X tells Scully that the metallic implant surgically removed from the back of her neck is the key to all the answers
she’s been searching for.
Meanwhile, Mulder — clinging precariously to the top of a train bound for Canada — makes
his way to safety and climbs aboard one of the cars. With assistance from the train’s conductor, Mulder searches for
Dr. Shiro Zama, whom he suspects is behind the experiments. But the Red-Haired Man (an
assassin who murdered the Japanese diplomat in the previous episode), kills Zama and
hides his body inside a lavoratory.
With the aid of Agent Pendrell, Scully learns that the implant collects information and
artificially replicates a person’s mental processes. Pendrell discovers the name of the
chip’s manufacturer, a Japanese firm, and traces a delivery to Dr. Zama at Hansen’s
Disease Research Facility in Virginia. Scully attempts to contact Mulder by cellular phone to
relay the information, but unknown to her, Mulder dropped the device when he jumped onto
the train. Scully drives to the research facility, where she encounters Escalante, a
hideously deformed man. Escalante explains that the facility was once a leper colony, but
the staff, including Zama, fled when death squads arrived to kill the patients. Escalante was
being treated for leprosy, but hundreds of other patients were interned at the camp with
symptoms that resembled the disease. The creatures were kept apart from the patients and
apparently tortured.
Meanwhile, Mulder finds Zama’s body inside the lavoratory. He is suddenly attacked by
the Red-Haired Man. With the conductor’s help, Mulder overcomes him. The Red-Haired Man
claims the quarantined car is rigged with an explosive device, which was installed by Zama
in case he could not escape to Canada with his creature. Mulder and his captive are unable
to leave the quarantined car out of fear that opening the door without the proper access code
might detonate the bomb.
Scully is captured by soldiers and brought before an Elder, a member of the Syndicate.
He explains how Zama – actually a brilliant scientist whose real name is Ishimaru — was hidden in the
U.S. after World War II so he could continue his experiments. Ishimaru kept his
discoveries secret, unwilling to share his knowledge with the government that had granted
him asylum. Scully and the Elder dial the Red-Haired Man’s cellular number and contact
Mulder. Scully believes the creature aboard the train isn’t an alien being after all. She is
convinced that Ishimaru used the railroad to conduct secret radiation tests on lepers, the
homeless, and the insane. As proof, she reminds Mulder about the President’s public
apology for secret radiation tests that were conducted on innocent people until 1974.
The quarantined car is uncoupled from the train in an isolated area. Mulder questions the
Red-Haired Man about the creature, and theorizes how Zama developed a human-alien
hybrid with super immunity, capable of withstanding the effects of atomic and biological
weapons.
Scully reviews the alien autopsy tape and realizes Zama was caught on video punching
in the proper code to open the door of the quarantine car. She phones Mulder with the code.
Before he can exit the car, Mulder is attacked by the Red-Haired Man. X arrives, shoots
the Red-Haired Man, and rescues Mulder only moments before the train car explodes.
THE X-FILES “731”
#3X10
Original Air Date: 12/01/95
Written by FRANK SPOTNITZ
Directed by ROB BOWMAN
Starring:
DAVID DUCHOVNY as Special Agent Fox Mulder
GILLIAN ANDERSON as Special Agent Dana Scully
Also Starring:
ROBERT ITO as Dr. Zama
STEVEN WILLIAMS as X
STEPHEN MCHATTIE as the Red-Haired Man
BRENDEN BEISER as Pendrell
COLIN CUNNINGHAM as Escalante
MIKE PUTTONEN as the Conductor
DON S. WILLIAMS as the Elder
VICTORIA MAXWELL as Mother
SEAN CAMPBELL as the Soldier
