Prime

[Zak is in his chamber at the computer terminal, working on something, when his screen suddenly fluctuates for a moment, then returns to normal.]

Zak: Gen, there's something wrong with my terminal. Can you locate the problem?

[She appears.]

Gen: I am detecting unusual activity in my M-Level processors.

Zak: OK, well, shut down all unnecessary functions and I'll see what the problem is.

Gen: Shutting down now. [The hologram vanishes, and Zak turns back to the terminal.]

[Gret and Reb are in the Habitat playing a game of some sort--a solid black box a little longer than a shoebox with a playing board painted on the top and buttons on the bottom. There are game pieces on the board, and Reb moves one before letting go of a button on the side of the box. In the background you can see Bren and Yuna on the Command Deck.]

Reb: You're losing.

Gret: That's pretty brave coming from a man who just lost three games in a row.

Reb: Well, I'm learning from my mistakes.

Gret: Oh, OK.

[Gen appears, smiling oddly.]

Gen: Our present course takes us past the star Mantaka [sp?]. I've located a comet orbiting that star. Sensors are detecting organic material in the comet's tail--traces of amino acids.

[Gret gets up, awed.]

Gret: What? What is it, is it glaciate?

Gen: Apparently. It's difficult to tell at this distance.

Gret: I have to check this out. OK, there's this theory that the comet serves as a distributor of life by spreading primitive genetic material, and this [she gestures to the image of the comet on the Habitat screen] could help me confirm it. So let me take a shuttle so I can get some samples.

Reb: Are you conceding on the game?

Gret: Yes, with pleasure.

[Bren walks in from the Command Deck.]

Reb: [to the Command Deck] Yuna, adjust course--our geneticist has a date with a comet.

Yuna: I'm on it.

Bren: So I guess you'll need a shuttle pilot.

Reb: Looks like you have a volunteer.

Gret: [shifting unconfortably] Uh...yeah, I guess I do.

[They leave the Habitat.]

[Back to Zak's chamber, his screen is doing the distortion thing again.]

Zak: Ugh! What is it with this terminal?!? Damn, not again!

[Gen shimmers back.]

Zak: Gen? I thought you shut down. You know, I thought I saw an unconnected subroutine in your M-Level, kinda like a primitive computer virus--but it's gone.

Gen: It isn't gone. It's running independently now. The transition is complete.

Zak: Transition? Gen, you don't sound right.

[As Zak turns away, Gen's image starts to morph until it becomes a man in a purple uniform--a man everyone who has seen Fugue recognizes.]

Mentor: Hello, Zak.

[At the sound of his voice, Zak wrenches his head to the hologram in horror, glaring at him. Mentor smiles on.]

Zak: What is this?

[To fill people in who haven't seen Fugue yet, there's a little flashback sequence here of Zak in the interrogation room with Mentor--Zak is yelling in pain.]

Mentor: Start from the beginning, Zak--you will do it over and over until you get it right.

Zak: Mentor.

Mentor: Our true mission is about to begin.

Mentor: I'm glad to see you again, Zak.

Zak: No. You're just a hologram--a computer fabrication. The real mentor died when the plague hit Rex II.

Mentor: Yes--a victim of the conspiracy to destroy our people. Your genetic original was one of the few to survive.

Zak: I thought my genetic donor was one of the only ones to escape on the relief ship.

Mentor: True--but some of our peacekeepers left--

Zak: Peacekeepers. You mean secret police.

Mentor: [looks at Zak sharply] ...left before the virus arrived and managed to infiltrate the Deepwater Black project. They implanted this program [he gestures to himself] in the ship's computers, and set it to activate a few months after you awoke from cryosleep.

Zak: Why are you here?

Mentor: To help you fulfill your destiny.

[Another flashback--same place.]

Mentor: Now you are where you belong. You are one of us. Your genetic maps are pure. We watched you. Tested you. Your mathematical aptitude is extraordinary--you must exploit it.

[Zak jumps up suddenly.]

Zak: Look. I've got news for you--whatever you're up to, I'm not interested in. [He picks up his communicator and starts talking into it.] Reb, Yuna. [He presses the buttons but it doesn't activate.]

Mentor: Communications are under my control, Zak. As are all ship's functions.

Zak: That's not possible. You're lying.

Mentor: No, Zak. I bring you the truth.

[Zak darts over to the doorway of the room and smacks in his code. The door doesn't open.]

Zak: Let me out. Let me go!

