• • •

Logline: After sliding into Ellis Island, the sliders are believed to be new immigrants to the new country, so they are unable to leave until they are inspected. Once Diana is kidnapped and the timer taken, the other sliders soon find out a discovery that may cause the sliders to miss the window of opportunity.

Episode 4: Mislead Freedom

Starring: Robert Floyd, Alicia Witt, Tembi Locke, Nicholas Lea, and John Haymes Newton as Joel Douglas

Guest Stars: Adam Arkin as doctor, Patrick Labyorteaux as young scientist, Anthony Heald as old scientist, and Martin Scorsese as President Robert Siegel

Synopsis: The vortex opens up in a bathroom, with no one around. The group is tossed out and all land on a wet floor. The sliders stand up, but Joel and Wade help Diana up who still has to walk on crutches. The group realizes a stool has run over and they needed to exit the bathroom, before they got any wetter. Once out of the bathroom, Wade notices “Mens” in bold letters on the door. Wade comments that it was a good thing no one saw them slide in, or they could have scared the crap out of them, literally. The others laugh, but the group continue to move down a hallway, until they reached a main room, where it’s filled with people. Diana is surprised of them landing in a bus station, but Ryan tells Diana, they didn’t land in a bus station, they landed in Ellis Island, with Ryan pointing to a sign close by. A police officer heads to the group, stating that they were needed over in the lines for inspection or they wouldn’t be granted citizenship into this country. The sliders agree and follow the officer over to lines of men, women and children; the officer tells Diana and Wade to follow him to the woman’s line, while Joel, Ryan and Mallory had to stay in the line they were in, since it was the men’s line the officer headed to. The officer points Diana and Wade in the line they needed to be in and leaves. Diana tells Wade that this was new to her, since on this world, Ellis Island is still open after all these years. Wade states that her grandparents would tell her about their parents coming over here and so excited to be citizens of the United States. Diana states at least they wouldn’t be here long and able to get back into the city; Diana pulls the timer out slowly and places it back in her jacket, telling Wade they slide in 28 hours.

After quite some time, Diana and Wade finally get to the front of the line with Wade going first. Wade is subjected to a heart check, flea check in her hair, and then Wade has to take her clothes off for a physical but could put on a hospital gown to cover up some. After a few minutes, the doctor tells Wade to get dressed and calls for the next person, which happens to be Diana. Once Diana gets there, the doctor tells Diana to take a seat on the bed and he would check her out since he could tell she was injured. Diana’s heart is made sure it was still beating well, then also her foot examined, with the doctor asking questions of the incident. Diana explains of being in a car accident recently and luckily survived. Diana asks if she needed to undress for a physical also, but the doctor tells her that she would need a more complete exam before she could be granted citizenship into the United States. Diana states she is very fit, but even though with her broken foot, she is still in perfect condition. The doctor states that is not always possible and she could infect others with her injury. The doctor goes to a guard, says something to him, then returns, pulls out a black marker and draws an “L” on Diana’s shirt, then the doctor tells Diana she would be escorted to an upper level to wait. Diana tries to resist, again stating she was fine, but then two guards show up, asking Diana to go with them. Wade is shocked to see Diana taken away, so she rushes toward the guards, asking what was going on. One of the guards tells Wade to back off or she would be detained as well.

Ryan, Mallory and Joel catch up to Wade, with Joel asking where Diana was going. Wade states she isn’t sure, but figures it wasn’t good and that it might have to do with her injured foot. Ryan tells the others they should keep moving and it would be likely for Diana to return to them since the people in on the island may just want to help Diana with her broken foot. Joel states that Diana could be in more trouble than they realize since with Diana having the timer, someone could find it and they could get stuck on this earth or exposed and things may occur as they did weeks ago. A guard comes up to the group, stating they were needed in a testing room and they should get moving. The group follow instructions and soon end up in a large room where they take seats at a table and the instructor at the front of the room, states that they will be given a test to see if they can understand the American way and if they pass with a 60% or higher, they can become American citizens. Wade tells the guys the test doesn’t sound so hard; Mallory tells Wade that she could be wrong and not be freed into New York City.

A few floors up, Diana is sitting in a room which resembles a hospital room and she is soon met by a doctor, who tells her that he would be helping in her process to become a citizen. The doctor pulls out a suringe, and before Diana can take action to not have the injection, she gets the needle into her arm and she soon passes out on the bed she was lying on.

