In DC, Space Security agent John Bartlett discuss the disappearance of four scientific geniuses on the same day. The generals in charge notes that it may be coincidence, and John says that they found several indications that the scientists were abducted by aliens. All four men were considered intellectually and physically superior, and born in Spider Country in the same year and within same month. Each child was born two months premature and their fathers disappeared, and each child was given the same middle name: Eros. Eros is the name of an obscure planet, and eventually left Spider Country and achieved prominence in their given fields. They've just learned that there is a fifth man, Ethan Wechsler, who didn't leave Spider County or disappeared with the other four. The agency believes that Ethan is the key to the murder, and they can't take him out of Spider County because he's being held on a murder charge. John's chief wants the government to send Join in case it's too late.
Ethan is running through a fog-filled night as a spider-faced alien moves toward him. He wakes up and realizes that it's a nightmare. Ethan is in a jail cell and Sheriff Simon Stakefield demands answers. Ethan's lawyer Greenbane notes that the sheriff is illegally holding Ethan. Unimpressed, Stakefield demands that Ethan confess and reveal where he hid the body. Ethan insists that he didn't kill Jonathan Simpson, even though he was found sleeping in the barn. The young man says that he just wanted Simpson to apologize for the indecent remarks he made to local girl Anna Bishop. Ethan works at the farm of Anna's farm. Jonathan said that he thought what he "said", but no one heard him. Stakefield says that Ethan and the other four boys have been performing witchcraft since they were children.
A man, Aabel, watches as Stakefield takes Ethan out to the police car. Anna runs to Ethan and hugs him, and Ethan says goodbye. The police car leaves and Aabel watches it go. On the road out of the county, Aabel watches the car approach and then steps out onto the road, transforming into an alien humanoid like the one in Ethan's nightmare. The deputy driving skids the car and it goes off the road. The alien looks at the other deputy and vaporizes him with his glance. Ethan looks up and catches a brief glimpse of the alien, and then sees Aabel. Aabel tells him that they have to leave before someone comes by.
John arrives in town and Anna asks if he was the man claiming to be Ethan's father who called and asked where Ethan was.
The deputy wakes up in the overturned car.
Aabel takes Ethan into the forest and they come to a stream. Ethan washes off his face and says that he has to rest, and Aabel says that ignorance and fear will sentence him to die. When Ethan wonders how Aabel knows that he's not guilty, Aabel says that he knows him. Ethan tells him that he doesn't know him but feels as if he does. Aabel says that he will take Ethan somewhere where there's no fear or prejudice, and Ethan insists that he doesn't want to incriminate him and is leaving Spider County.
A police siren sounds and Aabel gets Ethan off the road. Once the car passes, Aabel tells Ethan that eventually he'll be caught and he can't escape dogs except with him. He wonders what holds Ethan there, and Ethan says that he wanted to be held there and fooled himself into believing that someone might hold him there. He says that he can't go without saying goodbye and runs back to town.
Mr. Bishop loads his rifle and goes off into the woods. Anna sees him call, and Ethan calls to her from the bushes. She tells him to meet her in his room, and then goes into the house. Ethan is packing his thing, and they kiss. Anna warns that they're looking for him and warns him that he looks guilty for running. She says that a man came from DC to help Ethan, and Ethan says that a man watched him. Aabel comes in and tells Ethan that they must hurry, and Anna warns Ethan that if he runs then it will never stop. The outsider says that he's taking Ethan to a special place where his differences will be honored rather than feared. Anna asks to go to Ethan, and Aabel says that none of them have any choice. When Aabel calls Ethan his "son", Ethan realizes that Aabel is his father and Aabel says that he has come very far to get him.
Sirens sound and Aabel says that the others are waiting. Ethan tells Anna that he knows Aabel is telling the truth, and Anna insists on going with Ethan. Aabel says that it's not possible, and Ethan tells him that they'll go their own way. He wonders if his father wants him to break Anna's heart as well as his own, and Aabel agrees.
Mr. Bishop steps out and trains his rifle on them, and tells Anna to call Stakefield. Aabel says that Ethan is his son and tells Ethan and Anna to go. He tells Mr. Bishop that Ethan has to go on a long journey and can't be held back by bloodshed and pain. He approaches Mr. Bishop and they back around the corner, and Aabel reverts to his alien form and takes the rifle.
John and the others go to the car wreck, and John finds Aabel's alien footprint. The deputy is unable to explain what happened, and John searches the area.
Aabel leads Ethan and Anna off as men with dogs chase them.
John finds a discarded travel bag and goes back to his car. Bishop wanders down the road, mesmerized, and John stops him. The older man says that he saw Ethan and Ethan's father was with him, and they were going on a long special journey. Regaining his senses, Bishop asks John if he saw them. When John suggests that Bishop give his rifle to the sheriff, Bishop angrily says that a man can carry a gun when defending his daughter.
