Episdoe Guide

Season 4 (1999-2000)

"Shocking"

Episode 401
(aired the week of 9/25/1999)

Log line: The O.S.I.R. team investigates when a woman becomes electrically charged after being struck by lightning, and must release the electricity through sex in order to survive.

Synopsis: Two men lie in a hospital room, victims of apparent sexual assault. Curiously, both are also suffering from severe electrical burns. Tom Baxter was found in an alleyway, unconscious and discharging 215 volts of electricity. Fred Sylvain was brought into the shock ward registering a reading of 40 volts. As the O.S.I.R. (Office of Scientific Investigation and Research) team investigates the case, Peter Axon notes that while humans are electrical conductors, the storage and discharge of electricity is extremely rare.

Dr. Diane DeLuca administers to the patients, as Matt Praeger and new team member, parapsychologist Mia Stone check out the charred accident site. When Stone's voltage meter indicates that nothing in the alleyway is discharging high voltage, Axon and Praeger conclude that, considering the charred regions of the victims' bodies, the burns likely happened during sex. As the investigation continues, a witness comes forward saying that she had seen a woman with "big" hair, sexy clothes and high black boots exiting the alleyway just before she found Baxter laying burned and unconscious. Meanwhile, Sylvain is convinced that his attacker was a succubus, which, Lindsay Donner explains to her colleagues, is a lascivious she-demon believed to copulate with men in their dreams.

When the team goes undercover to track down the attacker, Praeger goes missing - and becomes her third victim. Later, a trembling Praeger cowers in the alley, his lips red and raw. He looks up in horror to find Diane DeLuca staring down at him. Visible in a bag next to her are a wig and shiny black boots. Diane flees the scene, leaving Praeger behind.

Back in the hospital, as Diane cares for Praeger, the team members struggle to find a clue the string of incidents. When Stone remarks that the most common cause of human electricity is lightning, Donner does some checking with the Weather Bureau. She is stunned to discover that, during an electrical storm in the area 10 days ago, DeLuca was reportedly struck by lightning. Further digging into her medical records reveals that she has been diagnosed with Female Sexual Arousal Disorder. Shocked that Dr. DeLuca could be the perpetrator of the attacks, the team also realizes that the doctor could now be treating her own victims.

Needing to release the electricity building up inside her, DeLuca finally turns to her ex-boyfriend, Dr. Russ Turnbull, who is surprised and excited by Diane's apparent change of heart. But as he pulls her close and kisses her passionately, he is suddenly thrown back against the wall by a jolt of electricity.

Still desperate, DeLuca races to find another victim. She suddenly buckles over and screams in intense pain. The O.S.I.R. team quickly transfers her to the lab where they discover that she is discharging an alternating current of 250 volts. Their only choice is to neutralize the current, flush her system and drain the electricity out of her - and they must act quickly. With DeLuca's electrical impulses increasing rapidly, will they be able to save her before her system overloads?

Starring:
Matt Frewer - O.S.I.R. Case Manager Matt Praeger
Barclay Hope - O.S.I.R. Chief Science Analyst Peter Axon
Joanne Vannicola - O.S.I.R. Parapsychologist Mia Stone
Nancy Anne Sakovich - O.S.I.R. Senior Data Analyst Lindsay Donner

Guest Stars:
Kate Greenhouse - Dr. Diane DeLuca
Adrian Truss - Fred Sylvain
David Taylor - Tom Baxter
David Keeley - Dr. Russ Turnbull

Written by: Larry Raskin
Directed by: Stephen Williams

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"Sacrifices"

Episode 402
(aired the week of 10/2/1999)

Log line: After investigating calls concerning satanic cult activity on a college campus, the O.S.I.R. team discover that an elite sorority each year must sacrifice a virgin freshman at their satanic ritual.

Synopsis: Dana Praeger and her new boyfriend Joey Adams make out in the woods behind a secluded building on campus, when they are startled by the sudden appearance of a classmate, Cheryl Hawkins who seems disoriented, her clothes torn and her body bruised. Cheryl later confides to Dana that she had been taken from her bed, then probed and examined by her abductors. Dana's concern mounts when she notices a symbol has been branded behind Cheryl's right ear. The mysterious abduction of her college classmate prompts Dana to call her father, Matt Praeger, to investigate.

On campus, the OSIR begins to collect details of the strange case. Stone announces that traces of Gamma Hydroxybutyric Acid (GHB) - a date rape drug - were found in Cheryl's urine sample. Hendricks suspects that the symbol branded behind Cheryl's ear appears to have its origins in the occult; Praeger finds evidence of a dark sparkling powder on a piece of Cheryl's torn clothing. The powder turns out to be a bizarre mixture of ingredients - a veritable witches brew.

Meanwhile, it's rush week on campus and Psi Beta Sigma is recruiting new members. Unaware of a more sinister motive, Dana's hopes of joining the prestigious sorority are fueled when she is invited by sorority president, Moira Stratton to attend the house tour.

But things are not as they seem. While Dana is at the sorority house, Praeger searches her room for a book on the occult he had lent her but is shocked to find, instead, a cupboard full of wiccan artifacts. When confronted, Dana admits that she is a witch - but that she practices white - not black - magic. She and her coven want to help Cheryl - not hurt her.

The OSIR begins to uncover disturbing clues indicating satanic cult activity on campus. Donner and Axon discover an old satanic site in the woods behind the dorm. Back in the lab, Donner also finds an illustration of "Astaroth" - a high priestess of female demons who is called to the Earth's surface by cults seeking everlasting perfection. Stone remarks on the similarity to Psi Beta Sigma's creed of Purity.

Stone also tells them that missing persons reports indicate the mysterious disappearance of at least one freshman student each year - and all those occurred on the final night of rush week.

Investigation finally reveals that the symbol branded behind Cheryl's ear is most commonly associated with demonolatry and means 'most pure and chaste' - Cheryl's abductors must have been marking virgins. It turns out that the elite sorority is behind the mysterious events. It is now the final night of rush week and, before the moon rises, they must sacrifice a virgin to Astaroth or fail in their quest for perfection. In the woods, with their victim Joey, in a white hooded robe and tied by the wrists to a tree, the satanic ritual begins. Back at the dorm, Donner and Dana perform their own ceremony and, in an agonizing struggle, Astaroth fights to survive against the power of their white magic. But will their power overcome the demon before the next virgin is sacrificed?

Starring:
Matt Frewer - O.S.I.R. Case Manager Matt Praeger
Barclay Hope - O.S.I.R. Chief Science Analyst Peter Axon
Joanne Vannicola - O.S.I.R. Parapsychologist Mia Stone
Nancy Anne Sakovich - O.S.I.R. Senior Data Analyst Lindsay Donner

Guest Stars:
Heather Bertram - Dana Praeger
Raven Dauda - Jessica McCabe
Melee Hutton - Astaroth
Andrew Kraulis - Joey Adams
Polly Shannon - Moira Stratton
Angela Vint - Cheryl Hawkins
Katheryn Winnick - Suzie

Written by: Will Dixon
Director: Stephen Williams

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"Happy Birthday, Matt Praeger"

Episode 403
(aired the week of 10/9/1999)

Log line: Matt Praeger inadvertently enters an alternate dimension and finds himself a contestant on a surreal game show where he is forced to re-examine his life.

Synopsis: On his birthday, Matt Praeger is the first to arrive at Great Lakes Resort to investigate a haunting reported by resort owner Bert Kay. A mysterious man, dressed in yellow, has been seen wandering the grounds. As Matt is left alone to search the site, a transformation takes place and the sign over the entrance to the grounds changes to read "It's Your Time." Into this alternate dimension, Mia Stone arrives, dressed in yellow, and lures Matt to a strange destination - the set of a television game show called 'It's Your Time.'

Stone sits at a desk and interrogates Matt about his personal life. As odd as he finds her behavior, he plays along - convinced that she's in on an elaborate birthday gag at his expense. But as she relentlessly continues her research, Matt becomes increasingly annoyed and begs her to give up the joke.

Meanwhile, the rest of the team members - Lindsay Donner, Peter Axon and the real Mia - have arrived at the resort to assist Matt in the investigation of the haunting, but Matt is nowhere to be found. The surreal game show begins. The Host (played by Bert Kay) explains that, on his birthday, Matt is being given an opportunity to re-examine his life.

Matt's opponents turns out to be his Office of Scientific Investigation and Research (O.S.I.R.) colleagues - all dressed in yellow. Round One, played against Anton Hendricks, seems to be rigged so that Matt will lose but he demands that he be allowed to compete fair and square. Matt wins the round and, at that moment, he catches a brief glimpse of the mysterious man in yellow. In Round Two, Matt is suspended upside down by a rope around his ankles. Donner appears, and holds up a tarot card to Matt. The picture on the card indicates that he is in limbo - with no real home, failed relationships and no commitments. In this state, Matt must answer one question correctly, or be lowered into a pit of steaming lava. The question is 'What is love?' to which he finally answers 'Love is truth' - but admits that he wouldn't recognize either.

