Oroborus (TV story)

Oroborus was the eleventh episode of Series 1 of K9 and revealed Starkey's backstory, it also developed the relationship between him and 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 has 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. 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 wonder what happened. Gryffen suspects that someone may have touched the STM, Darius and Jorjie both say they haven't followed by Starkey (who has a strange itch on his arm). Gryffen then determines that someone or something has breached the vortex.

Darius then recieves his payment from Starkey for a pair of Resistors (which don't work). Starkey witnesses a weird distorion and loop when Jorjie complains about Darius. K9 then goes to Gryffen and tells him he has found no presence. At night as K9 sleeps next to Starkey he wakes up and warns him of something, Time then reverses and K9 goes back to sleep. Starkey then feels the same strange itch he felt before. At morning, Gryffen is cooking breakfast when Starkey walks in. This startles Gryffen causing him to drop one of his eggs, time then loops repeating him dropping the egg. 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 and never had before. Darius then comes back from shopping, confusing Gryffen as he thought Darius went shopping yesterday. Darius tells Starkey to pay up for the Resistors, Starkey then tells him he payed him yesterday. Darius refuses to believe it and demands he pays up, they then start arguing. Starkey decides to call Jorjie as she'll back him up, however 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 he isn't lying.

Starkey gives up and gives Darius the money, as K9 records it a "Temporal Error" occurs reversing time. Starkey then 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 7 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, 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. Gryffen reveals that Starkey's body is producing strange antibodies, K9 then scans them and confirms they are alien. Darius then assumes hes an alien while Gryffen states his immune system is able to defend against alien pathogens. Darius insists he's an alien but K9 confirms he's human.

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

Gryffen thinks Starkey switched it on, Starkey then leaves to get his stuff. K9 offers to join him, they both notice everyone has lost memories. K9 searched the house after the first breach, however Temporal loss corrupted the file of the Cellar. They then both go down there and identify 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 to the STM, Jorjie wonders if the STM causing time-shifts across London. When Gryffen states the STM is localised Jorjie determines Starkey isn't tampering and decides to check the news. The Newsreader strangly apologises that the King's birthday message was both not shown and shown twice. He then speaks to a spokesperson for a train company about the news the 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 at the cellar K9 reactivates and loses three seconds, Starkey then finds some reptilian skin. Starkey then shows Gryffen, who apologises for doubting him. The team find out that as the snake skin is shedding the Snake is growing and is more hungry. Gryffen's analysis identifies it as an Oroborus, a time consuming snake. Starkey decides to go alone to the cellar and stop it as he has been given the 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 die.

Starkey goes through the cellar and faces the Oroborus, Starkey slowly backs away. The Oroborous gets right underneath the STM room, Starkey meets a dead end as the Oroborus blocks the doorway. Gryffen then activates the STM and manages to send the Oroborus away, K9 manages to find Starkey. Starkey and K9 get back to the others who are relieved to have them back. Later at night, when Starkey is in bed. Gryffen visits him and apologises for doubting him, Gryffen shows him a picture he found of his parents. Gryffen then bids Starkey good night as he 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

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 - Michaelet 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
to be added

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