Adam Pierce, a technician at the California Institute of Technology’s Volcano
Observatory, approaches Mulder and Scully with a mystery. A team of scientists working at
Mount Avalon issued a distress signal requesting an immediate airlift. When contact with the
team was lost, Pierce and his fellow scientists at Cal Tech activated a robotic camera,
nicknamed Firewalker, which relayed pictures from inside an active volcano. The
pictures–which are reviewed by Mulder and Scully –show Chief Seismologist Phil Erikson’s
heat-seared corpse lying at the volcano’s caldera, where temperatures reach over 400
degrees Celsius. The videotape also captured a hulking figure near the body. Pierce
suspects that his brilliant colleague, Daniel Trepkos, may somehow be responsible for the
death.
Mulder, Scully and Pierce fly by helicopter to Mount Avalon. They find scientists Jason
Ludwig, Jesse O’Neil and Peter Tanaka hiding inside the field base. Ludwig describes how
Trepkos went berserk and destroyed the facilities. Shortly thereafter, Trepkos finds Pierce
and strangles him. Mulder uncovers Trepkos’ notes, which describe an unknown life form
living inside the volcano. The notes suggest Trepkos possesses physical evidence that
proves the existence of silicon-based life. Scully interviews Jesse O’Neil, who had been
romantically linked to Trepkos.
Tanaka begins having coughing fits. Scully insists he be airlifted off the base and taken
to a hospital. However, the scientist runs off into the forest. Mulder and Ludwig give chase. Tanaka
loses his balance and trips, falling down an embankment. Suddenly, his throat swells
enormously and a spike-shaped protrusion pierces his skin, killing him instantly. Scully’s examination of the
body supports Mulder’s theory that a silicon-based life form, possibly a fungus, grew inside
Tanaka’s body. Believing the fungus to be communicable and airborne, the group is
quarantined.
Ludwig volunteers to guide Mulder to the underground steam caves where Trepkos is
believed to be hiding. Trepkos surprises them and shoots Ludwig with a flare gun. He
proceeds to burn the body so that the parasitic spore living inside will die. Trepkos explains
the Erikson inadvertently released the spore after Firewalker pulled a sample out of the
volcano. Everyone at the base — except himself — was infected by the parasite. He crippled the
transmitter equipment, and killed Pierce in an effort to keep the spore from spreading.
Mulder, sensing Scully is in jeopardy, races back to the base.
O’Neil handcuffs herself to Scully and loses consciousness. Realizing what is about to
occur, Scully carries her body to the rubber-sealed Plexiglass door and places her on the other
side to separate them. O’Neil’s throat expands to grotesque proportions. Suddenly, O’Neil’s throat explodes, the organic matter
spattering against the Plexiglass. Mulder finds Scully safe and unharmed.
Trepkos returns to the base, where he discovers Jesse’s corpse. Mulder allows him to
remove the body and leave the area. Meanwhile, he and Scully are quarantined for a month
to ensure neither has been infected.
THE X-FILES “FIREWALKER”
#2X09
Original Air Date: 11/18/94
CAST:
DAVID DUCHOVNY as Special Agent Fox Mulder
GILLIAN ANDERSON as Special Agent Dana Scully
GUEST CAST:
BRADLEY WHITFORD as Doctor Daniel Trepkos
DAVID LEWIS as Vosberg
TUCK MILLIGAN as Doctor Adam Pierce
LELAND OIRSER as Jason Ludwig
TORBEN ROLFSEN as the Technician
SHAWNEE SMITH as Jesse O’Neil
HIRO KANAGAWA as Peter Tanaka
DAVID KAYE as Reporter
WRITTEN BY:
HOWARD GORDON
DIRECTED BY:
DAVID NUTTER