For Round Three, Matt's opponent is Axon. Matt is horrified when he is shown an image of his daughter, Dana, sitting in a boat adrift in a lake with her hands tied to her lap. Matt must find Dana before time runs out; Axon's job is to stop him. Matt suddenly finds himself deep in the woods where, once again, he sees the mysterious man in yellow. This time, he recognizes the man as himself. 'Yellow Matt' motions to Matt to follow him into the woods. Desperate to get to Dana before time runs out, he follows, and finds his daughter with just 30 seconds left.

Meanwhile, Matt's colleagues are extremely concerned about his long absence and sense that he is in trouble. As he faces the many challenges of the game, they have been tracking a signal on their monitors - a cold spot which appears and disappears at various points on the grounds of the resort. Stone finds another cold spot - with a much stronger reading than the original one - right near the entrance to the resort. The team suspects that this new reading may indicate a portal through which Matt has entered into another dimension.

In a special Bonus Round, Matt must choose between himself and Dana - and one of them must die. The O.S.I.R. team senses an overwhelming feeling of helplessness as the portal image changes and shifts - then starts to shrink. They fear that they have lost Matt forever. The portal is gone but the cold spot is still out there - with seemingly no way now to get back to reality. Everything now depends on how Matt faces his most difficult challenge.

Starring:
Matt Frewer - O.S.I.R. Case Manager Matt Praeger
Barclay Hope - O.S.I.R. Chief Science Analyst Peter Axon
Colin Fox - O.S.I.R. Director of Opperations Dr. Anton Hendricks
Joanne Vannicola - O.S.I.R. Parapsychologist Mia Stone
Nancy Anne Sakovich - O.S.I.R. Senior Data Analyst Lindsay Donner

Guest Stars:
Heather Bertram - Dana Praeger
Andrew Kraulis - Joey Adams
Angela Vint - Cheryl Hawkins
Polly Shannon - Moira Stratton
Melee Hutton - Astaroth

Written by: Larry Raskin
Directed by: Luc Chalifour

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"Soul Survivor"

Episode 404
(aired the week of 10/16/1999)

Log line: The OSIR investigates a downed aircraft and its passengers who have been in a state of limbo since their disappearance ten years earlier.

Synopsis: When emergency crews investigate a reported plane crash, they initially find no sign of the incident. But on second look, they find a portion of the tail section of a private jet emblazoned with the logo "EPIPHANY." Shockingly, aside from tail and part of a wing, the rest of the plane is buried underground. In a frantic dig for survivors, they unearth the cockpit, where they find one semi-conscious passenger, and the pilot, apparently dead.

The OSIR arrives at the airfield to investigate and find more victims inside the plane. Curiously, the debris inside the plane seems to be the remains of a party rather than a plane crash. Matt Praeger notes that, although this particular aircraft was grounded by the FAA three years ago, this plane's engines are still warm.

In the mobile lab, the survivor has stabilized, and Lindsay Donner is shocked to realize she is face-to-face with Marshall Rose, the legendary rock star who reportedly died in a plane crash ten years ago while en route to a concert in Seattle. EPIPHANY was the name of his band.

Back in the plane, Praeger and Peter Axon find the bodies of the remaining passengers: Carmen, Clyde, Fiona and Vinny. None show any signs of physical trauma. Rose regains consciousness and begins to recall what happened. Captain Jack had reported turbulence and decided to land immediately. Rose remembers that the rest of the passengers were screaming - then, suddenly, he saw a bright light and felt that he was floating towards it. He is horrified now to hear that he was the only survivor - and that the accident happened ten years ago.

Meanwhile, Axon discovers blueprints of the airport site indicating the existing runway and where it had been located 10 years ago.It seems that the plane had actually made it to the original runway which has since been plowed over and is now used as an excavation site. This explains why the craft was found buried in the ground. Because the plane's altimeter was stuck at 30 feet above the ground, though, it's as if the craft went through a tear in the time/space continuum as it descended towards the airfield.

Praeger's further investigation indicates that not only is the plane's rear cabin door gone, but it was purposely blasted off in mid-flight - obviously the result of a live grenade. Someone had obviously wanted the plane to crash.

Miraculously, one by one, the passengers revive and begin to recall fragments of the incident. Wild-eyed and desperate, Rose insists they work together to figure out what happened. As the story is pieced together, it turns out that a terrible fight had broken out among the band members. Then, they all remembered seeing the bright light and the tunnel - a classic "near death" experience. All, that is, except Rose who is the only one that doesn't remember coming back from the light.

Suddenly, he starts to bleed from his nose and his EKG spikes erratically. Tests indicate that his body is shutting down. Rose admits that he had wanted it all to end - the band, the fame, the managers, the bodyguards … like the words to his song - "make it all go away so I won't feel so all alone." As if in a trance, Rose heads back to the plane which had been in limbo between life and afterlife. Who was it that finally made Marshall Rose a legend?

Starring:
Matt Frewer - O.S.I.R. Case Manager Matt Praeger
Barclay Hope - O.S.I.R. Chief Science Analyst Peter Axon
Nancy Anne Sakovich - O.S.I.R. Senior Data Analyst Lindsay Donner

Guest Stars:
Michael Filipowich - Marshall Rose
Kaela Dobkin - Carmen
Arnold Pinnock - Clyde
Lizz Alexander - Fiona
Ian Alden - Vinny
Andre Rochon - Captain Jack

Written by: Rick Drew
Directed by: Ross Clyde

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"883"

Episode 405
(aired the week of 10/23/1999)

Log line: A doctor's mission to colonize a new world forces Matt Praeger to make an agonizing decision about his own future.

Synopsis: Matt Praeger tends to the bloody wound of a hideously deformed man but fails to notice that some of the man's blood spills onto his own bare skin.

Unable to coax the terrified man to go to the hospital, Praeger transports him to the mobile lab to be examined by Dr. Claire Davison. As Praeger catches a glimpse of the man's diseased arm, which bears a tattoo with the numbers 883, he suddenly experiences brief flashes of the deformed man in a dark, shadowy place, cries of pain, a secret lab, and a distorted image of the local medical center.

Praeger investigates the strange incident, going first to the medical center where he experiences another flash of a deformed figure crying for help. Praeger's search of the building's sub-basement reveals a secret lab containing a row of numbered metal doors built into the wall - all containing deformed bodies. As he grabs the door marked "883," he experiences more terrifying flashes.

Believing the bodies are being used in some kind of experiment, Praeger gathers the rest of his team to investigate. But, when they return to the site, there's no sign of the lab. The center's Dr. Madeline Jenica arrives with security in tow. She denies Praeger's accusations and assures him no such lab exists.

As Praeger's condition worsens, he continues to sense the thoughts of the terrified prisoners being held in the lab. He suddenly recalls touching 883's bloody wound with his bare hand and, to his horror, he realizes that he's in the early stages of the same disease that is consuming the deformed man.

Now in isolation with 883, Praeger awakens from a dream to see Dr. Jenica in the room and Mia Stone asleep at her station.

Jenica approaches 883's gurney, puts an oxygen mask over his mouth and leads him away "to the only place that can save him." Praeger tries to stop her but he passes out cold.

Further examination of 883's bloodwork shows it to be the perfect genetic makeup for survival on another planet. Tests also reveal that 883's cells are merging with Praeger's. The team must find 883 - he holds the only clue to helping their colleague.

Though Praeger is convinced that Jenica is behind the strange events, his colleagues don't believe the reputable doctor kidnapped 883. Determined, he sneaks back to the hospital and finds Jenica with the dead body of 883. Suddenly, Praeger collapses. Desperately ill, only Jenica can save him now. If she injects him with the enhanced blood cells, he will live - but he must go with the others. Like 883, he will die if he stays on Earth.

It turns out that Jenica's pre-ordained mission was to colonize a new world - to create a new, improved version of humanity. Now that work is complete. Inside the lab, the prisoners' blackened skins open to reveal perfect human beings. Now they will be taken to a New World to complete the cycle. Jenica tells Praeger the group needs a strong leader to take them into a new Eden.

When the team finally realizes that Praeger had been right about Jenica, they race to the hospital where Praeger is facing an agonizing decision - to die on Earth or to have a new beginning in the new world. As he tells them his ultimate choice, Jenica injects Praeger with the DNA altering drug and, when the beautifully formed male and female humans step out of the mist, ready for the journey, Praeger joins them.

Starring:
Matt Frewer - O.S.I.R. Case Manager Matt Praeger
Barclay Hope - O.S.I.R. Chief Science Analyst Peter Axon
Colin Fox - O.S.I.R. Director of Opperations Dr. Anton Hendricks
Nancy Anne Sakovich - O.S.I.R. Senior Data Analyst Lindsay Donner
Joanne Vannicola - O.S.I.R. Parapsychologist Mia Stone
Soo Garay - O.S.I.R. Pathologist Dr. Claire Davison

Guest Stars:
Bradley Garrick - deformed man
Marilyn Lightstone - Dr. Madeline Jenica

Written by: Damian Kindler
Directed by: Ron Oliver

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"Once Upon A Time In The West"

Episode 406
(aired the week of 10/30/1999)

Log line: An old man on the trail of three Old West outlaws turns out to be Axon thirty years in the future, returning to warn his younger self against inventing a time-travel device.

