Amber might have chosen the Mall out of duty,
but her heart is still with Sasha. For now, Amber spends most
of her time alone, out of touch with everyday life. Bray has
been filling in for her, keeping things going as she would want,
ready for her to take over when she feels able.
With Ryan taking an interest in her, Salene has been able to
resist Bulimic cravings for 10 days.
It's Patsy birthday and everyone is in party mood, except Amber
who didn't know, and makes no effort to join the party now.
It's good to see Salene so happy. |
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All that changes when Patsy comes to blow out the candle
on her birthday cake. She suddenly feels old; soon the Virus will
claim her, along with all her friends at the Mall. With everyone suddenly
becoming depressed instead of happy, Salene relapses and makes off
with Patsy's cake down to the sewers.
In Ep.38 Bray makes an effort to brighten the place up a bit.
Doling out pots of paint and brushes, everyone is expected to do their
bit. By far the most prominent piece of art is a mural where the stairs
divide.
Unfortunately Lex spoils it all in a prearranged plan to frame Bray.
While he turns the art session into a paint fight (much enjoyed by
everyone except Amber), KC plants bottles of water in Bray's room,
then arranges for Cloe to find them.
Bray is put on trial. Everyone knows or suspects that Lex is behind
it, but Lex makes sure no one will speak up for Bray. Tai-San and
Trudy prevail upon Amber to get to the bottom of the affair. In the
end KC takes the rap, but before Bray can pin it squarely on Lex,
Patsy walks in with a very geriatric Glen. She thinks she has found
an adult. In reality she has found the Virus, now mutated so that
it affects old and young alike. |
| Back
to Roanne's / Finding Porky - Ep.39-40 |
As Bray's trial approaches, Lex has already threatened
Jack and he is too afraid to say what he knows. Instead he urges
Ryan to do the honorable thing. Ryan knows it is wrong to throw
Bray out on trumped up charges, but Lex gets to him too via
Zandra.
With things weighing so heavily on his mind and conscience,
he has no time for Salene, and tells her not to poke her nose
into things that don't concern her.
Trudy sees that Salene is upset and fears she is about to binge.
With the trial about to start, Ryan guesses what Salene will
do and goes after her. |
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Ryan catches up with Salene as she climbs over
the final gate to Roanne's. Here she would have as much food
as she needs at the cost of being a slave. As Ryan tries to
stop her, she bites him - hard!
Ryan falls badly and knocks himself out. Salene can either go
on to Roanne's or help Ryan. She helps Ryan, bathing his injured
head with water from the estuary.
Now that her food cravings have subsided, Salene feels they
should go back for the trial. Ryan has a better idea. |
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They take the scenic route back to the Mall, and
along the way Ryan convinces Salene that he really does care
about her, and not Zandra.
They find a stray piglet, and rather than try and find its owner
they take it back to the Mall.
When they get back they hide the pig in a storeroom near the
sewer entrance, to save it from becoming dinner.
They were expecting the hot news to be about Bray's trial. Instead
a very old Glen calls to them from the balcony. |
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KC finds Salene's pig in the storeroom and hopes
by presenting everyone with 'dinner', his part in framing Bray
will be forgotten. KC is unable to explain Ryan's belt around
its neck!
Salene donates the pig to Cloe, who names him 'Porky'.
The quarantine is short-lived. Cloe brings Patsy out and Salene
is the first to hug them in approval. Zandra follows suite with
Lex. It is generally agreed they must face the Virus together,
and united they are sure to find answers. |
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The prime objective pursued by Jack, Dal, Bray
and Amber is to find answers regarding the Virus. In the meantime
Both Salene and Trudy are much more at ease with themselves
and life in general. Glen dies within a day or two, and whilst
this gives cause for reflection, and upsets Zandra deeply, the
general feeling within the tribe is positive and hopeful.
Information found at the Newspaper Office and the Health Ministry
leads Jack to speculate that a big research project on Hope
Island that went wrong is what caused the Virus. Bray agrees
that a small group must go there. |
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Bray outlines what has been learned and why
he believes they should send a small expedition to Hope Island.
It is decided that Bray, Lex, Amber and Dal should go, plus
Bob.
With the leaders away, the Virus is on everyone's mind. Ryan finds
Salene in the Sewers, back to her old habits.
Ryan so wants to help her. He shares that he too has things to
be ashamed of, like not defending Bray when he knew all along
it was Lex. That does it! Salene fills in the gaps and has it
out with Zandra! |
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Salene returns to the sewers to find Ryan for a heart-to-heart
chat. They agree they like each other and make a pact to look after
each other - as friends.
Not everything is peachy. KC runs amok, doing as he pleases with no
one to stop him. This includes ruining Bray's mural, painting Porky
with stripes, and most serious of all, getting embroiled in Poker
at the notorious Casino. When he takes Porky 'for a walk' Cloe doesn't
trust him and insists on going with him. Too late she realizes KC
wanted Porky to trade for gambling chips. KC loses Porky, and Cloe,
who has more success at roulette, tries to buy him back. No deal.
KC creates a diversion, Cloe escapes with Porky, but KC is held for
interrogation by Top-Hat. As a result, Top-Hat and Tribe Circus make
plans to invade and trash the Mall. But that's in the future.
The leaders return from Hope Island with samples of what they hope is
the Antidote. Within hours, Lex shows symptoms of the Virus but refuses
to play guinea-pig. He prefers Tai-San's methods, and puts himself
on trial for past wrongs, followed by exile onto the streets. Lex
discovers that Tribe Circus is about to invade the Mall and seeks
help from Ebony. Her immediate reaction is to refuse and lock him
up. Eventually, when Ebony realizes the Virus is imminent and real,
and that Lex has probably infected her, she is willing to listen.
