In the premiere episode of the 1995 revival of The Outer Limits , titled Dr. Simon Kress is a government scientist whose life's work involves studying Martian soil samples. When an organism nearly escapes the laboratory, the project is abruptly shut down. Unable to let go, Kress steals some of the Martian soil containing unhatched eggs and secretly moves his research into a barn at his home.

: When his former supervisor, Dave Stockley, discovers the illegal lab and threatens to report him, a deranged Kress murders Stockley by feeding him to the starving creatures.

The episode concludes with a chilling reveal: despite the explosion, a small colony of Sandkings has survived in the nearby woods. R. Martin novella?

: His obsession destroys his relationship with his wife, Cathy, and his father, a retired colonel. Kress begins mistreating the Sandkings to test their reactions, even withholding food. After a red Sandking stings him, its venom causes his physical and mental health to spiral into insanity.

: Kress becomes obsessed as he realizes the creatures are sentient and view him as a deity. When the white colony carves a face into their castle that resembles his own, he begins to crave their worship.

: Kress successfully hatches the eggs, which grow into insect-like creatures he calls "Sandkings". He observes them splitting into two warring colonies—red and white—and building elaborate sand structures.