Mentor: You are the chosen one, Zak.

[Zak starts to see it all again: the door is kicked in...the men storm into the house...]

Mentor: You are the future of Rex II.

[Tara is led away...Zak is left, crying, clutching the little dinosaur...]

[Zak elbows the door angrily as he slowly slumps to the floor, drowning in a waking-prex (of a prex...).]

[The shuttle is launched and pulls away from the Deepwater towards the comet.]

Bren: Deepwater, this is Shuttle Alpha. We have seperation.

Reb (comm.): Shuttle Alpha, looks good here, Bren. I'm holding a comm channel open for you. Keep us posted on your progress.

Gret: OK. Shouldn't take more than a couple of hours to gather the samples.

Bren: Yep, we'll be back before lunch.

Reb: Safe trip. Deepwater out.

[Inside the shuttle, Bren glances over at Gret, grinning.]

Bren: It's an incredible view.

[Gret returns the grin momentarily.]

Gret: Keep your eyes on the road, soldier.

[Time wears on. Gret weeds through the sensor readings.]

Gret: Still no luck. Sensors aren't picking up any complex molecules out there.

Bren: Gen, we're not finding anything out here.

Gen: Perhaps it is a problem with the shuttle sensors. If you'll transfer helm control to me, I will fly the shuttle to the exact point where I detected the initial traces.

Bren: OK. Transferring now.

[He does it. Suddenly, the shuttle surges forward, full speed ahead, catching Gret and Bren by surprise.]

Bren: Gen? What's with the quickburn?

[Only static and fizz come back.]

Gret: Comm station's down. We lost contact.

Bren: Helm control just went dead too.

Gret: Cut the engines off.

Bren: I'm having a problem here...no response. Try to reach Deepwater again.

Gret: Gen, please respond. Mayday, Gen, mayday. Reb, Yuna, this is an emergency, respond...

Bren: Gen, where are you? If you don't do something we're going to smash into a billion tons of ice. [Still nothing.] GEN! Gret, how much time do we have?

Gret: Until what?

Bren: Until we make contact.

Gret: 11 minutes and 30 seconds.

[The shuttle continues closer and closer to the comet...]

[Meanwhile, on the Command Deck...]

Yuna: So what's the word from Bren and Gret?

Reb: I can't raise the shuttle--all I'm getting is static.

Yuna: Gen, can you raise the shuttle?

Gen: The comet's tail is causing interference. I am attempting to filter the signal.

Gret (comm.): This comet's a goldmine. We're still collecting samples.

Bren: We're going in deeper to get more.

[The static cuts in again.]

Gen: Sorry, I've lost them.

[In Zak's quarters, it turns out, of course, that it is Mentor using Gen's voice. Zak grabs the communicator and starts yelling.]

Zak: Reb! Yuna! That's not Gen!

[But Mentor was too quick for him, and he sends a small shock through the communicator. Zak cries out in pain.]

Mentor: Their intellects are so inferior, it's hardly a challenge to manipulate them. [He takes on Yuna's voice, mocking her.] Gen, can you raise the shuttle? I don't think so.

Zak: Gen! Tell them what's going on!

Mentor: Gen has been erased, Zak. She no longer exists. I alone control the ship.

Zak: Well, you don't control me.

Mentor: I don't want to control you. I want you to come back.

[He opens up communications with the Command Deck and takes Gen's voice again.]

[On the Command Deck.]

Gen: Emergency situation on the shuttle--all power systems are off and life support is at 43%.

Reb: What? What happened?

Gen: A systems failure. I've lost contact with them. I am powering up Shuttle Beta for the rescue.

Reb: No, it's too risky. Let's get as close as we can and tow them out with the tractorbeam.

Yuna: I agree. Changing course...

Gen: Please consider. Their life support is failing rapidly.

Yuna: They've got their spacesuits. They'll be fine for a while. [Her tone becomes suspicious.] Gen, you should know that.

[Reb is thinking the same thing, and his voice takes on the same edge.]

Reb: Are you functioning properly, Gen?

Gen: Yes. However, I strongly recommend you reconsider using Shuttle Beta.

Reb: Well, we'll try it our way first, OK? [No response.] Gen?

[Suddenly, bolts come through Reb and Yuna's consoles, wracking through their bodies until they're unconcious.]

[Lise is walking down a corridor when suddenly, the lights dim for a moment with the power drain; then they go back to full luminacy. Concerned, she goes to the Command Deck. Reb and Yuna have their backs to her.]

