Alien Avatar (TV story)

Synopsis
Following the Thames becoming heavily polluted by an alien chemical. K9 discovers the telepathic alien Medes are imprisoned by Drake and that he is attempting to duplicate a missing special key to operate their organic starship. K9 rescues the Medes by following their holographic avatar projections and June discovers Drake's plot and helps to release their starship.

Plot
As K9 and Starkey make their way by the River Thames to Fish Starkey explains Fishing to K9 who considers it Inefficent as he could easily take out all the fish with his Photon Beam. Two CCPCs then halt them, asking them what they are doing. K9 then explains fishing to them, they like K9 don't understand it and go. As Starkey and K9 arrive they find several fish dead on the floor. As Starkey prepares to touch it, K9 warns him not to as he has detected an unknown alien substance. Starkey then manages to swipe one of the dead fish with his net which accidently hits K9, causing some of his body to sparkle red. At the Gryffen House Jorjie is singing to some music and she elbows Darius who is carrying a pile of books. Gryffen then spots him, Darius tells him the books could be interesting to look at but he obviously isn't telling the truth. Gryffen asks him if he was going to sell the books, Darius denies it but Gryffen tells him to pick them up and take them back to the Library.

Jorjie then starts singing again, Gryffen has to raise his voice to get her attention and tells her to quieten down. As Darius goes to the Library to return the books, he turns round to see two aliens who appear and then dissappear. At Gryffen's House Starkey takes readings of the toxin on the dead fish. Gryffen is shocked at the results of the unusual chemical composition. Gryffen asks Starkey to search through the database as the toxin is definitly extraterestrial. Darius comes in and tells them of his encounter with the aliens, and questions the weird sparkling on K9. Gryffen takes a look at it. Starkey finds a match ,Chenium a corrosive byproduct from the manufacture of Qualon 37, used in the manufacture of inter-dimensional starships. K9 then estimates if it builds up in the food chain, 85% of life in the Thames Valley will die.

In June's office Drake is talking to a CCPC through a Department computer, who tells him the prisoners are withholding information they need, Drake orders them to be more persuasive. June arrives and asks why he's here and speaks to him about his special security unit. She tells him how she sent her squad to investigate possible alien activity but were turned back by Drake's unit. She warns that alien threats are above all other Department operations, and if her squad is blocked again she will inform LOMAXX. Drake is then contacted by the CCPC who tells him the aliens won't stop talking, Drake then tells June he won't "upset" her squad again. He then tells her he has business to attend to, she then leaves.

K9 and the team go to point where the toxin is entering the river, Starkey then spots the same aliens as the ones imprisoned and who Darius saw, they knock Starkey to the ground. When he complains about his eyes they take him to Gryffen's house where Gryffen takes a look and determines it to be a strong case of vertigo and that his eyesight will return to normal soon.

Cast

 * K9 Mark 2 - John Leeson
 * Starkey - Keegan Joyce
 * Jorjie - Philippa Coulthard
 * Darius Pike - Daniel Webber
 * Professor Alistair Gryffen - Robert Moloney
 * June Turner - Robyn Moore
 * Drake - Connor Van Vuuren

Production crew
to be added

Story notes
to be added

Ratings
to be added

Myths
to be added

Filming locations
to be added

Production errors

 * While other episodes do try to use matte paintings to establish some London landmarks, this episode's exteriors aren't really treated in any way. It is blatantly obvious, especially as the characters are at the river side, that they're not anywhere close to the Thames. Tropical trees can easily be seen on the other side of the river, and the wide shots don't reveal any architecture that even slightly resembles London. Much of the action also takes place under a bridge that runs parallel to the river — something that doesn't exist in London.

Continuity

 * This episode establishes that the reason this K9 unit's language is laced with so many English colloquialisms is that the 5000 Earth movies on his memdrive have influenced his mode of expression.

Home video releases
to be added