Ethan and the others stop at a barn, and a glowing object passes overhead giving off a high-pitched noise. When Ethan asks why Aabel took so long to get him, Aabel says that he was where he left Ethan in Spider Country. Ethan describes how his mother was going to take him away when he was 9. He says that Bishop took him in as a farmhand. The object flies overhead, and Aabel looks out. John has followed them there, and Anna is out picking applies to eat.
Continuing his story, Ethan says that by the time he was old enough to run away, there was Anna so he stayed for her. Abel says that he was where he's taking Ethan, and explains that "they" came there, chose strong and gentle girls, and married them according to the planet's customs. Ethan notices that Aabel has referred to Earth as another planet, and Aabel says that their sons couldn't have withstood the journey at their younger stage. Meanwhile, John climbs up onto the roof.
Ethan tells Aabel that he can hear other people's thought and it frightens him, but hearing Aabel's thoughts don't frighten him. They crawl down and Aabel assures Ethan that his nightmares don't mean that he's evil. He assures Ethan that he'll understand when they reach home.
Bishop approaches the barn and Aabel steps out to confront him. The man shoots him but the bullet has no effect. Disgusted, Aabel repeats Bishop's words about Ethan being a "no-good dreamer", and says that on Eros the absence of dreaming made men no good. As he talks, Aabel mesmerizes Bishop and takes the rifle and sets it down. Aabel describes how on Eros they lost the capacity to dream and were unable to produce male children, but five males came to Earth and spawned male children whose human half let them dream. Bishop snaps out of his trance and goes for his rifle, and Aabel transforms to his alien form and vaporizes him. He reverts back to human form and a disgusted Ethan says that he understands. Aabel says that he'll leave without him.
Ethan and Anna run off into the woods with the locals still giving chase. The young couple finally stops to rest.
John watches as the alien Aabel walks off into the wood, and then follows him. Aabel stops and sends out a signal blocking radio waves and cutting off Stakefield's contact with the station. The deputy driving him goes into a trance and drives away.
Ethan hears sirens and tells Anna that they have to keep going. They go to a dock with a canoe, and rips open a nearby box with his superior strength to remove paddles. They paddle away as Stakefield arrives, and Aabel watches, smiles in satisfaction, walks off.
The leader of the men calls to Ethan by loudspeaker, saying it's as far as he's going to go. After a moment, Lee turns the canoe around and paddles back to the pier. Stakefield takes Ethan back to the station and locks him up, and John tells Stakefield that they need to talk. After a few minutes, John enters Ethan's cell and says that he and DC has to use their influence so John could talk to Ethan. The agent says that he saw what happened to Bishop and Aabel's true form, and assures Ethan that he believes it. John promises to do Ethan as much as he can, and says that if they want to convince anyone then they need to produce Aabel. The agent figures that Aabel telepathically sent the deputy to Ethan's location to force Ethan to choose to go with him. John tells Ethan to go with Aabel and leaves.
Aabel waits at the river with the four entranced scientists.
John waits in a car near the sheriff's station. Meanwhile, Aabel peers in Ethan's cell window, revealing h is alien form, and says that he's a monster but won't kill Ethan while the humans will kill Ethan. Aabel invites Ethan to take his hand and tell him that he's human enough to make that self-destructive choice. The alien reverts to his human form and says that he thought he heard a sound and it made him sad. Ethan wonders if Aabel will kill him if he refuses to go with him, and Aabel insists that they can uncreate but don't kill... and he would have to do that to Ethan.
John checks a tracking device and waves to his men as Ethan and Aabel leave. The agent waves to Stakefield and his men in another car, and they follow Aabel and Ethan. Aabel takes Ethan to the missing scientists and says that it's a little further to his spaceship. However, he says that he's sad and reveals a tracking device that Ethan is using to let John follow him while explaining that he can "hear" the signal. Aabel crushes the transmitter and John loses the signal. Aabel tells his son that he can't go back without him, and Ethan says that on Earth there's a chance. The scientists come out of their trances, and Ethan asks Aabel what chance anyone would have with a soul in his world.
John and the others arrive and see Aabel's spaceship.
The scientists advance on Aabel, who reverts to his alien form. When Aabel advances on John, Ethan and the scientists grab the alien. He telepathically immobilizes his attackers, and John and the others when they run up. Ethan tells Aabel that he wanted to go home but not with a murderer. Aabel relents after a moment and says that he can't destroy the dream part of himself. The alien tells the humans that Ethan is the better part of them and asks if they can destroy part of themselves, then gets in his spaceship and leaves. The paralyzed humans are released and stare at the spaceship as it leaves. John looks at Ethan and smiles, and Ethan smiles back.
Later, Ethan and Anna kiss and walk along the river together.
Written by Gadfly on Mar 9, 2019