Oroborus (TV story)

Oroborus was the eleventh episode of Series 1 of K9.It revealed Starkey's backstory. It also developed his relationship with Gryffen.

Synopsis
K9 notices a change in behaviour within his friends and discovers time itself is being disrupted. Small chunks in time are being eaten away. A Time-Snake has invaded the mansion and Starkey makes a discovery about his own parents that means that only he alone can face the Oroborus and offer himself as a meal to defeat the creature.

Plot
At the Gryffen house, the STM suddenly activates and starts pulling everything in the room towards the vortex. While Gryffen and Starkey both express their disbelief that the STM could have turned on by itself, K9 registers the power source as unknown. He then fires on the STM, locking off the plasma thrusters and shutting it down. After K9's long and detailed explanation of how he did it, Darius and Jorjie walk in wondering what happened. Gryffen suspects that someone may have touched the STM, but both Darius and Jorjie say they haven't, as does Starkey (who has a strange itch on his arm). Gryffen determines that someone or something has breached the vortex, and sends K9 to search the house.

Darius receives his payment from Starkey for a pair of resistors (which don't work). Starkey witnesses a weird distortion and loop when Jorjie complains about Darius. K9 returns to Gryffen and tells him he has found no presence. That night, as K9 sleeps next to Starkey, he wakes up and tries to warn him of something, but time suddenly reverses and K9 goes back to sleep. Starkey then feels the same strange itch he felt before. That morning, Gryffen is cooking breakfast when Starkey walks in. This startles Gryffen, causing him to drop one of his eggs. Time then loops and his him dropping the egg repeats. Starkey keeps feeling the same strange itch and starts sneezing; Gryffen wonders if he's allergic to something. Gryffen decides to check and takes a blood sample from Starkey.

Gryffen finds a strange mark on Starkey's arm, Starkey then tells him it has suddenly become itchy, which it never had before. Darius then returns back from shopping, confusing Gryffen as he thought Darius went shopping yesterday. Darius tells Starkey to pay up for the resistors, and Starkey tells him he paid him yesterday. Darius refuses to believe it and demands he pay up, starting an argument. Starkey call Jorjie thinking that she'll back him up, but she says that Darius gave him the resistors yesterday and that he didn't pay him. Even though K9 didn't witness it, he scans Starkey and determines that he isn't lying.

Starkey gives up and plays Darius the money, and as K9 records it a "temporal error" occurs which reverses time. Starkey talks to K9 in his bedroom, wondering if Jorjie lied or if he really didn't give Darius the money. K9 detects a temporal loss, stating he lost seven seconds. Starkey researches schizophrenia and tells K9 of how he heard voices and saw faces as a child hoping they were memories. K9 tells Starkey to relax when he thinks he's going mad, telling him he's had similar moments.

Darius asks Gryffen if he's found out what happened to the STM, wondering if it has been sabotaged. As Gryffen and Darius both confirm they haven't, Gryffen asks Darius who else was here, and his question is answered when Starkey walks in. Gryffen tells Starkey that his blood results are ready and goes to have a look. Gryffen is shocked at the readings, revealing that Starkey's body is producing strange antibodies. K9 scans them and confirms they are alien. Darius assumes he's an alien but Gryffen says Starkey's immune system is capable of defending against alien pathogens. Darius insists Starkey's an alien but K9 confirms he's human.

Gryffen states that alien immunology is beyond known science and that only two people have experimented with it, a couple who tested the antibodies on their son... Starkey. In his bedroom, Starkey researches and analyses his alien antibodies, experiencing the same strange itch again. A strange creature slithers through the cellar and the STM activates. Starkey asks K9's help but he is asleep. Starkey tries to stop the STM using the same method K9 did. He succeeds, but Gryffen walks in demanding to know what Starkey is doing. He finds out someone has tried to access time, but when Starkey says it is the same as the incident yesterday, both Gryffen and K9 then tell him it never happened. Gryffen thinks Starkey switched it on.

Starkey leaves to get his stuff, and K9 offers to join him, but they both notice that everyone has lost memories. K9 checks his memory of searching the house after the first breach, and learns that temporal loss corrupted the file of the cellar. They both go down there and discover strange tracks. Gryffen and Darius discuss Starkey tampering with the STM; Gryffen tells Darius he is trying to find his parents. As Starkey and K9 search, they hear a creature slithering, a time distortion occurs and K9 shuts down.