Synopsis: At 9:49 am, Peter Axon stands in a customer line-up at Northpac Savings, while Lindsay Donner waits for him outside. At precisely 9:50AM, a "time wave" hits the bank switching it to an alternate time line. The bank sign changes to read Global Military Banking System, and three Old West outlaws, Carl Brewster, Lenny Brewster and Earl Carpenter, burst into the building brandishing six-shooters. They fire at the security guard and take the bank manager, Sidney Fineman, into the vault where they hold him hostage, telling him they've come for the gold.

Carl pulls out a device - a "temporal dialer" - and places it on the gold bullion. All three men wear similar devices. When Carl pushes a button, the men and the gold begin to dematerialize. But Carl and Lenny rematerialize and only Earl disappears with the treasure.

Police Captain Falsone has his force stationed outside the building. This is the fifth bank that the notorious "Houdini Gang" has hit this year and it remains a mystery how they always manage to escape from inside the vaults. When the police get a look into the vault by means of a tiny fiber optic cable, they are shocked to discover that there are only two outlaws inside. The third one has disappeared along with the gold.

Trapped inside the vault, Carl and Lenny now fear that the someone they call "Old Man" will track them down and is sure to find them soon. Carl strikes on an idea - trade their hostage for Axon whom Carl seems convinced will be able to fix their dialers and help them escape.

Meanwhile, Donner checks the computer for matches and is shocked to find photos of these outlaws dating back to the 1880s. She suggests it's a case of time travel but Falsone scoffs at the notion. However, Carl and Lenny reveal the truth to Axon - the dialer is a time machine that Axon developed. He is also told that his discovery of the Axon Time Web Theorem earned him a Nobel Prize.

Outside, Donner is confronted by a strange old man who tells her that he's been after the outlaws since their armored train heist in Abilene and is now determined to catch them. Donner realizes she has come face to face with an Older Axon. He explains that these outlaws had been maintenance workers in his Houston lab and they have perverted his discovery of time machines by using them for a treasure hunt. He blames himself for their crimes. Now he must get to the Younger Axon and warn him not to invent the atrocity.

Donner tells Falsone that she must get the Older Axon into the vault. He's the only one who understands the nature of the temporal dialers; the Younger Axon has not yet made the discovery. Disguised as a technician, the Older Axon enters the vault with Donner. He reveals himself to the outlaws, then tells the Younger Axon that they must stop these criminals.

Older Axon fixes one of the dialers and urges the Younger Axon to conceal it in his pocket. He then uses another device to bring back Earl and the gold bullion. Stunned and confused, Earl pulls a gun on him. Donner goes for her concealed weapon, but Earl spins and fires - killing her.

As Earl prepares to activate his dialer, Older Axon hits a button, which eliminates the outlaw, scattering his DNA all over the time web. He threatens to do the same to Carl and Lenny. But Carl holds his gun on them, refusing to surrender. He grabs the dialer from Older Axon then punches in some numbers on the dialer, and tells Lenny they're leaving. He activates the dialer - but it's Younger Axon that actually time jumps into thin air. Suddenly, Axon is standing back in the bank line up. Everything seems to be back to normal - except for the dialer he finds in his pocket.

Starring:
Barclay Hope - O.S.I.R. Chief Science Analyst Peter Axon
Nancy Anne Sakovich - O.S.I.R. Senior Data Analyst Lindsay Donner

Guest Stars:
Hugh Thompson - Carl Brewster
Christopher Bolton - Lenny Brewster
Richard Clarkin - Earl Carpenter
David Eisner - Sidney Fineman
Roman Podhora - Police Captain Falsone

Written by: Damian Kindler
Directed by: John Bell

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"Body and Soul"

Episode 407
(aired the week of 11/6/1999)

Log line: The OSIR's investigation of a young woman's precognition of her own death leads to a shocking discovery.

Synopsis: Jenny Turner and Scott Young are in love, but when Jenny visits her boyfriend's childhood home for the first time, she is overcome by a strong sense of foreboding. When Scott's mother Laura suggests they have some of her homemade dills with dinner, Jenny startles them all when she intuitively goes directly to the cupboard and pulls out the jar.

Bewildered by this incident, Jenny glances at Laura, then suddenly begins to experience flashes of images - a bandage on a young woman's forehead; a flailing hand as the woman falls; then a plate crashes; male hands hit the floor; finally she hears the sounds of a harsh rasping breath. Startled by Jenny's behavior, Laura moves protectively towards her son. Terrified, Jenny backs away from Scott and Laura, then turns and runs.

The young couple turns to the OSIR for help. Jenny now has an irrational fear of Scott. She also predicts that someone is going to kill her and, somehow, it will be her fault. Dr. Anton Hendricks speculates that Jenny could be experiencing precognition - direct knowledge of the future. Jenny continues to be haunted by visions of her own death. One night as Scott moves to kiss her, Jenny violently fights him off. Shocked by what she's done, she reports the incident to Hendricks. She also tells him that when she first met Scott, it was as if she'd known him forever.

One night, Scott awakens Jenny from a nightmare in which she sees her body being dumped in an orchard. The surroundings she describes sound eerily familiar to Scott. Hendricks accompanies the couple back out to the farm. As they walk through the fields, Jenny recognizes them as the ones she saw in her nightmare, while Scott knows them as those he played in as a child. Suddenly Jenny senses she's on the spot where her body was dumped. She drops to her knees and urgently digs until she unearths a human skull.

Lindsay Donner reports that the police have no record of any unsolved murders in the area. The solution to this strange investigation lies in Jenny's visions of her own death, and the skeleton - which turns out to be that of a male, mid-30s.

Suspecting a case of reincarnation, Mia Stone assists Dr. Hendricks who hypnotizes Jenny, regressing her to a time before her birth in this lifetime. Jenny now sees herself in a farmyard and tells Stone that her name is George MacPhearson, Scott's long-lost father. Jenny tells George's story of being in the kitchen of the farmhouse, fighting with his wife and threatening to kill her. Suddenly, in the midst of the violence, George screams that he's been attacked and is dying. These alarming events reveal that Jenny must be the reincarnation of Scott's father and that George was killed during his altercation with Laura.

As Jenny starts to remember more, she feels compelled to tell Laura that she is the reincarnation of her dead husband. Laura is horrified as she listens to the story, but finally starts to believe what Jenny is telling her. She lashes out at Jenny, determined to keep the truth from Scott. In self-defense, Jenny fights back and pushes Laura against the counter, then sees her slide down to the floor - blood oozing from a wound on her head.

The OSIR's further investigation of the tape of Jenny's hypnotic state reveals that Laura could not possibly have killed George. Now they must get to the farmhouse before the real murderer kills again.

Starring:
Colin Fox - Dr. Anton Hendricks
Nancy Anne Sakovich - O.S.I.R. Senior Data Analyst Lindsay Donner
Joanne Vannicola - O.S.I.R. Parapsychologist Mia Stone

Guest Stars:
Liisa Repo-Martell - Jenny Turner
Jeffrey R. Smith - Scott Young
Dixie Seatle - Laura

Written by: Andrea Moodie
Directed by: John Bell

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"Temple of Light"

Episode 408
(aired the week of 11/13/1999)

Log line: The O.S.I.R. investigates mysterious deaths apparently linked to the channeling of a spiritual entity.

Synopsis: The O.S.I.R. launches an investigation prompted by an apparent demonic possession of Starr Moressy, a young star who has returned to acting following a difficult battle with drugs and alcohol. The search begins at a Hollywood retreat called "The Temple" where Starr has returned following her possession experience.

It is run by Griffin who channels an entity named Skald for seekers of the entity's enlightenment, one of whom was Starr. Although Peter Axon is skeptical, Lindsay Donner and Mia Stone emphatically admit that they believe in Skald's existence.

In the guise of a spiritual seeker, Donner infiltrates the Temple where she discovers that, following Starr's possession experience, Griffin refuses to channel Skald. Instead, he and his colleague, Susan Ashworth try to divert the followers with meditation and healing. But one follower in particular, Freddy Forsythe, persists in pressuring Griffin to bring back Skald.

Tragically, Starr suffers a fatal attack while relaxing by the pool at the Mansion. Curiously, the media reports that the young actress was found dead in her home, the victim of a stroke. Horrified by the events, Griffin tells his followers to keep their minds closed to Skald, but Freddy persists and channels the entity himself. As Skald's spirit takes over Freddy, the young man experiences a phenomenon known as "automatic writing." Realizing that these scribblings are the teachings and prophecies of Skald, he races to Griffin with the papers. Suddenly, Freddy reels as if hit by an unseen force and plummets from a two-story stairwell to his death. Griffin finally tells Donner that he believes Skald is going to kill them all. He feels betrayed by the teacher whom he had trusted completely.

At the lab, Stone finds an unauthorized Skald fan-site that reveals Skald's anti-government teachings and conspiracy theories. Stone and Axon begin to question the real cause of the two deaths and re-examine the autopsy photos of Starr and Freddy looking for clues. This time they see evidence of tiny entrance wounds at the base of the victims' skulls, which indicate that the strokes may have been mechanically induced.

