Chameleon (The Twilight Zone)

The shuttle camera on a United States spaceship orbiting Earth begins to malfunction and the astronauts on board shut it off. Back on Earth, there are two technicians working on the shuttle after it has landed; one of the technicians, Crew Chief Simmons, detaches the camera and takes it to be repaired. However, after touching it, a blue light flashes and he suddenly disappears. The box falls to the ground and another technician calls for the emergency alert, and the box is put in an isolation chamber. As the scientists are discussing what could possibly have happened to the technician, there is a bright flash in the isolation chamber and Simmons reappears; the box, however, is mysteriously missing. Simmons asks to be let out and becomes irritated when his pleas go unanswered.

The scientists review the surveillance tape of the box changing into the man but are stumped as to what could have caused the transformation. Though the technicians are suspicious, Simmons is able to tell them his name, identification number, and can give them personal information. After it becomes clear that he will not be released, Simmons disappears in another flash of light, and replacing him is a woman who begs them to let her out. One of the technicians claims that it is Simmons' wife Kathy. After realizing that Simmons may be a creature of unknown origin, they come to the conclusion that it can shape-change at will. After being foiled by a lapse in judgement, the creature becomes flustered and tries to cover up its mistake. The blue light flashes again and Simmons reappears only to start breaking the interior of the isolation tank. In response, the scientists and technicians subdue him with sleeping gas. Dr. Vaughn Heilman attempts to enter the chamber, but is surprised to find that Simmons is still awake and takes his hand. They both disappear in a flash of blue light and they are replaced by a nuclear bomb. The technicians and scientists suddenly recall that Dr. Heilman was once a bomb expert for the United States nuclear team.

Dr. Curt Lockridge attempts to reason with the creature, saying that it will probably survive the explosion but those in the complex will not. When the timer reaches zero, Heilman appears again and runs through the open door with Lockridge at his heels. Heilman is confronted at a launch platform and Lockridge begs to let the doctor and Simmons free. The creature claims that they are not prisoners, and stay within him due to their thirst for knowledge. The creature asks Lockridge to come with them, to join them in the adventure, but Lockridge declines. He then asks why the creature came to earth, and it replies that it arrived on Earth out of curiosity before changing into a glowing gaseous cloud that flies away into the night sky.

Imagine yourself a visitor to many worlds, drifting on the solar wind, a thousand voices singing in your memory. Now imagine you're this man, who can only guess at the wonders he might have known, wonders that exist for him now only as a riddle...from the Twilight Zone.

• List of The Twilight Zone (1985 TV series) episodes

• "Chameleon" at IMDb
• "Chameleon" at TV.com