As the sliders, again, having to wait in a line, Ryan, who is first up at the main desk where the instructor is over looking his score. The instructor tells Ryan he got a 72% on the exam and so he would be granted citizenship into the United States. The instructor tells Ryan to go down the hallway left of him and keep going until he reaches a booth and that is where he will get his papers. Ryan thanks the instuctor and starts walking. Wade is next, with her score being 97%; the man congratulates her, stating that is the highest score in the history of Ellis Island. Wade smiles, stating she did her best since she wants to be an American. Wade is instructed to do the same as Ryan and she takes off down the hallway. Joel follows with recieving a 86% exam score, again with the instructor complementing on how well he did on the exam. Joel is told the same and proceeds down the hallway. Finally, Mallory comes up in front of the line, with the instructor, showing him a score of 63% and the instructor states he just barely passed; Mallory states he must have studied American history poorly, but knows he will make it in the new world. Once the sliders all get together, they share their scores and Wade comments that she basically guessed on most of them and did quite well. Mallory tells Wade the next time they get on Jeopardy, she will have to go on it and win some money for their slides. Wade smiles, stating she was no Einstein.

After some time, The sliders manage to get out onto the dock where they are transported over to the New York marina, and dropped off with a couple dozen other people. Once getting off, Wade states that they shouldn’t have left since Diana could be in trouble. Joel states he would talk to someone back aboard the boat, but before he can do it, the boat takes off and the gate closes before he can get to anyone. Joel looks to the others, stating their only option was to start swimming. Ryan stated they wouldn’t have had a chance to get to Diana, since they were watched very closely and no one was able to leave the room for anything. Joel figures their best chance was to find someone with connections to the island and get back over to find Diana.

By the evening time, Diana awakens up in a cell, to find her crutches missing and her foot no longer bandaged up. Diana gets confused, figuring her foot would hurt. Diana stands up to realize her foot was fine and shocked of how fast her foot healed. The same doctor who visited Diana earlier, gets close to the cell bars, telling Diana she was now able to work in the underground mines since they have the medical technology to fix injuries on people of any kind without hours. Diana asks the doctor why she was in a cell; the doctor explains she is supposed to be in one because she should know that all American citizens are white like all Americans are supposed to be. Diana states that she figured Ellis Island let anyone who wanted to come to America to be a citizen without reason to reject them based on their race. The doctor states her work clothes would be showing up soon enough and she would be transported to her work station and that is where she will work for the government which is a way of thanking them for taking this position as so many people have done before. Diana resists her sentence, by trying to stop the doctor from leaving, but she doesn’t have much luck, when she sees the doctor exit the room. A man in a cell next to hers, who is of Italian decent tells Diana to not waste her breath since it was pointless. Diana looks to the man, asking what was going on, since in her history books she read, explained of Ellis Island giving the opportunity for immigrants of any race, from any country to come over here to be an American citizen. The man asks Diana if she signed forms about the work camps; Diana gets a confused look on her face, asking what the forms were all about. The man states that before he left Italy, he signed forms, declaring himself to the government work camps in America for freedom. The man asks Diana what part of Africa she came from; Before Diana could respond, she stopped to realize if she said Los Angeles, the guy would be confused, so Diana states she came from Kenya.

Later in the evening, at a motel in New York City, the sliders are in the room they paid for, with Joel returning to the room. Joel tells the others that he spoke with an official for Ellis Island, and he was told that Diana wasn’t in the database, then he heard something about a work camp for those who aren’t the pure American and that could explain why she wasn’t in the database. Mallory states that he did notice a lot of white people in the city and none from minority groups; Wade considers the idea that maybe only white people are allowed into America and anyone who isn’t white is forced into a work camp. Ryan brings up the fact that if the government has Diana, that means the government has the timer. Wade states they slide in about 22 hours, giving them some time, but if Diana is sent to a work camp out west, it could take them weeks to find her and they don’t have that amount of time. Joel figures he could get a boat schedule for the river, and maybe they could hitch a ride and be stoyaways. Mallory agrees to the idea, but feels if Diana wasn’t on the right boat, they could be headed in the wrong direction. Wade also brings up the question of how he would get the schedule, since if the boats contain the immigrant rejects, and part of Ellis Island, he couldn’t easily go in and get a schedule. Joel tells Wade, along with the others, that if the island doesn’t give the information to them, they will take it by force.

