDY: What guy?

SKETCHY: The government guy. Roughed me up when I was covering that story about the transgenic that lived in the sewer. He must be here to shut me up for good.

(Otto holds up an I.D.)

OTTO: You recognize this?

NORMAL: That, uh, appears to be a Jam Pony I.D. badge, sir.

SECOND MAN: We found it on the body of a transgenic last night.

OTTO: Now how do you suppose it got there?

NORMAL: Look. Look, you gotta believe me. I had no idea he was one of them. If I had, I never would have hired him.

(Sketchy hides. Worried, Original Cindy sneaks into Normal's office and opens his file drawer.)

OTTO: How many transgenics do you have employed here, Mr. Ronald?

NORMAL: None that I know of.

SECOND MAN: That you know of?

(Original Cindy removes some files from the drawer.)

NORMAL: Yeah. I mean, you know, how can anybody be sure? I just-- (Defensively) Listen, guys, I gotta tell you, I hate them. I hate them. I loathe them, like any God-fearing American should.

(Original Cindy leaves Normal's office and ducks behind the counter as the men approach.)

OTTO: Then you won't mind if we take a look at your personnel files.

NORMAL: No, that's--that'd be okay, sir. Go ahead. Take your time.

(Normal and the NSA men enter his office. Original Cindy walks away from the counter. Sketchy joins her.)

SKETCHY: Hey, what'd you just do?

ORIGINAL CINDY: What do you mean?

SKETCHY: I saw you go into Normal's office. There are more transgenics, huh? And you're trying to protect them.

ORIGINAL CINDY: You're trippin'.

(Sketchy tries to look at the files. Original Cindy turns away, but not before he catches a glance.)

SKETCHY: Why'd you take Max and Alec's files?

ORIGINAL CINDY: Why do you think?

(Sketchy realizes and walks away in dismayed shock.)

(In the abandoned lab, C.J. is napping under a table. George the snake crawls over him, and C.J. wakes up.)

C.J.: Hey, George, you found me.

MAX: So did I.

C.J. (to the snake): Oh, why'd you bring her here?

MAX: Who are you and what the hell are you doing in Terminal City?

C.J.: Same as you. Hiding out.

MAX: Why? You're not a transgenic. (He ignores her.) Hey!

(She grabs him and pulls him out from under the table.)

MAX: Don't make me slap you around.

C.J.: They're after me.

MAX: Who?

C.J.: Familiars! Think I want to go back to that loony bin of theirs? Don't look at me like that. I'm not crazy.

MAX: Right.

C.J.: They locked me up because of my dad. He was part of it all until he got out. Turned his back on the whole damn thing.

MAX: Why'd he leave the breeding cult?

C.J.: Because...he knew I wouldn't survive, and he didn't want me to die.

MAX: You mean the whole initiation thing with the snake blood?

C.J. (surprised): How did you know about that?

MAX: Never mind. How did he know you wouldn't survive?

C.J.: He was a scientist. This place was his. He tested my DNA. That's not allowed, see. "Everyone has to be initiated," they said. "Thousands of years of tradition," they said. But he said "Screw tradition," and sent me away. (Puts the snake in the autoclave)

MAX: Until they caught you, and locked your ass up.

C.J.: They're everywhere. (Whispers) You never know who's part of it.

MAX (whispering): The initiation thing--what's it for?

C.J. (whispering): I don't know. (At normal volume) They don't tell you unless you take it and survive. My dad wanted to change things with science and technology, but they said that was heresy.

MAX: So your dad got sick of the whole selective-breeding thing and started to get into the gene-splicing game?

C.J.: He didn't come here until later, after the government took over.

MAX: Took over what?

C.J.: Hello! Manticore.

MAX (shocked): What?

C.J.: Who do you think made you?

MAX: Sandeman. Sandeman's your father?

C.J.: Haven't you heard a word I've said?

MAX: Is he alive? Do you know where he is?

C.J.: Maybe.

MAX: I gotta find him!

C.J.: Why?

MAX: Got a lot of questions! Like why he made us...why he left...and what are these?

