The Custodians (TV story)

The Custodians was the ninteenth episode of Series 1 of K9 and focused on June.

Synopsis
"Little Green Men" is a new virtual reality game that is sweeping the nation, it is the brainchild of a strange company that has designs on taking over the youth of the world. However the game has a hidden secret. It has a link to a strange Telepathic alien that turns humans into his own kind. K9, Starkey and June race to save Darius and Jorjie from being turned into scaley green creatures. Gryffen tries his best to save the youngsters as their condition worsens.

Plot
At the Gryffen House, Jorjie opens up her new VR game, Little Green Men, she puts on a VR headset that resembles a pair of alien hands and enjoys the game. In the Department Mobile HQ, June listens to news of panic spreading across London and around the country and the Emergency services have been swamped with calls. June asks the driver why aren't they moving, he tells her the city is in chaos and that huge queues are building up making it impossible for emergency vehicles to make their way to the hospital. She finally recieves contact with Gryffen and asks him where Jorjie and the boys are, he says they were doing homework the last time he checked. He asks if anything is wrong, she tells him to get them. June tells the driver to drive to Gryffen's house. Gryffen walks in on Jorjie playing, he tells her that her mother wants her. She doesn't respond to him, he goes up to her and calls her but recieves no respones. He touches her headset but is pricked by razor sharp spines that have suddenly grown, he calls June and telsl her to come by immediately. Gryffen goes downstairs to check on Darius and finds him in Mariah with the same headset that Jorjie had, Gryffen touches it and is pricked again.

Gryffen carries Darius into the STM room and calls for Starkey and K9 to go to the Chess room. June arrives and goes to the chess room, she is shocked to see Jorjie in her current state, Gryffen warns her not to touch the headset. Gryffen says they have to get to a hospital, June says she doesn't need a doctor see needs a scientist. Gryffen calls for Starkey and K9 but has no answer, Gryffen suspects Starkey might be in the same state as Darius and Jorjie. K9 arrives with Starkey who is fine, much to Gryffen's relief. K9 scans Jorjie and Darius and sees they have strong vital signs and no tissue damage. June goes to pull the headset off but Gryffen warns her not to touch it. K9 says the spines are the headset's self-defense mechanism. Gryffen asks Starkey about the game, Starkey says its a networked virtual reality game and all the kids are mad about it. K9 says its a VR headset and an interactive game controller. Gryffen warns that whats happening to Jorjie and Darius could be happening to all the children using it, June says it's a matter of national security and parents will siege hospitals with their kids. K9 detects that out of the 21 million calls recieved by the emergency services in the last 30 minutes, 20 million calls feature the keywords son, daughter, Little Green Men, VR Game. 20 million children have been infected, K9 detects a weakness in the VR signal and June manages to pull them off.

Darius and Jorjie appear pale and stare into space as if their minds have been wiped clean. Some sort of signal is being transmitted by the game which is disrupting their neural processes. K9 says that nothing on Earth or in the rest of the cosmos could do that. In his database of 22 million systems of transmission from nine thousand worlds across ten thousand centuries he hasn't recognised it, therefore it doesn't exist. Gryffen suggests he hasn't encountered it, K9 tells him that if it existed the transmission would be of such power and sophistication its creator could not possibly be unknown to him. June takes a look at the box and finds it was made by Greenroom Entertainment, when she decides to pay them a visit Starkey asks to join her. She says that as a matter of national security the Department will handle this, however Starkey refuses to sit here and do nothing. K9 agrees with Starkey and they both go with June. They get to the front door of Greenroom HQ, June presses the buzzer and introduces herself. She is told that Senior Vice-President John is unavaliable, when she emphasises that she is from the Department the doors open.

They see a recording of John apologising that he isn't avaliable, Starkey recognises him as a Custodian. June warns that he has 30 seconds until K9 levels the building, K9 then says his Doomsday weapon is online and Armageddon mode is activated in a Demonic voice. He gives in and they go to the lift, June asks Starkey about the Custodians, he tells her they run juvinile detention centres and he was strapped to their VR education systems. They meet John, June asks him about the game Little Green Men and how to stop it. He tells her Greenroom entertainment is aware of the situation and is working to resolve the problem, normal programming will resume shortly. June gets K9 to threaten him again, she asks where the signal is being delivered from, he says it's from the presentation room. She asks where, when he doesn't answer K9 threatens him again. He tells here it's on Level Three. K9 detects an alien and goes to investigate, Starkey follows him and leaves June.

At Gryffen's House, he sees that Jorjie's arm is turning green and lumpy. He contacts June, he says her condition is stable but there is some sort of infection and her skin is becoming hardened and discoloured. She asks whats happening, he tells her he doesn't know as he isn't a medical Doctor, she tells him to keep her updated. June tells John they have to go to level three and shut the signal broadcast down, he tells her there is no need as they are on level three. She argues that nothing is being broadcast from here, she warns him not to mess with her. Thorne arrives, she ascertains it's his creation but he tells her the she needs a higher security clearance for him to confirm it. K9 searches for the alien as Starkey follows him, Starkey loses him and arrives in a darkened room, he is soon met by K9. They spot a heavily breathing alien in a chair, he can't identify it with existing species in his memory banks, logically it shouldn't exist. Starkey asks if its extinct, K9 said the thought hadn't occured. Gryffen takes a sample of the green skin off Darius. He contacts K9 and asks if he and Starkey are safe, Starkey assures him and asks about Jorjie and Darius. Gryffen tells him he's losing them to an infection, he's done tests but he can't isolate it, the signal is unstable. K9 suggests it's because of proximity to the telepath.

