"Pilot"

First aired: September 19, 1997

An Unidentified Flying Object is spotted on US radar, moving at a high rate of speed. Fighter jets are sent to intercept. Visual contact is made. Colonel James Vise, of the National Security Agency is informed of the "Silent Runner", which has invaded US airspace. The UFO is successfully shot down, and it crashes in the Utah forest. NSA soldiers arrive, to quarantine the area. The occupant of the space ship lives through the crash, but he is wounded. He leaves a bloody handprint on a nearby tree, while escaping from the NSA soldiers, who are in hot pursuit. The Special Agents Douglas Wilcox, Nicholas LaRue, and Craig Van Patten, of the FBI arrive, at the scene. Wilcox argues jurisdiction with Vise. Vise offers to show him the craft, but his sergeant informs him that there is nothing left of it! The space craft had "spontaneously" disintegrated, leaving nothing for the forensic examiners to collect, except for the prints on the tree.

The Visitor crosses a highway that night, where he is hit by a pickup truck. The occupants get out to look for him, but he is nowhere to be found. They get back in and drive home, not knowing that The Visitor is riding in the back. Later that evening, Nadine sees a TV news story on a "highjacker" on the loose, then she hears a noise outside. Nadine find a wounded stranger lying in her greenhouse. "I'm not dangerous I wouldn't hurt anybody", he assures her. He convinces her to help him. Nadine helps him heal his chest wound with parts of the plants in her greenhouse. She is amazed that the deep gash had already closed, when she examined it. She and her son protect him from discovery by the police.

The FBI ran the prints through their database, and found that they belonged to one "Adam MacArthur", a Navy Pilot who disappeared, while flying over the Bermuda Triangle, on Independence Day, 1947. Then they discovered that MacArthur's file had become classified by the NSA, and they did not have access to it. They put Mother to work on the problem.

The next morning, The Visitor talks with the son, Tyler, encouraging him to believe in himself. Adam gives examples, like yogis, who can stop their hearts at will, then tells him, "if you open yourself up to the idea that you can, instead of can't, you'll amaze yourself. I promise." Then he reads a computer manual that Tyler has, then uses Tyler's computer to successfully break into the Pentagon's computers. He downloads files on few hundred people. The NSA discovers the breach. Vise is told, "he's going through the civilian files, even the one's were not supposed to have." They were able to trace the break-in to somewhere in the vicinity of the crash.

Nadine finds The Visitor back in the greenhouse, where he has brought the place "back to life". Meanwhile, Tyler puts on Adam MacArthur's Navy flight jacket. Tyler goes into town, with the jacket on, where he is spotted by Agent Wilcox. The FBI and NSA descend on Nadine's property. Vise is determined to shoot the suspect on sight, but the FBI protects Adam's rights. Adam sees no way out. So he, not unlike the yogis, reopens his chest wound, so he will die. He runs from the greenhouse. Wilcox prevents Colonel Vise from shooting Adam, as he runs from the greenhouse. Adam jumps the fence, but then he collapses in the snow.

Adam is taken to the hospital, where he dies, even after lifesaving measures are taken. After he is put in a body-bag, and everyone leaves the room, Nadine comes in, to witness a glow emanating from the bag. She unzips it, to find a living Adam MacArthur. He asks for her help, again. She smuggles him out of the hospital, then she and Tyler return to their truck. Tyler is blaming himself for Adam's death. Nadine assures him that all is well, then looks behind her. So does Tyler. They see Adam looking back and smiling at them, dressed in hospital gear. Then he turns and walks away, down the road.