It becomes apparent that someone who wants to ensure that Skald's message doesn't leak out may have killed them. Since Starr and Freddy both died in the Temple, the killer is probably someone working on the inside.

When Donner is warned of the imminent danger, she advises Griffin to let Skald guide him. When Skald starts to speak through Donner, Griffin asks why he has forsaken them. But Skald tells him he meant no harm and that he only wanted his teachings spread. The entity tells Griffin he has been betrayed by someone close to him and Griffin must act fast to save the rest of his followers.

Starring:
Barclay Hope - O.S.I.R. Chief Science Analyst Peter Axon
Nancy Anne Sakovich - O.S.I.R. Senior Data Analyst Lindsay Donner
Joanne Vannicola - O.S.I.R. Parapsychologist Mia Stone
Soo Garay - Dr. Claire Davison

Guest Stars:
Sadie Leblanc - Starr Moressy
Alan Van Sprang - Griffin
Hayley Tyson - Susan Ashworth
Jack Nicholsen - Freddy Forsythe

Written by: Andrea Moodie
Directed by: Ron Oliver

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"Inertia"

Episode 409
(aired the week of 11/20/1999)

Log line: The O.S.I.R.'s investigation of a meteor crash site turns into a race against time to save the life of an alien grounded on earth.

Synopsis: Lindsay Donner and Peter Axon investigate a meteor crash and discover military officers are preparing to transport pieces of the rock back to their home base. Major Vancha, Dr. Caird Mitchell and Private Gavin Rogers initially resist the O.S.I.R.'s presence, but Axon insists that they are officially authorized to proceed with their investigation. With many unanswered questions about the crash, Donner and Axon wonder why the military is prepared to leave after just one day on site.

As the military convoy heads back to base camp, they encounter Dwayne Curtis and Eli Mercer - members of the fanatical group Purveyors of Liberated Faith (PLF). Though the PLF claim to be "apostles of the word," Donner knows them to be domestic terrorists. Now they are demanding access to the cargo in the truck, and take Dr. Mitchell hostage until they get what they want.

Inside the truck, Curtis finds a panel on the wall, pushes in a code, and throws a lever. Everyone watches in awe as a female figure emerges from a container beneath the rock samples. The PLF members fall to their knees in front of the woman, Aríana, whom they believe to be their god. Determined to deliver their "cargo" to Newport as commanded, Private Rivers turns his gun on Curtis. But Mitchell shoots Rivers, revealing herself as a traitor to the military.

As Axon escapes in the jeep with Aríana, Mitchell fires at him. As he lays near death, Aríana places her hand over the wound and heals him. Now he must help her to evade the military and the PLF - it seems neither side are the "good guys".

Back at the truck, Vancha tells Donner that the meteor that crashed had been carrying a passenger - Aríana - the most dangerous being ever to set foot on this planet. Aríana was subjected to several operations - to install a tracking device and to block her memory paths. With her power to heal and to destroy, a group like the PLF could use her and her powers to hold the nation hostage. Vancha's tracking device now indicates that Aríana is heading back to the crash site - to make contact with her people or to escape. He must prevent both from happening.

Aríana starts to recall the recent events - the crash to Earth, being probed by Vancha and Mitchell. She also remembers that she released an emergency beacon just as she crashed.

Knowing her people will come to her rescue, she must now get back to the site where she landed.

The military and the PLF members are all hot on the trail of Aríana and Axon. Donner and Vancha track them to the crash site where Vancha reveals another horrible truth - Aríana has had an explosive device planted in her stomach. If she refuses to come back to base camp with him she will be terminated. The PLF members also arrive at the crash site. Both groups want Aríana and are willing to take drastic measures to ensure she doesn't fall into the other's hands. Mitchell demands that Vancha put down the detonator or she'll shoot. Vancha threatens to detonate Aríana if Mitchell doesn't put down her gun. Will Aríana's rescuers get to her in time?

Starring:
Barclay Hope - O.S.I.R. Chief Science Analyst Peter Axon
Nancy Anne Sakovich - O.S.I.R. Senior Data Analyst Lindsay Donner

Guest Stars:
Sten Eirik - Major Vancha
Carolyn Dunn - Dr. Caird Mitchell
Roger Shank - Private Gavin Rogers
Jack Langedijk - Dwayne Curtis
Michael Cram - Eli Mercer
Joanna Bacalso- Aríana

Directed by: Randy Bradshaw

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"Nocturnal Cabal"

Episode 410
(aired the week of 11/27/1999)

Log line: The women of the O.S.I.R. team are sent to investigate an after-hours club where there's been complaints of paranormal activity. Zombies have overrun the club and the two heroines are trapped and must be saved by a zombie hunter lurking amongst them before they drink the blood from the chalice and become one of the undead.

Synopsis: Donner and Stone decide to mix a little pleasure with business when they visit an after-hours rave club at the request of club owner Roman Sadko. An acquaintance of Stone's, Sadko claims there's been some paranormal activity on site.

At the club, Stone seeks out a friend of hers who sometimes "DJs" for Sadko - but instead she meets Tony D'Angelo, a nerdy replacement who seems completely out of his element as a DJ, and out of place at the club.

Meanwhile, sinister activity is indeed taking place. When a young woman is lured into a quiet corner to make a phone call, she is hit in the back of the neck with a silver arrow. Later, as Jasmine the barmaid tries to escape an unwelcome pursuer, a silver arrow again hits its mark. In both cases, the victims are reduced to a heap of purplish crystals.

Donner watches as a raver is lured by her dance partner into a dark corner of the warehouse. Finding something about the scene disturbing, Donner follows them, but all she finds is a small pile of human bones.

When Stone hears about the grizzly discovery, she confronts Roman who finally admits that he believes they're being overrun by a pack of zombies. A tattoo on his arm is the mark of the Nocturne Cabal, an ancient society dedicated to hunting down creatures of the night - zombies that stay alive by stealing the life forces of the living by eating them.

Meanwhile, a handsome man, Ash Serrafin, has his sights set on Donner and lures her onto the dance floor. But Stone grabs Donner out of his grasp and tells her of Roman's suspicions, while Ash disappears into the dark shadows of the warehouse. Donner and Stone suddenly realize that the music has stopped and the dance floor is empty, and from the shadows they hear moans of pain. When Ash reappears, his eyes are glowing red and blood is dripping from around his mouth. Ash is a zombie and he is after Donner.

Roman finally admits to Donner and Stone that he's a zombie hunter - that he started running the raves in order to lure Ash and his crew. Roman leads them to believe that Ash is the king of the zombies and that he has chosen Donner as his new queen. Once she drinks the blood of the zombie king, she will become one of them. But, to Stone's horror, he soon reveals that he has deceived them - he is actually the zombie king. Initially, he had wanted Stone as his queen, but once he met Donner, he set his sights on her. Everything, including his phony tattoo, had been a ruse so they would fall into his trap.

But there is a zombie hunter amongst them, lurking in the shadows with a crossbow loaded with silver arrows. Now he must save Donner before she drinks the blood from the chalice and becomes one of the undead.

Starring:
Barclay Hope - O.S.I.R. Chief Science Analyst Peter Axon
Joanne Vannicola - O.S.I.R. Parapsychologist Mia Stone
Nancy Anne Sakovich - O.S.I.R. Senior Data Analyst Lindsay Donner Dr. Claire Linda Davison - O.S.I.R. Pathologist

Guest Stars:
Melyssa Ade - Tanis Bretzki
Sarah Babb - Pager girl
Paulo Costanzo - Tony D'Angelo
James Kee - Roman
Tami Levitt - Jasmine
Joy Tanner - Sydney Testarossa

Written by: Damian Kindler
Directed by: Steve Dimarco

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"Til Death Do Us Part"

Episode 411
(aired the week of 1/23/2000)

Log line: A journalist's relationship with a prison inmate hours away from execution might be causing a rare haunting by astral projection. It is discovered the presence the journalist senses is not her friend, but a serial killer inmate who wants to kill the journalist while in a tranced state.

Synopsis: Journalist Natalie Harnett contacts the OSIR to investigate a series of strange occurrences in her home. To Donner, she admits her wish that the apparent haunting is an indication of life after death, because someone to whom she is close is about to die: while researching an article on the death penalty, she struck up a friendship with death row inmate Josh Webster, whose execution is imminent.

That night, Natalie is convinced Josh is with her: She feels a sudden chill. Senses a presence. The ring Josh gave her slides across the table, bumping into a poetry book open to his favorite sonnet. On her computer screen, the words "I AM HERE" appear. Donner thinks that in anticipation of death, his spirit is attempting contact, while colleague Stone believes Josh's fate might be sparking an astral projection ??en the soul detaches from the physical body for a period of time, much like a near-death experience.

When fellow inmate Wayne Lund, a serial killer, professes to have heard Josh talk to Natalie while sleeping, the OSIR is authorized to monitor Josh the night before his execution. At home, Natalie is convinced Josh has come. Through a cold wind, fingers run down her bare arms and a vague human form appears, whispering "I am here" before fading away. Back in the prison, however, Axon monitors only a slight vibrational reading.

