“Marker 262” is episode ten of season one of First Wave.
The episode opens on a road at night on the border of Oak Crest County. There are cars and young people there and a woman asks a man if he thinks he has a chance. He does. If he wins, does he get her back. The woman, Darcy, says she knows Jason doesn’t like Tommy but she and Jason were another life. High school. Tommy (Kavan Smith) rolls up at this point. Darcy wishes Jason luck then goes to Tommy. She starts the race and the cars are approaching the finish line when Jason pulls ahead. And his car vanishes as it crosses the line.
Cade has arrived in Ash Grove, Missouri, following a verse about steel chariots vanishing. It’s hot-rod heaven and Eddie picked up some information about the disappearance of Jason, a drag racer and car mechanic who disappeared along with his Corvette. There may be an earthly explanation, or it may be alien experiments.
Cade speaks to three girls, one of whom is Darcy, claiming to be from the transportation safety board. No, he’s not a cop he says, when one of them asks if he will arrest her. He’s investigating highway accidents and the rumour that a kid disappeared. They claim they weren’t there and are not a lot of help.
As Cade walks away, Darcy follows and tells him Jason’s parents died years ago and he lives with his brother Danny. Tommy arrives and this point and when he’s asked what happened says he doesn’t know. It was dark; Jason disappeared. They searched and couldn’t find anything. The mist probably made it look like Jason vanished. They didn’t tell the cops because the cops don’t like rodders. He feels bad, but they die to drive and drive to die.
Cade meets Danny at his house and Danny says it’s just a town legend. Cade doesn’t know what Danny is talking about. The Ghost Highway; people driving along it vanish into thin air. Yes, they say others have vanished, but Danny thinks it’s a plot to draw in tourists. Jason is a screwup. Danny is a graduate physics student; cars don’t just vanish despite what the witnesses said. Danny doesn’t seem at all bothered but, when he goes in the house and picks up a Swiss Army Knife, that may not be true.
Cade meets Eddie in a bar. He’s thinking of quitting; they are no further along with exposing the aliens and if others don’t give a damn, why should Cade? Eddie isn’t a fan of the world for saving it, but tells Cade should continue for revenge for Hannah’s death. Eddie himself has nothing else. Then Danny arrives, looking for Cade.
The knife Danny found was given to Jason by their parents on Jason’s 10th birthday. 48 hours later, they were dead. Jason would never have left town without it. Cade mentions Darcy and Danny says he hates her. When she dumped Jason, it broke his heart. It’s like he gave up his whole life. Danny says Jason is smart and could do better for himself. Danny has also downloaded the information on the missing people; maybe Cade will find it interesting. Danny is no longer certain it’s nonsense.
Eddie is being jealous and Cade reassures Eddie that he’s a genius. A paranoid genius, but a genius. Danny could learn something from him. They look into the disappearances, of which there are seven All of which happened at high speed. Nostradamus mentioned a gate, so they need to know where the cars disappeared. Drawing on a map shows that all the routes intersect on Highway 714, Marker 262. Cade heads there and his watch starts running backwards. This increases as he gets closer to the mile marker, which he chisels a bit off. Then Tommy’s car blasts past him, seemingly appearing out of nowhere.
Danny is not impressed and suggests Cade needs a new watch. He says the ground is seeded with mineral ore; that’s what caused the watch to run backwards. Tommy’s car appearing out of nowhere was because it was dark and Cade was tired. He gave Cade the articles; he didn’t say he believed them. Danny says he isn’t being a jerk, but any explanation has no connection to reality. Cade talks out the marker fragment and says that in reality, it shouldn’t be able to do this. Which is propel a piece of metal away from it at high speed. Like a reverse magnet. Danny says he’s a physics student; he didn’t say he’s a genius. Cade has a friend who is and wants Danny to give him the fragment.
They have a location, Marker 262, and a strange substance that has unusual properties. It looks clear there is some sort of gateway there that cars disappear through, but to where? And is Tommy just a jerk, or is he an alien?