“Desert Storm” is episode seven (originally shown as episode six) of season three of Sliders.
The Sliders are trudging through a desert; Quinn is checking that the professor is okay, given the illness that was revealed in “The Guardian”. The professor tells Quinn that they agreed not to discuss this with the others. They stumble across a truck that has clearly been attacked; there isn’t any water. Or bodies.
They arrive at a settlement called The Sand Pit. Someone has a young woman tied and gagged and it looks like they might be selling her; the professor warns they could be a mass murderer. The man removes the woman’s gang, but places his hand over her mouth. Yet Wade hears her calling for help.
She tells the others as they stop at a place; Diggs, the man who owns it, when asked about the girl says he doesn’t deal with slaves. Too much bad karma. Police? There’s been no law since the water dried up. Would they like to order something? Yes, water. Clear or brown? And what do they have to trade? Quinn’s watch is no good; it runs on batteries and they don’t get many of those. Do they have anything useful? Tools or skins? With nothing to trade, Diggs suggests they find the Lost City of Aquarius. Where the water runs free and spaceships go to fill up.
Wade still wants them to free the woman, who is being put in a vehicle. Quinn stops her from going over and says they will do it, but together and choose the time. The woman, Devin, is freed and she says Cutter will pay a reward; she’s his water priestess. The man, Jeremy, comes at them with a knife, but Quinn and Wade grab him and tie and gag him.
They need to negotiate with Diggs for supplies and a monster truck, or they can use Jeremy’s small car. Diggs wants a crystal belonging to Devin, which she does hand over in trade. When they’re gone, Jeremy turns up and takes his car.
In the desert, the Sliders start being followed by raiders on motorbikes and dune buggies. Very Mad Max. They shoot at the water skins with crossbows. Rembrandt and Wade are keeping Devin down, but she demands they let her up. The raiders are her friends. And Wade comments they’ve saved Mad Max’s girlfriend. Though Max fought raiders; he wasn’t one.
The leader, Cutter, demands to know if the Sliders took Devin. She tells him no, they saved her. She owes them. Cutter thinks not killing them is payment enough. Devin says she promised them water and Quinn says they only need enough for two days. Cutter agrees they can follow.
Cutter is still planning to dump the Sliders when Devin goes into a trance. Clouds form, which Jeremy sees, and Devin announces that there’s water. 20 barrels, maybe more. Cutter says they will make camp there tonight.
One of the raiders is telling Quinn, Rembrandt and the professor that Cutter found Devin wandering the desert as a child. She’s a water witch. No-one knows how she does it, but she never fails. Quinn asks about Devin’s family, to be told that the raiders are her family now. With him gone, the Sliders plan to leave in the morning. Wade is talking to Devin, about finding water.
That night, Jeremy cuts into a tent, puts a hood over someone and carries them off. The next day, the person he grabbed tries to make off, and the hood comes off. Jeremy should have checked more carefully who he was taking, as it’s Wade. He’s not going to hurt Wade. Or Devin she’s of Jeremy’s tribe but can’t remember her people. Jeremy is there to take her home. He tells Wade to get in his vehicle.
Quinn discovers that Wade is gone and the raiders decide to head out after her and deal with Jeremy. The professor thinks they should probably find Wade first. Jeremy, meanwhile, has run out of fuel. It seems he and Devin are from the city of Aquarius. It’s also clear that some of them have powers. Wade believes his story, but the others need to find her, then they need to help Devin. Who doesn’t know it’s help.