Episode 405 "883"

Praeger tends to the bloody wound of a hideously deformed man but fails to notice that some of the man's blood spills onto his own bare skin.  Unable to coax the terrified man to go to the hospital, Praeger transports him to the mobile lab to be examined by Davison. As Praeger catches a glimpse of the man's diseased arm, which bears a tattoo with the numbers 883, he suddenly experiences brief flashes of the deformed man in a dark, shadowy place, cries of pain, a secret lab, and a distorted image of the local medical center.  Praeger investigates the strange incident, going first to the medical center where he experiences another flash of a deformed figure crying for help. Praeger's search of the building's sub-basement reveals a secret lab containing a row of numbered metal doors built into the wall - all containing deformed bodies. As he grabs the door marked "883," he experiences more terrifying flashes.

Believing the bodies are being used in some kind of experiment, Praeger gathers the rest of his team to investigate. But, when they return to the site, there's no sign of the lab. The center's Dr. Madeline Jenica arrives with security in tow. She denies Praeger's accusations and assures him no such lab exists.  As Praeger's condition worsens, he continues to sense the thoughts of the terrified prisoners being held in the lab. He suddenly recalls touching 883's bloody wound with his bare hand and, to his horror, he realizes that he's in the early stages of the same disease that is consuming the deformed man.

Now in isolation with 883, Praeger awakens from a dream to see Dr. Jenica in the room and Stone asleep at her station. Jenica approaches 883's gurney, puts an oxygen mask over his mouth and leads him away "to the only place that can save him." Praeger tries to stop her but he passes out cold.  Further examination of 883's bloodwork shows it to be the perfect genetic makeup for survival on another planet. Tests also reveal that 883's cells are merging with Praeger's. The team must find 883 - he holds the only clue to helping their colleague. Though Praeger is convinced that Jenica is behind the strange events, his colleagues don't believe the reputable doctor kidnapped 883. Determined, he sneaks back to the hospital and finds Jenica with the dead body of 883. Suddenly, Praeger collapses. Desperately ill, only Jenica can save him now. If she injects him with the enhanced blood cells, he will live - but he must go with the others. Like 883, he will die if he stays on Earth. It turns out that Jenica's pre-ordained mission was to colonize a new world - to create a new, improved version of humanity. Now that work is complete. Inside the lab, the prisoners' blackened skins open to reveal perfect human beings. Now they will be taken to a New World to complete the cycle. Jenica tells Praeger the group needs a strong leader to take them into a new Eden.

When the team finally realizes that Praeger had been right about Jenica, they race to the hospital where Praeger is facing an agonizing decision - to die on Earth or to have a new beginning in the new world. As he tells them his ultimate choice, Jenica injects Praeger with the DNA altering drug and, when the beautifully formed male and female humans step out of the mist, ready for the journey, Praeger joins them.