(She shows him the runes on her wrist.)

C.J.: Oooh, ancient Minoan.

MAX: Do you know what it says?

C.J.: How should I know? I don't read Minoan. Why don't you ask whoever drew them?

MAX: That's the thing. Nobody drew them. They just popped up.

C.J.: Oh, that sounds weird.

MAX: I think they're a message from your father.

C.J.: What kind of message?

MAX: If you help me find him, I can find out. Will you set up a meet?

C.J.: I don't know...

MAX: Come on. I mean, we're kind of related.

C.J.: Well, when you put it that way...

(That night, at Terminal City)

JOSHUA: Sorry about Biggs.

ALEC: Yeah. I'd like to have a little talk with whoever did that.

JOSHUA: Me, too.

ALEC: There were some guys hanging around, talking crap about transgenics.

JOSHUA: Think it was them?

ALEC: Wanna go find out?

(Outside the mission, the man and his friends are again taking donations from passersby.)

DONATION MAN: Donations here, please. (Someone puts money in the cup) Thank you, sir.

(Alec and Joshua approach. Joshua is wearing the helmet he wore to make deliveries for Alec.)

DONATION MAN: Y'all wanna make a donation?

ALEC: Yeah, but my friend here thinks you're running a scam.

DONATION MAN: I guess you ain't seen the news.

ALEC: What about it?

DONATION MAN: Well, we strung the trannie up that bridge, over there.

ALEC: I've got a problem with that.

DONATION MAN: Oh, yeah?

JOSHUA: Yeah. (Removes his helmet) He was a friend of ours.

(The guys' eyes open wide when they see Joshua's face. Alec and Joshua then proceed to beat them bloody.)

ALEC: You and your friends need to get out of town tonight. I see you around here again, I'm gonna kill you. (To Joshua) Let's go, Josh. Come on.

(They leave. The other guys run away.)

(Somewhere else, Max and C.J. wait outside. C.J. is stacking some rocks in a little circle.)

MAX: Where is he?

C.J.: Dad drives kinda slow.

WHITE'S VOICE: Always made our poor mother crazy.

(White and his men surround them and take aim.)

WHITE: Hello, 452.

C.J.: Fe'nos tol...my brother.

(Later, in a closed room, Max's hands are cuffed above her head. White examines the runes on her arms. C.J. sits in the corner, watching.)

MAX: Poor Sandeman. One son's a loon, the other's a psychopath.

WHITE: Be nice. We're practically family.

MAX: Don't remind me.

WHITE: Hey, I'm not happy about it, either.

C.J.: Did I do the right thing, Ames? Did I do good?

WHITE: Oh, yeah. You did real good, C.J. Real good.

C.J.: So you're not gonna send me back there, right? To that place?

WHITE: No, no worries. Nothing like that, little brother. (To Max) If you're wondering about the name, I changed it. Sort of a symbolic thing.

(He rips the front of her shirt.)

MAX: Hey!

(He examines the runes on Max's collarbones.)

WHITE: White, as in unsullied, free of my father's betrayal and shame.

C.J.: What do they say? Ames, what do they say? What do they say, Ames?!

MAX: Answer him!

WHITE: What do you think they say? They say all of the same stuff that he was spouting off about for years, about how all life is sacred, blah blah blah, and how the meek will inherit the earth, and you know what? The meek will not inherit the earth. The strong will take what is theirs and crush the meek. After our long wait, our time has come.

MAX: Good. Can I go now?

(White unzips the back of Max's shirt and examines the runes on her back.)

WHITE: See, he wanted to destroy our destiny. Five thousand years of planning.

C.J.: Destroy? How?

WHITE: By creating her.

C.J. (realizing): She's the one he used to talk about.

WHITE (to Max): Now, before I kill you and end this little story, I have to ask you about my son.

C.J.: Oh, boy, this changes everything.

WHITE: Is he alive?

MAX: No. Yeah. Well, what was the question?

(White uses a taser on Max.)

C.J. (to himself): You made a big mistake!

(White drops the taser and grabs Max's face.)

