Stay in the Light

Stay in the Light is the ninth episode of season one of The Passage. It aired March 11th and was part of the season 1 finale.

Synopsis
''The virals are on the verge of escaping Cell 4B, however, the remaining staff are locked in the lower levels. Due to system resettings, Richards and Lear must find a way to operate the elevators or else there will be carnage. The antiviral Sykes created is everyone's only hope for a cure, so she is prioritized for a rescue. Project Noah must figure out a way to protect humanity in the long run, but at what cost? Amy has to make some harsh decisions and Shauna has a lot to live with. ''

Summary


Amy gets glimpses of Fanning's past back in 2015: Lear and Fanning are still in Bolivia in a military warehouse. Fanning feels feverish because of the virus and is being denounced by others in the area. Richards returns to tell Lear that the natives suggest killing Fanning. Although Fanning begs for it, Lear refuses and they flee to catch a helicopter to be escorted out of Bolivia. Amy exits the vision and turns to Brad who is still aiming at Cell 4B's door. He cuts Guilder's restraints and proceeds to leave, however, Horace is against Amy coming along and mentions that she is the reason the other virals had awaken. Brad dismisses Horace's opinion, takes Amy, and leaves Guilder with the option to either stay behind or join them.

On the upper levels, Richards and his team are locked out from the lower floor because the system reconfiguration has locked them out. In the lower levels, Lila is found recovering from being knocked unconscious by Grey and Sykes if found locked in the lab with the produced antiviral. There are four other staff members, consisting of a medic and three soldiers, found restrained in one of the other room. They are eventually cut free to help fight against any incoming threats. While Brad equips himself, he relays to Richards about the situation. Meanwhile, Lear suggests using the safety protocol to blow up the lower levels. Richards objects. Amy momentarily wanders elsewhere and makes another psychic encounter with Fanning. He attempts to encourage Amy to join him but to no avail, causing him to aggressively tell her that the virals need her. After rejecting him, Brad and Lila find her and take her back with them.

Meanwhile, Lacey is finally dropped off in by a rider and walks a dark street with a plan to reach Telluride. Also, Richards is with a tech who plans to reboot the entire system in order to get the elevators working.



In the lower levels, Guilder is told to go back near Cell 4B and to keep an eye on the sealed doors. The lab Sykes is trapped in cannot be shot through, so the plan is to pry the windows off. Sykes, however, pleads for them to leave and to get Amy to safety seeing that there is not much time. Guilder then reports back to Brad after the virals, in Cell 4B, go extremely quiet. The lights shut off and Amy gets a sense that they are above them in the air ducts. Everyone instantly flees for their lives and Sykes, still sealed inside the lab, grabs a gun for protection. When Richards mentions that they will return for her, Sykes insists that they blow the place up after Amy is taken to safety. Once the elevators are deemed operational, the virals ambush the party and attack.



While Brad defends the group by stunning the virals with gunfire, a viral cuts Lila off. Brad instantly defends her, but with his back turned to her, Carter sneaks up behind Lila and grabs hold of her. Although Amy begs for him not to, Carter bites Lila before Brad can notice and repel him. Brad escapes with her before a sealed door separates them all from the virals. He rushes Lila into the elevator and leaves the group, taking a separate path to get to Sykes and the antiviral. Lila is taken to a medical ward where Richards sees her condition. Horace remains realistic about it all and claims that Lila needs to be shot. She agrees but Richards reassures her that Brad will return for her. In another room, Lear checks Amy's virals and he is impressed when he learns that Amy defied Fanning and chose her own passage.

Once again, Richards contacts Sykes through a walkie-talkie and informs her about what happened to Lila and that Brad is on his way to get the antiviral. Due to her speechlessness, Richards tells her that the Chinese avian flu is no longer a threat in an attempt to cheer her up. Thankfully, the tech gives Richards a book to instruct Sykes on how to hot-wire the security panels. Meanwhile, Brad is closer to Syke's location, he comes across Grey, whose neck is torn apart. Grey implies that he would have preferred being killed than bit.