Lise: Reb? More power surges? The lights just flickered.

[Reb and Yuna don't move a muscle. Lise approaches the console and sees him.]

Lise: Reb! [She looks at the other console.] Yuna...

Zak: Come back to what? Rex II is dead.

Mentor: Not exactly. Our DNA is safely stored in the Deepwater gene bank. We will live once more. Think of it, Zak--a genetically pure colony. Our people's dream, finally realized!

Zak: So you want to take those genes, grow them into clones and create Rex III?!?!

Mentor: As soon as we reach a suitable planet.

Zak: What about the other 98% of the gene bank?

Mentor: Those genes are tainted, Zak. They must be disposed of.

Zak: You're dreaming. The crew'll never go for that.

Mentor: You're right. They never will. They are mud and they must be re-integrated.

Zak: You mean killed--you can't just murder them!

Mentor: The term murder does not apply to insects. Soon this ship will be pure. Rejoice.

[Zak turns back to the door and tries opening it again. No luck.]

Mentor: The imputs are blocked. There's no way out.

[Zak hits the door in frustration.]

[Zak is lying on his stomach on his bed, his head propped up wearily, visibly upset and stunned.]

Mentor: You no longer need concern yourself with anyone.

Zak: [whispering] Gone. They're all dead. It happened again and I couldn't stop it.

[The door is kicked in. The men storm into the house and hold Zak.]

Zak: There's no one else here. I'm the only one here, I swear!

Tara: ZAK!!

Zak: Leave her alone! It's going to be OK, baby, you'll going to be OK...

Man: Forget her, Zak. Ones like her are irrelevant. But not you. You're special. Like us.

Tara: I love you, Zak...

Zak: No...NO...TARA!!

Zak: I've lost everything.

Mentor: No, Zak. You still have your people.

Zak: They're not my people.

Mentor: Of course we are. Your own kind. Your own family.

Zak: I had a family.

Mentor: You can have one again. People who share your vast gifts and talents--people who will love and cherish you. Bring us back to life again.

Zak: I can't.

Mentor: You must. Right now, you're alone. We're all you have left. We can help you walk away from the pain.

[Zak looks up at him for a moment, then buries his face in his hands.]

[The shuttle is still getting closer. Bren and Gret are trying everything to get back control to no avail.]

Bren: These overrides aren't working!

Gret: Backup's frozen too.

Bren: We're going to have to cut our link with Gen.

Gret: Not if the comm station's down, so... [she turns around and points to a control panel] Computer interface. We're going to have to take it out.

[Gret and Bren start unbuckling their seatbelts. Bren takes out his gun.]

Bren: No time for fancy re-wiring jobs.

Gret: Are you crazy?!?

Bren: Nope, but I'm a good shot. Go on. [He pushes her to the back of the shuttle, and takes careful aim, then fires. The panel sparks, wires flailing. It's out. They stumble back to their seats.]

[Lise has got Reb and Yuna on beds in the cryo chamber. She's looking at her scanner, confused.]

Lise: These readings are weird, Gen. Is this scanner calibrated?

Gen: Yes. Perfectly.

Lise: Then why don't the instrument readings match the physical signs I'm observing?

Gen: The readings are consistent with the neurological phenomenon described on your screen.

[She takes a look.]

Lise: According to this, they're getting worse.

Gen: I recommend administering 4 CCs of interferon [??].

Lise: A dose that large could kill them.

Gen: It's the prescribed treatment for these symptoms. Give it to them, now.

[Something clicks in Lise's head.]

Lise: Maybe you're right.

[She goes to the table beside the beds. On top of it is a rack full of vials and an injector. Discreetly, she takes on of the vials and gently tucks it beneath a pair of latex gloves.]

Gen: What are you doing?

Lise: Umm, I agree with your diagnosis. I'm administering the interferon now.

[She injects the medicine from one of the vials into Reb...]

[Zak is typing at his terminal, his face expressionless. Mentor watches over Zak's shoulder.]

Zak: [cold, monotonic] I have isolated the Rex II genes from the remainder of Deepwater's matrix.

Mentor: Excellent. Your computer ability remains extraordinary, Zak. Begin destruction of the flawed genetic material now.

Zak: I cannot access the correct sequence from this station. I require a terminal with diagnostic capability.

Mentor: Do the preliminary imputs here, then we'll proceed to a terminal with full access.

Zak: As you wish.