Lex tells her about the Antidote and makes a deal, in return for rescuing
the Mallrats. |
| Invasion
by Tribe Circus - Ep.46 |
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As expected, Tribe Circus soon invades the Mall.
The Mallrats put up a valiant fight, and Salene sustains a twisted
ankle. As one of the invaders drags her along the floor, Ryan
runs to rescue her, and Zandra swings a fire extinguisher. Unfortunately
Zandra hits Ryan, not the enemy.
Eventually the Mallrats run out of booby traps and things to
throw. They are defeated. The girls are forced to make a Victory
Feast for their new masters, and then made to suffer various
indignities. The guys are powerless, captive behind the grille.
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| KC saves the day, at least for Zandra. He has been skulking
around, lying low and avoiding trouble from the start. Hearing Zandra's
screams, he climbs up and kicks Top-Hat 'in the nuts'! Top-Hat decides
to move on, leaving the Mallrats to die by roasting. (He lights a
fire in front of the grille, the Mallrats are behind it). |
Ebony arrives with Lex, heading a bunch of Locos.
They are too late to battle Tribe Circus, but they are able
to save the Mallrats' lives. They are shocked to see how rapidly
Lex has aged.
Ebony takes what she came for, the Antidote. She also takes
Lex (to test it on) and Bray. |
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The Mallrats have nothing left. Every scrap of
food has gone apart from a bag of flour. Zandra gives Ryan some
of her designer labels and jewelry to trade for food.
But outside people aren't trading, just taking. It's like the
end of the world out there he tells Salene on his return. Maybe
she would like some of Zandra's jewelry to wear, it would make
her look so pretty?
Salene becomes angry, she doesn't want Zandra's castoffs. |
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| Tai-San is alarmed to find Salene in the Café
with some cans of food. Is she about to binge? No, this was
Salene's emergency stash kept in the sewers. She believes her
bulimia is a thing of the past and so she is now sharing what
she had. |
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| Raid
on Loco Foodstore - Ep.50 |
| Lex makes an an expected return to the Mall, dressed
as a Loco, and looking older than ever. What he doesn't tell anyone
is that having escaped from Ebony's cell, he poured all the Antidote
into the pool. With no further use for him (as a guinea pig to test
the Antidote) Ebony threw him out. He soon discovered that out on
the street, the Locos were stoning to death anyone infected. His only
chance was to throttle a Loco and don his outfit! Zandra reluctantly
takes care of him. Most unexpectedly he starts to look not quite so
old. So that Antidote was the real thing! The other topic of conversation,
Jack has some crazy notion they must journey to Eagle Mountain. He
found it on a map! |
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| Food is running very low. In fact Jack hasn't
eaten for three days. Lex is not well enough to go out, so that
leaves Ryan. Lex volunteers KC to go with him. As they leave,
Salene joins them. The guys refuse, it's too dangerous out there. |
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| Ryan and KC run through the streets, when out
pops Salene ahead of them. It looks like they are stuck with
her, and she might be useful! |
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Their destination is a warehouse guarded by Locos.
Salene kisses Ryan before he and KC go round the back to check
it out. She will keep watch at the front.
When KC gets caught, Salene turns on her female charms and pleads
for her 'little brother'! Ryan creeps up behind them and finishes
the job! |
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When they get back to the Mall with Ryan's bag
stuffed full of provisions, they are amazed to see Lex looking
as good as new.
As they share out the food, Tai-San comes to the balcony. She
has had an amazing dream....about a mountain....and an Eagle.
Jack is stunned. Maybe now people will take seriously his belief
they must journey to Eagle Mountain. |
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| Eagle
Mountain - Ep.51-52 |
The night before everyone is due to leave the
Mall, Salene asks Ryan if he'll let her stay the night. She
is apprehensive about leaving the Mall and hopes he will protect
her always. Ryan of course agrees.
Until now KC has been sharing the Boutique with Ryan. We aren't
told where KC sleeps this night.
Next day they all set off on foot. Outside the City they find
the road barricaded against them. They are outnumbered. Bray
and Ebony arrive - in a bus! With everyone on board Bray drives
straight through! |
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Maybe half way to Eagle Mountain the bus breaks down
- permanently. Salene sits with Ryan, comfortable in his company.
When they reach Eagle Mountain they find out what's there - a satellite
tracking station. But how does it help them? Jack has no idea, and
somehow it seems the end of the road. People start talking of going
their separate ways and leaving the tribe. Ryan and Salene agree to
adopt Patsy and Cloe if the tribe does indeed split up. Ryan and Salene
are so acting like a couple. |
A satellite passes in orbit and the antenna begins
tracking. A pre-recorded message relays through the speakers.
It concerns the Antidote, the last hope for mankind. There are
stockpiles to found in major cities.
With information Jack downloads from the computers, he believes
they will be able to find the Antidote back in the City.
The lights dim. Jack and Dal head for the generator. It's about
to blow! A pre-recorded message warns everyone to evacuate the
building. |
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People gather around the two graves, Amber and
Zandra. Ebony joins the group, the other side. The Mallrats
resent her presence, and any words of sympathy seem phony. Salene
and Trudy both express their feelings, leaving Ebony in no doubt
they dislike and distrust her.
Salene goes back to where Bray lies unconscious, taking over
from Tai-San.
It is Lex who volunteers to tell him about Amber. For he alone
shares the pain of losing a loved one. |
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