Sykes does as instructed and successfully opens the door to the lab. Seconds from escaping, Shauna crashes through the ceiling. Skyes attempts to hide but Shauna finds her and engages in a psychic conversation. Initially toying with her, Sykes is already prepared to die but Shauna looks for reassurance and answers. She questions Sykes on their initial friendship and Sykes confesses that she never saw Shauna like the other inmates. She elaborates that she appreciated Shauna and that they could have been friends. Touched by Sykes honesty, Shauna ultimately looks to her for advice and expresses Fanning's cruel plans--feeling overwhelming. Before they can get further in their conversation, Shauna is shot by Brad and she flees the lab. Richards, who has an eye on all of the virals, explains Brad and Sykes need to find a place and hide. Sykes takes Brad to a cage in Cell 4B and locks themselves inside as a group of virals stare in from the outside.



Amy overhears Lear and Richard's conversation about the Elizabeth protocol and does yet another psychic link with Fanning. He explains the Elizabeth protocol to her, stating that it would blow up the entire lower level, thus killing Brad and Amy because she is linked to Fanning. Amy has a hard time coming to terms with it that she contacts Carter next. More logically, he explains to her that things have to be done even if it means sacrificing Brad's life or her own because it would be for the greater good. Emotionally distraught, Amy sneaks behind the staff's back and initiates the Elizabeth protocol while they quarrel over the importance of others livelihoods. Down in Cell 4B, the lights shut down and the countdown begins. Brad is enraged because of the threat to Amy's life but understands when he is told that she is the one responsible. The virals escape to save themselves and Brad is informed by Richards of a panel that leads to an escape from the cell blocks. They locate the panel but Sykes gives Brad the antiviral and stays behind to keep the virals at bay. Richards runs outside to lift the sewer drain and reaches Brad in time before the entire lower level is blown up.



Meanwhile, Clark takes a moment to mourn Sykes Brad injects Lila with the antiviral. Amy apologizes to Brad but he does not blame her whatsoever. Due to the explosion, the trackers in the virals are offline. Assuming that their all dead, Horace points out that as long as Amy lives, it means Fanning is alive. Richards attempts to contact a separate squadron but gets no response. That is when Amy claims that she can still hear the virals--they are alive and are pursuing them. Jonas looks out the window and sees Fanning and other virals emerge from the sewer line. Quickly, Fanning speaks to Jonas and tells him to give him Amy or else they will suffer the consequences. With plans to leave Project Noah, Richards offers to safely clear a path out for Brad, Lila, and Amy to remain safe. Before they depart, Jonas advises them that Fanning might fear Amy because she might one day be strong enough to fight him. Once outside, the entire party stays in a spotlight strong enough to weaken the virals. The soldiers keep the virals at bay by shooting them however, they eventually become picked off one by one. Once Amy is safely away from the other virals, Clark is thrown against a tree and is instantly paralyzed.



As Amy, Brad, and Lila walk through the forest Amy is snatched. As Brad and Lila call out her name, Amy is pinned against a tree by the throat and realizes her captor is Fanning. As she is being choked, Amy's irises suddenly turn golden yellow--resembling that of the virals. She induces a vision onto both of them and jumps into a decomposing future where she sees herself approaching Fanning, who is extremely weakened. She cuts her hand and offers him a drink of her blood. After the vision is over, he releases her and escapes. When she reunites with Brad and Lila she has difficulty explaining what happened. Then continue and miraculously run into Lacey, who offers them a vehicle.



Clark, who is unable to move and left to die is met by Shauna, who is heartbroken by his condition. To make things easier, she uses her abilities to take him somewhere less painful--they are both laying on the hood of a car, overlooking a bight cityscape. Now able to communicate, she offers him a chance to come with her but only under the condition that she turns him. As they break the mind-link, Shauna and Clark stare at one another. Not too far off is Carter, who feasts on the bodies of numerous Project Noah soldiers but it is obvious that he is terrorized by his lack of self-control.

While Brad drives, Lila sits in the passenger's seat with the encased antiviral close to her chest and Amy somberly looks through the window as they drive past burning cities.

Continuity

 * Sykes references what Shauna said to her about "wanting to know what she tastes like" in the episode "I Want to Know What You Taste Like".
 * This is the first time Amy reaches out to speak to Carter.
 * This is the first time Amy and Fanning have physical contact.

Trivia

 * This is the first time a psychic interaction has been filtered different color: In previous episodes they are normally saturated in yellows, however, the conversation between Sykes and Shauna is pink.
 * The changes in Amy's eye color are done with special effects, meanwhile, the other actors for the virals wear colored contact.