Jorjie goes to Gryffen and Darius, looking for Starkey. They tell her what Starkey was doing with the STM, but Jorjie wonders if the STM is what's causing time-shifts across London. When Gryffen states the STM is localised, Jorjie determines Starkey isn't tampering and turns on the news. The newsreader apologises that the King's birthday message was both not shown and shown twice. He then interviews Brook Thomas, a spokesperson for a train company, about the news that all the trains are arriving on time. She says that the trains are 100% on time even if they are several hours late and that some trains are arriving even before they leave. The newsreader then introduces the interview again and the spokesperson repeats her statement.

Back in the cellar K9 reactivates and determines that he has lost three seconds; Starkey then finds some reptilian skin. Starkey shows Gryffen, who apologises for doubting him. The team realises that since the snake skin was shed, the snake is growing and is getting hungrier. Gryffen's analysis identifies it as an Oroborus, a time-consuming snake. Starkey decides to go alone to the cellar and stop it since he possesses alien antibodies. Their plan is to lure the Oroborus underneath the STM, then Gryffen activates it. But there is a risk, if the vaccine isn't effective Starkey will be consumed.

Starkey goes through the cellar and faces the Oroborus, Starkey slowly backs away. The Oroborous gets right underneath the STM room, but Starkey is trapped in a dead end and the Oroborus is blocking the doorway. Gryffen activates the STM and sends the Oroborus away, while K9 finds Starkey. They get back to the others, who are relieved to have them back. Later that night, when Starkey is in bed, Gryffen visits and apologises for doubting him. He gives Starkey a picture he found of two scientists he believes are his parents and bids him good-night as Starkey looks at the photo.



Cast

 * K9 Mark 2 - John Leeson
 * Starkey - Keegan Joyce
 * Jorjie Turner - Philippa Coulthard
 * Darius Pike - Daniel Webber
 * Professor Alistair Gryffen - Robert Moloney
 * June Turner - Robyn Moore
 * Interviewer - Mark Hodson
 * Brook Thomas - Michelle Atkinson
 * CCPC - Josh Norbido
 * CCPC - Jason McNamara
 * CCPC - Maual Savdie
 * CCPC - Dane Paltman

Production crew

 * Writer - Deborah Parsons
 * Director - Daniel Nettheim
 * Producers - Penny Wall, Richard Stewart, Simon Barnes
 * Executive producers - Jim Howell, Grant Bradley, Steve Robbins
 * Associate producers - Bob Baker, Paul Tams
 * Supervising producer - Dale Bradley
 * Co-Executive producer - Mark Blythe
 * With special thanks - Sam Tromans
 * Line producer - Pam Collis
 * VFX Director - David Napier
 * Series Production Designer - Jon Dowding
 * Episodic Designer - Adam Head
 * New K9 Design by - Paul Tams, Alex Kubalsky
 * Series Director of Photography - Ben Nott
 * Episodic Director of Photography - Tony O'Loughlan
 * Music by - Christopher Elves
 * K9 theme music by - Michael Lira
 * Editor - Patrick Stewart
 * Casting - Faith Martin and associates
 * Episodic casting - Lisa Maloney
 * Drama/Dialogue coach - Peter Kent
 * Story Producer - Greg Walters
 * Script Adaption - Michaeley O'Brien
 * Production Accountant - Pru Donovan
 * 1st Assistant Director - Peter McLennan
 * Script Supervisor - Sue Ketchington
 * Costume Designer - Joanne Thompson
 * Makeup Designer - Sharon Robbins
 * Puppeteer - David Pawsey
 * Location Manager - Charles Boyle
 * Sound Recordist - Ian Grant
 * B Camera Operator - Dan Maxwell
 * Gaffer - Steve Monk
 * Key Grip - Billy Harmer
 * Special thanks to - Space Furniture, Shredox, J. Barbour & Sons Ltd, Heath Williams at Firefly Lighting, Videopro
 * Safety Supervisor/Stunt Coordinator - Danny Baldwin
 * Transport Manager - Alister Ward
 * Unit Manager - Graeme Suhr
 * Post Production Facility - Cutting Edge Australia
 * Head of Post Production - John Lee
 * Sound Design - Warren Pearson

Story notes
to be added

Ratings
to be added

Myths
to be added

Filming locations
to be added

Production errors

 * Connor Van Vuuren is credited as Drake even though he doesn't appear.

Continuity

 * The Oroborus is said to feed off potential energy, the same energy source used by the Weeping Angels. (DW: Blink)

Home video releases
This episode is featured in the Series One complete boxset.