The next morning, the warden prepares Josh for the execution ??th Axon's warning to awake the prisoner slowly to avoid damage to the astral cord. Yet as he comes to, Josh remembers nothing. Following the execution, the OSIR is curious why Josh's dream recollections didn't improve as his supposed strength in contacting Natalie increased. Convinced they overlooked something, Stone notes that Axon's faint vibration might have come from another source.. then recalls seeing the "I am here" message in photos of Lund's grizzly killings.

Suddenly, a high-level vibrational reading is picked up at the mobile lab: an astral body has entered Natalie's house. Donner races to warn Natalie of the danger she's in, while Axon rushes to prison and finds Lund in a deep trance. The surviving prisoner, instead, has been visiting Natalie ??d his astral body now has her trapped. Against the clock, the OSIR must return Lund's spirit to his physical body before he adds name to his deadly list.

Starring:
Barclay Hope - O.S.I.R. Chief Science Analyst Peter Axon
Joanne Vannicola - O.S.I.R. Parapsychologist Mia Stone
Nancy Anne Sakovich - O.S.I.R. Senior Data Analyst Lindsay Donner

Guest Stars:
Larissa Laskin - Natalie Harnett
John Bekavac - Bud Sleeman
Tom Barnett - Wayne Lund

Written by: Sarah Dodd
Directed by: Luc Chalfour

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"Tyler/Tim"

Episode 412
(aired the week of 1/30/2000)

Log line: A camp for disabled teens calls the O.S.I.R. team to investigate myths of a lake monster. It turns out that one of the young campers, Tyler, has psychokinetic abilities as well as an inner voice that causes him conflict. That inner voice is actually the embryo of his twin brother growing within the body cavity of his fraternal host, Tyler.

Synopsis: Dr. Frances Sobel, the director of Camp Sumertree, a camp for disabled teens, calls in the OSIR to dispel rumors that recent bizarre incidents were the work of a legendary lake monster. Sobel hopes the team will disprove the myth which could ultimately hurt the camp's reputation.

Most recently, campers believe the monster caused the violent rocking of a boat on the lake. Donner and Axon meet with the young campers, Abby, Tyler and Clay, who witnessed the boating incident. When Donner meets with Tyler, who is autistic, she is intrigued by some drawings he shows her. One is a picture of the lake ??lm except for some unexplained bumps on the water. The other is a puzzling picture of two people ??e large, one small.

Tyler is drawn to Donner, and seems to respond to her. Donner is captivated by the apparent connection with Tyler and curious about what's going on inside his head. While walking together on the campgrounds, Donner and Tyler come upon Abby, who had been chatting with Axon earlier. Suddenly, Abby's wheelchair levitates three feet off the ground and hovers in the air.

When tests reveal that both Abby's wheelchair and the metal boat register electromagnetic frequency (EMF) readings, Axon and Donner shift the focus of the investigation. They don't believe the incident on the lake had anything to do with a monster, but rather was caused by someone displaying psychokinetic ability. This same person could have rocked the boat and lifted the chair.

They conduct tests on Tyler and Abby ??o were both present during the two incidents. It turns out that Tyler displays the psychokinetic ability. He also seems to be experiencing intense physical and emotional pain. Dr. Sobel is shocked to discover the cause of his physical pain is a large lump on his side. Axon places a call to Tyler's begrudging father, Kyle Markson, and rushes a sample from the lump to OSIR headquarters.

Tyler's emotional conflict seems to be caused by another entity ??second voice coming from within him. While Tyler is only able to emit repetitive words of pain, the second voice cries for help. Tyler resists seeing his father, a cold, unsympathetic man while his second voice begs to see "daddy".

As Tyler's two voices argue bitterly, Kyle is stunned to hear his son utter the words "No Tim." Kyle explains that "Tim" is the name they would have given Tyler's expected twin. But the second embryo disappeared and only Tyler was born.

A second shocking discovery reveals that the lump in Tyler's side is not a tumor, but the living embryo of Tim. Tyler's twin is growing entirely within the body cavity of its fraternal host. The psychokinetic force is coming from Tim who is desperately trying to break free from his brother's body. Tormented by the growing will power of Tim, Tyler runs off. Donner and Axon must find him before he harms the brother who is causing him such bitter conflict and physical pain, and, in the process, harm himself.

Starring:
Barclay Hope - O.S.I.R. Chief Science Analyst Peter Axon
Joanne Vannicola - O.S.I.R. Parapsychologist Mia Stone
Nancy Anne Sakovich - O.S.I.R. Senior Data Analyst Lindsay Donner

Guest Stars:

Written by: Rick Drew
Directed by: Randy Bradshaw

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"Super Sargasso Sea"

Episode 413
(aired the week of 2/6/2000)

Log line: The O.S.I.R. investigates a case involving mysterious objects falling from the sky which are thought to be the result of the Super Sargasso Sea Theory but in reality turns out to be a case of electrically-generated teleportation.

Synopsis: Martina Wilsey sips vodka and listens to a television evangelist prophesize the advent of the apocalypse. Raising her martini glass in a cynical toast, Martina glances out the window to see live frogs - dropping out of nowhere - landing in her backyard. Certain that this must be a sign of the preacher's revelation, Martina calls in the OSIR to investigate - believing that the world must be warned of the impending doom.

Axon initially considers that the incident could be evidence of the Super Sargasso Sea theory, in which hurricanes, tornadoes and cyclones carry matter from the Earth's surface and dump it into a vast atmospheric ocean dubbed the Super Sargasso Sea. When violent storms on Earth create disturbances in the Sea, some of its contents drop back to Earth. This is just one of the theories that Axon and Donner ponder during the investigation. When testing on the frogs indicates that the creatures are indigenous to the area, they start to check out sources a little closer to home.

Not far away, Ed and Norm Weaver scrounge for junk along a swampy shore. Their metal detector leads them to a large item bearing a resemblance to a satellite dish. Figuring it will bring them top dollar, they lug the piece of metal - unaware that this piece of scrap is actually a teleportation device. They plan to celebrate their valuable 'find' with a bottle of whisky, but their long-suffering mother June insists that they get rid of junk in her backyard. Ed and Norm ignore her, and go off to celebrate their big find.

Left behind in the cluttered yard, June angrily tosses a weed whacker out of the way. It bounces into the 'dish' and disappears. Back at Martina's, the weed whacker drops out of sky and lands in the backyard pool. Axon now believes they are looking at a case of electrically-generated teleportation.

June is stunned by what just happened, but thrilled that she's found a way to discard of the garbage. She starts tossing everything into the 'dish'. Moments later it all lands in Martina's back yard. Ed and Norm return home to find the yard clear of scrap. Furious, Ed steps menacingly towards June. He grabs his mother - but as he lets her go, she too falls into the dish - and falls with a huge splash into the pool in Martina's backyard. Delighted with her new surroundings and not wanting to be sent back, she resists telling the OSIR where she came from.

But, as the investigation continues, the frogs disappear from the Mobile Lab where they are being studied. When the weed whacker vanishes, along with the OSIR's tracking system - capable of tracking from the Earth's surface to 1,000 feet - Axon and Donner grow extremely concerned. By their calculations, they have one hour and seven minutes to find - and deactivate - the teleportation device, or June, too, will disappear forever.

Starring:
Barclay Hope - O.S.I.R. Chief Science Analyst Peter Axon
Nancy Anne Sakovich - O.S.I.R. Senior Data Analyst Lindsay Donner

Guest Stars:
Mike Beaver - Norm Weaver
Lynne Deragon - June Weaver
Shannon Lawson - Martina
Evan Sabba - Ed Weaver
Mark Walker - TV preacher

Written by: Andrea Moodie
Directed by: Larry McLean

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"Persistence Of Vision"

Episode 414
(aired the week of 2/13/2000)

Log line: An inexplicable ghost-like being appears on a frame of wedding film and the team thinks they may have a haunting on their hands. That's not all -- there's a serial killer loose in the city.

Synopsis: When an inexplicable ghost-like being appears on a frame of wedding film ??th no evidence of tampering ??on, Donner and Stone conclude that they might have an "honest-to-goodness haunting on our hands." That's not the only thing demanding their attention: there's a serial killer loose in the city.

Stone takes the mysterious film to Father Thomas, the priest who presided at the wedding who is now administering to a group of homeless men. While astonished by the image, he admits that the only moans and creaking he's aware of can likely be attributed to old church's disrepair. As she leaves him Stone sees Gabe, an intense young man, staring at her before disappearing.

Replaying the film at the lab, Stone notices that amidst the crowd of well-wishers outside the church is the ghost ??is time, in the human form of Seth. Returning to the church, she asks the homeless men if they recognize the person in the photo, and she's directed to a nearby warehouse... briefly catching another glimpse of the mysterious Gabe. In the warehouse, Stone finds Seth; he stares at the ghostly image of himself in genuine amazement. With the promise of a meal, Stone lures him to the mobile lab for tests. He is evasive about an unusual brand on his shoulder as well as his past, mentioning only an estrangement from his father. Suddenly, he goes into a trance and sees another murder, along with where the body is. Although this incident casts suspicion on Seth, Stone believes the man is innocent. Later, Seth describes yet another murder, this time nearby. All the while, the equally-curious Gabe appears and vanishes.

