Long Beach, California - The sunny beachside community is gripped by fear, caused by a rash of serial killings. All of the victims have been female and the latest victim, Jesica Andrews, only made the situation worse. As the daughter of prominent Congressman Thomas Andrews, the FBI dispatches Agent Christopher Orwell to hunt for the killer the media has dubbed "The Southland Scalper". Meanwhile, at the university where Jessica was murdered, Dr. Reginald Emerson has made an incredible break-through in the field of neurochemistry. He has discovered the chemical equivalent of thoughts and memories...and how to extract them. With the help of three brilliant students, Dr. Emerson is successful in his experiments, even managing to visually reconstruct the stolen thoughts. When the FBI gets wind of this technology, Agent Orwell is eager to use it on the Scalper. In a joint effort with the Long Beach Police Department, Agent Orwell and the talented Detective Drew Grady apprehend their target, taking him to Dr. Emerson. Even though they are successful in taking his thoughts and memories, the real killer may still be at large...