Back at Ellis Island, in a laboratory, a young male scientist is looking over the timer which is in pieces. Another scientist walks in, who looks much older, heads over to the desk where the man looking at the timer is. The man walking in, asks how things were coming; the younger scientist, who is in the chair, states he is surprised of such a device and the United States government would be interested in learning about it, and the device of data would really intrigue them for the most part. The doctor who knocked Diana unconscious, enters the room, asking if they found out what the device was Diana was hiding. The scientist sitting, states he isn’t sure, but the time was counting down for a reason. The doctor tells the two scientists he would find out, by drugging Diana to talk.

By sunrise, Diana awakens in her cell to find the sun shining on her. Diana sits up from her cot, and wipes her eyes, then looks up to see if the man next to her was awake yet, but the man was not. The doctor from the day before arrives at Diana’s cell again, stating she was needed for something and would have to behave if she ever wanted to leave. Diana stands up, heads to her cell door, with it opening and the doctor places handcuffs on her and then walking behind her as they exit the room. The doctor leads Diana into an elevator and pushes the 6th floor button and the doors closing. Diana looks at the doctor, asking what was going on, since she still is confused as to how her foot was easily medicated to be back to normal, as well as why she was kidnapped and not allowed to leave with her friends. The doctor states he wouldn’t answer any questions, since she was brought to America for the workforce and that is where she will be soon enough. The elevator doors open, and the doctor pushes Diana out and both turn left, heading down a hallway until the end. After the door at the end of the hallway is opened, Diana goes in, followed by the doctor, who takes the handcuffs off. The doctor quickly takes action and injects Diana with a sedative and she is knocked unconscious with falling to the floor.

The sliders are seen exiting the motel they are staying at and are walking down the sideawalk, going south. The sliders return to the building that Joel visited the night before and entering through the front door. At the front desk, Joel tells the secretary that he has an appointment with a Mr. Franks about the immigrant transporting. The secretary asks Joel for his name, but Joel gets violent, with grabbing a fire extinguisher which is hooked to the wall close by and hits the secretary with it, knocking her unconscious and falls to the floor. Joel tells Wade to get behind the desk and get working. Wade steps over the secretary and sits at the computer, working her magic to get into the database. Ryan and Mallory take the secretary to a janitorial closet close by, and lock the door so she couldn’t get out to warn anyone. When Mallory and Ryan get back, Ryan tells Joel the woman wouldn’t be going anywhere, anytime soon. Joel asks Wade how things were coming and Wade states she was doing okay, but just hopes an alarm hasn’t gone off yet to alert security. Wade soon gets into files, pertaining to the new immigrants and a file for minorities for the work camps. Wade finds Diana’s name and uses her finger to go across the screen to find the time and boat Diana would be leaving on. Wade states they still have a couple of hours before Diana is to go to Alaska. Joel states that now they had the mission to get back onto Ellis Island and get Diana out, along with the timer. Suddenly, an alarm goes off from the computer, with Wade telling the guys that it was departure time and they should get into hiding from security. Two security men exit an adjacent room and pull their guns as they fire at the sliders who have quickly exited the building. The sliders rush down the sidewalk in hopes to get free from being seen by the security. The two men exit the building, but don’t see the sliders. The large, older man on the left calls on his radio, stating that they now have problems involving a group of people as a threat to the government.

On the island, Diana is seen in a small room, sitting in a reclining chair, along with the doctor who knocked her out close by in a wooden chair. The two scientists from before enter the room, with the younger man, asking the doctor if he found out anything yet. The doctor states he was waiting for them, so they could know about the device they have. The doctor talks to Diana, stating she was in a state of consciousness and she would be able to talk about anything to them about whatever they ask. Diana’s eyes open, with her looking to the doctor; the doctor looks at Diana, asking what the device was she had on her when they met her that is counting down. Diana explains it was a timer that opened up a wormhole created by an electrical field that extends through to other dimensions, also known as parallel worlds. Diana continues, stating that she, along with four other companions travel via vortex through parallel dimensions with the timer giving them a select amount of time before the next wormhole is available to travel through. The doctor and the scientists seem surprised of such technology, so the younger scientists asks Diana if the parallel dimension she comes from has more technology which includes research of anomalies and wormhole travel. Diana states that the world she comes from does have such technology and much research, but the lab she was working at was destroyed, so all information covering such material wouldn’t be available for anyone. The doctor tells Diana to close her eyes and when she wakes up, she will remember nothing of what she said as well as believing she is waking up for the first time. The older scientist tells the doctor to wait, since they should ask her more questions, but the doctor who turns from Diana to look at the scientists, states they should take their time with Diana because she may have the power to reawaken herself over a long period of time and then he wouldn’t be able to get her back under his control. The doctor turns back around to look at Diana and snaps his fingers, with Diana falling back to sleep.

