When emergency crews
investigate a reported plane crash, they initially find no sign of the incident. But on
second look, they find a portion of the tail section of a private jet emblazoned with the
logo "EPIPHANY." Shockingly, aside from tail and part of a wing, the rest of the
plane is buried underground. In a frantic dig for survivors, they unearth the cockpit,
where they find one semi-conscious passenger, and the pilot, apparently dead.
The OSIR arrives at the airfield to investigate and find more victims inside the plane.
Curiously, the debris inside the plane seems to be the remains of a party rather than a
plane crash. Praeger notes that, although this particular aircraft was grounded by the FAA
three years ago, this plane's engines are still warm.
In the mobile lab, the survivor has stabilized, and Donner is shocked to realize she is
face-to-face with Marshall Rose, the legendary rock star who reportedly died in a plane
crash ten years ago while en route to a concert in Seattle. EPIPHANY was the name of his
band.
Back in the plane, Praeger and Axon find the bodies of the remaining passengers: Carmen,
Clyde, Fiona and Vinny. None show any signs of physical trauma. Rose regains consciousness
and begins to recall what happened. Captain Jack had reported turbulence and decided to
land immediately. Rose remembers that the rest of the passengers were screaming - then,
suddenly, he saw a bright light and felt that he was floating towards it. He is horrified
now to hear that he was the only survivor - and that the accident happened ten years ago.
Meanwhile, Axon discovers blueprints of the airport site indicating the existing runway
and where it had been located 10 years ago.It seems that the plane had actually made it to
the original runway which has since been plowed over and is now used as an excavation
site. This explains why the craft was found buried in the ground. Because the plane's
altimeter was stuck at 30 feet above the ground, though, it's as if the craft went through
a tear in the time/space continuum as it descended towards the airfield.
Praeger's further investigation indicates that not only is the plane's rear cabin door
gone, but it was purposely blasted off in mid-flight - obviously the result of a live
grenade. Someone had obviously wanted the plane to crash.
Miraculously, one by one, the passengers revive and begin to recall fragments of the
incident. Wild-eyed and desperate, Rose insists they work together to figure out what
happened. As the story is pieced together, it turns out that a terrible fight had broken
out among the band members. Then, they all remembered seeing the bright light and the
tunnel - a classic "near death" experience. All, that is, except Rose who is the
only one that doesn't remember coming back from the light.
Suddenly, he starts to bleed from his nose and his EKG spikes erratically. Tests indicate
that his body is shutting down. Rose admits that he had wanted it all to end - the band,
the fame, the managers, the bodyguards ... like the words to his song - "make it all
go away so I won't feel so all alone." As if in a trance, Rose heads back to the
plane which had been in limbo between life and afterlife. Who was it that finally made
Marshall Rose a legend?