LEX wakes to find himself literally in the grip of ALICE. The fake antidote LEX gave her is signally failing to save ELLIE. In desperation he tells her they have a new antidote – and this one works! ALICE drags LEX into TAI-SAN’s lab – and lumbers off with not just the antidote, but its creator as hostage.
Crisis meeting! EBONY and LEX declare themselves chief rescuers, with two Militia as back-up. BRAY and DANNI don’t trust them as far as they can spit them – DANNI appoints herself unwelcome accompaniment.
At the farm, antidote administered, ELLIE is sleeping soundly. TAI-SAN remarks that the sick girl’s body aura is warming up. ALICE has a weird sensation – like she’s in a room with a total fruitcake.
BOB is still out for the count, but RYAN’s behaving like a puppydog! SALENE has to drag CLOE and PATSY away to continue collecting plants – insurance against TAI-SAN’s return!
Trekking across countryside, EBONY works on LEX, out of earshot of the suspicious DANNI. Once they have TAI-SAN, they have all they need for – power and chaos! Why bother taking her back to the Mall? As for DANNI – EBONY will take care of her?
The queue for the antidote has returned. There is enough of the real antidote to last – for the moment.
LEX receives an unexpectedly warm welcome from ALICE – ELLIE’s on the mend! But theres something about EBONY’s tone ALICE doesn’t like. Does TAI-SAN need rescuing from her own rescue party? ALICE and ELLIE join the group, with ALICE as TAI-SAN’S personal bodyguard.
A banquet to give thanks for TAI-SAN’s safe return. The new girls turn up trumps with bottles of cider; BOB makes everyone’s day just by turning up. To equality, to peace, to the end of their nightmares.
And the start of a new one, as we see a mysterious, menacing band of hooded figures pull their boat up onto the sands of a deserted beach.
A week has passed, and a system for the smooth distribution of the antidote is in place. The Mall Rats are using their new bargaining power to begin to disarm the tribes. In keeping with their new status as keepers of the peace, they have a new insignia – a pentangle for the initiates – are ALICE and ELLIE to be of their number?
KC and LEX have managed to cook up a little scam of their own on the side. EBONY is not impressed.
Meanwhile, the silent and sinister CHOSEN march on toward the city.
The Tribe must have confiscated half the weapons in the city by now – but DANNI has even more ambitious plans: not merely an absence of war, but a rebuilding of society. She suggests calling a meeting of all tribal leaders. While her intentions are honourable, there’s something about her drive that makes both BRAY and TAI-SAN curious. TAI-SAN quotes the Tao te Ching: The best way to run the world is to let it run its course. TAI-SAN is beginning to get seriously on DANNI’s nerves.
ALICE and ELLIE are voted Tribe members; DAL will now be farmer-in-chief, in ALICE’s absence – to JACK’s great chagrin. Who’ll be his fellow-boffin now?
BRAY springs the scam – a “collection” for the sick kids, huh? KC takes the rap for LEX – again – and is assigned muck-raking at the farm as punishment.
PATSY and CLOE run across a boy sporting a fake pentangle. He offers them a bribe – PATSYs having trouble resisting!
Another meeting – this time to discuss BRAY and DANNIs proposal to meet with the tribal leaders. LEX is outraged – he’s expected to stay home and look after the boring old Mall. EBONY is publicly in agreement, but privately she counsels patience and cunning.
ELLIE has a surprise for JACK.
Snake eyes for THE CHOSEN. The news of the tribal leaders’ meeting is out on the street.