Crichton is surprised to learn that Aeryn has not fully recovered from her injuries at the hands of the Peacekeeper commandos. While the muscle damage has healed, her paraphoral nerve, which helps to eliminate toxins from her system, has been irreparably damaged. Without a graft from a compatible donor, she will soon die. Crichton decides to try to pose as a Peacekeeper one more time, and find a donor at the Gammak base. With help from Chiana and his old friend Gilina, he manages to get a synthetic graft. But just as he’s ready to make his departure, the base’s deformed commander Scorpius realizes his energy signature is distinctly not Sebacean. As he’s captured, Crichton manages to smuggle the graft to Chiana, who gets it back to Moya and Aeryn. Scorpius places Crichton in the Aurora Chair, a device that allows Scorpius to bypass a verbal interrogation and access the subject’s memories directly. Searching for Crichton’s true mission aboard the base, Scorpius learns of Moya and its escape from Crais, but encounters a neural block when he tries to access Crichton’s encounter with the wormhole aliens. Pushing past the block, Scorpius – and Crichton – learn that the aliens placed the equations for wormhole travel into Crichton’s subconscious, to help guide his research. This is quite a find for Scorpius, whose own research seeks to unleash wormholes’ potential as weapons. To help convince Crichton to give up what he knows, Scorpius summons Crais, but Crichton won’t budge. What Scorpius doesn’t realize is that it’s not wormhole information Crichton is trying to hide – it’s Gilina, who’s still hiding in the base as Scorpius places Crichton in the Aurora Chair for one more go-round . . .
written by Richard Manning
directed by Rowan Woods
music by SubvisionGuest Cast: Gigi Edgley (Chiana), Lani John Tupu (Captain Bialar Crais), Alyssa-Jane Cook (Gilina), Kent McCord (Jack Crichton), Wayne Pygram (Scorpius), Paul Goddard (Stark), Imogen Annesley (Niem), Stephen Leeder (Commander Javio), Anthony Kierann (Lt. Heskon), Christian Bischoff (Bixx), Pete Walters (Crais’ Guard)
Notes: Gilina encountered Crichton and Aeryn aboard the Zelbinion in PK Tech Girl. Crichton’s encounter with the wormhole aliens occurred in A Human Reaction. Paul Goddard makes his first appearance as Stark in this episode; he would later join the cast as a regular crew member. This episode was considered the first of two parts, with a “To Be Continued” slug at the end, although unlike future multi-part stories, the title does not reflect this.
LogBook entry by Dave Thomer