“The Meaning of Death” is episode six of season one of Mutant X.
Breanna is in a safehouse by a subway with another New Mutant called Rick. Rick has got another two New Mutants, but he says something seems a little off about them. It’s a couple, Todd, who has superspeed, and his wife, Jerri, who has X-ray vision. Rick falls to the floor convulsing and keeps generating gusts of wind, which would appear to be his power. Rick is not in control and Brennan has to zap him unconscious before contacting Adam.
Rick is taken to the Sanctuary; Adam has contained his powers but his vital signs are weakening. Rick is weakening, and when Emma asks if he could die, Adam isn’t certain. All he knows is that Rick has lost control of his abilities. He needs to diagnose what’s wrong, but it could be contagious.
At the GSA, another new minion, Marlowe, is telling Eckhart that they got a New Mutant who had lost control of their abilities this morning, the second case in two days. Eckhart doesn’t want aberrant lose cannons wreaking havoc. The latest case froze a city’s aquarium, killing all the fish. Eckhart doesn’t care about fish. He also killed the diver feeding them. Another called a 32-car pileup, including 2 human fatalities. Eckhart says this is a credible excuse for a clampdown. They are both extremely ill, but it isn’t known what’s causing it. Eckhart wants all of the out of control New Mutants locating and incarcerating.
Brennan and the other two are to avoid using their powers, as doing so accelerates things. They are not to leave the safehouse; the safest way of dealing with this is quarantining any New Mutant exposed. Adam has identified the source. An airborne spore, harmless to most humans and to less than 1% of New Mutants. It causes uncontrolled mutation, then death. Unfortunately, once a New Mutant catches it, they can pass it on to others who wouldn’t be affected by the spore.
Brennan is now stuck in the safehouse. Todd wants to know how long they will be stuck there. Jerri is becoming a hypochondriac regarding the infection.
Adam and Shalimar head out to find an Alice Roberts, who throws off thermal energy and is now out of control. At her place, the police and fire departments have been called off. Shalimar is in a hazmat suit; Adam isn’t a New Mutant so will be okay. Alice is alive, but literally burning up. She tells them it’s too late. Marlowe arrives, and it seems he and Adam know each other. Adam and Shalimar leave, with Marlowe remaining behind with Alice, trying to ask her something. There’s an explosion, then Marlowe walks out of the building, sooty but unharmed.
A call pulls up and Eckhart gets out. Adam says the illness will wipe out every New Mutant in a week; he might be able to cure it, but not if he’s fighting Eckhart at the same time. Why would Eckhart be bothered about the death of New Mutants? Because he would become obsolete, and would lose his reason for living, which would be his undoing. Eckhart talks it over with Marlowe, then agrees to a truce.
The others aren’t that happy, but Adam explains that the GSA has scientists and resources they don’t have. The real problem is the speed of infection; in 20 hours every New Mutant will be cut down.
Shalimar and Adam head to a temporary medical facility run by the GSA. There are lots of sick New Mutants, and Marlowe is acting as a liaison. Marlowe says that Adam needs Eckhart as much as Eckhart needs him. Marlowe is now a mercenary, and if Adam wants to outbid Eckhart, he can. When Marlowe leaves, Adam tells Shalimar that Marlowe must have suffered major psychological trauma to have his personality change so much. He’s also invulnerable. As survival is an important factor in behaviour, what happens if survival is no longer an issue. Marlowe, as he did with Alice, is trying to get New Mutants who are dying to talk to him. Perhaps, being unable to die, he’s become fascinated with it.
Rick has another episode, and blasts Emma across the room, deactivating the helmet part of her hazmat suit. That’s why a hood would have been better. Jesse comes to check on her, and so they are both exposed. Brennan is having to deal with Todd and Jerri, who are both being pains in the neck. Eckhart, of course, is planning to double-cross Adam once he has served his purpose.