Episode 1:
"Origins"
First Aired 9/24/99
In Tokyo, an elderly man walks slowly
through a subway station, holding a bag of groceries. He gets
onto a subway train and sits down. At the next station, he gets
off. Back on the train, a little boy, sitting across the way, is
amused to see that the older man left three eggs lying on the
seat he had been sitting on. The eggs jostle as the train starts
and rolls down the tracks. The child continues to giggle as he
watches the eggs. One of the eggs falls to the ground and breaks
apart. The passengers on the train begin to feel strange. A woman
screams, as the passengers notice that there is blood coming out
of their eyes, nose and mouth. The little boy has stopped
laughing as he tries to wipe the blood off his nose. When the
train pulls into the next station, there is nothing left but dead
bodies and blood smeared all over the windows.
That same morning, in suburban New York, Michael Wiseman walks up with his wife, Lisa. He gets ready for work and has a normal breakfast with his 15-year-old daughter, Heather.
Later that day, at Michael’s office at Grand Empire Insurance, his best friend, Roger, comes in with bad news. Michael’s protege, Craig Spence, had been given Michael’s promotion. The bigwigs were not happy when Michael, a few months back, did not lie on the witness stand for the company and the result was that the company had to pay a large insurance claim.
That night, after work, Michael and Roger get a little inebriated and sing publicly. They part ways and Michael heads to the subway. Michael waits for the train, standing at the edge of a subway platform. A rowdy group of boys start pushing each other. They jostle the people waiting on the platform. In a domino effect, the passengers fall forward, until Michael is pushed off the platform, directly in front of an approaching train. Cut --
- to a top secret medical facility. Michael walks up and sees a bed before him and Dr. Theo standing at the foot of it. The Doctor has an interesting proposition for Michael. It seems Michael is not really lying on the bed. His *brain* is connected to "some extremely sophisticated computers that let" him hear what Michael think he’s saying. The Doctor tells Michael about a government-sponsored, top-secret project to build "a man. An American man. A man who could do those things mere mortal American men are loath to do: travel in dangerous places, take risks, wage war."
They already have the body, what they need is a brain. Michael’s brain. If Michael agrees, his brain will be surgically connected to "a man with the speed of Michael Jordan, the strength of Superman and the grace of Fred Astaire. A guy who's going to look good, be young, be omnipotent."
But, there is a catch: Michael can "have no contact of any kind with anyone who he knew in his first life. Ever. That's all."
Dr. Theo walks away, to allow Michael to think and the world fades…
Meanwhile, at Grand Empire
Insurance, Lisa is cleaning out Michael’s office, while
Roger watches. Then, Roger confesses something. Over lunch, Roger
tells her that it seems the insurance company is claiming
Michael’s death a suicide. Until the matter is settled, Lisa
will not see any of the insurance money. Roger urges Lisa to get
a lawyer.
Far away, in a hospital room, Michael wakes up and gets out of bed. He makes his way to a mirrored-vanity. He washes his face and then glances in the mirror. Michael is shocked to see a stranger looking back at him in the mirror. Realizing it is now "himself", Michael spends some time exploring his new, sleek, fit body. Unbeknownst to him, Dr. Theo and a group of scientists are observing him on the other side of the two-way mirror.
Out of the hospital and now in a limo, Michael asks the Doctor if he can now fly. Dr. Theo informs Michael, in no uncertain terms, that Michael *can not* fly. Nor can he see through people's clothing.
At Michael’s new townhouse, Dr. Theo gives him a tour, pointing out the modern conveniences. Michael is more than a little disappointed that there is no TV, radio or phone in the townhouse. Also, all of Michael’s intake *and* outtake will be monitored for further study. The good doctor leaves Michael to ponder his new existence.
Meanwhile, Lisa is at the Grand Empire Insurance building, waiting to see Craig Spence (the guy who stole Michael’s promotion).
At the same time, in an airplane, a stewardess talks to a passenger, who turns out to be the Egg Man, who is on his way to Paris.
Back in New York, three hours later, Lisa is still waiting to see Craig Spence. When all the employees leave and the lights turn off and Lisa is left all alone, she begins to feel weary. She puts her head down, when she hears her lawyer, Gerald Misenbach, approach.
Together, they confront Craig Spence (a thinly-disguised weasel), with Misenbach doing most of the talking. Spence calls Roger into the meeting. He forces Roger to says that Michael had been "despondent" the night he died. Roger, forced into a corner, tries to backtrack, making both Lisa and Spence angry.
Grand Empire Insurance, through Craig Spence, offers Lisa a loan for $50,000 secured against Lisa’s house. At this, Lisa’s lawyer grabs Lisa’s hand and drags her out of the meeting. We realize that both Spence and Misenbach have been playing games with each other. Lisa is unsure what to do. Misenbach even tries to ask Lisa on a date, but, having been married for 17 years, Lisa is not ready to deal with it. Misenbach leaves, promising to call her later.
At DeGaulle Airport, in
Paris, France, Egg Man passes through Customs. He then walks to
the baggage carousel. He casually drops his paper bag, which has
the eggs in it, in the carousel. Walking out of the airport, he
puts on a gas mask. Screams erupt inside the airport as the eggs
are broken and the nerve-gas is released.
That night, in Michael’s apartment, Michael showers and then hesitantly steps out of the shower, clutching his towel around him. Grabbing his clothes, he gets under the covers and starts to dress. He tells the ceiling that he knows he’s being watched and he doesn’t like it. He says that he has begun to regret his decision, when Dr. Theo appears suddenly.
They talk briefly. Then Dr. Theo drops his coat on Michael’s bed and goes into the bathroom, closing the door. Michael sees Dr. Theo’s cellphone and calls Lisa. He only says "Lisie" to her, before, he hears the toilet flushing, and turns the phone off and puts it back. The door opens and Dr. Theo walks out. Dr. Theo picks up his coat and puts it on. He heads for the door, when the cellphone rings. It is Lisa’s using #69 to call her 11:00 mysterious caller back. The Doctor assures her that no one from here called and that no one ever will. He then wishes Lisa goodnight into the phone and turns to Michael to wish him goodnight also. And leaves.