Father Thomas identifies for Stone the brand on Seth's arm as angelic text and claims that if an angel is on Earth in human form, it is probably here to collect a soul. Believing that Seth is indeed an angel, Stone races to find him. At his makeshift warehouse home, she finds instead a cache of newspaper clippings about the serial murders. Then, Father Thomas appears and, agitated, delivers an eerie speech about the faithless, lost souls polluting the community... among whom he counts Stone. At that moment, the OSIR discovers, to her horror, that she has misjudged each of the three mysterious men ??ther Thomas, Seth and Gabe ??d must now deal with the truth and her own safety.

Starring:
Barclay Hope - O.S.I.R. Chief Science Analyst Peter Axon
Joanne Vannicola - O.S.I.R. Parapsychologist Mia Stone
Nancy Anne Sakovich - O.S.I.R. Senior Data Analyst Lindsay Donner

Guest Stars:
Howard Dell - Gabe
Craig Eldridge - Father Thomas

Written by: Will Dixon
Directed by: Ron Oliver

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"Geo Core"

Episode 415
(aired the week of 2/20/2000)

Log line: Oil drilling on an ancient tribal burial ground unleashes a frightening, unpredictable demon killer.

Synopsis: Having been nearly ruined by an investment scam, Dale Wilson, the driven President of GeoCore Oil Explorations, brings in young Colin Harper to help rebuild his company's credibility. But Wilson is still receiving death threats, now possibly from fanatics opposing his project to drill on land that's home to the Kluane tribe; these rights were won when younger Kluanes convinced their elders to sell a chunk of the territory. Testing soil from the region, GeoCore lab technician Reuben Galeno is frustrated when there is no indication of crude oil in the sample. Then, he begins to convulse, loses all body fluids and immediately turns into a mummified corpse. After the body is discovered by Jessica Wilson í¹€í·¥oCore's head of research, the President's daughter and Colin Harper's lover í¹ƒí´¨e OSIR is brought in to investigate.

Meanwhile, young Kluane native Winston Lucas arrives at the GeoCore building in search of soil samples. But when he drops a sample container, exposing the soil, he meets the same gruesome fate as Galeno. A level-three quarantine is ordered for those remaining in the building í¹€í´¯nner, Axon, Jessica, Colin Harper and Dale Wilson, who accuses the OSIR of being behind the deaths.

Watching Lucas' actions is another young native, Cocheta, who is the Shaman, the keeper of the ancient flame for the Kluane council of elders. She believes the soil has released an evil curse and that Lucas had attempted to return it to its original home, a sacred burial ground. Lending credence is Stone's discovery of ritualistic cave drawings í¹‚í´¥picting a dark serpent hovering over mummified corpses í¹ƒí´¨at hint of an ancient curse, apparently reactivated by the recent drilling.

Autopsy reports on Galeno and Lucas prove they had been attacked in the neural emotional control center, as if the entity waits for its host's emotional state to rise to feed on the adrenaline rush. Stone realizes they must all stay completely calm, or risk death. But Harper and Jessica aren't warned in time: stuck in quarantine, they disappear to make love. When Harper's body hits a fever pitch, he meets the same hideous demise as the others í¹‚í±®d the OSIR watch a snake-shaped organism slither out of his ear and quickly evaporate.

The GeoCore executives and OSIR agents now race against time: with three deaths to its evil credit, the evil force could now be inside any of them, waiting to feed on the rush of adrenaline. The only way to purge it is through a native cleansing ceremony: while all participants will experience great physical and emotional pain as their souls are cleansed, the person í¹‚í¿² persons í¹ƒí·¨o host the beast will hopefully expel it. And live.

Starring:
Barclay Hope - O.S.I.R. Chief Science Analyst Peter Axon
Joanne Vannicola - O.S.I.R. Parapsychologist Mia Stone
Nancy Anne Sakovich - O.S.I.R. Senior Data Analyst Lindsay Donner

Guest Stars:
Christina Cox - Jessica "Jessie" Wilson
Jeff Geddis - Reuben Galeno
Jason Knight - Colin Harper
Jay Mason - Kluane
Gail Maurice - Kachata
Allan Royal - Dale Wilson

Written by: Martin M Borycki
Directed by: Jon Cassar

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"Gone Fishing"

Episode 416
(aired the week of 2/27/2000)

Log line: Axon's old friend, after many years, invites him on a hunting trip where he plans to leave Axon stranded in the wilderness. He blames Axon for his old flame's suicide. The plans change when they both are captured by a recluse who hunts and then decapitates her prey.

Synopsis: Tom Beckles, a long-lost friend of Axon's, invites Peter to join him on a fishing trip. Axon reminisces about the trips they used to take, but finds it odd that Tom would call him out of the blue after 15 years. He recalls that they had both liked the same woman - Sharon Novichek. Axon had dated her briefly but she dumped him. Not long after, she committed suicide. Axon and Tom had drifted apart - then he heard that Tom had suffered a nervous breakdown. Axon always felt guilty that he had never called or gone to see his friend after that.

On the scheduled weekend, the men are outfitted at Harley's Camping and Supplies. Axon tells Harley to expect them back early Monday morning. Tom has convinced Axon that they should leave their campsite and hike inland. As a distant, melodic cry lures them deeper into the woods, they come across the bodies of decapitated animals. Axon is baffled, but Tom seems focused on forging ahead to some unknown destination.

When they come upon an eerie rundown shack, the singing stops. Then from out of nowhere, they are knocked unconscious. Coming to, Axon discovers that he and Tom have been tied to chairs in the shack. They survey the room in horror. The walls are laden with the heads of dead animals, hung like morbid wallpaper. A shelf is stocked with old jars of preserved meat. "We're tied up in a goddam butcher shop in the woods," Tom screams, while Axon tries to stay calm - reasoning that they may have to strike a bargain with their captor to "let one of us go." Tom doesn't like the odds - he guesses that Axon will be set free, and leave him to die.

Then the singing resumes - becoming louder as their captor approaches the cabin. The shack door opens, the light pours in, and a woman, Sandra, appears, proudly carrying the freshly severed head of a dead rabbit. It's obvious that she is a recluse, and Axon realizes that it was her singing that led them here í¹‚í¼©ke the sirens of ancient mythology. Axon questions Sandra, but she is not forthcoming, instead playing 'cat and mouse' games with them. She taunts and teases them - pitting them against each other - and seems to sense each man's strengths and weaknesses, which she uses to her advantage. Tom's hostility towards Axon is palpable and he vows to be the one she sets free. Sandra suggests a little game that will influence what she wants from each of them. She sits on Tom's lap, and dares him to convince her to untie him. "Set me free", he tells her, and "I will kill for you". Delighted, she jumps up, but suffers a dreadful spell. Axon thinks she may have botulism, probably from the preserved food. Tom orders him to leave her alone and tells Sandra not to trust Axon. Although she's deathly ill, she ignores Axon's warnings, and stumbles away, leaving the men for the night. She returns the next morning, wielding an ax and taunting them - "when I decide which one I want, the other will end up like them" she says, nodding to the heads on the wall.

But when they don't return as scheduled, Lindsay Donner begins to worry, and traces the men to Harley's, where they started out on their fateful trip. Donner and Harley finally spot the men's original campsite. Fresh tracks show that they ventured into the woods. But Harley, all too familiar with the story of a family of cannibals that lived in the woods back in the 60s, freaks when they find a third set of tracks, and the body of a decapitated racoon. He leaves Donner to continue alone.

Back in the shack, Tom finally reveals the full extent of his rage towards Axon - blaming him for the death of Sharon Novichek - that's why he lured Axon into the wilderness. Tom believes that Sandra has been sent to set things right. Though Sandra is near death she staggers towards Tom and kisses him. Tom has won - Axon has lost. This is Tom's moment of retribution. As Sandra frees Tom, Axon can only watch and await his fate.

Starring:
Barclay Hope - O.S.I.R. Chief Science Analyst Peter Axon
Joanne Vannicola - O.S.I.R. Parapsychologist Mia Stone
Nancy Anne Sakovich - O.S.I.R. Senior Data Analyst Lindsay Donner

Guest Stars:
Shaun Johnston - Harley
Gerry Quigley - Tom Beckles
Kate Trotter - Sandra

Written by: Larry Raskin and Aaron Woodley
Directed by: Ron Oliver

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"Chiaroscuro"

Episode 417
(aired the week of 4/16/2000)

Log line: An angry spirit torments a group of artists in an old church.

Synopsis: Artists Crystal, Lucinda and Brandon are excited about the opening of their renovated artists' studio in an old church. But their enthusiasm is short-lived when they experience a terrifying phenomenon in the new space. Posing as the artists' nude model, Brandon feels faint and dizzy, while the others are overcome by negative emotion and a frenzy of energy that compels them to draw in sync. In the end, their drawings bear no resemblance to Brandon but, rather, are depictions of a human form in agony.