[Back to the cryo chamber, Lise has managed to revive Yuna.]

Lise: Yuna, are you OK?

Yuna: I'm fine. Take care of Reb.

[Reb starts to stir. He snaps his eyes open and props himself up on his elbows immediately and starts speaking.]

Reb: Gen! Priority one--shut down all up-level functions and run a full self-diagnostic. [Nothing.] This is a priority one command, Gen, acknowledge.

Lise: Hold on, give it a couple seconds.

Reb: Gen's completely lost it. Where's Zak?

[Lise and Yuna turn to their communicators. Nothing.]

Yuna: Communicators are dead. Let's check his quarters.

Reb: She's using electricity against us--don't touch anything metal.

Lise: I've got insulated gloves--just in case.

[And on the shuttle...]

Gret: Manual's working, we're in control.

[Bren tries to steer the ship away from the comet.]

Bren: Come on....

Gret: We're not going to make it.

Bren: We'll make it. Come on, come on....

Gret: No, we won't.

Bren: Yes, we will.

[The shuttle veers away from the comet--they made it. They both give sighs of relief.]

Gret: I can't believe we made it.

Bren: You see? It's good to have me around once in a while.

Gret: Yes. Every once in a while.

[The shuttle heads back towards Deepwater.]

[Lise, Reb and Yuna arrive at Zak's quarters. Reb punches in his code--it doesn't work.]

Reb: Zak! [He bangs on the door.] ZAK!

[Inside, he's still working at the terminal with Mentor.]

Zak: They live!

Mentor: That will be easily rectified.

[Outside, Lise takes something out of her bag.]

Lise: Laser scalpel. See if you can pick the lock with this thing.

[Mentor and Bren hear Reb cutting through.]

Mentor: You know your task.

[Mentor disappears just as the door opens. Yuna peers inside as Zak is packing up his toolkit to go to the diagnostic terminal.]

Yuna: Zak, Gen's gone nuts.

Zak: [still monotonic] I know. I have the situation under control.

Yuna: You have?

Zak: Yes.

[Yuna goes back out. Zak joins them. Lise holds out a pair of insulated gloves for him.]

Lise: Take these anyway.

Zak: No need. I found the problem. [His expression says otherwise.]

Reb: Zak, you OK?

Zak: I'm fine. I'm going to a diagnostic terminal to fix Gen. I have her on minimal function right now so stay off the computer as much as you can. Don't do anything to increase the system load unnecessarily. Got it? [He gives the slightest shake of his head.]

[Reb picks up on his message with a knowing expression.]

Reb: Got it. You two?

[Yuna and Lise also give affirmative nods, so Zak goes to work.]

[The shuttle is still heading towards Deepwater.]

Gret: Shuttle Alpha back to Deepwater. [Only fizz.] Shuttle Alpha to Deepwater. [Still nothing.] Comm station's up but there's still no response.

Bren: What're they doing over there?

[Suddenly, one of the Deepwater's laser cannons comes out.]

Gret: I hate to tell you this, but they're locking their guns on us.

Bren: Evasives!

[The shuttle swerves away as the guns fire a stream of shots at them. They're hit; luckily, not seriously.]

Gret: It's firing again.

[And they do--they're hit again. Lucky again, no major damage.]

Bren: The weapons system thinks we're alien.

[Meanwhile, on the Command Deck, Reb and Yuna are running around with their gloves on, going to the various consoles.]

Yuna: Plasma diagnostic on the shields...

Reb: Phase analysis on the field generators...

Yuna: Hull integrity scan...

[In the cryo chamber, Lise is doing the same, going between the wall panel and the computer console.]

Lise: Initiating emergency scans, medical override.

[Yuna brings up a diagram of the 'active' areas of the ships.]

Yuna: She's turning things off as quickly as we can turn them on.

Reb: Good, keep it up. The more she's occupied the better it is for Zak.

[Zak is at the terminal. He snaps on a pair of gloves and starts to type.]

[The shuttle is now at Deepwater's belly, rapidly avoiding the blasts from the guns. Several alarms are going off inside the shuttle.]

Gret: What are you doing?

Bren: Getting closer. It's the only way to evade the guns.

[They're hit.]

Gret: Is that what you call evading them?!?

Bren: Something like that.

[They've now turned up top and are spiralling across Deepwater's back.]

[Back to Zak--Mentor has appeared and is watching his progress.]

Mentor: Have you implemented the destruct sequence?