Once returning to the motel, the sliders quickly enter their room and Joel looking out the window to make sure no one followed them. Wade tells Joel that maybe next time, he will have a plan that will work out, instead of nearly getting them killed. Joel apologizes, but states that they did get the information they needed. Mallory asks Joel what their next plan was. Joel states it would be obvious for the building they went into is on high security and if they were to return to the dock and return to the island by boat would be impossible. Ryan states their only option would be to swim over and not get detected. Joel agrees, stating he would need to get scuba gear and return, but would need help. Wade states she could return to the island with him, since she took some scuba diving classes in college, just before starting her adventure in sliding. Mallory and Ryan both agree to help and swim over to the island, since it shouldn’t be that hard to do such a task. Joel states someone else should go and buy the equipment, since if he was seen out in the city, he could get picked up by government officials who saw him the previous day before hand. Wade and Mallory decide to go and buy the scuba gear, with Joel and Ryan staying in the room.

Both the scientists are with the timer, and the older scientist on the phone. The doctor enters, as the man gets off the phone, with the doctor questioning what was going on. The older scientist explains he contacted the CIA and FBI, talking about sliding between worlds and that the president of their country would be showing up. The doctor states its not every day Robert Siegel shows up at their door step. The younger scientist figures that if he can get the fundamental understanding of how the timer works, he can build a machine similar to it, giving the United States an upper hand at defeating such evil that lurks over the country on a daily basis as well as around the world. The doctor states Diana may be of help again, since if she could explain things, she would definately be able to create the equation on a piece of paper or chalk board. The older scientist tells the doctor to go ahead with his plan since the president would definately like the new idea of sliding.

After an hour passed, Wade and Mallory return to the room with the scuba gear. Wade apologizes, stating the city was getting busy and didn’t want to get noticed. Joel tells Wade they don’t have much time left, but they still had 40 some minutes before Diana was to be shipped off. The sliders take off and head to a small park which was in clear distance to Ellis Island. The group gets the scuba outfits on, and they head to edge of the end of the park which was the closest to the island. Joel states they should be in the clear, since he doesn’t see any boats coming through. Wade tells the others that she hopes Diana is safe and they will rescue her before anything happens to her or the timer. One by one, the sliders leap into the cold ocean water and begin their trip across to get onto Ellis Island.

Inside her cell, Diana sits patiently, looking out at the Statue of Liberty, feeling like the others weren’t coming back for her and wonders how her life was going to be. The doctor shows up, getting close to the cell bars of Diana’s cell, stating her work clothes had arrived and she should change into them. The doctor enters Diana’s cell, placing the clothes by the cot. The doctor starts to pull out a suringe, but Diana looks up at him, stating she wasn’t meant to be in a work camp. The doctor states she wanted to come to America and that was her only option. Diana asks if she could return to Kenya and just live there instead of being shipped off to a work camp. The doctor states that if she read the contact correctly, the United States has her for 3 years and then she can return home. Diana comments to herself, “great, look what have I gotten myself into.” The doctor tells Diana to cheer up, and then injects the suringe into Diana, who goes unconscious again, falling back onto her cot, lying down. The doctor quickly changes Diana into her work clothes and then picks Diana up, with carrying her to a wheel chair, that the young scientist shows up with. The scientist and doctor head into the elevator and goes up a floor to a lab, and most noticeably, a chalkboard. The doctor kneels down to Diana, telling her he needs some help and that she would need to use the chalkboard to help out. Diana opens her eyes, stands up, and takes the chalk the doctor gives her. The doctor tells her to write out the sliding formula and be quick about it. Diana starts at the top left corner and begins writing the equation down on the chalkboard as the scientist and doctor look on, with smiles on their faces.

After a half hour passes, the other sliders manage to reach land after traveling underwater. They quickly take off the gear and hide it in a group of bushes and they take off to find Diana in the facility. When the group notice a large area covered with gaurds, Joel states they would have to find another way in. Mallory asks if there was a basement window to crawl through anywhere; Ryan tells him if there was one, they wouldn’t know where to look for it. Wade states they could just easily climb the fence and they would be in. Ryan states they should throw something at it, just to make sure they won’t be electrocuted. Mallory takes his shoe off and throws it at the fence, with an electric spark attacking it and the shoe falling to the ground. Mallory heads to pick up his shoe, looking back at the others, telling them they were screwed. Joel notices a large tree around the corner, and figures if someone could get to the limb which goes beyond the fence, they could get in. Joel asks for someone to lift him up; Wade agrees to go along since she tells Joel he would need back up. The two manage to climb up the tree and walk the limb to the other side and jumping toward a window. Joel breaks the window, causing him to land in a room which was empty and on the floor. Wade looks down in fear of falling, but Joel tells her to jump, which she does and makes it, but after Joel catches her, they both fall to the floor. They stand up, with Wade going to the window putting her thumb out to show the others they were okay.