The OSIR is called to investigate the phenomenon which is first thought to be a form of shared telepathy - possibly some sort of communication transmitted by Brandon. Mia Stone suggests an experiment. Brandon will focus on a specific image, which he will try to transmit to the others. Donner will take part in the drawing class to try and assess the phenomenon first hand. The class begins, Brandon disrobes, and again the artists are overcome with strong negative feelings. While their drawings initially take the shape of the transmitted image, they begin to transform into depictions of a gruesome alien creature. The room becomes cold and the organ lets out a loud wail. Back at the lab, the EMF monitors pick up high-energy signals which, Axon points out, are capable of traveling from as far as deep space.

At Lucinda's urging, Brandon tells them about an incident that took place two years ago, at nearby Gorman's Point. He had seen lights in the sky hovering above the trees, then he blacked out. Fearing that he may have been abducted that night, Brandon and Lucinda wonder if this experience may be somehow related to the incidents in the studio.

Haunted by the horrible images, Brandon goes to the church to see Lucinda who tries to comfort him. When they begin to make love, the haunting begins again - the lights go out, the music blares, and the temperature drops. Overcome with terror, Lucinda hears a menacing voice condemning her to "Burn in hell, heathen." Back at the lab, the monitors blast on - frying the equipment.

Donner rushes to check on Lucinda and Brandon, while Axon checks out the premises. He flicks the lights and heat back on - but the organ pipes are plugged - unable to emit any sound.

Donner and Crystal later meet in the studio to discuss Lucinda and Brandon's experience. Their conversation turns to the horrific drawings. Noting that each image portrays gradations of light and dark, Crystal cites "Chiaroscuro" - an Italian word meaning "light/dark." "As artists, and as people, our purpose is to enter the shadow and let the light emerge," she says. The two women begin to draw, but this time it's a peaceful experience. The organ music now sounds like a well played hymn and, although they have both drawn the same thing this time, the beautiful sketches depict voluminous dark clouds with shafts of light streaming through.

Axon continues to ponder the connection between the sighting at Gorman Point and the events in the church. At the Point, he discovers the foundation of an old house which had been inhabited in the 1800s by Mary Nelson, the spinster organist at Gorman Methodist Church - the church that now houses the art studio. He looks up to see the lights. They hover overhead then travel towards the church.

At the same time, Brandon and Crystal decide to take matters into their own hands - by consulting a spirit board. Crystal wants to make peace with whatever is sharing their space, but Lucinda is fearful of the dangers of tampering in the spirit world. In spite of her resistance, they proceed. Lucinda soon hears a voice uttering, "The work of Satan. Burn in hell," and Crystal's body is taken over by the angry soul of Mary Nelson.

It is said that spirits haunt the places where they were happiest - but why is Mary Nelson torturing the young artists? The OSIR must find a way to transport Mary from the shadow into the light before the three friends are condemned to a life of eternal damnation.

Starring:
Barclay Hope - O.S.I.R. Chief Science Analyst Peter Axon
Joanne Vannicola - O.S.I.R. Parapsychologist Mia Stone
Nancy Anne Sakovich - O.S.I.R. Senior Data Analyst Lindsay Donner

Guest Stars:
Andreas Apergis - Brandon
Araby Lockhart - Mary Nelson
Ann Marin - Lucinda
Karen Robinson - Crystal

Written by: Andrea Moodie
Directed by: Alan Gough

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"Regeneration"

Episode 418
(aired the week of 4/23/2000)

Log line: The team must repress a genetically altered female's violent alien traits.

Synopsis: The OSIR sets up surveillance of a top-secret meeting between the top brass of the military and genetic scientist Dr. Elaine Spurvey. Four years earlier, Dr. Spurvey had been with the OSIR but had left under a cloud of suspicion when the agency refused to endorse her proposal to create artificial humans. Their hunch that Spurvey has been biologically altering human test subjects is confirmed when the doctor unveils Lilith, the resulting prototype of "Project Regeneration".

Lindsay Donner goes to Spurvey's room and demands to meet Lilith. She is shocked to see the physical similarities between herself and the young prototype, and is further stunned by the revelation that Spurvey's access to the OSIR lab had allowed her to use Donner's DNA in her experiment. Outraged, Donner accuses the doctor of pushing the boundaries of science and morality, but Spurvey believes her discovery is the most important medical breakthrough since the discovery of DNA and plans to continue her work.

Meanwhile, Axon thinks he's seeing a ghost when his old colleague Connor Doyle shows up. Doyle was presumed dead, following an explosion during an OSIR investigation in Siberia three years ago. Doyle explains that the Russian military had been monitoring the operation and had managed to save him. For the next few years, they held him prisoner in a research facility in order to study an alien parasite that he had contracted during the fateful mission. He finally managed to escape, and when he heard rumors of Spurvey's Project, he knew it could only be accomplished with alien DNA. Since a sample of the parasite had been brought back from Siberia and was housed in the OSIR's lab, Doyle believes that Spurvey accessed the sample and used it to create Lilith's regenerative powers. The combination of this parasite with Donner's DNA, would make Lilith a hybrid í¹‚í¸¡lf human/half alien - whose violent alien traits become dominant in its third year of development. Though they know the situation must be contained, it's already too late. Lilith has already claimed her first victim - none other than her own creator, Dr. Spurvey.

While Donner is still trying to come to terms with Lilith's existence, she is faced with another shock - the reappearance of Doyle, the man with whom she had once shared strong feelings. Doyle suggests that, through a plasma transfusion, more of Donner's cells could be introduced to Lilith in an attempt to enhance her human side - and lessen her alien aggression. Donner agrees to the experiment knowing that, if it fails, Lilith's murderous alien cells will take over.

As they prepare for the transfusion, Lilith once again becomes violent as she expresses jealousy over Donner's obvious relationship with Doyle - one that had begun long before the accident in Siberia. They are able to contain her, and begin the procedure. It soon becomes apparent that Donner's blood is being sucked out of her at an alarming rate. An ultrasound on Lilith indicates that she is carrying a child - an alien life form - which is drawing on Donner's blood. As Donner screams in pain, Axon orders the transfusion be stopped immediately. Doyle stands by - a smile of satisfaction playing on his face.

What were Doyle's true motives for the experiment? Was the transfusion merely a sinister ruse to save the life of Lilith's alien child?

Starring:
Barclay Hope - O.S.I.R. Chief Science Analyst Peter Axon
Nancy Anne Sakovich - O.S.I.R. Senior Data Analyst Lindsay Donner
Colin Fox - O.S.I.R. Director of Opperations Dr. Anton Hendricks

Guest Stars:
Paul Miller - Connor Doyle
Philip Akin - Military man
Lynne Cormack - Dr. Elaine Spurvey
Gordon Katz - Bodyguard
Kim Schraner - Lilith

Written by: Damian Kindler
Directed by: Will Dixon

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"Wendigo"

Episode 419
(aired the week of 4/30/2000)

Log line: During a search for three missing operatives, the O.S.I.R. uncovers a gruesome situation, cannibalism.

Synopsis: Axon and Donner search for three missing OSIR operatives who disappeared while investigating a wildman sighting. A recording of the team's investigation shows that the operatives Brett Watterson, Gail Mitchell and Gary Watson stumbled across human remains and encountered Samuel Thompson, a mean-looking, knife-wielding wildman who repeatedly muttered the word "Wittako." Thompson warned the group to leave, but they didn't listen.

Donner and Axon go out into the forest in search of the operatives. After discovering the gruesome remains of Gary Watson bearing human teeth marks, a terrified Gail comes running towards them, covered in blood. She explains that at Thompson's campsite tension between the team members escalated and Brett turned on the other two í¹ƒí³´abbing Gary and Thompson. Back at the campsite, they discover Brett covered in blood with a gun in his hand standing over the partly-eaten body of Samuel Thompson. Donner and Axon restrain him and take him back to the mobile lab.

Donner continues to examine the tape of Thompson and realizes that the word "Wittako" is actually the word - "Wendigo" - a cannibal spirit that haunts the Canadian north. If a Wendigo bites someone, the spirit will move into that person. Gail's testimony indicates that Thompson was a Wendigo, and that he bit Brett. Now, believing that he possesses the Wendigo spirit, Brett begs Donner to kill him before he hurts someone else. When Donner resists, Brett convinces Gail to free him so he can finish things off himself. While Gail complies, Axon walks into the room and grabs Brett, who bites him. Gail tranquilizes Axon and she and Brett carry him into the woods. Brett tells Gail that he knows he must die, but when he does, the Wendigo spirit will pass on to Axon who must also be killed.

Many lives are now in danger. Only one person knows what really happened at Thompson's campsite, but will the truth be revealed before the Wendigo spirit consumes them all?