Zak: It is almost ready.

Mentor: Zak, when you recreate our race, you'll be more than our leader--you will be a god.

Zak: Thanks to you, I see that clearly now.

Mentor: I am merely a guide to your glorious future. You are the Chosen One.

Zak: In that case, I choose my friends. [He gives a smug smile and starts typing quicker.]

Mentor: [concerned] What are you doing?

Zak: Oh, I don't know--bringing Gen back?

Mentor: Gen is gone.

Zak: You said Reb, Yuna and Lise were gone to. Mentor, you're a liar. You haven't erased Gen, you've merely surpressed her--I can't believe I didn't see this before. And even that takes all your power, doesn't it?

[Mentor's image starts to fluctuate.]

Zak: See? You're at your limit.

Mentor: [pleading] Please, Zak, stop. You're the last pure survivor, you're the saviour of our race...

Zak: I guess I'm really going to blow it then, huh? This is for my sister.

[He hits a key and Gen appears.]

Gen: Thank you, Zak. [She turns to Mentor.] Your presence has been a great inconvenience.

Mentor: Zak! Our mission--

Zak: I already have a mission. [He turns to Gen and gestures to Mentor.]

[Gen gets the message. She sticks her arm out and the Mentor hologram disappears.]

Zak: I guess that's what he meant by re-integration.

[Gen just smiles while Zak breathes a grateful sigh of relief.]

[The shuttle is returning to Deepwater now. Reb, Yuna, and Gen are on the Command Deck.]

Bren: Shuttle docking.

Yuna: That was some pretty fancy flying there, Bren. Almost as good as me.

Bren: Thanks. I'll take the compliment.

Gen: I have expunged all traces of the Mentor sub-program from my systems.

Reb: As always, Gen, it's good to have you back.

Gen: I must say, it's preferable to being trapped in an endless loop.

[Zak is still at the diagnostic terminal. He peels his gloves off as he speaks to Gen.]

Zak: Gen, is the segregation of the genetic material still intact?

Gen: Confirmed.

Zak: Good. Destroy the Rex II genes.

[Gret, on her way out of the shuttle bay, hears him.]

Gret: Gen, delay that order!

Gen: Destruction sequence suspended.

Gret: What do you think you're doing?

Zak: I'm giving the inhabitants of Rex II the reintegration they wanted for everyone else.

Gret: Zak, you can't destroy our mission.

Zak: I'm not--I'm defending it.

Gret: [walks past him] Spoken like a true Rex II elitist.

Zak: DON'T say that to me.

Gret: We are here to preserve genetic diversity, not kill it.

Zak: But they're evil.

Gret: Who are you to decide what "evil" is?

Zak: I have seen what they are capable of--you haven't. I know what their intentions are.

Gret: Zak, good and evil are not carried in your genes.

Zak: You're telling me those genes won't carry on the immoral tradiations of Rex II?!?!

Gret: Look at yourself, Zak--you're living proof they're not! They're just genes--the same genes as yours. Now let it go.

Zak: [turning away from her] But what if you're wrong? I mean, what if the evil is coded right in the genes? Every second I live with the fear that I'm one of them.

Gret: No, Zak. You're not. [She places a reassuring hand on his arm.] You're one of us.

Zak: [smiling gratefully] Thanks.

Review

Yet another good episode. I liked how this tied in with Fugue--just to show that the episodes can't all played out of order. I thought it was a good follow-up to it, with Zak having to deal with the way of Rex II again.

It does bring up a question about security on the Deepwater project--I thought it was one of those high-security classified government deals; but it seems to me that the entire populace knew about it. Kaulman, Aurora and her father, and even Kyra and her splicing-experiments all knew about Deepwater. I could understand it if the government told everyone because people were screaming for a solution to Pandora, but I thought they'd at least try to keep it under wraps.

Back to the episode. A couple of things I wasn't quite OK with--the whole thing with electricity being against the crew. What about the floor? And with Bren frying the computer interface. There was no time, but that wasn't the smartest thing to do. And were Reb and Yuna really too busy to notice that the weapons systems were firing at Gret and Bren? It could always be that they knew but couldn't do anything about it, but I would have thought Reb would have done something. Another Gen goes wacky ep--sometimes I think that would be the only excuse for Julie Khaner to come on the show. =D

Otherwise, good character development for Zak again, with him wanting to destroy the Rex II genes, and good interaction between Craig and Kelli.

Pictures