K9 tells Gryffen to examine one of the headsets to look for glitches. K9 tells Starkey he thinks he knows how the signal is delivered. He scanned for machine based modes of delivery but ommited scans for telepathic transmissions. Even the most powerful telepaths in the universe would not be capable of sending though impulses anywhere near this intensity, its controlling 20 million children's minds using telepathy. K9 identifies it as an Etydion, the most powerful telepathic race that ever lived. K9 didn't scan for a neural signal, it was not known that there was a living Etydion in the universe. Starkey suggests they were slaves but K9 explains that the Etydions willingly sold themselves, being at one time the most valuable commodity in the universe. With an Etydion in your invasion armada, it could broadcast a wave of fear so intense, that the opposing army would drop their weapons and flee. The vanquished and conquered banded together to vapourise the Etydion homeworld. K9 tells Starkey it is tied up as it is necessary because they recievers as well as transmiters, if they transmit nothing then they must be made to feel nothing, it has to be completely cut off from it's senses. K9 is contacted by Gryffen, who has found the glitch, a low level emitter in the middle digit of the claw attached to unidentified alien DNA, which K9 tells him is Etydion DNA to amplify the telepathic signal. Starkey recieves a signal in his brain from the Etydion, Starkey apologises that he can't help him.

The light is suddenly turned on and Starkey and K9 hide as Thorne shows June the Etydion on the screen. This shocks her, she warns Thorne that anyone found abducting aliens, sheltering or harvesting secrets about technology from an extra-terrestrial can be secretly tried and convicted by the Department. John tells her that he wasn't abducted, he offered himself to them as it was frightened and sick when he came, he was given the home it wanted. In gratitude, it's given Greenroom Entertainment a means to reach it's target audience in ways that they never dreamt was possible. The target audience being Children, the future, the VR games are the first step in reaching them. A networked VR broadcast coupled with a mild telepathic signal to draw and hold the audience. For the kind of children every educator and every parent wants, good children. As Thorne tells June, good and quiet children make good and quiet citizens. John signals the Etydion as Thorne tells June it's what they have been working for, a population that will be happy, content and untroubled, June argues that it's because they can't think. Thorne calls it an "overrated pastime", despite K9's warnings Starkey decides to show himself and is followed by K9.

K9 tells the Etydion to release Starkey from his control. June is contacted by Gryffen, he tells her he's losing Jorjie and Darius, it's far bigger than an invasion. They are being changed on a cellular level, despite Gryffen's warning, she insists that he shows her them. She is heartbroken at what is happening to Jorjie, she shows Thorne what his broadcast is doing. Thorne gives in and tells John to shut the transmission down. When John doesn't comply, Thorne orders him. John asks him for the magic word, Thorne threatens him with violence if he doesn't obey. He tells Thorne and June that he wants 50 million credits to end the transmission. Thorne realises he is being blackmailed, John tells him to remember before he bounces his "little head", he is the only one who knows how the transmission works. Thorne refuses to give in, June demands he gives it to him. He tells her the Department will be bankrupt if he authorises the transfer. June explains that the Department will be needed as there will be no Human population to protect, she begs him to save Jorjie. As Gryffen comes back to the Chess room he is shocked to find the mutation has progressed, their skin has become greener and are growing spines. Thorne gives in and announces the credits will be transferred once the transmission ends. When John delays, Thorne and June demands he ends the transmission now, he tells them he's trying to but something is wrong, the creature won't respond.

K9 detects a massive neurological surge, Starkey (under the Etydion's control) pulls the wires connecting it, now John has no control. John doesn't understand what's happening but June does, he's been outsmarted and it was tricking him, neither John or Thorne were in control. As June goes to the presentation room, Thorne tells John that he'll see his containment sectors from the inside. K9 tells the Etydion to free Starkey as he is no threat, the only threat being K9 if Starkey is harmed. The Etydion releases him as June and Thorne arrive, K9 tells them the Etydion is irreplacable as it is the last of it's species. June tells Thorne he has to destroy it, K9 tells them ithe Etydion plans to make Earth it's new home and populate it with it's own kind. But even an Etydion isn't that powerful so he's using the DNA in the headsets to amplify the signal. Thorne prepares to take action but the Etydion effects him with it's mental powers and knocks him out, June trys to kill it but is effected as well. K9 tells him that his determination is threatening lives and he has no choice but to stop him. Starkey then shoots K9 and disables him, he apologises as he collapses.

June gets back up and K9 warns her not to use the weapon, he won't be able to protect her. She shows the Etydion Jorjie and begs him not to take her away from her. Gryffen contacts June telling her the alien DNA has stopped spreading, K9 explains that the Etydion is a reciever and transmitter of emotions and is currently recieving very strongly. Darius and Jorjie return to normal as the Etydion dies. Gryffen contacts June and shows her Jorjie, restored back to normal.

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
 * John - Bash Kruck
 * Etydion - Tarek Beheby

Production crew

 * Writer - Shayne Armstrong, S.P. Krause
 * Director - James Bogle
 * 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 producers - Mark Blythe, 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

 * After this episode's broadcast on Disney XD, broadcast of new episodes halted and Taphony and the Time Loop wouldn't be broadcast until 2nd October, a gap of over 4 months between the two episodes.

Ratings
to be added

Myths
to be added

Filming locations
to be added

Production errors
to be added

Continuity

 * When Starkey asks what happened to the Etydions, he suspected "Galactic Slavers". (K9TV: The Curse of Anubis)
 * The footage of Jorjie that June shows the Etydion is from K9TV: Sirens of Ceres.

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