X-FILE
223 - Soft Light
THE AGENTS
HUNT DOWN A SCIENTIST WHO IS LITERALLY AFRAID OF HIS OWN SHADOW.
The agents are called to a hotel in Richmond,
Virginia by Detective Kelly Ryan, one of Scully's ex-pupils at the academy.
Ryan, who is working her first case, is stymied by the disappearance of
several people. The latest victim, Patrick Newirth, vanished from his hotel
room. The only clue to his whereabouts is a mysterious scorched pattern
burned into the carpet beneath the door to his room. Mulder notices that
a light bulb in the room had been unscrewed from its socket. He had it
dusted for finger prints.
The agents travel to the residence of another
victim. There they discover another loose light bulb and a scorch mark.
Among the items found in the victim's trash is a train ticket. The agents
realize that all three victims traveled through the Richmond train station
before they died. Policemen are dispatched to stake out the station. They
attempt to stop a man, Chester Ray Banton, for questioning, but Banton
runs away from them. Cornered in two bright pools of light, Banton warns
the officers to stay back. When the officers step on his shadows, they
vaporize in a fiery burst of light.
Mulder and Scully review video footage
recorded by the train station's security system. They discover that Banton
sat around the station for days staring at the ground. An insignia on his
clothing leads them to a company called Polarity Magnetics, where aDr.
Davey gives the agents a tour of the facility. Davey explains how Banton,
who is a scientist, performed research on dark matter such as quantum particles,
quarks and neutrinos. One day, according to Davey, Banton became trapped
inside a particle accelerator room and was exposed to a massive amount
of energy-which literally burned his shadow right into a wall.
Mulder reviews the videotaped security
footage and realizes Banton was sitting in an area where florescent lighting
did not cast any shadows. Shortly thereafter, the agents corner Banton
at the station. Again, he warns them to stay back. As his shadow creeps
towards Scully, Mulder raises his gun and shoots an overhead light bulb,
plunging the area into darkness. Banton is relieved.
Banton is transported to a psychiatric
hospital and imprisoned in a room with soft light. During an interview,
Banton insists to Mulder that the government is hunting him down in an
effort to learn his secrets. Detective Ryan then informs the agents that
their services on the case are no longer required.
Frustrated, Mulder seeks out X, his shadowy
government contact. But X insists he cannot be of any help to him. A short
time thereafter, X and some paramedics attempt to kidnap Banton from the
psychiatric facility. The paramedics come in contact with Banton's shadow
and are vaporized. The scientist emerges from his room and escapes.
Banton returns to Polarity Magnetics intent
on destroying himself inside the particle accelerator. Detective Ryan arrives
at the scene and attempts to arrest Banton, but she comes into contact
with his shadow and is instantly vaporized. Banton convinces Davey to engage
the accelerator once he's inside. But once Banton enters the chamber, he
realizes Davey is a government operative. X, however, kills Davey, then
transports Banton to a secret research facility for examination and testing.
Credits
THE X-FILES "SOFT LIGHT" #2X23
Original Air Date: 05/05/95
CAST:
DAVID DUCHOVNY as Special Agent Fox Mulder
GILLIAN ANDERSON as Special Agent Dana Scully
GUEST CAST:
TONY SHALHOUB as Doctor Chester Banton
KEVIN MCNULTY as Doctor Davey
KATE TWA as Detective Ryan
NATHANIEL DEVEAUX as Detective Barron
STEVEN WILLIAMS as X
GUYLE FRAZIER as Barney
FORBES ANGUS as the Government Scientist
DONNA YAMAMOTO as the Night Nurse
ROBERT ROZEN as the Doctor
STEVE BACIC as the 2nd Officer
CRAIG BRUNANSKI as the Security Guard
WRITTEN BY:
VINCE GILLIGAN
DIRECTED BY:
JIM CONTNER
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