Starring:
Barclay Hope - O.S.I.R. Chief Science Analyst Peter Axon
Joanne Vannicola - O.S.I.R. Parapsychologist Mia Stone
Nancy Anne Sakovich - O.S.I.R. Senior Data Analyst Lindsay Donner

Guest Stars:
Janet Amos - Heather Buckley
Richard Comar - Brett Watterson
James Downing - Gary Watson
Don Francks - Samuel Thompson
Ingrid Veninger - Gail Mitchell

Written by: Mark Leiren-Young
Directed by: John Bell

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"Elevator"

Episode 420
(aired the week of 5/7/2000)

Log line: During an investigation, Donner, Stone and Davison are trapped in an elevator.

Synopsis: The OSIR investigates the death of Leo Hurley, who reportedly jumped to his death after his wife revealed that she was having an affair.

According to Leo's wife, Bronwen, it's as if the couple had been caught in a time pocket during which she uttered the fateful news to her husband. Somehow the memory of what was said during that time remained with Leo - although Bronwen didn't remember anything of the conversation until she read his suicide note.

This is the second such incident to be reported to the OSIR, the first being that of a man who was told that his mother had been raped by his biological father. Following this revelation, the man was hospitalized for shock. Neither his mother nor his adoptive father recalled telling their son the news.

Both of these incidents happened in the same apartment building - and both appeared to be stories of alternate reality in which honest admissions led to tragic consequences.

Now it seems that the OSIR team could be about to unwittingly experience a similar event. Donner and Stone enter the elevator of the building under investigation on the 19th floor. Davison jumps in with them. Axon tries to catch the elevator before the doors close, but gets there a second too late and he's left waiting in the hallway. As the three women discuss the case, the elevator suddenly comes to a stop - the emergency button doesn't work - and they're left to wait until Axon notices that they're stuck inside.

But as time seems to pass inside the elevator, no help arrives. There is a strange tension between Donner and Davison which mounts as their conversation becomes more personal. As harsh words fly between the two women, they take no notice of Stone who is apparently experiencing a severe anxiety attack. When Stone finally admits that she suffers from claustrophobia, Donner and Davison feel more inclined to share their own honest admissions.

As the trio sort through their personal differences and begin to focus on their situation, the elevator drops suddenly, sending them tumbling to the floor in total darkness. When Stone mysteriously disappears after climbing out of the elevator through the ceiling hatch, Donner surmises that they are trapped in the time pocket and that sooner or later they will find themselves back on the 19th floor and Axon will be at the door. But then the elevator suddenly drops again with Donner and Davison holding on for dear life.

Is Donner's assessment of their situation correct? Or will they be crushed when the elevator crashes?

Starring:
Barclay Hope - O.S.I.R. Chief Science Analyst Peter Axon
Joanne Vannicola - O.S.I.R. Parapsychologist Mia Stone
Nancy Anne Sakovich - O.S.I.R. Senior Data Analyst Lindsay Donner
Soo Garay - O.S.I.R. Pathologist Dr. Claire Davison

Guest Stars:
Christie MacFadyen - Bronwen Hurley
Patrick Stevenson - Leo Hurley
Gerry Fiorini - Patrolman

Written by: Larry Raskin
Directed by: Ron Oliver

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"Force Majeure"

Episode 421
(aired the week of 5/14/2000)

Log line: Lindsay and Peter are under cover as a married couple to investigate aberrant behavior among community residents.

Synopsis: Donner and Axon go undercover as a married couple to investigate reports of aberrant behavior among the residents of an adult lifestyle community.

Axon and Donner are provided with an opportunity to pursue their investigation when they are invited to dinner at Todd Wilson's house. At the end of the evening, Todd makes attempts to seduce Axon with dreams of financial security, and introduces him to the "Friends of Money", an exciting business venture that would afford him the opportunity to pursue his greatest dreams. Axon only had to sign his name on a contract.

However, over the course of the evening, Donner had become convinced that Todd was "pure evil". Concerned about Axon, she rushes into the room where he was unwittingly about to make a deal with the devil. If she didn't stop him from signing, his soul would be lost. Donner sprays Todd with her bottle of holy water, knowing the water would harm anything unholy. Immediately, Todd began to smolder and smoke, then he exploded before their eyes.

After the incident, Axon doesn't agree with Donner's theory about Todd. He believes that their host experienced spontaneous human combustion as a result of the various toxins, alcohol and cigar smoke he had ingested during the evening. But Donner remains convinced that the man was satanic, substantiating her claim by citing various observations made during the freakish dinner party: Todd sported a Pentagram tattoo known to be the mark of the beast; a pile of mushrooms on the cutting board in the kitchen transformed into a heap of maggots; and a polaroid picture of Todd dressed in a devil costume also revealed a mirrored reflection of a demon.

In the end, it turns out that neither theory is entirely accurate. Autopsy results on Todd show that he had not experienced combustion. And Donner's holy water turns out to be ordinary tap water - the priest that had blessed her water turned out to be a fraud.

Knowing the case could go unsolved, Axon and Donner review their facts again, finally determining that Todd may have died as punishment for losing a soul when he failed to get Axon to sign the contract. As they review the numerous other signed contracts in their files, they notice that Serena's signature also appears on two of the documents. They realize that Serena is also a demon - and in possession of the "Friends Of Money" business contracts.

Starring:
Barclay Hope - O.S.I.R. Chief Science Analyst Peter Axon
Nancy Anne Sakovich - O.S.I.R. Senior Data Analyst Lindsay Donner

Guest Stars:
Patrick McKenna - Todd Wilson
Deborah Odell - Serena Wilson
Neil Crone - Hank Kemper

Written by: Will Dixon, Damian Kindler
Directed by: John Bell

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"Stone Dreams"

Episode 422
(aired the week of 5/21/2000)

Log line: Mia Stone experiences precognitive dreams and hallucinations during an investigation.

Synopsis: Donner, Axon and Stone investigate reports of an alien inhabiting an abandoned warehouse. As they creep through the old building, Stone notices a pool of bright light at the end of a dark corridor. Getting closer to the source, she sees Davison preparing for an autopsy on the body of an alien. Donner and Axon lean in to watch, while Stone stays back. She watches in horror as Davison makes the first cut. Spores fly from the incision, spray Axon in the face, and he dies.

Suddenly, Stone awakens. She is in the mobile lab, sitting in front of a bank of surveillance monitors trained on the abandoned warehouse. Stone has just experienced one of the many precognitive dreams and hallucinations she will endure during this investigation. Stone reports the incident to Hendricks back at Headquarters but, just then, Donner and Axon arrive at the lab with news that they have received clearance from the building owners to enter the warehouse.

Once inside the building, Stone creeps along a dark corridor when, suddenly, she becomes entangled in a web of sticky, filmy substance. Donner and Axon manage to free her from the mysterious trap and get her back to the lab. Later, they go back to investigate the web, leaving Stone back at the mobile lab to keep an eye on the monitors. She experiences an apparent hallucination when a grainy image of an alien appears on the screen with a dire warning to stay away from the warehouse. Stone races to alert her colleagues, but it's too late - she finds them standing before the wall of webbing where they have found a human-sized cocoon containing the alien. Axon bends over to examine the creature which releases a small puff of dust that goes into Axon's eyes. Stone gasps in horror - recalling the dream in which Axon died.

Over the course of the investigation, Stone continues to experience the dreams and hallucinations. She sees the alien lying on a gurney in Donner's room, glimpses the creature's cracked-open cocoon lying in the bathtub in Axon's room, and has another encounter with the alien creature. When it threatens her, she pulls out a gun and blasts the creature. When she looks again, it's Axon, not the alien that she's killed.

Hendricks reports back to the team that the tests on the creature are inconclusive, and he now wants them back at headquarters for a debriefing and to close the case. But when they arrive, Hendricks reveals to Donner and Axon that Stone has actually been the subject of an experiment to determine the impact of paranormal investigation on the investigator. They are now ready to test and pilot a new technology, which will enable them to access the images that are seen with the inner eye.

Hendricks hypnotizes Stone and takes her back to her early cases with the OSIR Donner and Axon are dumbstruck when they see the grainy distorted images of Stone's thoughts appear on the nearby monitor. Then Hendricks takes her to the current investigation at the warehouse.

As the various disturbing images continue to flash before them, he tries to bring Stone back to consciousness. But her heart rate increases and her brainwave function becomes erratic - she's gone too deep into a hypnotic state. Now they see Stone's terrified face on the monitor. She's disoriented, plunging deeper and unable to escape. Hendricks tries to calm her by taking her back to a gentler time, but Stone begins to convulse. The windows in the lab blow out and the monitor screens explode. Will Hendricks be able to bring Stone back before they lose her forever?

Starring:
Barclay Hope - O.S.I.R. Chief Science Analyst Peter Axon
Joanne Vannicola - O.S.I.R. Parapsychologist Mia Stone
Nancy Anne Sakovich - O.S.I.R. Senior Data Analyst Lindsay Donner Colin Fox - O.S.I.R. Director of Opperations Dr. Anton Hendricks
Soo Garay - O.S.I.R. Pathologist Dr. Claire Davison

Guest Stars:
Danny Pawlick - Gerald Jones

Written by: Larry Raskin, Andrea Moodie
Directed by: Ron Oliver

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