Joel and Wade exit the room, to realize they were lost and not sure where to go. Just before turning a corner, they hear voices of men coming, so they quickly duck into a room which was also empty as well as dark. After the men walk by, Joel opens the door and they keep going down the hallway after turning right. After walking in a fast pace, the two quickly pass the room Diana is in and then back up to see her. Wade notices three men in there with her, and she looks to Joel for a solution. Joel quietly tells Wade that they may be able to over power the men, since Diana should be able to help. Joel quickly opens the door, with the three men turning around and surprised of them being there. The doctor asks Wade and Joel how they got into the building, but Joel quickly attacks the doctor, punching him in the face. Wade takes on the younger scientist, but the older scientist helps with over powering Wade. Joel manages to get a gun from the doctor’s inside pocket, and pointing it at the doctor as well as the scientists who back off from Wade. Joel tells Diana they came to rescue her, but Diana is still writing on the chalk board. The doctor states he has control over her and until she finishes the formula for sliding, she wasn’t going anywhere. Wade asks for the timer, but the men are silent.

Outside, Mallory and Ryan remain in hiding from being seen. Mallory notices a helicopter arriving on the landing pad, telling Ryan, he thinks something is going on and Wade and Joel could be in trouble. They notice a man exiting the helicopter with six men, three on each side. Ryan notices the presidential symbol, surprised the president would be there. Ryan states they need to warn the others, or it all could be over. Mallory lifts Ryan up the tree and after Ryan is stable, he extends his leg down to Mallory who grabs it and after they both are on the limb, they both walk it, with them both jumping into the same room Joel and Wade jumped into minutes before.

Joel asks for the timer, or he would start shooting; the younger scientist states they have it in a room down a few floors in pieces. Joel states he, along with Wade, the young scientist and Diana would go down to the room for the timer, but not before Diana was awoken from her hypnosis. The doctor still refuses, so Joel fires the gun, hitting the doctor in the leg, stating he wasn’t joking around. The doctor falls to the floor and snaps his finger, causing Diana to awaken and shocked of where she was. She turns around with Wade going to her for a hug. Diana is shocked to see the sliding equation on the chalk board, so she finds and eraser and destroys all chance for the scientists to have sliding technology. Mallory and Ryan catch up to the others, stating the president was here and he is probably after the timer. The doctor, who is still on the floor laughs, telling the group they will not get away since the president will arrest them for holding secrets. Joel walks up to the doctor, kicking him in the face and firing the gun again at the older scientist who is also shot in the leg and falls to the floor. The sliders, along with the young scientist exit the room and head for an elevator.

Down on the bottom floor, the president of the country heads to a main desk, where he speaks with a secretary, welcoming him to Ellis Island and that the scientists who wanted to see him were on the top floor. The president and his secret service head to an elevator and getting on to head up. Once the elevator doors ocan’t believe it was taken apart, but quickly takes a seat, and tries to put it back together. The young scientist states he wouldn’t tell a soul if he could get the sliding equation; Diana apologizes, stating certain worlds don’t need to slide between worlds, or it may be given to the wrong hands, causing problems for everyone. Diana uses a screwdriver, putting the timer back together, with it counting down from 45 seconds. Diana states they were lucky and almost missed the slide. Wade finds the PDL close by, and hands it back to Diana. Mallory asks Diana how she got healed so quickly. Diana figures this world must have advanced medical technology because she was surprised when she woke up after being put under. The young scientist rushes out of the room with Mallory following him to see where he goes, but Mallory doesn’t pursue him. Wade figures the man went to get security, but they wouldn’t be worrying about it since they almost slide. Diana opens the gateway and the sliders start to enter. Before Joel enters, he drops the gun onto the floor and leaps in. Before Diana enters, she sees the young scientist and a man with secret service, figuring the man was the president, she waves bye at the men and then jumps into the vortex with it closing seconds later.

The president looks to the young scientist, asking what had happened. The young man explains they almost have the equation to sliding due to the building’s cameras being all over and in each room. The president seems confused as he looks to the young scientist and the screen fades to black.