WHITE: Is he alive? Answer me!

C.J.: But it's not too late.

WHITE: Will you shut up?

(C.J. picks up the taser and uses it on White. Eventually White passes out.)

C.J.: Sorry, brother, but if what you said is true, she's the only chance I've got.

(He takes White's keys and uncuffs Max.)

C.J.: Oh, he's gonna be mad. He's gonna be really mad. He's got a will to him like you won't believe.

MAX: Not that I'm complaining, but why the change of heart?

C.J.: Don't you ever listen? You're it, man! Time's running out. It's coming.

MAX: What's coming?

(Someone knocks on the door.)

SECOND MAN: Sir?

C.J. (disguising his voice): Yeah?

SECOND MAN: Prisoners are ready for transport.

C.J.: Five minutes.

SECOND MAN: Very good, sir.

(Max and C.J. leave the small room and stand at the entrance to the main room of the building. Several transgenics, chained together, are being led up a ramp into the back of a van.)

MAX: You ready?

C.J.: You kidding? I'm sticking with you.

MAX: I'll take that as a yes.

(Max rushes into the main room and knocks out the men guarding the van. In the small room, White wakes up. Max throws the driver out of the van and gets in. C.J. picks up a gun and fires at several of the men.)

MAX: C.J.! Come on!

(White enters the main room and fires at the van, missing Max. C.J. jumps into the open door of the van, blocking Max.)

C.J.: Stop! Hi! All done, all done! I was wrong! Mistakes were made here!

WHITE: Move!

C.J.: Come on, bro, it's all good!

WHITE: I said move!

(White shoots C.J., who falls to the ground. White and his men fire on Max as she shuts the van door.)

C.J. (to Max): Go! Go!

(Max drives the van out of the building. The men chase her a little ways and stand there shooting at her, but she gets away.)

(At Crash)

SKETCHY: How long you known?

ORIGINAL CINDY: About a year.

SKETCHY: Why didn't you tell me?

ORIGINAL CINDY: What difference would it make?

SKETCHY: How can you say that? She's one of them.

ORIGINAL CINDY: She's been a good friend to you. You gonna believe what you hear on TV or what's in your heart? So what if she was made in a lab? She's the best person you know.

SKETCHY (considering): You're right. She is. It's all good.

(At Terminal City, Alec takes bets from the various transgenics, who are in a partying mood.)

MOLE: All right, let's do this. Huh? Huh? Let's see what you've got, igloo.

ARCTIC GUY: Yo, salamander boy, time to get schooled. Come on.

(Max talks to Logan via the computer.)

LOGAN: So Sandeman is White's father?

MAX: And I guess in some twisted kind of way, it means he's my brother.

LOGAN: Huh. Well, one thing's for sure. If Sandeman tried to leave the cult, then Joshua was right--he's one of the good guys.

MAX: So is C.J., in his own crazy way. Whatever Sandeman was trying to tell me with these things, it sure as hell freaked White out. I mean, he made it sound like I was the Second Coming, here to foil his big, evil plan. Like I even know what it is.

MOLE: Three...two...one. In there!

ARCTIC GUY: Schooltime!

(Mole stands in front of an air conditioner. The Arctic guy stands in front of the space heater. Each continues to trash-talk the other. The other transgenics look on and cheer.)

ALEC: Hey, Max, check it out.

(Logan looks away and picks up a book.)

ALEC: We've got a little bet going on over here, to see who can last the longest. You want in?

MAX: No.

(Alec walks away. Max turns back to the computer.)

LOGAN: I'll let you get back to the party.

MAX: Logan...

(Logan looks up. Max tries to decide whether to say something.)

MAX: Take care.

(Max ends the call. Logan slams the book down.)

(In the mental hospital, C.J. is bound in a straitjacket and gagged. White is talking to him)

WHITE: I'm disappointed in you, C.J. You did a bad thing. Very bad thing. You had a chance to redeem yourself, and redeem our family. You threw it away, like garbage.

(White goes to the window and looks out. A shooting star passes overhead.)

WHITE: I'll find her. Now that I know what she is...I have to.