The Dying Fields

The vortex roughly deposits the Sliders in a beautiful garden and Maggie wishes that the timer will leave them here for a week or so. Colin sadly tells her that the timer has only given them a day on this earth. Traveling down the hill, the four discover a beautiful waterfall and are about to take a sip from its waters when they see a skeleton in the wading pool with his hand cut off. Suddenly, they hear noises in the distance. A human wearing fatigues and carrying an automatic rifle is hunted by a pair of Kromaggs who look different than any other the Sliders have seen before. The woman, a red-haired Kromagg, shoots the human in the back and chops off his hand. Her companion, a male Kromagg, complains that the human was his kill. He demands that the woman remove the human’s eyes, but she refuses.

Rembrandt, Maggie, Colin and Quinn make there way to the Kromagg settlement and see two Kromagg military officers drive by in a Humvee. They find a human woman named Jenny Anderson and she explains that the Kromaggs have kidnapped humans and let them loose in a war game where the Kromaggs hunt for numbers to try and achieve warrior status. Jenny takes them to where the other humans have hid themselves since their release. Quinn and Colin convince Jenny to take them to the area where the Kromagg base of operations is.

At the Kromagg camp, Kyra, the woman, and Kryoptus, the man, discuss the day’s kill. Suddenly, General Kronus, the Kromagg in charge, enters and congratulates Kyra on her number of kills, then chastises Kryoptus for his inability to make one kill. Kronus asks Kyra if she took any eyes from her kill, and she tells him they were shots to the head. After she is dismissed, Kryoptus gives Kronus the eyes from Kyra’s kill and tells him that she is lying.

Jenny, Quinn and Colin head for the Kromagg base when Kryoptus surprises them. They split up, but Jenny is killed by Kryoptus. Colin rushes back and attacks him, but Kyra’s support captures Colin. Quinn hides in the shadows and watches as Colin is lead away, then returns to the hideout.

Upon Quinn’s return, the other humans have little sympathy for Colin but agree to give the Sliders weapons if they want to search for him on their own. The Sliders decide to capture a hybrid Kromagg and use her as a bargaining chip to get Colin before the slide.

Meanwhile, inside the Kromagg detention cell, Kronus interrogates Colin to try and learn the secrets of his origins. Kyra stands by and watches. Kronus tells her to remove Colin’s eyes and present them, but Kyra’s telepathic abilities tell her that Colin has companions. Kronus compliments her on the development of the telepathy and leaves the room. Colin struggles with the handcuffs that bind him and yells at Kyra for looking at him so inquisitively. Kyra asks Colin about his mother and reveals the secrets of the breeding camps. Apparently, the weapon the humans used on the Kromaggs during the war left Kromagg women unable to bear children else they died. The Kromaggs had no choice but to cross breed.

Kryoptus becomes jealous and yells at Kyra not to discuss matters with Colin. Meanwhile, the detention cell is left open, allowing Colin to grab his Swiss Army knife and free himself from the shackles. Kryoptus comes in to berate Colin but Colin frees himself, traps Kryoptus and grabs the timer, then leaves.

Out in the field, Quinn, Maggie and Colin lure Kyra into an ambush and capture her. In trying to return Kyra to the hideout, Rembrandt is hit by an energy weapon in the stomach. They make it back to the Chandler-esque building but Rembrandt’s condition worsens. Quinn tries to persuade Kyra to help him find Colin. When Rembrandt is about to die, Kyra uses the Kromagg healing ability to cure him of the poison from the energy weapon. Just then Colin, enters, having found his way back to the sanctuary. There’s a moment of heartfelt reunion before Kryoptus charges in and kills most of the humans. Kyra and the Sliders escape and make their way outside. Kyra shields the Sliders from Kryoptus, telling him that they should explore and embrace their human side together. At this, Quinn opens the vortex. Kryoptus kills Kyra because he believes she cannot be Kromagg again, and Kronus grants him elite warrior status.

Worlds Visited

Kromagg Outpost 88 A virtual paradise with one small problem — Kromaggs.

Details

• Elite warriors have been the pride of the Kromagg Dynasty for ten generations.
• The energy weapons used by the hybrids pulse phased bursts generated by a magnetically shielded Nobelium core.

Character Information

• Kyra leads the board by two kills.
• Jenny Anderson was asleep in bed when a light shone in through her window. She was taken aboard a Manta ship and brought to Outpost 88. She’s been here 18 days.
• Colin’s mother always told him that hope springs eternal.
• Quinn can assess sprained ankles on the fly.

Notable Quotes

• “Oh, this is truly inspired!” — Colin, after getting a glimpse of the fabulous Swiss Army knife.
• “Man, this place has gone to hell.” — Rembrandt, trying to pass off the Chandler’s existence on this dimension as something less than cheapness on the part of the set designer.
• “Eyes are so much better when eaten fresh. Corneas nice and tender… pupils still dilating…” — General Kronus.
• “What do you think that guy did on his world? IRS auditor?” — Quinn, talking about one of the humans trapped in the hunt.
• “I thought you said you didn’t want to kill me.” — Kyra, after sampling some of the food left over in the Chandler.
• “Can you do something about this?” — Rembrandt, jokingly asking Kyra to fix the hole in his shirt after healing him of his injury.
• “You’re right, Kyra. I can’t deny who I am.” — Kryoptus, moments before shoving a knife into his beloved’s belly.

Nitpicks/Errors

• The audio synch at the beginning of the episode doesn’t match the dialogue to the lips of Rembrandt and Colin.
• Kyra’s makeup on the top of her head in the second act is clearly visible, and very poor.
• Jake the insurance man’s arm after his hand has been severed looks completely fake. Too skinny and no blood.
• What are the odds that the Chandler Hotel would be constructed by the Kromaggs?
• In one scene, Kronus’ right hand man says Kyra only needs one more kill to qualify for elite warrior status. In the next scene, Kryoptus says she needs two more kills.
• Couldn’t the prop department find some fake eyes that look a little more realistic? Especially the veiny stuff that’s in the bag with them!
• Why doesn’t this Kromagg outpost know about the identity of the Sliders? In Common Ground, the Kromagg High Command alerted Kromanus as to who the Sliders were. Later, in Mother and Child, an outpost with little more than a skeleton crew is alerted to their identity by the Dynasty!
• After Colin traps Kryoptus in the jail cell, he picks up the timer and it reads 8:20:00. In the very next scene, Quinn says they have three hours remaining.
• So a complete failure can join the Elites, a force so prized and selective that Kromaggs are loathe to admit their hybrids, by killing someone from his own team?

Guest Stars

• Kristen Dalton as Kyra
• Scott Decker as Kryoptus
• Marshall Teague as General Kronus
• Laird Mackintosh as Kromagg Corporal
• Meredith Bishop as Jenny Anderson
• Christian Leffler as Spence

1. Marshall Teague plays two versions of Redfield in Way Out West and Heavy Metal.