It is Pride’s funeral and The Tribe stand at his graveside. Salene makes a brave, pertinent speech; although is barely able to contain herself emotionally. MAY is feeling guilty and grief stricken. Unaware of the complexity of MAY’s feelings, TRUDY does her best to comfort her.
EBONY and her sisters drive through a mass of supporters in the city, with JAVA barking instructions to pledge their allegiance to EBONY. Back in the hotel, MEGA watches the action on a monitor, and notifies a bound and terrified STATS that “we’re going to rule over the city.”
SLADE provides some old computer equipment for RAM to use and RAM immediately feels more at home, wrestling some of the power advantage off SLADE. RAM gets the gear up and running and SLADE guesses correctly that RAM’s disability was caused by an accident in reality space.
On their return into the city, SALENE thanks a guilty feeling MAY for trying to get her released. Salene obviously does not realise the truth, how MAY suggested to the guards that SALENE be killed. It is then that the Tribe are forced to duck for cover, seeing EBONY and her sisters parading through town amongst the adoring crowds. SALENE faints.
The Mall Rats help a groggy SALENE into the mall. AMBER despairs that her broadcast had the opposite affect to that intended. To MEGA’s surprise, JACK suggests that the ZOOT image is, in fact, a hologram.
LEX suggests taking up arms against EBONY immediately but MEGA and then AMBER warns caution. MEGA, of course, has a hidden agenda. Later LEX manages to persuade JAY and JACK to join him and they gather a small militia to help them.
In the City Zoo, Ebony’s supporters are ruthlessly herding slaves and dissenters into a large enclosure. SIVA is feeling guilty because of the way her and JAVA have manipulated EBONY. JAVA reassures her that it will all be worth it. It becomes apparent to SIVA that EBONY’s preoccupation with ZOOT is a type of obsessional worship.
MEGA tells MAY that he is on to her; he knows how she told WIZARD to kill SALENE. MAY feels vulnerable and realises the power MEGA now holds over her. MAY is worried about STATS and approaches SALENE to see if she would know his whereabouts. SALENE warns against approaching him. SALENE confides that PRIDE had proposed to her; MAY is still jealous. MAY emphasises that PRIDE was a free spirit who could not be tied down.
LEX, JACK and JAY, with their militia, track EBONY to the zoo, it is the location where the Zootists keep prisoners. They are chased away by a party of Zootists. They arrive back at the mall and tell the others of their zoo discovery.
SALENE suggests to AMBER that they return PRIDE’s amulet to the Eco tribe.
MAY challenges MEGA as to whether he has any proof of her deception. MEGA presents video footage of STATS telling all, MEGA’s evidence. MEGA alludes to his intentions and MAY agrees to come over to his side and spy on the Mall Rats. Outside the mall, a large crowd chants “Zoot lives.” Inside the mall, AMBER and SALENE are ready to depart on their quest to return PRIDE’s amulet to the Ecos, exiting via the sewers. Once outside the building they come across JAY and his militia. JAY’s particular concern for AMBER is noted by SALENE.
In Liberty, RAM gives SLADE a ‘wish list’ of more advanced computer equipment which he needs. SLADE, in search of RAM’s computer gear, visits a deserted hospital. It is here that he sees some crutches, something he believes that RAM is in desperate need of.
In the Mall, JACK expounds his theory of ZOOT as a hologram. LEX, not understanding properly, is sceptical. MAY, the spy, makes a big play of dismissing his theories. JAY arrives with a Techno’s report of ZOOT with a halo, which strenghtens JACK’s hologram theory.
MAY reports to MEGA that JACK has figured out that ZOOT is, in fact, a hologram. MEGA has an idea of how to deal with JACK.
Fun loving GEL is bored inside the mall, her words and actions frustrating MOUSE. SAMMY talks to her about Paradise.
In LEX’s absence, MEGA and JAVA discover LEX’s stash of Paradise helmets at the Love Shack. MEGA and JAVA scheme, EBONY’s marriage was not part of the master plan and he is concerned that she may ‘tip over the edge’ too quickly. MEGA sees JACK as a threat and tells JAVA that he wants to scare him off.
In the city, EBONY and SIVA round up stray kids and give them the choice of join or be jailed. EBONY chooses a girl to be gaoler over her boyfriend, all part of the girl power scheme of things.
On GEL’s insistence, SAMMY disguises himself as ZOOT and sneaks up on TRUDY. TRUDY is furious with them for their prank.
Carrying the crutches back to Liberty, SLADE is ambushed by ZOOTISTS. EBONY makes him a slave for not bowing down to ZOOT.
SAMMY and GEL apologise to TRUDY for the cruel trick. JAY finds out the background to ZOOT and TRUDY’s relationship. TRUDY is afraid for her child, BRADY. JAY promises to get to the bottom of the problem and they end up holding hands.
JACK thinks he knows where the holograms are being projected from. MAY has overheard this information and passed it on to MEGA. MEGA looks up JACK’s file on computer.
SLADE is shoved into a cage at the zoo. SLADE bargains for his life with EBONY who is quite impressed by him. As SLADE is being loaded onto a truck, he pleads for his crutches. He uses the crutch as a weapon and is able to escape.
JAY, JACK and LEX, in search for the hologram projectors, come upon a used factory. Inside they are ambushed by Zootists. LEX and JAY are chased away. MEGA, LEX and JAVA watch the action on a monitor in the operations room. JACK, left alone in the factory, is confronted by ZOOT and he is very much flesh and blood.