"The Pearls That Were His Eyes" - Episode #111 (spoilers below!) (Click here for review)

 The Andromeda is headed for a space station for spare parts, as well as to access to 'mail' and news. However, the news is boring to Tyr, who is far more concerned about the report of a class seven Solar storm approaching.

Beka is upset about news of a upcoming merger of two mega shipping companies, which may squeeze out independents. Soon she is surprised by a three year old mail/video call for help from an old friend of her father, Uncle Sid (John De Lancie). Promising to be back in five days, she departs, along with an unasked for Trance.

Tyr warns that Beka may not return in the newly renovated Maru, since he might have not done so (though not now that he's warned Dylan!). However, Dylan dismisses this and focuses on the upcoming trade for parts. They select items to sell, including cabin appointments, but per Dylan not including crew effects or sports equipment.

On the somewhat seamy space station Beka and Trance are accosted by a gang of "Flash"(a synaptic/strength enhancer) addicts, but manage to beat them off. One of them helps Beka find Uncle Sid, who turns out to be none other than Sam Profit, head of one of the mega shipping companies, Trans-Galactic Shipping.

Sid gives them an uneasy welcome in his palatial headquarters. He seems to disbelieve that Beka came to help and mentions files her father had which he offers Beka 10 million to find on the Maru (which Sid helped build).

Beka and Trance go shopping, then head over to the Maru where Beka reminisces about her father, including mentioning how he made her nano-bots that allow her to change the color of her hair at will. However, things turn ugly as they find the files already accessed and are attacked by the addicts who turn out to be Sid's henchmen.

Back on the Andromeda, Dylan concludes a trade with an alien he does not seem to trust. His lack of trust is justified when they discover crucially needed parts are defective, incapacitating Rommie and putting them in danger from the approaching storm. Dylan, accompanied by Rev Bem, departs in a Slip-fighter to deal with this.

Meanwhile, Beka has been beaten and is depressed to think that her father appears to have been a drug smuggler and possibly a drug addict. Sid then reinforces this by saying that her father never cared for her, and then threatens to make Beka a Flash addict, giving her a dose and threatening by another for later that evening.

Hyper and high on Flash, Beka is returned to her room where she at first suspects but is later consoled by Trance. With heightened reasoning, Beka realizes where the files must be and plans how to make use of this. Trance manages to short circuit a window into opening, and when Sid's men come they are overwhelmed and their equipment stolen for use by Beka in creating a communications device.

Sid comes up with a plan and has his men later blast the door, only to find Beka and Trance leaping through the open window into the Maru (which Beka had signaled). On the Maru, Beka examines the nano-bots in her hairs and finds a video of Sid confessing to her father concerning murders he committed when a deal of theirs went sour

Meanwhile, Dylan returns to the storm tossed Andromeda where Tyr is taking command to deal with (escape?) the storm. Dylan has the trader, who seems suddenly motivated to replace the defective stabilizer he had sold them.

On the Maru Sid signals Beka and says her father blackmailed him, and that he fears she will do the same. To prevent this he has overridden their ship's auto-pilot to direct them into the sun. Beka says she previously sent messages and samples of her hair to News networks, to be opened if she dies. Sid thinks she is bluffing but restores control of the ship after warning Beka to tell anyone, otherwise with nothing to lose he would be sure to kill her.

Beka (to the surprise of Tyr) returns to the Andromeda and even addresses Dylan as captain and 'sir'! Later she reminisces with Trance about how while her father may have ended poorly he had been a good man and a good father to her for many years in her youth.

 Synopsis 01/29/01 by Larry Kramer       Updated 10/25/01

© 2001 Larry Kramer (See Copyright Disclaimer)