Helix Episode 1.07 Survivor Zero

Day 7

The Ilaria choppers land as Sarah postcoitally reassures Alan that "what we did was biology -- I'm fine." We have our doubts about that.

The chopper disgorges half a dozen storm-troopers. "Our corporate sponsors," Hatake spits, in a tone usually reserved for discussing pedophilia. The lead storm-trooper whips her helmet off Breck-shampoo-ad-style to reveal Jeri Ryan...or, as she's called here, "Constance Sutton," COO of IlariaCorp. She beams that she's only there to help.

Alan asks Sutton for a line to the CDC, which she can't get -- the helicopters won't return for two days, and she can't fix the satellite -- and then briefs her on the search for a cure, stressing that he needs Jules sprung from Level R. Jules's RNA expertise makes her the most valuable member of Alan's team (Sarah pulls a face). Hatake argues, but he's overruled, and doesn't get to bring Aerov to the private meeting Sutton then requests. Sutton assures Alan she'll get Julia out of Level R so he can work towards a cure faster. She REALLY wants him to find a cure.

Sutton opens her meeting by hurling a book at Hatake's head, then chokes him out, saying they only needed two things. "I created your virus," Hatake gasps, but she demands, "Where is the cure?!" Eventually she releases him, after implying that the virus's purpose is to "thin the herd" and then "rule them." So, they'll retrieve Jules; let her and Alan build a cure; and then follow the "no witnesses" protocol. Hatake tries to protest on his employees' behalf, but Sutton cuts him off: no one gets out alive, as he agreed in the beginning, including the CDC. She makes him say it.

Anana and Balleseros snowmobile towards the base, engaging in antagonistic banter that means they're going to fall in love (only for one of them to die).

Sarah grumbles about Big Pharma, and Alan resolves not to share the cure with Sutton.

When Jules looks in the mirror, she has no lesions, and she's not as sweaty -- but her eyes go silver again and give her a crippling headache, and the tripping out while she's staring at her own hands isn't a great sign either.

Sutton accosts Aerov for information about Jules. Aerov is brusque, and Sutton lies that she respects loyalty, then points out that Hatake won't run the base forever, so Aerov should think about whether he wants to go down with his adoptive father. Aerov glares.

After Balleseros once again fails to convince his future girlfriend Anana to unlock his cuffs, Jules winds gauze around her eyes and asks Hallucipeter what's up with the silver; he theorizes that perhaps she's "Survivor Zero," the first one whose immune system adapted to the virus. If she's cured, she asks, why is she still hallucinating? Hallucipeter slyly notes that she's hallucinating him and not Alan.

Oh goody, Hatake has a creepy stalker scrapbook about Jules, which he's looking at when Aerov comes in to report that Sutton's trying to turn him against Hatake. Hatake warns him Sutton's dangerous and says he's trying to protect Aerov, who just wants Hatake to trust him. Hatake allows that Sutton can't be allowed to find Jules because she'll kill her, but won't explain why Jules is so important, muttering only that he's "never cared about the cure."

Sutton is getting ready for bed by grinding down her teeth with a saw while Anana tells Balleseros a bedtime story about the boogeyman she was warned about as a kid -- a "child-stealer," who of course turned out to be real. Balleseros shares that he's from outside of Rio de Janeiro, and he's truly sorry about the missing children; a lot of children go missing where he's from too. Anana tucks a blanket around him and says she doesn't like him, but she's sorry about whatever he's gone through. Balleseros looks speculative.

Sutton checks in with Alan, who reiterates that he needs Jules to proceed with cure-making (and is pretty snarky with Sutton). He insists on joining the security team retrieving Jules.

Aerov responds to a perimeter alert and sees Anana and a cuffed Balleseros on the CC feed. He glares, then stomps to the entrance to meet them. Then everyone glares. Balleseros tries to attack Aerov, but is restrained; Anana tries to hug Aerov, but he shoves her away, and doesn't know what she's talking about when she mentions his twin. A photo seems to stir something in his mind, but he dismisses it as Photoshopping and orders Balleseros taken to isolation. "I'll deal with her."

Jules is practicing walking "blind" when a vector crashes into the room, looking for a snack. Jules's attempt to hide doesn't work for long, and it's only flashing her silver virus eyes that scares the vector off.

Sutton, chillaxing in Hatake's office, asks why Jules is so important. Hatake denies that she's important to him but claims Alan is (over-)invested in her thanks to the whole ex thing. Sutton seems to buy that, but Hatake has to give up Jules's location to keep his cover. Sutton flashes her own silver eyes at Hatake to remind him who's boss.

The strike team prepares to hit Level R. Sutton makes Alan take a gun; Sarah -- who's conveniently symptom-free with that tumor again in this episode, BTW -- doesn't think they can trust her, and Alan agrees, but they haven't much choice. Balleseros is led around a corner, and Alan, enraged, rushes him, yelling about Doreen's death. Sutton pretends to be aghast, and tells Alan she'll handle Balleseros...

...but obviously she already knows him, and is paying him to spy on Hatake. She punches him a couple times, he snaps that she made this mess so she shouldn't blame him, and then she straddles him and they make out. Romantic! Not. Sutton is still sending Balleseros to isolation, to protect his cover and so Aerov doesn't kick his butt. He's not happy.

Neither is Jules, who has another virus migraine. Hatake comes in, and she explains what happened with the vector and how she thinks she's going crazy. He says she looks better, but then her eyes flash silver, and Hatake re-bandages her face and weeps.

The strike team exits the elevator in a trashed hallway as Hatake informs Jules that they have to go before Sutton's death squad finds them. Reassured that Alan doesn't know Sutton's plans, Jules agrees as the strike team converges on Level R...and a pack of vectors attacks them, and they flee, shooting as they go. Alan refuses to leave without Jules; Sutton wants to return with a bigger group. Alan shooting an incoming vector to save Sutton's life doesn't buy him any latitude; Sutton points her gun at Alan and orders him onto the elevator.

In a room with no cameras, Anana shows Aerov another picture and tells him their parents have died. He doesn't believe her story, but she insists that Hatake stole him and 31 other children, and he concedes, "There were always children here." He doesn't know what became of the others. Anana hugs him sadly. He glares.

Hatake escorts Jules into his office; Aerov is waiting to confront him. (And to glare.) Jules is taken to the lab by Aerov's team, though Hatake calls to her all lovelorn at the last minute.

Back on Level B, Sutton makes it clear she's not sending reinforcements back down -- Jules is a vector now, or dead. Alan looks weepy as, in the lab, Jules has a silver flash, then opens the box Hatake slipped her to find contacts that will hide the changes in her eyes. Alan appears just then, and is shocked and thrilled to see Jules at all, never mind looking so well. They hug tightly as Sarah watches sadly through the lab window.

As Alan spots Jules's silver eyes and looks worried, vectors crash through the roof panel of a locked elevator and join the party on Level B.